All Four Seasons at Once

The next gust was stronger than expected. The long wooden lever jerked forward. Puschel grabbed it with both paws to stop it striking the wheel. In doing so, he moved the golden summer spoke a little farther.

Something clicked inside the hub. Three more sounds followed: a ping, a rustle and a crunch. The wheel began to turn slowly even though blossom, sun, leaf and snowflake were still in the wrong positions.

A great weather whirl rose into the air. Pink petals danced through warm sunlight, orange-red leaves flew across fresh snow, and little snowflakes landed on the sunflowers. The whirl looked wild, but remained soft and harmless.

Flauschi planted her feet, shielded her eyes and called, Flauschi“Puschel, let go of the lever!” At first Puschel tried to hold the wheel steady. Then he remembered their promise, opened his paws and jumped back. At once, the wheel began to slow.

Four little wooden tiles came loose from the hub and flew out along the garden paths. One bore a blossom, one a sun, one a leaf and one a snowflake. Puschel looked at Flauschi. Puschel“I only wanted to stop the lever falling.” Flauschi took his paw. Flauschi“I know. Now we shall gather what the wind has scattered—together.”