The Pearls in the Spider Web

Early one morning, Puschel and Flauschi walked through the quiet Wusel Forest. Something suddenly flashed between two ferns. Puschel stopped so suddenly that his tail seemed to take one more little step.

Puschel“Flauschi, look! The forest hung up a string of pearls overnight!”

Flauschi knelt beside him and handed him their green explorer’s magnifying glass. This special glass makes small things look bigger. Its handle was shaped like a leaf. Through the round glass, Puschel saw that every single pearl rested on a thread almost too thin to see.

Flauschi“Those are water drops. They are sitting on a spider web and making its fine threads sparkle.”

Puschel looked even closer. In some drops, the whole forest appeared tiny and upside down. A little garden spider waited quietly at the edge of the web.

Puschel“Then it is her pearl necklace. I will count the drops without touching her artwork.”

At forty-seven, a fern tickled his nose. Puschel just managed to hold back a sneeze and carefully stepped away from the web. Flauschi gave a quiet laugh.

Flauschi“That is an excellent explorer’s rule: look closely and leave every animal’s home in peace.”

As the sun climbed higher, the drops slowly became smaller. Soon the web was almost invisible again. Puschel carefully returned the magnifying glass to the backpack.

Puschel“The pearls have disappeared, but now we know where to look tomorrow morning.”