A journey around Koutaki is always full of surprises, and there’s one waiting for Ubloa, when along the way she suddenly hears the sound of a flute. A flute? Well, actually it’s Papageno, a bird who can mimic all sorts of different sounds, and who also speaks perfect English.

After her chat with Papageno, Ubloa hears some very strange sounds that seem to be coming from the bushes. Bursting with curiosity, she immediately wants to find out what it is that’s making all that noise, but Papageno warns her it might be dangerous.

 

Ubloa takes no notice at all of her new friend, and unwisely heads straight for those bushes. A massive snake appears, and glares at her in a way that suggests he definitely isn’t planning on making friends.

If you want to find out how Ubloa manages to escape, you’ll need to read the whole of the book. It’s called Papageno, and it includes fun games and an audio version in English narrated by actor Nigel Planer.

What we will tell you though, is that at the end Ubloa learns that you can still be brave without being reckless.