Dip Dip Dip to the Rescue by Tharini Viswanath

8/9/2019 Dip Dip Dip to the Rescue by Tharini Viswanath

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Dip Dip to the Rescue

Written by

Tharini Viswanath


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Dip Dip was unmanageable. Though she had been confined

to a wheelchair ever since she was five, she didnt let it get in the

way of her having fun. It had taken her almost a year to figure out all

that she could and couldnt do on a wheelchair, and now at nine, she

was a terror to all pedestrians and animals alike. She raced with

o er c ren, oug w e oys an was e ns ga or o a mosall food fights in the school cafeteria. In short, she was the primary

mischief maker in the whole school. As a result, Dip Dip was

generally muddier, messier and in a lot more trouble at the end of

the day than all the other children.


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What do we do with this child? the adults often asked each

other in exasperation. She is always up to some mischief. Is there no

wa of controllin her? But no one reall had the heart to sto Di Di

from having fun because, despite her escapades, she was a sweet childand could never bear to see anyone in distress.


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Early one morning, as Dip Dip was getting ready for school, a

teary eyed Meemo barged into her room. Meemo was six and lived

across the street. It wasnt very often that Dip Dip had seen her crying.

Something must be really wrong, she figured.

What happened Meemo?Kaapis lost! Meemo wailed, her face red with all the crying.

Kaapi was her beloved cat. I called him this morning to feed him and he

didnt come! So I searched for him all over the house and in the garden

and he is nowhere to be found!Did you look in the shed? Dip Dip asked.

I looked. Meemo wiped her tear streaked face. And I searched

under the bed and in all the cupboards too!

Dont worry, Meemo. Dip Dip said, thinking hard. You go toschool. Ill search for Kaapi. Ill find him by evening, I promise.

Really, Di?

Really really. Now run, or youll be late for school.


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Meemo left looking a little less distressed. Dip Dip quickly

finished dressing for school. She put on her uniform, polished her shoes,

and packed her bag and her lunch bag. She allowed her brother to

wheel her out of the house and to the bus stop like she did every day.

He usually went with her as far as the bus stop and then, from there,walked to his school which was not very far away. Since Chooch had a

test today, he left her at the bus stop a few minutes early and rushed off

to his own school to revise.


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As soon as her brothers back was turned, Dip Dip quickly

changed directions. Instead of waiting for the school bus like she usually

did, she wheeled her way up and down the village streets, searching for

Kaapi. She looked behind houses, she looked up trees, she even went

into the fields looking for the lost cat. On her way back, she met some

workers.

Have you seen a black cat around here? she asked them. He

responds to the name Kaapi.

No we havent. The workers replied, But if we do, well besure to let you know.


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A little while later, she came across an old man by the side of the

road drinking tea and eating biscuits.

Have you seen a black cat around here? Dip Dip asked him. Hes

my friends cat and responds to the name Kaapi.

Im afraid I havent seen him, the old man said, but if I do see

him, Ill let you know.

Dip Dip thanked the old man, and accepting a biscuit from him,continued her search for Kaapi.


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Towards the end of the morning, she came to a lonely house that

stood on top a hill. Slowly but surely Dip Dip wheeled her way up to the

top. There, she met an old lady and her grandson.

Have you seen a black cat around here? she asked them.

Why, is that him over there? the old woman asked, pointing at

something behind her.

Dip Dip swivelled around to see a black streak disappearingdown the hill. Yes thats him! she exclaimed. Kaapi!


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Thanking them, she took off down the hill behind Kaapi, grateful

she had wheels to help her along. Had she been running behind the cat,shed never be able to catch up with him. Kaapi ran down the hill and

around the village with Dip Dip hot in pursuit. Finally, not very far from

Dip Dips house, Kaapi paused for a second, flicked his tail and

pussyfooted up a tree. He was so stealthy, Dip Dip would have

completely missed Kaapi had she not been focusing on him so intently.

Meowl Kaapi said snootily, settling himself comfortably on abranch high above Dip Dips head.

Ill catch you yet, you crazy cat! Dip Dip panted. Ill catch you if

it means I have to come up the tree myself!

Kaapi sniffed. Assured that he could no longer be caught, he

settled down to methodically licking himself clean.


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Meanwhile, Dip Dip pondered over what to do. As she looked up atKaapi from where she sat, she noticed the shadow of the tree. The sun

was no longer overhead, it was way past noon. Dip Dip suddenly

realised that she hadnt eaten lunch. Her stomach rumbled. She

suddenly had a brainwave. Thats it! she thought. Ill bribe him down

with food!

She opened her school bag and took out her lunch box. There was acarton of chocolate milk balanced right on top of the box.

Kaapi! Come down! Dip Dip called up to the cat. Look what I

have! You like milk, dont you? Its flavoured too!

Kaapi merely turned up his nose and proceeded to lick his right paw.


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Lets see what we have for lunch. Dip Dip said, opening her lunch

box. Miraculously there was fish curry and rice! Whod have guessed?

You like fish, dont you, Kaapi? Dip Dip smiled triumphantly.Come and get it!

She placed her lunch box carefully on the ground and looked up at

the tree.

Kaapi had smelt the fish. Fish was his favourite thing to eat it beat

mice and birds any day. He was hungry too. He looked for a good way of

coming down.

Unfortunately, the tree he was up was tall and steep, and had fewbranches which made coming down difficult. Meow, he said pitifully,

and looked at Dip Dip. Meow.

What? Dip Dip narrowed her eyes. You dont expect me to

come up there, do you?Meow. This time, Dip Dip could have sworn Kaapi sounded

almost apologetic.

Fine! She said finally. Im coming. You dont move!


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One of the few things Dip Dip hadnt done since she was five was

to climb a tree. But, she figured, it couldnt be all that difficult. It was

bound to be challenging because she couldnt use her legs to climb as

others could. Dip Dip loved challenges. She was confident she would be

able to do this. Looking around, she spotted a gently sloping tree next to

the one on which Kaapi was stuck. This trees branches were intertwined

with the branches of Kaapis tree. Dip Dip wheeled herself towards thesecond tree, got out of the wheelchair and carefully made her way up

the tree, first using her arms to pull herself up and then pulling her legs

up after her. It took her a while, but finally she was up in the trees

branches, many feet above the ground. Come here, Kaapi, you sillycat. she said. Do you even know how to climb down?


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Meanwhile, everyone in school was hunting frantically for Dip

Dip. No one had any idea as to where she could have gone. The principal

sent Tachi to Dip Dips house to find out if she was there. On learning

that she wasnt at home either, a search party was sent out. Family and

friends combed the village looking for Dip Dip. They searched high and

low but she was nowhere to be found. Dip Dips uncle found herwheelchair under a tree not too far from the house. He looked around

for his niece but couldnt see her anywhere. He slowly pushed the

empty wheelchair back home, wondering what could have happened to

the little girl.


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While everyone had been frantically hunting for her, Dip Dip stayed

hidden in the tree, not daring to show herself lest she get into trouble.

She held her breath when she saw her uncle stop under the tree. Dontlook up! Dont look up! she prayed under her breath, holding Kaapi

close to her in case he made a noise. She was grateful that the cat had

come directl to her and not climbed onto a hi her branch. Finall , after

what seemed like forever, her uncle left from under the tree.Unfortunately, he took her wheelchair with him when he left. Now what

was she to do? She obviously couldnt walk back home. And if she was

found sitting under a tree, dirty and scratched without her wheelchair,

she would get in a lot of trouble. Dip Dip decided it was safest to stayput till help came along.


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Dip Dip sat in the tree with Kaapi on her lap and waited. She was

there for almost an hour till she saw a stranger pass by. The man looked

kind. Dip Dip decided to take a chance and ask for help.

Excuse me! she called out from among the branches. Im stuck up

here and I dont have my wheelchair with me. Do you think you could

help me?

The kind stranger asked Dip Dip no questions. He helped her and

Kaapi off the tree and offered to carry them back home. By then, Dip

Dip was much too tired to argue. When she got back home, however,she was in a lot of trouble.


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Where were you? her mother cried. Do you know how worried

we were?

You could have been kidnapped! her aunt chimed in.

You could have gotten hurt! her father said.

But Dip Dip only smiled. She was thinking of how happy Meemo

would be to see Kaapi again. She would greet the school bus with the

cat on her lap this evening!


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The End.

Documents

Dip Dip Dip to the Rescue by Tharini Viswanath