Dazel awoke to a strange moaning sound. At first, she thought she was dreaming. She opened her eyes but yelped and closed them again as she felt something hot sting her eyes.

Shielding her eyes with her wing she opened them to see a gust of sandy wind blowing, the gale creating an eerie groaning sound.

It was day break, yet, the sky was gloomy. Dazel couldn’t understand this strange weather. The wind was becoming warmer and the force of it was rocking her in her artificial pond.

“Dazel!” shouted a voice above the sound of the blowing wind. “Come into my house.” It was Wiz Rooster, Dazel’s neighbour and teacher — principal of the Aviary School for birds.

Dazel followed the rooster towards his house, but the flight was difficult as they were flying against the strong storm. With difficulty the two birds entered the rooster’s home and shut the door behind them. The window shutters rattled as the wind outside beat against it. Wiz Rooster quickly struggled to shut the windows and heaved a sigh of relief.

“It’s a sandstorm,” informed the rooster. “I could sense a storm building last night. There is a desert a few miles to the west. No one ever goes there because of the lack of vegetation and the harsh climate,” explained Wiz Rooster. “That’s the only place so much sand could come from.”

“I have never seen this desert,” Dazel said in amazement. She had always thought she had explored all the places in D’Land.

“Thank you for offering me shelter. Sir,” Dazel said gratefully. Suddenly, she recalled all her friends who lived in the open without a roof on their heads.

“Oh, Sir. I wonder how Delma is. Din Din and his family, along with the other dinosaurs, live inside caves so they are safe. But what about the others?” Dazel wondered aloud, her brow furrowing in concern.

“I’m sure Delma has taken shelter in one of the underground caves in the lake or in the coves. I’m not worried about the aquatic creatures. Neither am I worried about the burrowing animals. They will find a safe place. But it’s the smaller land animals and birds who will bear the brunt of this sandstorm,” Wiz Rooster said. The tension on his features made him look much older than his years.

Just then the wind let out a wild howl and one of the shutters of the rooster’s house broke, letting in a whoosh of wind which knocked the two birds off their feet. Dazel was quick to react and grabbed the broken shutter, jamming it against the window pane.

“I’ll get the hammer and nails,” yelled the rooster. Soon the shutter was repaired and the sound of the wind mellowed. But the inside of the house was wrecked, with the rooster’s books strewn over the floor due to the shelves which had fallen.

“If five minutes of the storm have done this to your house, I wonder what has happened to the birds’ nests,” whispered Dazel.

“Come with me,” Wiz Rooster said as if an idea had just occurred to him. Dazel followed him to the innermost room of his home. The rooster bent to open a trapdoor.“What’s this, Sir?” asked Dazel in astonishment.

“It’s a tunnel that leads to the Aviary School. A lot of birds have their nests around the school. We can bring them here for shelter,” he said.

The rooster disappeared inside the tunnel. Taking a deep breath, the duck followed him. The tunnel was damp, musty and narrow. The two birds squeezed through it. It wound at a few places and finally led upwards.

“Be careful, Dazel,” Wiz Rooster warned as he poked his head out of the tunnel. Dazel squeezed her head out through the hole too. The powerful wind and grit hit her on her face, blurring her vision. She saw the trees swaying like sticks in the rough wind. Inside one of the tree trunks, in a hole, she saw a family of sparrows huddled.

Without giving another thought, she flapped her wings and flew towards the tree ignoring the might of the wind which nearly threw her off course. She finally reached the family of five sparrows inside the tree trunk who looked terrified.

“Our nest was blown away,” father sparrow explained. “All the other birds also have taken shelter inside the tree trunks but it’s not safe if the trees fall.” The younger sparrows were whimpering with fear.

“Don’t worry, follow me,” Dazel instructed them. Shielding the younger sparrows, the mother and father sparrows followed Dazel to the tunnel entrance where Wiz Rooster was waiting for them. Once the sparrows were safely inside, Dazel returned to find the other birds.

Battling the wind and the sand that it carried, Dazel managed to guide fifteen grateful birds to the tunnel. Suddenly, a few trees crashed to the ground and it began to rain heavily.

“Dazel, come on. Get back inside the tunnel,” Wiz Rooster hollered from the tunnel opening.

When Dazel returned to the tunnel she realized that her wings were injured due to the flying twigs and branches of trees. Back at Wiz Rooster’s home, Dazel tried to forget her own injury and helped the other birds find a spot to rest. They had all had a sleepless night and were weary. The rooster was serving them nuts and seeds he had in his pantry.

Outside, the rain beat down steadily but the sand storm seemed to have died out. It was evening when the rain finally stopped and the sun came out from behind the clouds. But the state outside was in complete disarray. Fallen trees littered the upturned ground.

“Life is the most important gift,” Wiz Rooster explained to the gathering of solemn birds who looked distraught by this unexpected natural calamity. “Homes can be rebuilt and the earth itself will heal. We must find the courage to start again and help each other.” The birds all nodded, encouraged by the rooster’s words.

“We will help build nests for each other tomorrow morning. But tonight, let’s all rest here in my home and be grateful for the day that lies ahead,” the rooster said, smiling encouragingly.

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