The panda started wandering around, looking for a place to shelter himself from the rain. Walking into the forest, he tripped over the root of a tree and decided to stop under its thick foliage. He was scared and began to sob increasingly.
“It’s so dark here, I can’t see anything… I don’t know what to do!”

“Hey! Psst! Why are you crying? If you keep on like this, you’ll wake up all the animals in the forest!”
 

The panda, curious, raised his head and saw a small black animal perched upside down on a branch.
He sadly told him his story.
“I have been banned from the tigers’ kingdom, because they told me I’m clumsy and slow, and I only think about eating bamboo leaves. I feel so lonely; I have no place to go. It’s so dark here, and I stumble at every turn.”
“Then you’re in the right place! I can help you!”
“Who are you?” the panda asked.
“I’m a bat. I live with my brothers in the wood, and we only move at night!”
“Goodness! Then you can see really well!” the panda said.
“No, I don’t! Actually, our eyes cannot see! We simply see in a different way, thanks to our ears. They act as radars; they pick up the return sound waves we send out from our mouth or nose in order to locate obstacles and to map the environment.
Don’t be afraid, follow me!”



“But where are you taking me?” the panda asked.
“I’ve heard about a wonderful place called Abilian. There, all the animals live peacefully, respecting each other.
I can lead you to a big maple tree whose bark has a message carved into it, showing you the road to Abilian. I can’t figure it out, perhaps you’ll be able to”, the bat replied.
“So let’s go!” the panda excitedly urged him.
The panda felt safe with his new friend and let the bat lead him to the big tree, without stumbling and falling. Once they arrived, the panda grazed the bark with his forepaws. There, he found the clue and deciphered it.


If at Abilian you want to arrive,

3 days of walk you have to survive

in order to get to the blue sea.

There the king of dolphins you must see

and his language decode.


Happily, the panda revealed the message to his new friend and invited him to continue their journey together.
“I can’t,” the bat said, “I have to stop here. The sun is rising. You go ahead! I must go back to my family.”
“Thanks for all your help. I must say that, despite your blindness, you can move really well. I hope to meet you again and to take a stroll together at night.”