On a sun-drenched afternoon amid the undulating grasslands of Mongolia, the warm August light bathed the ger where four-year-old Batbayar is living with his parents. His parents, Altantsetseg and Temuujin were just readying themselves to depart, their woven baskets slung over sturdy shoulders. Little Batbayar, having eavesdropped on their plans, bounced with irrepressible excitement at their feet, his colorful deel, a vibrant robe of red and gold embroidery, fluttering around his knees, concealing the ever-present diaper beneath.

“I want to come! I can help carry sticks!” he piped up eagerly, his small hands insistently tugging at his mother’s sleeve.

Altantsetseg knelt with a gentle smile, cupping his chubby cheeks. “Bataa, sweetie, you need to stay and play with the other children today. Aba and I must gather firewood in the forest and look after the herd, it's a grown-up task. You’ll have far more fun with Batu and the others.” She said, while adjusting the sash on his deel.

He twisted his face, his lower lip jutting out dramatically, as he clutched her hand with fingers sticky from the milk curds he’d devoured earlier.

“But I wanna go help you, Ama!” he whined, his voice trembling with disappointment as he clung even tighter to her.

Batbayar is a good boy at heart, ever eager to please his parents and lend others a hand, yet anyone who knows him, knows that he's also a clingy little soul who can sometimes be quite attention-seeking and demanding.

His father crouched beside him, ruffling his black hair. “You’re our strong boy, Bataa,” Temuujin said warmly, “but today, we need you to stay here. Play with your friends, and when we return, you can tell us about your adventures. Perhaps you’ll even find a new game to teach us, but you can’t join us this time.” His tone was encouraging, yet firm, a subtle push toward independence.

Batbayar’s shoulders slumped; he scuffed his boots in the dirt, eyes darting between his parents. He hated to disappoint them.

“Okay,” he mumbled reluctantly.

Altantsetseg’s heart softened at his pout. She drew him into a swift hug, cheek pressed to his. “That’s a good boy,” she whispered. “We’ll be back before sunset, and then I’ll make your Khuushuur for dinner. Deal?”

He nodded slowly, his frown easing a bit at the promise of fried dumplings.

“All ready? Let’s go!” Temuujin declared, and they set off. Batbayar trailed them for a few hundred meters to the forest’s edge before their paths diverged. Altantsetseg gave his sash one final tug, ensuring it was snug, before giving his padded bum a gentle pat. 

“Have fun, my special wolf pup!” Temuujin added, clapping his son’s shoulder.

With a final, hesitant glance, Batbayar shuffled toward a wide steppe meadow dotted with the gers of neighboring families. He turned once, waving a small hand, to which his parents responded with with encouraging smiles.

Half a kilometer from his home, near a flock of grazing sheep and inquisitive goats, he spotted a lively group of children. Among them was Batu, his best friend, a cheeky five-year-old with a fresh Aidar haircut, sides cropped short and top left longer. Beside him stood Enkhjargal, a spirited four-year-old girl with long braids that fluttered like banners in the wind. The others included little Dorj, a three-year-old boy with chubby cheeks and a perpetual sniffle, who toddled after them clutching to a stick like a sword; and bold Nergui, an energetic six-year-old boy with scraped knees, his face smudged with dust and dirt. 

Batbayar hesitated, his small feet kicking up dust as he approached, the lingering pout from his parents’ departure still shadowing his features. But Batu spotted him instantly, waving wildly. “Bataa! Come on, you slowpoke! We’re Naadam champions today!”

Enkhjargal zipped over, seizing his hand with a firm tug. “You’re on my team!” she declared energetically and before he could second-guess, he was enveloped in their midst.

The air was filled with the earthy scent of soil and livestock, as the children engaged in a playful wrestling match, rolling and giggling in the soft grass, imagining themselves as mighty wrestlers from the Naadam festival. 

Batbayar, his disappointment forgotten, lunged at Batu with a fierce roar.

“Gotcha!” he shouted triumphantly, pinning his friend on the ground. Their deels flapped in the air as they both bursted into fits of giggles, tumbling over each other like little puppies.

"No way, Bataa! I'm the champion!" Batu retorted, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he wriggled free from his friend's grip.

“You’re it!” He poked Batbayar’s forehead and bolted, trying to draw him into a chase.

“Hey, that’s against da' rules! Grrrr, I’m gonna get you!” Batbayar laughed.

Their mirth echoed across the steppe as they shifted to a game of tag, darting after one another like young colts under the vast sky. Batbayar chased his taunting friend, who skillfully weaved his way through a group of goats that scattered with indignant bleatings

After he had managed to catch Batu and playfully wrestled him down once more, Batbayar was about to leap up to get back on his feet but mid movement he froze. His body went rigid like a startled deer as a realization struck him like a strong gust: he needed to poop, urgently!

He had to go sooooo badly! A sudden, urgent pressure surged in his tummy, so intense that his body immediately went into automatic mode; He crouched slightly, spread his legs a little, and felt his eyes moisten. It all happened in a split second. His abdominal muscles tensed, and a really big mess demanded to push out of him. Luckily, he was quickly enough to realize where he was right now: He quickly squeezed his cheeks together and pressed one hand against his soggy butt from behind. His stomach hurt. Quite a lot. Like a sharp, cramping ache that made him wince.

With great effort, he managed to stop the tide momentarily and sprinted back to the group in a waddle, trying not to let his inner struggle show. The cool green tips brushed his legs, as he hurried across the grass past the sheeps and other livestock, to rejoin the others. The main thing now was that he could sit down quickly, because then there would be less risk of the poopy further pushing into his diaper, he thought frantically, hoping to avoid making a mess in front of his friends.

The others had meanwhile moved to tossing a makeshift ball of knotted cloth. But Batbayar’s distraction rendered him almost oblivious to what was happening around him.

“Bataa! Heads up!” Nergui called, the ball sailing toward him. His eyes widened, as he lurched forward to catch it. The jolt movement sent a cramp through him and he clenched harder, barely snagging the ball.

“Hey, Bataa, throw it back!” he scarcely heard Batu’s shout, as he battled to contain the mess.

He only managed a weak toss, mumbling: “Okay... here!” but inside, he was squirming. 

Wet diapers were routine for him, he was toddling around in sogginess basically all the time, but a messy diaper in front of others was something else. He didn't even know exactly why, but it felt just much more embarrassing to him. At home, he’d often sneak to a corner or hide behind something when the urge struck, but outside he did not have this option.

He only managed to waddle a few more meters, before his tummy finally told him resistance was pointless. The cramps tightened and a dull ache spread through his abdomen. He let go of his tummy, took one last glance at the other children, and then finally gave up.

“I can’t take it anymore. It’s so hard!” he whispered to himself, his voice tinged with frustration and defeat.
Although the open steppe offered barely any cover, he just crouched down in the high grass, the cool blades tickling his ankles, as he clenched his hands into fists and started pushing.

“I know I’m too big for this...” he murmured, a wave of embarrassment washing over him as relief set in, and he felt the warm, mushy mess pushing through his swollen diaper.

“I don’t want everyone to know I've a poopy diaper!” he whimpered, eyeing his friends chasing the ball.

Suddenly, he caught a movement in the corner of his eye and looked up in alarm. Batu had noticed his crouch and was approaching him.

“Hey, Bataa, you okay?” he asked cautiously, his head tilted in concern.

“Yeah…” Batbayar stammered, waving him off, his cheeks aflame.

Batu’s nose wrinkled slightly, catching the faint smell. “Oh…” he began to understand and averted his gaze, shuffling his feet in the dirt and stroking his hair abashedly. He knew. Definitely. He didn't say anything, but he knew. Of course, he could smell it.

Batbayar continued pushing and his eyes got moist, because it felt so relieving, but also because it was so embarassing. His poopy slowly pushed its way through the slightly wet diaper, pushing the swollen superabsorbent pad to the side. First, it all collected on his bottom, the warm and mushy texture shifting heavily with each push, and when there was no more room, it slowly oozed forward between his legs, making the diaper sag noticeably under his deel. Then, feeling a warm trickle spread with a subtle gurgle throughout the already saturated padding, making it even heavier and stickier, he realized that he had simultaneously also peed all the time and began to cry quietly. Not because he found full diapers so bad - "I'm not a baby, after all," he thought - but because it was so embarrassing.

Batu, sensing Batbayar's distress, didn't hesitate, and crouched down beside his friend in the grass to shield him from the other children's view.

"Hey, Bataa, it's okay," he whispered, glancing at him with a sympathetic smile. "Sometimes I still have accidents too... sorta", he admitted softly, trying to make his friend feel better.  "It's not a big deal. Remember when I fell into the mud last week? Way worse!" He grinned, trying to lighten the mood without drawing the others' attention.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Come play with us, you two!” Enkhjargal called from afar, impatiently.

But Batu, loyal to his friend, waved her off. "He's just... resting! Right, Bataa?"

Batbayar nodded, sniffling as he rose slowly. He winced as the heavy, mushy mess shifted under his deel. The now bulging diaper felt warm and sticky, crinkling and squelching awkwardly with each movement, but mercifully, the long coat seemed hid the worst of it.

"Yeah... just resting," he echoed sheepishly, wiping his eyes.

The others, sensing something but too engrossed in their play to care, soon drew Batu back in their game, leaving Batbayar to waddle a bit apart. His heart was still pounding nervously, but he was grateful for his friend's discretion.

...

As the sun dipped lower, Batbayar's parents returned with bundles of firewood, their figures silhouetted against the golden light of the afternoon sun. Altantsetseg spotted his hunched posture and hurried over, sensing that something was wrong.

"Are you okay, sweety?" She knelt down to his level and pulled him into a hug, while the smell coming from his diaper soon reaching her nose.

Batbayar buried his face in her shoulder, his small body trembled with a mix of relief and lingering embarrassment, as she wiped away a stray tear rolling down his cheek. 
The embrace feet like his safe haven in the stormy sea.

"Ama... I... I had a big accident," he whispered. "In front of Batu and everyone... and they smelled it, I think."

Altantsetseg pulled back just enough to cup his chubby cheeks in her warm hands. Instead of scolding him, she simply stroked his back rhythmically.

"Oh, my brave big boy! Accidents happen to even the best of us."

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, glancing up at her. "But... but I'm not a baby, Ama. The other kids don't wear diapers anymore."

By now, Temuujin had caught up, dropping the bundle of firewood with a thud and kneeling beside them. His big, calloused hands gently ruffling over Batbayar's black hair. "Diapers? Pfft, they're just part of your secret armor. I saw you wrestling with the other children from afar and you held your ground like a young Genghis!" He winked, his  voice booming with pride.

Batbayar looked between his parents, his heart lightening as their comforting words enveloped him like a cozy blanket. He shifted his weight and feelt the heavy, squishy diaper sag a bit more, but their accepting smiles made his full diaper feel less like a burden now.

“Really, Aba?”

“Absolutely!” Temuujin scooped him onto his hip effortlessly. “Now, let’s get you fresh again, huh? And while Ama is changing you into your new armor, I'll tell you the story of the great hero who won battles in a full... well, you know." He grinned mischievously and Batbayar couldn't help but giggle a little, his sniffes turning into a shy smile.

He effortlessly carried him all the way back toward the ger as if he were just an infant, while Altantsetseg waved goodbye to the neighbors’ children.

Back home inside the ger, as he laid him on the changing mat for a fresh diaper, Batbayar felt the embarrassment fade under their loving care. The messy diaper was removed with gentle hands, and the ticklish sensation of cool wipes and baby powder drawing giggles despite himself.

“There we go, all better now?” Altantsetseg asked, giving the back of his freshly diapered bum a snug pat.

“Uh-huh, all better!” He beamed.