Night had begun to fall but sleep was the last thing on Din Din’s mind. Din Din dashed to the pond as fast as his heavy legs could carry him.

“Dazel,” he yelled desperately. All the activity at the pond where Dazel lived came to a screeching halt. The frogs stopped jumping in the water and the insects paused flapping their wings. The creatures had all been preparing for bed.

“Din Din?” Dazel, the duck, squawked in puzzlement. “What’s the matter?”

“My brothers…,” panted Din Din. “I can’t find them.”

“Here, have water first to calm down,” advised Grandfather Frog who had hopped out onto the pond bank. Din Din slurped some water hastily where the pond’s shallow water lapped at the edges. Night had fallen and the only light came from the faint glow of the full moon and the flickering fireflies.

“I was supposed to take care of my three younger brothers for the weekend because my parents have taken my grandparents to the hot springs to cure their aching limbs. I took my brothers to my garden with me so I could keep an eye on them. I just left the garden to speak to Delma at the lake… I had hardly been gone for half an hour…but when I returned no one was there. Not my brothers, not even Kit, my garden’s caretaker, nor her kittens,” the words poured out in a rush as Din Din breathlessly tried to explain his predicament to Dazel.

“I need your help, Dazel,” he sobbed finally. “Help me find them. Maybe the jackals captured them? Remember the time Don was taken captive by the jackals?”

“Don’t worry, Din Din,” soothed Dazel. “We will find them.”

“It’s dark,” reminded Swain, the black swan. “How will you find your way? You might have to wait until dawn.”

“No!” cried out Din Din in anguish. “I can’t spend the entire night with them missing. I need to help them! I’ll go mad wondering what might have happened to them!”

“We need a source of light!” Dazel murmured to herself. A few of the fireflies came forward, “We might be able to provide some light.”

“Thank you,” replied Dazel gratefully, “But we will need brighter light.”

“What about creating torches?” suggested the fireflies.

“What a splendid idea,” agreed Grandfather Frog.

Under the elderly frog’s supervision, the pond animals collected two thick branches and tied some dry grass onto one end. “Let’s light a fire,” instructed Grandfather Frog. Din Din began rubbing two rocks together, his paws shaking. Soon a fire was blazing.

“Now put the end of the branch where the grass is tied into the flames,” said the fireflies.

Shortly the end of the torches were ablaze. Din Din carried one torch in his mouth while Dazel tried to grip one in her beak.

“Be careful,” called out Grandfather Frog behind them as they scampered off towards Fruit Park.

“I can fly to get a better vantage point,” said Dazel as they neared Din Din’s garden. “Can you see their footsteps leading away from the garden? The soil in this area is usually fertile and damp.”

In the light of the flickering flames and the falling embers, the two friends scrutinized the garden floor. “The paw prints are too many. It’s hard to tell!” declared Din Din in frustration.

“What scares me even more is that Kit is also missing! She is such a responsible cat. Whatever could have made her lose her way? Even her kittens are missing,” shared Din Din in anxiety. “I feel so responsible for all of them.”

Din Din broke down and sat in the perfectly weeded green turf. “What will I tell my parents? They trusted me with such a huge responsibility and look what I did! I can do nothing right!”

“Din Din, this is not the time for such remorse. This is the time for action!” Dazel said shaking her huge friend. “Let’s go towards your home. Maybe we can spot their footprints on the way,” advised Dazel.

Slowly and steadily, the duo made their way towards the area of Fruit Park where Din Din’s home was located.

On the way they met their trio of stegosaurus neighbours returning home. “Hey Din Din!” they called out in greeting. Din Din smiled weakly.

“What’s the matter, lad,” said one of the stegosaurus. “Why do you look so low?”

“My brothers are lost,” Din Din whispered, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Oh man! We’ll help you hunt for them,” they promised. “Let’s get some provisions from our home and we can search Fruit Park thoroughly.

It was a large group of four dinosaurs and one duck who made their way to Din Din’s neighbourhood. “Din Din, look! There’s someone in your house. I can see some shadows inside,” said one of the stegosaurus as they stood in front of Din Din’s cave. Fearing for burglars, Din Din stealthily stepped inside, his heart pounding.

“Din Din!” came a cackle of voices as he entered the cave.

“Derek! Dave! Don!” cried Din Din in relief as he spotted his brothers seated at the dining table. “Where have you been?” he asked.

“Where have ‘you’ been?” accused Derek. “We waited for you at the garden and you took so long. We decided to come home. On the way we stopped to pick some fruit for dinner.”

“I came here looking for you,” Din Din explained.

“We must have been at the orchard picking fruits,” said Dave. “See we prepared dinner. We have been waiting for you. Dinner is cold now.”

“I accompanied them and stayed with them to make sure they were safe,” mewed someone. “Kit!” Din Din said joyfully. “Oh! I’m so glad everyone is safe! I was so worried.”

“But where were you all this time? And why are so many creatures with you?” asked Don innocently as he looked at the three stegosaurus and Dazel.

“Would you believe it! We were looking for you!” said Din Din. And they all laughed in relief.

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