Yes, we have a family of red pandas living in our village. In a village that follows the trope of North America woodland creatures, this might seem like an anomaly. But the Pandas are somewhat transient, since they live in a wagon, though there’s grass growing up between the wheel spokes.

This is important because of this: This week our holder decided (finally) it was time to photograph all the families in our village. This is because she got hold of a bunch of itty-bitty picture frames, and a color printer, and she wants family photos on the walls of the houses. And pictures of the queen. Everyone should have a picture of the queen. And the king, too, of course.

Anyway, in the middle of the photo sessions, we discovered that Mrs. Panda was missing. Really and truly missing. Like in gone. No one had noticed until that moment

Mr. Panda immediately flew into a tizzy, sure that she’d run off with some traveling salesman. The Captain of the Guard reminded him that we have no traveling salesmen in the village. Only the mice, who cart our goods out, and bring goods back, using their airship. (Yes, it’s an airship. Pictures are coming.) The Mice’s ship is the only way in and out of the village, except for a good, long, unprotected hike through cat- and dog-infested grounds, and the Mice haven’t seen her.

At this point we’re all left scratching our heads. Personally, I blame the cat, and I told the Captain that. I know for a personal fact that the cat is capable of batting someone back behind the furniture. So the Guard checked beneath all the furniture, and nada. No Mrs. Panda.

Now we’re beginning to wonder if there was foul play. They have opened an investigative, down at the Guard headquarters. I told the Captain to remember the Kid, while he was at it. It appears that every human family has one kid prone to mischief, and this one has been guilty of moving citizens around between houses and poking at the furnishings. Not that I’m blaming him. That’s the holder’s job.

There’s still a possibility that our holder moved Mrs. Panda out to the workshop in the back yard, to use her as a scale for furniture construction, and then left her there. If Mrs. Panda doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to propose that we create a search party and go look. We can take the camera along and take pictures of the workshop where she builds our houses while we’re at it. I’ve been meaning to do that anyway.

Other than that, things are fine in the village. The Beaver family house and sawmill was completed this week. It has water and everything. We’ll get pictures as soon as we have an extended period Where everyone’s out of the house.