The Tower Can Try Again

After their bench break, Puschel and Flauschi read the second note: “I want to be allowed to try something again without being laughed at.” Puschel looked at the sentence for a long time. He knew plenty of things that only stood the right way up on his second attempt.

Puschel“Some of my best ideas even need a third beginning.”

Beside the visitor path was a small play area with a shallow tray of materials. The path keeper had explained that they could use the play stones and the soft ball provided there. Puschel picked up three small, smooth, flat stones. They felt light in his paw; he left stones along the riverbank and in animals’ hiding places untouched.

He knelt on the dry meadow and put one stone on another. The bottom one lay crookedly. When he tried to add the third, the little stack slid apart. No stone flew and nobody was hit. His announced tower had simply become a very flat tower again.

Puschel“This is a new building method. An especially low viewing platform.”

Flauschi smiled. She held the boat with both paws and gave Puschel time to look at his stones. The closed basket stood beside them.

Flauschi“Would you like to begin again? Or shall it stay a flat tower for today?”

Puschel“Again. But this time without a grand opening speech.”

He found a level patch. Then he turned the bottom stone until it rested steadily. He placed the second carefully on top. The third stayed beside them for now. Puschel paused. Nobody counted his attempts; nobody said the first one should have worked.

Flauschi“Shall I help or just watch?”

Puschel“Just watch. That is already helping me.”

The two stones stayed in place. Puschel was pleased, and eventually returned all three to the tray. The wish note belonged to somebody else. Yet its few words had just changed how they treated each other. They did not need a tall tower for that.