It was raining, really bucketing down, and Aminawas fed up and lonely. None of her friends could come and play and everyone in the house was busy. Everyone was always busy! It was no fun being the youngest.

Amina lay on her bed. And she stood on her head. Then she put on her fairy wings and started to dance. Amina twirled and whirled. She scurried and flurried. She even rocked and rolled. Then she flopped back on her bed. Nothing helped. She was still fed up and she was still lonely.

So Amina unpacked her toys. Most of them were hand-me-downs from her big sisters, even the toy box was a hand-me-down. She put Eli, Dassie, Rabbit and Mouse on her bed. They were going to have a tea party as soon as she found the teapot.

She searched the toy box again and that’s when Amina found Whatzit. It was lying forgotten at the bottom of a sewing basket, at the bottom of the toy box.

Amina turned Whatzit over to see its face, but it didn’t have one. Poor forgotten Whatzit!It had a shape, sort of roundish-squarish, but no face or arms or legs or wings or tail or anything.

Amina propped Whatzit up on the bed between Eliand Dassieand opposite Rabbit and Mouse. She found the tea pot and poured the tea. Eli, Dassie, Rabbit and Mouse finished their tea in no time, so did Amina. But Whatzit didn’t. Well, how could it without a mouth!

So, Amina took Whatzit and the sewing basket and went to find her granny.

“What’s that?” asked her granny.

“Whatzit,” said Amina. “Whatzit needs a mouth.”

“Okay,” said Amina’s granny, “but we must be quick, I am very busy and still have so much to do.”

Amina’s granny helped her sew a mouth for Whatzit;a nice smiley mouth.

“And Whatzit needs a nose,” said Amina. But already her granny was not listening.

Amina went to find her middle sister, Fozia.

“What’s that?” asked Fozia.

“Whatzit,” said Amina. “Whatzit needs a nose.”

“Okay,” said Fozia, “but we must be quick, I’m really busy and still have so much to do.” Fozia helped Amina sew a nose for Whatzit, a little turned up nose.

“And eyes,” said Amina. But, already Fozia was not listening. So, Amina went to find her oldest sister, Shireen.

On the way, Amina’s Dad saw her.

“What’s that?” asked her Dad.

“Whatzit,” said Amina. “Whatzit needs eyes.”

“I’ve got some,” said her Dad, “but we must be quick, I still have so much to do.”

Amina and her Dad sewed on Whatzit’s eyes − two sparkly button eyes.

“And a tail,” said Amina.

“Well, I can’t help you with that,” said her Dad.

So, Amina went on to find her oldest sister, Shireen.

“Oh, my gosh,” said Shireen, “where did you find that?” Amina told her. “Wow!” said Shireen. “I was making it to give to you when you were born, but I lost it somewhere before it was finished.”

Amina handed Whatzit to Shireen. “Oh, my gosh,” said Shireen, “it’s so cute. Has it got a name?”

“Whatzit,” said Amina, “and Whatzitneeds a tail.”

So Amina and Shireen made a tail for Whatzit − a wiggly-waggly tail! Then Amina and Shireen looked at Whatzitand Whatzit smiled back at them!

“How about curly-wurly hair?” asked Shireen, “and some pointy ears? But then you’re out of here because I’m really busy and still have my own things to do.”

Amina took Whatzit back to her room and propped him up between Eliand Dassie and opposite Rabbit and Mouse. Then she made a fresh pot of tea.

Amina drank one cup and so did Eli, Dassie, Rabbit and Mouse, but Whatzit was very thirsty and drank three cups. After all, he had waited a long, long time for tea!