The Falls and the Yellow Cup

The day was hot and humid, and smelled of moss and last autumn leaves, which Yens always left piled on the west side of the Moss Tree for the fireflies.

Sun was in a light haze, but Yens knew it will make its appearance later, and all this made for a perfect day at the creek falls.

Spinny was already up and about, hunting for the dragonflies in the garden, when Yens called him. He happily poised himself on the top of the backpack, and they started toward the local mountain, covered with firs, aspens and larches.

The trail was narrow, rocky, but shady, and although switches took some breath out of Yens, he was enjoying the walk. Halfway up they passed through a patch of ripe huckleberries, where Yens took the opportunity for a brief rest, and Spinny - for a small mischief, but that’s a story for another day.

The path was winding along the creek, and soon they saw a nice sunny spot that could be easily reached, and settled between two gurgling waterfalls.

Yens unpacked his book and his favorite yellow thermos, with a round lid serving as a cup. Spinny trotted off to inspect the moss at the water’s edge, squeaking to himself in satisfaction.

It was peaceful for a while, sunlight dappling the green pools, the soft rush of the falls. But then Yens noticed the yellow cup was gone. He looked around, under the blanket, beside the thermos - no cup.

A small splash drew his attention. Downstream, bobbing cheerfully in the eddy below the second falls, was his yellow cup…with Spinny riding inside, legs spread like paddles, cheerfully beating on the water.

“Spinny,” Yens sighed, “cups are for tea, not for…floating expeditions.”

Spinny squeaked, as if to say the two were not mutually exclusive, and paddled his vessel toward shore.

And so the rest of the afternoon was spent not just reading, but occasionally fishing a yellow cup out of the creek - sometimes empty, sometimes full of water and pebbles, and once with a very bewildered dragonfly inside.

A little heap of pebbles grew nearby, all shiny and smooth, very unusual in forms and colors. Later, back at home, Spinny proudly placed the most unusual of them all - black and shaped almost exactly like a tiny dragon - on the shelf among his other treasures, right between the pine cone and the half of a walnut.