It was morning, but Dazel’s eyes were puffy and watery. She sniffed and felt her throat become clogged. She tried to muster up the courage to get ready for school but she just wasn’t feeling up to it.

Wading out of her artificial pond, she huddled in the patch of long grass near the pond’s edge. The long stalks cocooned her and soon she fell asleep, giving in to her drowsy state.

“Dazel,” said a voice. Someone was trying to shake her awake. Dazel tried to pry her eyes open. It was Wiz Rooster, her neighbour and principal of the Aviary School for Birds.

“I was just leaving for school and I noticed you were sleeping. You are usually the first one to reach school.”

“I’m not feeling too good,” replied Dazel groggily.

“I’ll ask Dr Owl to come and take a look at you. You look very ill,” remarked Wiz Rooster, his feathered brow puckering up in concern.

Dazel was too weak to argue. She nodded off to sleep again. Soon Dr Owl arrived. Wiz Rooster, who had gone to fetch him, bent over Dazel. “Dazel, I have to go to school, but I’ll send one of your friends from school to tend to you. In the meantime Dr Owl will take a look at you and give you some medicine.”

“Worry not, Wiz Rooster,” comforted the doctor. “I’ll take care of Dazel.”

The doctor checked Dazel’s throat and examined her eyes and chest. “I’ll have to take you to my clinic,” Dr Owl announced.

“What’s wrong with me Dr Owl?” Dazel asked.

“I can’t seem to tell at the moment,” mused Dr Owl. “I’d like to keep an eye on you.” Dazel managed to fly feebly to Dr Owl’s clinic.

As she lay on a small feather bed in the tree house where the clinic was situated, Dazel began to sneeze. Dr Owl fretted over her giving her a few herbs and massaging balm over the feathers on her head.

It must have been afternoon when Dazel opened her eyes again. This time she saw Din Din’s large face looming outside the window of the tree house. “Dazel, what happened to you? Swain the swan flew to my garden and told me that you didn’t come to school today. Wiz Rooster sent him to inform me that you were at Dr Owl’s clinic.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong, Din Din,” Dazel whispered. “I was fine yesterday night. But when I woke up this morning my eyes were watering and my throat was clogged.”

“I’ve figured out what the issue is,” came Dr Owl’s voice as he walked towards Dazel’s bed. “It seems like seasonal allergic rhinitis — what we call hay fever,” he explained in his gravelly voice.

“What causes this, Dr Owl?” inquired Din Din. He had never seen Dazel in such a state and he was alarmed.

“Allergic reactions are most commonly caused by pollen and mould spores in the air,” explained Dr Owl. But that’s crazy! How could I suddenly be allergic to pollen? Pollen has always been all around us in D’Land, transported from flower to flower,“ argued Dazel grumpily. Her itchy throat and watery eyes were making her irritable. Always used to being up, about and active, she hated feeling sleepy.

“Well, the weather can affect the amount of pollen in the air at any time. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is often caused by tree pollen in the early spring, grass pollen in late spring and summer and hay fever in late summer and autumn,” explained Dr Owl.

“So what’s the cure, Doctor?” Dazel asked urgently, wiping her bleary eyes with the back of her feathers. “Please, make me feel better. I hate feeling this way!”

“I have a cure too,” Dr Owl said triumphantly. “Do you know where nettle leaves grow?” he asked, turning to Din Din.

“Yes, I have nettle leaves growing in my garden,” replied Din Din.

“Nettle leaves can help naturally block your body’s ability to produce histamine, which can provide allergy relief naturally,” explained Dr Owl. “But my clinic timings have started. Patients will be lining up any minute and I won’t have time to prepare Dazel’s medicine until later tonight.”

“Let me take Dazel home with me. My mom can make the medicine with the nettle leaves if you can just write the recipe down for me,” pleaded Din Din.

“That is a good idea,” agreed Dr Owl.

Soon, Dazel found herself hauled up on Din Din’s broad back. The swaying motion of the dinosaur’s walk made her sleepy too and when she awoke she saw that they had arrived at Din Din’s large cave home.

Mrs Dee, Din Din’s mother, looked concerned when she saw Dazel in such a state. Din Din quickly explained what had happened to Dazel.

“I’m going to pick some nettle and peppermint leaves from my garden. This is the recipe we have to follow for Dazel’s medicine,” Din Din said, handing over the banana leaf on which Dr Owl had penned the recipe.

“I’ll boil water for the medicine and I also have honey in the kitchen to add to the mixture,” Mrs Dee said.

Soon the medicine was brewing. After it had cooled a bit, Din Din gently asked Dazel to sip it. She nearly choked on the sharp taste, spitting out the mixture.

“What is this?” she complained. “You need to have this, Dazel,” Din Din said firmly. That night Dazel slept in Din Din’s room, her breathing heavy. Din Din remained by her side administering a spoonful of the nettle concoction every hour.

The next morning when Dazel awoke she seemed puzzled to be in unfamiliar surroundings. Instead of the clear sky she saw a rock roof.

“Dazel, how are you feeling?” asked Din Din. “I…I’m much better,” Dazel replied. Memories of the last day overwhelmed her. A rush of gratitude welled up inside her heart. Her eyes watered. “Oh Din Din! You nursed me back to health. I can’t thank you enough!”

“It was nothing Dazel! But why are your eyes watering again if you’re feeling better? Are you still feeling the allergic symptoms?” asked Din Din anxiously.

“No Din Din. These are tears of gratitude. Gratitude for having such a loving friend!” replied the duck.

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