The Mischievous Trio .

- Riya Barot

I n a quaint little village named Pratapgadh, lived an unusual trio-a cat named Pinku, a dog named Raja, and a parrot named Meenu. Though they were from different species, they were the best of friends and known across the village for their endless mischief.

One sunny afternoon, Pinku lay lazily on the village wall, his sleek fur glistening in the sunlight. He looked down at Raja, who was spinning in circles, trying to catch his own tail.

"Raja bhai, have you ever actually caught that thing?" Pinku teased. "You look like a spinning top!"

Panting and wagging his tail, Raja grinned. "Arre Pinku, one day I'll catch it-and then I'll be the king of all dogs!"

Just then, Meenu fluttered down from a mango tree. "Raja, you don't need a tail to be a king," she chirped cheekily. "You just need a crown!"

Pinku's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Let's steal one! The village chief has a fancy crown in his house. What do you say?"

Raja barked excitedly. "Yes, yes! A crown for King Raja! But... how?"

Meenu, always the brains of the group, came up with a plan. "I'll fly in and distract the chief's wife by copying her voice. Pinku, you sneak inside and grab the crown. Raja, you stand guard. If anyone comes-bark like crazy!"

The plan was set.

Meenu flew to the window and squawked, mimicking the chief's wife perfectly: "Areey! Shu karo chho? (Hey, what are you doing?)" The real wife turned around, puzzled.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Pinku slipped through the open door, his paws soft and silent. On a table, he spotted a shiny golden turban-the perfect makeshift crown!

Just as he reached for it, Raja spotted the chief returning and barked at the top of his lungs, "Bachao! Bachao!"

Startled, the chief ran outside, giving Pinku just enough time to snatch the turban and dash away. The trio raced toward the fields, laughing all the way.

Once safe, they crowned Raja. The turban was way too big and slipped right over his eyes, making Pinku and Meenu burst out laughing.

Raja didn't care. He stood proudly, tail wagging. "From now on, call me King Raja!" he declared.

And so, the mischievous trio spent the rest of the day in the fields-a cat, a dog, and a parrot-laughing, playing, and proving that friendship comes in all shapes, sizes... and species!

What's the moral of the story, you wonder?

It's perfectly okay to be funny and playful-but it's never okay to steal. The mischievous trio did get punished for what they did. But what happened? Who punished them? How did they learn their lesson?

Can you answer that in the form of a short story, Jingle Jingle Cutie Champs?

If yes, send your story to us at: zagmag.content@gmail.com We'd love to read your version!