The Mysterious Masterpiece 🎨

Something unusual happened at the shop today.

We had a new visitor.

A little panda wearing a blue painter's hat.

He had a paintbrush in one paw.

And a colourful palette in the other.

He was sitting quietly in the corner, painting something.

I walked closer.

"Hello. I'm Detective Panda."

He smiled.

"Hello! I'm The Little Painter."

I looked at his painting.

He quickly turned it around.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

Why was he hiding it?

Was he painting a secret map?

A hidden treasure?

Or perhaps...

A portrait of ME?

I straightened my hat.

Adjusted my coat.

And tried to look extra handsome.

The Little Painter kept painting.

Brush, brush, brush.

I stood a little taller.

Brush, brush, brush.

I gave him my most mysterious detective expression.

Finally, he put down his brush.

"Finished!"

He turned the painting around.

...

It was a panda.

Wearing a detective hat.

Holding a biscuit.

With crumbs all over his face.

EXCUSE ME?!

"That's not me!" I said.

"I would NEVER eat biscuits during an investigation!"

The Little Painter tilted his head.

"Really?"

He pointed behind me.

I slowly turned around.

There, on the counter...

was my half-eaten biscuit.

And a very suspicious trail of crumbs.

...

I looked at the biscuit.

I looked at the painting.

I looked at him.

He smiled.

"Would you like to see my other painting?"

There was ANOTHER one?!

He turned it around.

It was a beautiful portrait of me.

My detective hat.

My favourite coat.

My magnificent moustache.

And underneath, he had painted two little words:

"My Friend."

...

Oh.

I wasn't expecting that.

I smiled.

"Well... I suppose you're a rather good painter."

He smiled back.

"Thank you! But there's one more thing."

He held up his paintbrush.

There was a tiny blue smudge on my hat.

...

HE HAD PAINTED MY HAT TOO?!