It’s spring time!“ cheered Dazel as she and her best friends Din Din and Delma lazed near the lakeside enjoying the mellow, evening sun.

“I love spring because my garden is in full bloom. It’s like a rainbow come alive,” said Din Din. “You must come to see it.”

“I certainly will. As a matter of fact, I will suggest Wiz Rooster to bring our class to your garden for a field trip,” Dazel suggested.

The next day Din Din entered his classroom at the Terrestrial School to see it abuzz with excitement.

Paula, the puma, their class teacher had already started her lesson.

“Din Din, why are you late?” Paula questioned.

“I beg your pardon, but we had an emergency meeting of school monitors after assembly,” Din Din explained.

“It’s okay,” Paula continued with a nod. “I was just explaining the class how to make a kite.”

“What’s that?” Din Din asked.

“A kite is a quadrilateral whose four sides can be grouped into two pairs of equal-length sides that are adjacent to each other,” she explained as she drew a shape on the black board. It is also a very simple flying object. Let’s go and learn how to make kites and fly them.“

The entire class was thrilled. They helped Paula carry out thin sheets of banana leaves, wooden sticks and strings.

They all trekked to a hill near the Terrestrial School. The air was sweet, fresh and energizing as Din Din inhaled a deep breath.

“Spring ‘is’ in the air!” Cindy, his friend murmured.

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a bird? To be able to fly?” questioned Paula when they were all gathered at the top of the hill. Everyone nodded.

“It would be quite liberating,” Tyro, one of Din Din’s classmates quipped.

“One of my best friends is a duck; her name is Dazel,” Din Din shared. “She is always exploring D’Land.”

“That’s right. I want us to build something that flies,” their teacher said with a determined smile. They crowded around Paula who fixed thin banana leaves onto a carefully measured, diamond-like frame and then attached a string below. There was breathless silence as Paula asked Cindy the cheetah to run ahead with the kite and throw it up in the air.

The creatures looked as the kite soared up and Paula held it by its string.

“Oh my!” cried the students in awe.

“The kite lifts by the wind striking the face of the kite. The flying line is the tether that holds the kite under an angle with the wind. An opposing upward force balances the force of gravity,”

Paula yelled above the sound of the excited creatures and the blowing wind. “I want all of you to make a kite in the same manner and we will all test our flying objects on Monday,” Paula instructed, ending their invigorating session.

When Din Din and his classmates returned to school, it was recess time and the rest of the pupils crowded around them to ask why they were so animated.

“We learnt how to make and fly a kite,” Din Din shared breathlessly explaining what a kite was. “Oh, how lucky you are,” Derek, his younger brother, eyed him enviously.

“We want to learn how to make a kite too,” whined Dave and Don, his younger brothers.

“I’ll make one today and you three can help me,” Din Din said. “We are having a kite flying contest after the weekend on Monday. Today is Friday so that gives me two days to perfect my kite.”

As the gong, signaling the end of the day, resounded through the Terrestrial School, Din Din made a dash for the gates followed by his trio of brothers.

“I’m going to rush to my garden and collect the leaves and wooden sticks; you three go home and find a long string. Grandmama should have some,” Din Din instructed.

By evening the four brothers were sitting in their garden outside their cave home, hard at work making the frame of a kite.

“The angles should be right,” Din Din warned. Soon the leaves covered the frame and finally the tether was made by attaching the string.

“It’s ready,” Din Din whispered in pride. The four siblings stepped back to admire their craftsmanship.

“What’s that?” asked Mr. D as he stepped through the gates returning from work at the Fruit Farm.

“It’s a kite, Father,” Din Din explained eagerly.

That night, Din Din placed the kite carefully in his backyard under the shade of the cave wall and fell asleep, soon dreaming about kites soaring in the sky.

The next morning was Saturday, yet, Din Din was up early. He rushed into the backyard eager to try out his kite. He blinked. The kite wasn’t there.

He rushed into his room seething with anger. “Derek, Don, Dave…have any of you taken my kite. I’ll wring your necks…” But he saw his brothers get up from their sleep, startled.

“Why are you yelling early in the morning?” Derek yawned. “What in the world has happened?”

“My kite! Who has taken my kite?” Din Din hollered. Now he was panicking.

“Not me,” replied his three sleepy brothers.

“Where did my kite go?” he sobbed. Now tears were falling down his cheeks. His brothers tried to comfort him.

“We will find your kite, don’t worry,” said Derek. The four dinosaurs clambered around their backyard as well as around their neighbourhood but there was no sign of the kite.

When they returned home, their mother, Mrs. Dee was anxious. “Where did you all disappear early Saturday morning?”

Din Din poured out his heart, sniffing.

“It’s okay, Din Din. You still have time to make another one for Monday,” said his Grandfather. “I’ll help you.”

“No!” said Din Din angrily. “I want to know who stole my kite!”

His family members looked at each other. What Din Din was saying was correct. They needed to know who had taken his kite.

 

(End of Part 1)