The Trail of Paper Paws

“Eight days until Halloween!” said Puschel. “Our party needs a treasure hunt.”

Flauschi looked along the garden path. “A little one, where we always know where we are.”

“From the start of the path to the garden table,” Puschel suggested. “I even know the stones there.”

He had cut out five paper paws. Each had a round pad and four toes. Now he fastened them flat onto the dry stones. The toes would show which way to go next. There was plenty of room to walk beside them.

He placed the small wooden box beside the end of the trail. With its lid closed, Flauschi could not see what was inside.

“Is the treasure heavy?” she asked.

“Not for my paws,” Puschel said mysteriously. “But perhaps for my head.”

Flauschi raised her eyebrows. Then they went back to the beginning together. Puschel wanted to try the trail himself before anyone followed it at the party.

The first paper paw pointed forwards. So did the second. He stopped at the third. Its toes pointed back.

Puschel turned round. “Aha. The treasure has changed its mind.”

He walked slowly back to the second paw. That one sent him forwards again. Puschel looked from one to the other.

“Now they’re sending me back and forth.”

Flauschi stood beside him. “Let’s both look in the same direction.”

They pointed to the first two paws, then to the third. Puschel compared their toes.

“Oh! I fastened that one the wrong way round.”

“Perhaps it wanted to look back and check that we were coming,” said Flauschi.

Puschel laughed. He carefully loosened the paper paw, turned it round and fastened it completely flat again. Flauschi smoothed its edge. Nothing should stick up or slip when they walked.

They checked the last two paws as well. Then they walked the whole short trail once more. This time they did not have to turn back.

The box waited beside the garden table. Puschel opened it. Inside was a little picture card showing a comfortable cushion.

Flauschi laughed. “A rest as our treasure!”

“Sometimes that’s hard to find,” Puschel explained. “Especially when I’m planning five things at once.”

They sat together for a while. The familiar bats swayed on the fence. The paper pumpkins on the house could keep smiling.

They would check the trail together again for the party. Nobody had to run or search alone. And today they collected every paper paw before the weather could make them damp.

Puschel put the third one on top.

“You led us back very well,” he said. “But tomorrow we’ll show you again where our rest belongs.”