“Who ate the strawberry chocolates I made last night?” asked Mrs. Dee. The four dinosaur brothers looked at each other.

“Not me!” they all chimed in unison. “I saw some wrappers under Dave’s bed,” quipped Don, the youngest of the four.

“That’s not true!” hollered Dave and lunged towards his brother in a fit of rage.

“Stop it boys!” commanded Mrs. Dee as she disentangled them. “Someone must have taken them, they couldn’t have just disappeared! Just admit it and tell the truth! It’s okay; I’ll make fresh ones. Still, the four brothers remained silent.

“Well then,” said their father, who had been watching the exchange silently. “Until one of you discloses who did it, no one’s going out to play.” Once their father had spoken, the four trudged off to Din Din’s room in a stony huff.

“Dave!” hissed Don. “I know you did it! You ate the chocolates. The evidence is the wrappers under your bed.”

“Someone else could have put the wrappers there!” spat out Dave. “Why would I be stupid enough to eat the chocolates secretly and then throw the wrappers under my own bed for everyone to see?”

“In fact, I think it’s you, Don,” said Dave narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Everyone knows you have the sweetest sweet tooth of us all.” Don gaped at his elder brother.

“That’s absurd. I may be a chocoholic but I’m not a liar!”

“That leaves Din Din and Derek,” said Dave suddenly whipping around to face his elder brothers. Derek promptly boxed Dave’s ears and Dave burst into tears. Din Din shook his head in dismay. “Guys, please. What’s happening here? Can’t we have a decent conversation without arguing?” he said desperately.

“Maybe someone else has eaten the chocolates?” he finished.

“But who,” Derek asked at last. “It couldn’t be Grandmamma or Grandpa —they are not allowed to eat sweet things. Dr. Trish has asked them to avoid sugary stuff. That leaves Dad and he doesn’t even like chocolates that much.” There was a heavy silence.

“Could it be someone from outside our home?” asked Don meekly.

“I doubt it!” said Din Din. “There is no evidence of a break-in and who would steal chocolates?” he justified.

“It’s someone from the house,” finished Derek with an air of finality.

“Well, until we don’t find out, we are grounded. Dad won’t let us go out to play,” sulked Don.

“It’s Saturday! I need to go to the garden to weed the flower beds and water the plants today,” frowned Din Din. But Dad’s orders were final and no one had the courage to ask him to change his verdict.

Over dinner too there was a gloomy silence. Din Din’s grandparents didn’t understand what the cause of the muteness was. Father was visibly upset that no one had had the pluck to confess.

The next morning Mother came into Din Din’s bedroom and shook him awake. “Din Din, another box of chocolates is empty,” she whispered.

Din Din sat up with a start. He rushed to the icebox where his mother stored the chocolates she made on order.

“There were five boxes last night; this morning there are only four!” she murmured anxiously. Soon the younger brothers were awake too and they had gathered around the icebox.

“I don’t want to tell your father,” said Mrs. Dee. “He is already upset about the disappearance of yesterday’s box. Just tell me which one of you has eaten them.” The four young dinosaurs looked at each other.

“Who seems guilty?” Din Din wondered. Din Din had had enough! He decided to investigate. Was one of his brothers lying? That night he lay on his bed yet his ears were alert for the slightest sound. Both the chocolate boxes had disappeared at night. The thief prowled in the dark! Which one of his brothers was the thief? Who was the liar?

With these disturbing thoughts crowding his mind, Din Din struggled to keep his eyes open.

Suddenly, Din Din’s eyes flew open. He looked around expecting to see himself on his rock bed. Instead, he was standing before the icebox. He saw a chocolate wrapper in his paw and felt the taste of hazelnut chocolate in his mouth.

He blinked. Derek, Dave and Don were around him. “Din Din, you were sleepwalking!” Derek accused.

“We all decided to stay up and find out who was actually stealing Mom’s chocolates,” added Dave.

“And we saw you walking in a trance towards the icebox,” Don quipped in. “So it’s me? I’m the thief? I’m the liar?” said Din Din incredulously.

“I wouldn’t say that, Din Din,” Derek said kindly. “You were sleepwalking; you weren’t aware of what you were doing.”

It was an ashamed Din Din who went back to sleep. The next morning Din Din revealed the secret to his elders. “Sleepwalking?” repeated his mother, stupefied. Din Din bowed his head in embarrassment.

“It happens; sleepwalking can be due to lack of sleep,” Grandmamma said compassionately. “Make sure you are going to bed early, dear.”

His father’s face finally broke into a smile. “I’m just glad none of my children are liars. Lying reveals weakness of character and I hope we have raised you well enough to tell the truth in every situation.”

Din Din’s cheeks burned in shame. Mother went to the icebox and walked back with a box of coconut chocolates. “And here’s a treat for you, Din Din. So you don’t have a craving to snack on any chocolates while you are asleep.”

And everyone laughed. Din Din hugged his mother gratefully.

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