{"id":126,"date":"2025-10-28T21:02:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T12:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archive4kids.ever.jp\/1st_Study\/?p=126"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T02:53:46","slug":"y4_story2_05-the-mystery-of-the-missing-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive4kids.ever.jp\/1st_Study\/?p=126","title":{"rendered":"Y4_Story2_05: The Mystery of the Missing Lunch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 5: A New Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Liam climbed back over the fence, clutching his empty koala lunchbox. He knew he couldn’t be mad at the possum. It was just a wild animal looking for food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he got inside, Mum saw the empty box and smiled. “Did our little detective solve the case?”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“Yes,” Liam grinned. “The culprit was a brushtail possum<\/strong>. It ate everything but left a shiny pink feather.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Well, you can’t blame a possum for liking a good meal,” Mum laughed. “But we need to be smarter. We can’t leave our food where native animals can easily grab it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That evening, Liam and Mum went to the hardware store. They bought a new lunchbox with a very strong, click-lock lid<\/strong> that a possum couldn’t possibly open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning, Liam packed his new lunchbox and secured it inside his school bag, hanging on a hook inside the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he didn’t forget his furry friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also packed a small, brown paper bag with some possum-safe food: a piece of sweet carrot<\/strong> and a few slices of fresh pear<\/strong>. He left this small offering near the big gum tree, far from their house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liam knew his Vegemite was safe, and the possum would have a healthy snack that day. The mystery was over, and Liam had learned an important lesson about sharing the Aussie bush with its wild neighbours. He felt ready for a great day at Gum Tree Primary!<\/p>\n\n\n\n