The Last Weather Hop

One final jolt swaps snow and autumn leaves—and drops Puschel into a very small, very funny weather whirl.

The handle bounced upwards, and two tiles clicked at once inside the hub. A tiny weather whirl sprang from the wheel, rushed around Puschel and placed a soft snow cap on his head.

At the same time, warm autumn leaves danced around his feet. Puschel raised his paws in surprise, stepped from one foot to the other and looked as though he could not decide whether he felt cold or warm.

Flauschi was startled too, but then spotted two markings that did not quite line up. Flauschi“Only a weather hop,” she said. Flauschi“The leaf is one notch too far, and the snowflake is one notch short.”

Puschel blew the snow from his forehead. This time, he did not grab the lever at once. He waited until Flauschi pointed to the correct notch. Together, they moved the leaf first and then the snowflake into place.

The whirl dissolved into a few tickling flakes. The wheel now hummed calmly, but four broad wooden pedals folded up from the ground. A different seasonal colour glowed on each one. The garden apparently still needed a shared rhythm.