Detective Dot and the Backyard Adventure Brigade

Detective Dot and the Topsy-Turvy Treasure Hunt

On a breezy morning, Dot laced up her sneakers, ready for adventure. As she opened the front door, something fluttered under her feet.

“Beru! Polka! Look!” Dot called to her fluffy dog and her chatty parrot. She picked up a crinkly map.

“Ooooh, a treasure map!” squawked Polka, flapping his bright wings.

Beru barked excitedly, wagging his tail.

The map had scribbly pictures and rhyming words:

*"Find the gnome, so round and fat, But something’s wrong—where is his hat?"*

Dot grinned. “Detective Dot is on the case!”

The trio dashed to the garden. Sure enough, the gnome by the flowers was missing his pointy red hat! Polka’s sharp eyes spotted it stuck in a nearby bush.

"Clue solved!" Dot declared, tucking the hat back on the gnome’s head.

The next clue read:

*"Step by step, hop but don’t fall, Cross the stones to hear the brook’s call!"*

Dot followed the row of stepping stones. Beru sniffed each one, his tail wagging like crazy. “Good boy!” Dot cheered as they hopped across together. The bubbly brook giggled and splashed nearby.

“Squawk! Another clue ahead!” Polka chirped.

Dot unfolded it, but the paper had been replaced... with an acorn! A playful squirrel chattered from a tree branch.

“Excuse me, Mister Squirrel,” Dot giggled, “but I’ll need that clue back!”

The squirrel dropped the real clue, and Beru caught it mid-air with a happy “Woof!”

Finally, the map led them to a big oak tree in the yard. Dot dug into the soft dirt and found a shiny box. Inside? Brightly colored chalk sticks!

“It’s a treasure for us to share!” Dot said, beaming.

Under the oak tree, Dot, Beru, and Polka spent the rest of the afternoon drawing a giant, colorful mural of their adventure.

It was their best case yet!