The Puddle with the Glass Lid

It had rained the evening before. Now the morning was clear and cold. Puschel and Flauschi followed the dry woodland path. Beside it lay a small shallow puddle. A brown leaf was visible inside, but the surface did not move. It shone smoothly like a window.

Puschel“Somebody has closed the puddle.”

Flauschi stayed on the dry ground. Puschel kept his distance too. The leaf lay beneath a thin transparent layer. He leaned forward a little without moving his feet off the path. Then he looked at Flauschi.

Puschel“Do puddles have lids now? I hope this one isn't as tight as the jam jar.”

Flauschi“That's ice. During the cold night, water at the top froze.”

Puschel studied the smooth surface. The puddle had been liquid the evening before. Now it looked as if somebody had laid a small sheet of glass over it. Flauschi explained that water could become solid when it was cold enough. Liquid water became ice. No separate lid had been added.

Puschel“So the puddle brought its own lid. It's made of the same thing as the rest.”

Along the edge they noticed little lines and air bubbles in the ice. The leaf beneath remained brown. It had not suddenly become a winter leaf. Puschel wanted to point out where the layer was especially clear. He pointed from above and left the surface untouched.

Flauschi“We'll only look. Thin ice can break, and smooth patches are slippery.”

Puschel“I don't need a puddle lid in my paw. It looks better on the ground.”

A sunbeam reached the path. Puschel asked whether the sun would immediately magic the ice away. Flauschi shook her head. To melt, the ice needed enough warmth. How quickly that happened depended on the weather and the layer of ice. They could not set a clock and be certain.

Puschel“Then we won't wait for the puddle to finish. We'll visit it again later.”

They walked a little farther. Frost glittered on a blade of grass. That was frozen water too, but it looked very different from the smooth layer on the puddle. They studied both from safe spots. Puschel found it amazing how different things connected with water could look.

Puschel“Today the woods have windows in unexpected places.”

Flauschi“And we'll leave them all whole.”

When they returned with an adult in the afternoon, the path was safe to walk on. The little puddle had a moving water surface again. The brown leaf still floated in it. Puschel stopped exactly where he had stood that morning.

Puschel“The lid has turned back into puddle.”

Flauschi nodded. Nobody had needed to tidy it away or break the ice. They watched for another moment. Then they headed home while a patch of sky trembled in the water between the brown edges of the leaf.