That morning, in the Little Explorers' park, butterflies fluttered, snails raced across the stones, and the dry puddles were perfect for jumping without getting socks wet.
Floocky arrived bouncing with joy, wearing his bright yellow romper with no buttons between his legs.
"Today's the day... the big adventure starts! No more potty! I'm free!" he thought proudly.
He stood tall in front of his friends.
- "Today, Fwookky no need pot. No more! Bye-bye potty! It's the No Pot Day!"
Polop blinked.
- "Wait... zero potty? Not even for poop?"
Floocky puffed up his chest.
- "Not even for hard poops!"
"I'm a brave little bear, even the poops can't scare me!"
Puki, who was reading on a bench, looked up.
- "Are you sure you're ready? You can always bring it in your bag... just in case your tummy says `uh-oh'."
Floocky shook his head, his ears flying like little wings.
- "Fwookky is a free wittle bear! Today, I'm the poop adventurer!"
"No fear. Even if my belly rumbles, I'll be strong. I'm Fwookky the Big!"
The friends laughed, then took off for a day full of fun. They climbed the hazelnut treehouse, jumped into piles of leaves, and played ``Ghost Toilet,'' a game where you run before the ``pee ghost'' catches you.
But, between a treasure hunt and a slide, Floocky started to wiggle funny. He squeezed his bottom tight and didn't jump like before.
"Oh no... a poop is coming... stay still... keep it in... hold on, Floocky..."
- "Are you okay, Floocky?" Polop asked gently, looking sideways at him.
- "Yesh yesh! I'm a ninja beaw. Very quiet... bottom squeezed."
"I'm on a special mission. If I don't move, no one will know I have to go."
But his little legs trembled a bit.
Floocky felt something was wrong. Inside his tummy, a pressure he knew and feared.
"It's not a tiny pee. It's the poop boss. And I have no potty. But I'm a brave bear... right?"
He could have said something.
He could have run to get the bag with his spare underwear.
But he was the hero of No Pot Day. He didn't want to fail.
So... he held it in.
He squeezed. He breathed. He walked straight like a stiff soldier...
Until a little ``BLRRP'' slipped out.
His eyes got wide.
"Oh no. No. NO. Tell me that was just a fart. A shy fart. Not an accident..."
He looked around. No one noticed. Polop was busy building a stick tower. Puki was humming, pretending to read.
And Floocky... had pooped in his underwear.
The world stopped for a second.
He felt the warmth. The thickness. He wanted to cry.
"I messed up... I'm not an adventurer... I'm just a poop bear..."
But he said nothing.
He walked away quietly. Wobbled like a silly duck. Tried to sit on a log, but stood up right away.
- "Do you wanna come to the sandbox, Floocky?" Puki asked.
He hesitated.
- "Uh... yesh, yesh! I wike sand."
He walked slowly over.
And sat in the sand.
The sandbox was soft, warm, almost nice. He dug a little, tried to forget.
"Maybe no one will know... maybe the sand will hide my poop-sad..."
But after a while, the others came back.
Polop sat right next to him.
Puki knelt to bury an invisible ``treasure.''
And that's when it happened.
- "...Uh..." Polop said, tilting his head.
- "What's that brown spot on the sand...?"
Floocky froze.
Puki sniffed quietly.
- "Oh... it kinda smells like poop, huh?"
Floocky turned bright red. He crossed his arms.
- "Maybe it's a... a sick snaiw?"
But Polop looked closer.
- "Floocky... is that you?"
A long silence.
Then Floocky hung his head.
He whispered:
- "...Fwookky poop-danced... in his undies..."
His little ears drooped like autumn leaves. He trembled.
- "I didn't wanna say it... I wanted to be big... but I falled..."
Puki came closer gently. He put his paw on his friend's shoulder.
- "You didn't fail at all. You held on a long time. You tried very hard. And most of all... you're not alone."
Polop nodded.
- "No adventurer is without accidents. Even pirates need wipes sometimes."
They each took a paw, and together, they went to the bag. Floocky was cleaned gently, changed with care.
When everything was clean and he had a new starry pair of underwear, he sighed:
- "Tank you..."
- "We love you lots, even with poop," said Puki seriously.
Floocky burst out laughing, and so did the others.
And No Pot Day, finally... became the Day With the Best Friends in the Whole World.