The morning sun rose over the village, golden and bright, glinting off the mango trees that lined the edge of the fields. But this time, something was different.
Very different.
The trees were bare.
Completely.
Not a single mango in sight.
A Frantic Discovery
It was old man Gopul again who started the shouting.
"My mangoes! My sweet, juicy, magnificent mangoes are gone!" he bellowed, waving a long stick as if to attack the empty air. "They were here last night! Dozens of them! Now—vanished like ghosts!"
Rick, who had been enjoying his morning tea, nearly choked.He leapt up dramatically. "Another crime! Another challenge for the Village Detective!"
Rama groaned. "Not again…"
But it was too late. Rick had already grabbed his old notebook (the one full of doodles instead of clues) and shouted, "Citizens! Prepare for Operation Mango Justice!"
Nancy ran up instantly, clutching a scarf around her head like a secret agent."I'll handle the forensics," she declared. "I'm a fruit analyst now."
Rick blinked. "Is that a real thing?"
"It is now," she said proudly.
The Investigation Begins
By midday, the village was buzzing.Rick questioned everyone, Nancy sniffed mango skins for "clues," and Yuna and James—once again dragged into the madness—did their best to help.
Rick scribbled notes furiously. "Possible suspects: Gopul's neighbor, the goats, or… mango bandits."
"Mango bandits?" James asked, trying not to laugh.
Rick nodded gravely. "They strike when the moon is high and the mangoes are ripe."
Nancy gasped. "So… fruity ninjas?"
Yuna covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "Maybe we should check the trees before the ninjas return."
They spent hours combing through the grove.Rick climbed one tree, slipped, and got stuck halfway. Rama had to fetch a ladder.
Nancy interrogated a squirrel.The squirrel bit her finger.
"This animal is clearly trained!" she declared. "They've organized a mango heist!"
The children following the investigation burst into laughter so hard that one fell into a bush.
The Clues Turn Serious
By late afternoon, the fun began to fade.Yuna noticed something others missed: faint footprints near the back of the grove—small, uneven, and heading toward the forest path.
"James," she whispered, "look at this."
They followed the tracks quietly until they reached a small clearing near the river.There, behind a cluster of bushes, they found a worn basket filled with half-eaten mangoes—and beside it, a mother and two young children sitting silently, fear in their eyes.
Yuna's laughter died instantly.She knelt gently. "It's all right," she said softly. "You're safe."
The woman looked up, trembling. "We… we were hungry. The rains destroyed our field. I didn't mean to steal. I just wanted to feed them."
Yuna's heart ached. She looked at the children, sticky with mango juice but smiling weakly.
James placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll fix this," he said.
A New Kind of Justice
Back in the village, Rick and Nancy were still arguing over whether the goats should be arrested when Yuna returned with the family.
The crowd grew silent.
Rama frowned, ready to scold, but Yuna spoke first."It wasn't thieves," she said calmly. "It was hunger."
The villagers shifted uneasily. Rick rubbed the back of his neck.Nancy, for once, had no joke ready.
Then Gopul sighed heavily. "All that fuss for mangoes… I should have offered them freely."
Yuna smiled gently. "Maybe we all should share a little more, so no one goes hungry again."
There was a long pause—then Rick cleared his throat."In that case," he announced grandly, "I hereby close Operation Mango Justice! and declare it a success of the heart!"
Rama smacked him lightly with a spoon. "At least you learned something."
A Quiet Moment
As the sun dipped below the trees, the village gathered for a small feast.Mango slices glistened in bowls, music played, and laughter returned.Rick danced with Nancy (poorly), while Rama finally sat down to rest.
Yuna and James slipped away to the edge of the grove, where the fireflies began to glow.
"You handled that beautifully," James said softly. "You have more courage than any detective here."
Yuna smiled. "I just… couldn't stand seeing those children afraid. It reminded me of us once—how we had to start again."
He nodded, eyes warm. "Maybe that's why people follow you. You make them remember their kindness."
Yuna laughed quietly. "And you make me remember to laugh, even when things are hard."
James hesitated, then took her hand gently. "So we keep doing both?"
Yuna looked up at him—the moonlight touching her face—and whispered, "Always."
In the distance, Rick's voice rang out:"Next mission! Someone stole my shoes!"
Nancy shouted, "You're wearing them!"
Laughter spread again through the night, echoing through the mango grove—where love, laughter, and life had found a perfect, fragile balance.