Acorn went through deserts, jungles, rivers, lakes, and many more. Then, she came upon a gigantic storm! The map blew away! Woosh! Acorn was lost! She went to find shelter and hid in a tree until the storm passed.
“Hmm, the sun is rising in the East. I need to go South, so that way,” said Acorn.
On her way, she met a leopard walking towards a tree.
“Hi! My name is Acorn. I lost my map and wanted the directions to America,” explained Acorn.
“Get out of here, or I will crack you just like you crack an acorn,” said the unfriendly leopard.
“Well, you’re rude,” retorted Acorn.
“I get what I want, now GO!” yelled the leopard.
“No,” remarked Acorn.
“No?” asked the leopard.
“You said no to me?” raged the leopard.
“Yes,” said Acorn calmly.
“You, my meat! Did you rodent steal it!?”
“I AM NOT A RODENT! My name is Acorn. How could I steal your meat if I have been talking to you this whole time?” shrieked Acorn, losing her cool.
“You’ve done it now!” said the leopard, sharpening its claws. “I can replace my meat with you,”
“Wait! Let’s follow your paw prints.”
Acorn ran into some bushes and pulled out the leopard’s meat.
“Oh, I spit it out to tell you to go.”
“The way?”
“That way.”
Acorn headed off and didn’t notice the leopard following her.
As the sun rose, trees rose to the sky, trees became thicker, and Acorn was getting lost.
She kept walking, and then something pulled from behind.
“AAH!” she yelled.
“Welcome to the show! Magic Mac!” uttered the attacker, and he rubbed his ears.
“Heeello, my friends! Welcome to Magic Mac! So, for my first trick, I will give some animal the power of levitation!” a mystical voice announced.
As the shadow lowered, Acorn saw a macaw. As he looked into the crowd of cheering animals screaming, “PICK ME! PICK ME!”
He caught Acorn’s eye.
“How about that squirrel over there? Come on up, don’t be shy,” said Mac in a reassuring voice.
“Me?” Acorn was shocked.
“Yes, you,” said Mac, throwing out his hand.
“Please stand in this box, and now, put your hands together for the…drumroll, please. THE ENCHANTED GEM!” yelled Mac. When the curtain opened, inside the glass case, there was nothing! For a minute, nobody said anything. You could hear a pin drop.
“WHY!!! That gem has been in my family’s magic business for years! It was passed from my great-great-great-grandfather to my great-great-grandfather, to my great-grandfather, to my grandfather, to my father, and finally to me!” sobbed Mac. “Who has taken it?! Show yourself, waah!!!!!”
Acorn looked around and said in a clear voice, “I think you need to talk to that python over there.”
“That is a serious accusation! I DIDN’T TAKE IT!!” snapped the python.
Mac was in tears, so he said, “PROVE IT! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING IT?!”
“He’s hiding it in his pockets. They look like they are carrying something, and do you see how he’s covering his pockets with his tail? It has to be in there,” explained Acorn.
The python started to slither away as fast as he could. The Eagle Police caught him and put him back in place. He was tailcuffed and went away with the Police screaming at the top of his voice, “I DIDN’T DO IT! FRAMED, I TELL YOU, FRAMED!” Then, the Enchanted Gem slipped out of his back pocket...so much for lying.
“Well, Miss,” said Mac, lowering his hat,” I will always be in your debt.”
“You’re welcome! Now, do you know the way to America?” asked Acorn.
“Miss, you just keep going in the North direction. Bye, take care of yourself,” instructed Mac, pointing his feathers North.
But, just like the leopard, Mac started following Acorn too. As the sky darkened, Acorn realized she couldn’t see the path anymore, and she ran up a tree to rest for the night. In the morning, when it was brighter, she saw a herd of elephants grazing in the fields.
“Maybe they know the way,” thought Acorn.
As she approached them, she noticed two elephants arguing in the heart of the herd.
“But I don’t understand why you think I CHEATED!” said the leftmost.
“Then, how do most of the herd say they chose me to be the leader?” said the other.
“Then, how did I win?!” asked the leftmost one.
“You, YOU MUST HAVE CHEATED!” said the rightmost one.
“TALK TO MY LAWYER!” said the left one.
Acorn walked into the middle of the herd. “How is it logical that you won? I know you cheated if most of the herd says they voted for the other elephant. Spill it,” said Acorn to the left elephant.
The elephant went silent.
“No? Fine, in fifteen minutes, I’ll be able to prove that you cheated,” determined Acorn.
Acorn walked around for a few minutes, examining elephants and asking them who they wanted to be the leader. Each elephant said they had voted for Armstrong, the rightmost elephant. Then Acorn approached the other elephant, which had mysteriously won. She asked him who his assistant was and continued to get filled 0n his side of the story.
The elephant, named Fred, pointed his trunk at a small elephant. Acorn had a couple of questions for him as well.
“Can I see your voting place, please?” she asked Armstrong after finishing questioning him.
“Oh, of course,” replied Armstrong. He leaned in closer, “The security cameras? The old leader had informed me of them before he retired. I’m the only one who knows about them.”
Acorn nodded and ran to the voting station. After examining the place, Armstrong broke off the security cameras to see what they had recorded. Acorn watched the tape very slowly and knew the whole story. Armstrong and Acorn walked back to the elephant herd with the news.
“Hello, everyone! I have the update. As most of the herd voted for Armstrong, I declare Fred guilty. He and his assistant changed the votes in the voting station. Watch the tape very closely,” informed Acorn.
She explained where Fred and his assistant were and froze the screen when Fred changed the results. Finally, Fred's assistant had had enough and confessed to the herd.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to, but Fred is my brother. I couldn’t let him down, even if it was wrong,” said the assistant/Fred’s brother.
In the end, Armstrong became the leader, and Fred had to leave the herd's leadership council. Fred learned from his mistake and apologised to his brother for roping him into the mess.
The next day, Acron approached Armstrong, “Armstrong? I’m trying to get to America. Do you know the way?”
“Sure, North, but wait! You’re leaving?!! Please don’t go!” begged Armstrong.
“But, but,” stuttered Acorn. She didn’t expect that response.
At that time, the leopard and Mac came forward. Armstrong stood in front of Acorn as a shield, but she blocked it and stepped forward.
“Hi! How are you?” she asked them both.
Armstrong was confused, “You know them?”
“Of course! They led me here,” replied Acorn. “Why are you here?”
“Thank you for helping find my meat with your detective skills,” said the leopard.
“If it weren’t for you, the Enchanted Gem would be long gone by now,” said Mac.
“Did you know she stopped a political crime?” asked Armstrong excitedly.
“Really?” the leopard and Mac said in unison.
Acorn was quiet. Then she said, “Let’s start a detective agency!!”
“Yah!” replied Mac and Armstrong. The leopard thought for a minute as everyone else stared at her.
“What should we call it?” she smiled slyly.
Everyone laughed. “I’m Dottie Acorn, everyone! Acorn, for short.” said Acorn.
“The name’s Sabor,” replied the leopard.
“Magic Mac!” yelled Mac in awe.
Everyone stared. Armstrong broke the silence, “So, Mac?”
“Yup,” nodded Mac in agreement. “Visit my magic show,”
“I’m Armstrong,” Armstrong introduced himself.
“How about M.A.A.S Mysteries! All the initials of our names combined as one?” suggested Acorn.
“I love it!” said Armstrong enthusiastically.
“Nah, Magic Mac and Friends!” said Mac.
“M.A.A.S Mysteries beats whatever you said any day,” Sabor said irritably.
“Hmph! I like it, M.A.A.S Mysteries,” replied Mac.
That day, a new friendship was born. M.A.A.S Mysteries.
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