**Chapter 6: Squirrel Wanda**
The balloons kept dripping, and the sticky sweet rain still fell over the jungle. The Animal Detectives, along with Seba and Bartek, stood on the clearing, staring first at each other, then up at the colorful cloud swaying above them.
„So we’ve got balloons, we’ve got honey, and we’ve got us,” Alfred summed up. „All we need now is to figure out who came up with this mess.”
Before anyone could reply, a tiny sound came from under the bush on the left side of the clearing.
„Someone’s there,” Patrycja whispered, clutching her notebook.
Seba soared up without a word and hovered over the bush, scanning from above. Bartek stepped back and waited. Alfred lifted his nose.
„I smell nuts,” he said softly. „And pine needles.”
Kuba signaled with his paw: everyone moved slowly and quietly toward the bush.
Just then, one balloon—the creamy one filled with nut cream—let out a loud *pssssss* and started spinning down like a crazy top, whirling through the air.
„Watch out!” Seba shouted from above.
But it was too late.
The balloon looped over the clearing, spraying cream everywhere, and landed with a *splat* right on Bartek’s head. The bull stood still for a moment, covered in white cream, with the balloon stuck on his horns like a funny hat.
Silence.
„Bartek,” Kuba said calmly at last, „are you alive?”
„I’m alive,” Bartek grumbled from under the cream. „But this is the second thing today that’s landed on my horns, and I’m starting to think it’s no accident.”
Alfred stepped closer, sniffed the cream on Bartek’s horn, and nodded seriously.
„Nutty,” he said. „Good vintage.”
Seba sighed from a branch overhead.
„Focus, everyone,” he said. „Something’s moving under the bush.”
And sure enough—the bush shook, then shook harder. A clear sound came from inside. Someone was crying.
Patrycja went first, quiet and gentle. She knelt by the bush and parted the branches carefully.
There, curled up tight with her rusty-brown tail wrapped around herself, sat Squirrel Wanda. Covered in syrup. With wet eyes and a nose as red as a raspberry.
Kuba wiped cream from his forehead, stood tall, and walked over calmly.
„Wanda,” he said kindly. „We won’t hurt you. But it’s time to tell us what’s going on.”
The squirrel looked at the lion, then at creamy Bartek, then at the rest of the group—all sticky with honey, syrup, and cream in different spots. Instead of answering, she did something unexpected.
She giggled.
Just for a second, then she started crying again. But that one giggle made Kuba smile.
„See?” he said, sitting by the bush. „That’s better. Now talk.”
Wanda sniffled.
„I wanted to make a surprise,” she began quietly. „For everyone. Last week, Kostek passed by. Rooster Kostek from the farm. He told me what he learned on his last trip—that happiness comes from making others happy. That his joy is seeing someone smile at what he made for them.” She paused. „I feel the same. I’m happy when I share treats. When someone eats and looks like it’s the best thing ever.”
„Balloons full of honey,” Patrycja said calmly.
„With honey, fruit syrup, nut cream, honey lemonade, and mint syrup,” Wanda nodded. „Each one a different flavor. I tied them to the tree and planned to wait for Saturday, Jungle Picnic Day. They were supposed to drop all at once on the clearing, covering everyone in sweet rain. It was going to be magical.”
„But the string broke,” Alfred said.
„The string broke,” Wanda confirmed, and started crying again. „It’s been raining for three days now. Wings are sticking, Jaś can’t fly out of his hole, Mela’s glued to the vines, and I just wanted to make everyone happy, but I ruined it all, and…”
„Wanda,” Kuba said calmly. „Breathe.”
The squirrel looked at him.
„Breath in through your nose,” Kuba said seriously. „Hold for four seconds. Breathe out through slightly open mouth.”
Wanda squinted but tried it. Deep breath in. Hold. Slow breath out.
„That… helps a bit,” she said, surprised.
„I know,” Kuba replied proudly. „That’s why I do breathing exercises.”
Just then, Bartek cleared his throat.
Everyone looked at the bull. He stared at the tree where the string had been tied. Then at his right horn. Back to the tree. A deep scratch marked the bark—exactly the shape of a horn.
„Sorry,” he said finally. „But that tree… Last week I came through here. Someone called me from the other side of the hill, and I turned fast. My horn caught on something by the tree. I thought it was a branch.”
Silence.
„Bartek,” Patrycja said slowly, „did you just admit to breaking the string?”
Bartek squinted.
„I’m just realizing it now,” he said with a sigh. „Sorry, Wanda.”
The squirrel stared at him for a moment. Then she sighed.
„You didn’t know,” she said. „I didn’t plan well either. I should have used a thicker string.”
„And told someone your plan,” Patrycja added gently.
„And told someone,” Wanda agreed softly.
**Chapter 7: How to Bring Down the Balloons**
The mystery was solved—but the balloons were still dripping. To stop the sweet rain, they had to lower them carefully over the lake so the honey wouldn’t flood the whole hill at once.
Seba flew up and hovered over the bundle, checking each balloon.
„They’re full,” he called down. „If I pop them all at once, it’ll be a flood. We need to do it over the lake.”
„How much do they weigh?” Kuba called.
„I can’t lift them alone,” Seba replied. „Need help from below.”
Seba dove, grabbed the high-hanging string in his beak, and pulled it down to Bartek. The bull wrapped it around his horns and front leg without a word.
„Lead on,” he said to Seba.
What happened next was a show the jungle animals never forgot. Seba flew low, guiding the balloon bunch slowly toward the lake. Bartek followed up the hill, holding the string with all his bull strength. Kuba flanked them, ready to leap if needed. Alfred sniffed the air, warning when syrup dripped the wrong way. Patrycja took notes. Ala flew ahead, calling out obstacles. Zofia led Bartek on the shortest path—she knew every rock on that hill.
Wanda trailed behind, clutching a bit of string in her paws to feel like she was helping too.
At the lake, Seba pecked the balloons one by one from each bunch—slowly, right over the water. Helium hissed out softly. Each balloon floated a second, tipped, and poured its treat: golden honey, orange syrup, nutty cream, yellow lemonade, green mint.
When the last pale-green bunch emptied mint syrup and flopped onto the shore grass, silence fell.
Then Alfred waded in knee-deep.
He took a sip of water.
„The lake’s way tastier now than before the case,” he said seriously. „And—no one’s falling in love.”
Kuba laughed. Everyone joined in.
Wanda too—through happy tears this time.
**Chapter 8: Picnic on the Clearing**
„Wanda,” Kuba said, coming back from the lake, „got any more honey?”
The squirrel squinted.
„A little,” she admitted carefully. „In my pantry.”
„Then we’re having a picnic,” Kuba decided. „Today, on the clearing. No balloons. No rain. Real table, real plates.”
„But it was for the whole jungle,” Wanda said.
„We’ll invite everyone who got hit by the sweet rain,” Patrycja said. „Help Maks clean his wings, unstick Jaś’s feathers, scrub Mela’s hands so she can swing on vines again.”
„And the rest just because they want to come,” Zofia added.
Seba folded his wings.
„We’re staying,” he said calmly.
Bartek nodded his still-drippy horn.
„Me too. Sorry again, Wanda.”
„It’s okay,” the squirrel said. And this time, she meant it.
The picnic happened that afternoon. Zofia spread a blanket. Patrycja set name cards at each spot—she liked order even at picnics. Alfred brewed jungle herb tea with fruit slices. Ala patiently cleaned Maks’s wings. Kuba helped Jaś pick leaves and cones from his feathers—it looked funny, the big lion with the tiny bird.
Wanda brought a jar of honey—simple, but hers.
„Sorry it didn’t go as planned,” she said, setting it down.
„It went different,” Patrycja said. „But good.”
„My happiness is sharing treats,” Wanda remembered.
„Then share,” Kuba said, scooping honey onto his paw with a big grin. „You did. Just on a slightly different plan.”
**Chapter 9: Goodbye at the Portal**
That evening, the Animal Detectives walked Seba and Bartek to the portal by the big fig tree at the jungle’s edge. It glowed soft gold—the right one, back to the Human Land.
„Next time, check the portal first,” Kuba said.
„Next time,” Seba replied, „we might pick this one on purpose.”
Bartek gazed at the jungle, the distant shiny lake, the clearing with the picnic blanket still there.
„Kostek and Klara were right,” he said. „This place is fun.”
„It is,” Ala agreed.
Seba and Bartek stepped in. The gold light flickered, flashed, and faded.
On the clearing stood just the Animal Detectives, Wanda, and the jungle’s evening quiet—broken only by frog songs and the lake’s far hum. It smelled like fresh water now, a hint of mint, and the faintest touch of honey.
„Case closed,” Patrycja said, snapping her notebook shut.
„Picnic success,” Wanda whispered.
„Lake water’s the best ever,” Alfred said.
Kuba yawned, stretched, and looked at the stars.
„Now,” he said, „back to my mat. Five more breathing sets.”
He padded off, breathing deep and steady—like the toughest workout in jungle history.