Percy's Peculiar Pie Problem

It was February 13 and Premvan was buzzing with activity. The forest dwellers were preparing for their annual Valentine's Day Fair, which was to be held in the area around Emerald Pond the next day. The final cleaning of the pond and its premises was going on, and Stella hedgehog was in charge.

- Suchitra Ramadurai

"Make sure you don't drop any trash as you transport them to the bins near the Gulmohar tree," she reminded the volunteers as she scurried around doing last checks.

Soon, the vendors began arriving with their tents and wares. Jojo bear brought heart-shaped boxes that he had carved out of driftwood, and Dippy deer began setting up heart-shaped jars of strawberry jam. Winnie wolf, who was clever with her hands, had made embroidered handkerchiefs, all shaped like hearts.

"Only one vendor is missing. Where is Percy?" Stella asked her assistant Mintu monkey after checking her list.

"I heard him snoring aloud, when I passed by his house this morning," replied Jojo from his stall.

Stella decided to send Mintu to check on Percy boar.

Once he reached there, Mintu could also hear Percy's snores.

"Drrr...Grrrmmpphh...Drrrr," Percy's snores were so loud that the windows and doors of his house were rattling. Mintu climbed the tree outside, and peered into Percy's window. Percy was indeed fast asleep, on his bed.

"This is unusual," Mintu thought. "Percy is one of the most hardworking members of our forest. His pies are famous and many people will come to buy them. I'd better wake him up." Mintu hopped in through the window and began shaking Percy.

"Wake up, Percy! Everyone is getting their stalls ready for the Valentine fair. Only yours is left!" But Percy kept snoring and showed no signs of waking up.

Mintu went into the kitchen, and was surprised to see dozens of beautiful, golden-brown heart-shaped pies stacked on the kitchen counter! One of the pies was half-eaten and lay on a plate on the counter. Mintu could see that it had a juicy, jammy filling, and his mouth began to water. Just then Stella's stern face flashed in his mind and he steadied himself. Picking up an empty glass, he filled it with water and went back into Percy's bedroom.