Puschel’s Sticky Rug Plan

The morning after the great cake flight, Puschel crept through the kitchen with great care. Yet the moment his mind wandered, his foot caught on the very same edge of the rug again.

Puschel“You silly tripping rug! This time, you are in trouble.”

He knelt beside the edge, pressed it flat and frowned so firmly that even his blue forelock seemed to grumble. Flauschi knew that look. Puschel had a plan—and sometimes his plans moved faster than his caution.

Flauschi“Whatever you are planning, we do it slowly and together, all right?”

Puschel remembered a funny knobbly tree in the Wusel forest. Golden resin was already oozing from a small crack. He caught just a little of it in a wooden bowl without scraping the tree.

Puschel“One tiny dab under the edge—and no Wuselhörnchen will ever trip here again!”

Flauschi“One tiny dab, Puschel. And your paws stay well away from it.”

Back at the Wusel house, Puschel lifted only the thin edge of the rug and carefully spread a small line of resin underneath. Then he pressed the edge down. It truly stayed flat.

Puschel“See? Puschel versus rug edge: one–nil!”

At that exact moment, a tiny thread of resin tickled his nose. Without thinking, Puschel tried to wipe it away. Plop—his paw was stuck to his nose.

Flauschi“Oh, Puschel! Do not pull. Stay very still.”

Puschel“I am completely calm. I just cannot nod very well right now.”

Flauschi did not pull his paw at all. Instead, she fetched the magical Wusel book, turned its rustling pages and scratched her head thoughtfully. Puschel waited as patiently as anyone can with a paw sitting on their nose.

Flauschi“Here! Wuselberry paste for especially stubborn sticky-wusels.”

Puschel“Does it say whether it tastes like jam?”

Flauschi mashed the imaginary magic berries in a bowl and stirred them into a glowing purple paste. Gently, she applied it only around the sticky join between paw and nose.

Flauschi“Hold still now. It might tingle a little.”

Puschel“A little? My nose is already giggling without me!”

The paste bubbled very quietly. Then came a soft floop and Puschel’s paw came free. He held it up in relief. In return, a broad purple paste moustache now glowed around his nose.

Puschel“I suppose my rug plan was a little too attached to me.”

Flauschi“But now you have the wiggliest moustache in the whole forest!”

They laughed until their bellies wobbled. Afterwards they washed off the paste and placed a broad non-slip mat beneath the rug together. The edge stayed flat—and Puschel decided to discuss his next brilliant plan with Flauschi first.