Dazel was in her element. She was in the quaint little post office outside Wiz Rooster’s home. The office was busy with the flurry of grey pigeons who were bringing in messages for the rooster.

“This message is from Dr Trish,” declared one pigeon who was responsible for bringing messages from the Fruit Park.

“Put it in the important pile,” recommended Dazel. The pigeon put it in the cubby hole marked ‘IMPORTANT’. Within an hour, Dazel was done sorting out the messages received for Wiz Rooster from the other D’Land leaders.

“This message is to be carried to Olly the Octopus,” said Wiz Rooster as he entered the post office and greeted everyone. He handed one of the pigeons a message written with dye on a strip of banana leaf.

“Make sure it reaches him before sundown,” instructed the rooster. “I will deliver it immediately,” replied the pigeon promptly.

“Let me make note of this correspondence in the log,” said Dazel as she neatly noted the time and date of the message. The postal service in D’Land had started a week ago. The entire system was run by pigeons and the messages received and sent by Wiz Rooster, the leader of the birds of D’Land, were recorded and managed by Dazel.

After the pigeons on duty for that day were paid in sunflower seeds and nuts, the post office was finally empty. “You will be here for the night shift, Paw?” Dazel asked one elderly pigeon. The pigeon nodded and Dazel bid him farewell.

“Dazel, can you bring the log of my messages to my home at dinner time?” asked Wiz kindly.

Even though he was a leader and the principal of the Aviary School for Birds, yet he spoke to each creature with utmost courtesy and respect. That was what Dazel admired about him the most. The duck was grateful that she was not only the rooster’s student but also his neighbour.

That evening as the rooster and duck shared their dinner, Dazel spoke animatedly about this pigeon postal service. “It is sheer genius! I don’t know how we managed before, Sir. According to the log, 56 messages have been shared within the D`Land community in the last week since the service started.”

The rooster smiled in satisfaction, “I’m so glad that the service is providing help to the creatures in sharing information and messages. It has strengthened relationships between the D’Land elders as well. Because we are able to share messages and news immediately with the dinosaurs as well as the aquatic creatures, we can readily be updated about each-others’ issues and help one another as well.”

“I have now realised how important it is to communicate. This is a great facility. For birds, covering long distances has been easy due to our skill of flight, but for terrestrial creatures who are not very swift and especially aquatic ones, commuting over long distances has been a challenge,” agreed Dazel.

The next evening too Dazel was eager to return to her duty at the post office. After school and a quick rendezvous with her best friends Delma and Din Din, she flew off to the post office. Already there was a stack of mail waiting for her to sort out in their respective cubby holes.

After the sorting was done, one folded banana leaf remained on her table. “Who has brought this message?” Dazel asked.

The six pigeons who were on duty that day looked at each other in confusion. “I have brought messages from Olly today,” remarked one pigeon and she identified her messages with her beak. “I carried messages from Fruit Park,” said another.

“I took Wiz Rooster’s messages to the savannah,” added the third pigeon. “And we received them here,” quipped the other three pigeons in unison.

“I remember this note being here when I arrived at the post office this afternoon after school,” remarked Pie the pigeon thoughtfully. “I was the first one here.” Pie was Dazel’s classmate and knew her well.

“So someone else has delivered this note, not any of you?” pondered Dazel.

Dazel opened the note. What she read made her heart flutter. “Please help me” — said the note. The words were simple but the desperation in these three words made Dazel catch her breath.

“What is written, Dazel?” asked Pie. Dazel gulped down the lump in her throat. “I cannot tell you; I must share it with Wiz Rooster.” With those whispered words she soared towards the rooster’s home.

“S…sir,” she panted, “I have received an anonymous note at the post office today.” Wiz Rooster scanned the note thoughtfully but did not seem to be perturbed.

“Dazel, remember that anonymous notes cannot be taken seriously,” the rooster said sensibly.

“But sir, someone is asking for help,” the duck squawked desperately. “It may be genuine or it may not,” Wiz Rooster said logically.

“But what if it is?” insisted Dazel. The rooster did not reply. After a moment he said, “Then we must wait and see if the cry for help comes again. Dazel, even though communication may have its advantages, yet it is possible for many to misuse this service. Someone might be doing this merely as a prank.” Dazel nodded. But that night Dazel led a sleepless night. Someone was in trouble and she wanted to find out who it was.

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