Dr Monkey and the case of the missing eyeballs ... (as narrated) by Melisand, aged 9

"He he ha ha! I like your clown act Catapult, you're so good for a caterpillar!"

That's Giggle the Grasshopper chuckling at Catapult the Caterpillar. They are playing in the ivy garden near the mysterious mud baths. Let's see what they are going to do next...

"Come on Giggle!" called Catapult. "Let's have a look at the ooey, gooey mud baths..."

"OK Catapult, I'm coming!" shouted Giggle excitedly.

"... but don't fall in," warned Catapult. "You never know whether the mud baths are going to add or remove a body part!"

Look at them tumble and laugh their way toward the mud baths. Oh no! Giggle has just tripped over a magical blue and gold daffodil and fallen face first at the edge of one of the baths. A magical daffodil can only mean one thing and that is probably what poor Giggle is going to get... BAD LUCK!

"Help me!" screamed Giggle, "I'm going to slide into the mud... I can't seem to pick myself up. Help!"

Splosh! Unfortunately Giggle has landed in a deep and disgustingly sticky mud bath... and he has discovered something terrible...

"I can't see! I can't see!" Giggle cried in panic.

"Oh dear, I think it's because you're missing your eyeballs..."

"My eyeballs! Of all the body parts to lose, why does it have to be my eyeballs? How can a grasshopper see without eyeballs?"

"I don't know... you can't," replied Catapult sadly. "There is only one thing to do, ask Dr Monkey."

"Yes, yes! Pleeeease Catapult, fetch Dr Monkey, he'll know what to do. Pleeeease," pleaded Giggle.

Soon Catapult returns with Dr Monkey, puffing from the speed he has run (or more like rolled actually). Giggle is staring blindly at the world around him, full of sorrow for the first time in his life.

"Dr Monkey, can you help me?" asked Giggle hopefully.

"Well... I might be able to..." Dr Monkey replied, a bit unsure himself.

"Does that mean yes?" questioned Giggle eagerly.

"Yes I suppose it does," answered Dr Monkey a little gruffly. "But it will be a difficult mission to get your eyeballs back, and I will need a companion."

"I'll do it!" Catapult immediately and gleefully volunteered. "Anything for my best friend."

"OK. That settles that then. Will you be alright here until we get back Giggle?" asked Dr Monkey.

"I suppose I will," Giggle replied mournfully.

Look, Dr Monkey and Catapult are in a secret hiding spot that only Dr Monkey (and now Catapult) knows about. They don't want anyone to hear their plan. Shhhh, let's listen...

"Now here's my plan," Dr Monkey explained in a whisper. "First we'll go to the Fern Library to find the information we need. You can assist me by taking notes. Then we'll head off to where the book tells us to go and we'll find the things the book says we'll need to get Giggle's eyeballs back."

Here they are inside the cosy Fern Library, Dr Monkey and his companion are searching through the reference books on the human body to find the book they need...

"Just what we need!" they cried in unison. "The Book!"

Poring over the book, they discuss and take notes until they reach a decision...

"We will have to go to Dragon Bay," said Dr Monkey, "and find a piece of driftwood in the shape of the missing body part."

"A piece of driftwood in the shape of... eyeballs?" queried Catapult.

"Of course, eyeballs! Off we go..."

Dr Monkey and Catapult have reached their destination and begin their search. Dr Monkey has decided that Catapult should search higher up the sandy beach and that he will search closer to the water. While they search, imagine Dragon Bay... inland it is full of lush, green grass and brightly coloured flowers. Great oak trees tower over the fields. The water is crystal clear with a tinge of blue. The beach is covered in smooth white sand and shaded by a canopy of palm trees. There are shells of many colours and shapes to be found. Let us check on Dr Monkey and Catapult...

"I'm not having much luck," complained Dr Monkey. "Perhaps Catapult is having more luck further up the beach?"

Catapult has dug a hole into the rich soil and found a small stream. Having seen shells and driftwood floating in there, he has made a net of flower stems and is catching the driftwood and sorting it.

"Yippee!" he shouted. "I've found it. I've found the piece of driftwood we need."

Soon Dr Monkey comes running...

"Well done Catapult," he exclaimed. "We had better get back to Giggle as soon as possible."

They quickly arrive back at the mud baths where poor Giggle is still trying to see without his eyeballs but failing hopelessly.

"Take the piece of driftwood you found Catapult and rub it over the place where the body part is missing from," instructed Dr Monkey. "The book says that the body part will come bac..."

"That is exactly what is happening," interrupted Catapult. "Look!"

Giggle is very curious about what has happened on Dr Monkey and Catapult's adventure and insists that they tell him their fascinating story. He is most impressed... and Dr Monkey and Catapult are feeling very pleased with themselves.

Now they are playing a game of I SPY...