TUMBLING PUMPKINS

As soon as Damru donkey entered his field, he looked at the -pumpkin vines. He noticed that there were fewer pumpkins. Quickly, he counted them. Oh, there is one pumpkin less again today. Who is stealing my pumpkins daily? Damru thought and decided to get help from the detectives Cheeku rabbit and Meeku mouse.

- Vivek Chakravarty

"It's a very serious problem, Damru, but don't worry. It's not only difficult but impossible to escape Detectives Cheeku and Meeku," said Cheeku, and they went to Damru's field.

"Your field is surrounded by a fence, so no thief can enter it," Cheeku said.

"Cheeku, beneath the fence, there is a small space to enter," Meeku said, pointing at a spot in the fence surrounding the entire field.

"Damru, tell me, do you suspect anyone?" Cheeku asked.

"I think Baddy fox has stolen my pumpkins. He always looks at them greedily whenever he passes by my field," Damru replied hastily.

"Not possible. Baddy is fat; he cannot enter the field from under the fence," Cheeku said.

"Then, who is the thief?" Damru asked.

"We'll find out," said Meeku.

"Take out a pen and paper, Meeku; we have to make a list of all the animals who could have stolen the pumpkins," said Cheeku.

"I'm ready, Cheeku," said Meeku.

"First of all, write Jumbo elephant's name on it."

"Why Jumbo?" Damru asked.

"Jumbo can pick the pumpkins and take them out of the field with the help of his trunk," Cheeku explained.

"Then, the next name should be Jacky giraffe's, because he too can pick the pumpkins without entering the field using his long neck," stated Meeku.

"Write Jumpy monkey's name," said Cheeku, shocking Meeku and Damru.

"Why Jumpy? Neither does he have a trunk nor a long neck," asked Damru.

"Jumpy can jump from the branch of a tree and enter the field."

"Good point, Cheeku," said Meeku.

"Come on, let's go and meet all three of them," said Cheeku. They first went to see Jumbo.

"Cheeku and Meeku, how come both of you are here?" Jumbo asked.