Illustration 5

After the dinner everybody stayed on the veranda near the lake. Everybody was tired. While parents were planning the nest day events, little Linn fell asleep and Becca got on her Dad’s lap. Danny sat near Mom, and she hugged him. Even the Puppy was lying nearby and looked at the frogs in the grass.They decided to spend the first day at the lake. Danny was taking swimming lessons in the winter, so he was happily swimming with Dad and Grandpa. Mom stayed in the water with Becca in her arms close to the Grandma who was feeding little Linn.

The puppy was running nearby. Suddenly, he saw the frog. He stopped and get ready to jump. The frog noticed him and jumped on the tree branch, the puppy tried to reach it, but fell down into the water. Dad ran to save the puppy, but he got out of the water without any help. He was there wet and disheveled, so Mom left Becca in Dad’s care and brought the puppy inside the house to get him dry.

Danny was a smart and curious kid, but he did not know much about nature. He asked many questions, and parents tried to answer all of them.

Danny wondered, “Daddy, when did the puppy learn to swim? He has never seen the lake before!

Dad fixed his glasses and told his son that puppies don’t need to learn how to swim. All the dogs are able to swim since they are born.

Danny saw how ducks and ducklings were moving in the water. His nest question was, “Daddy, why did I get wet in the water and my hair get wet, and the puppy get wet, but the ducks stayed dry in the water?”

Dad tried his best to explain, “Well, the water consists of little drops. When our skin, or hair, or our puppy’s fur get into the water, the drops cover the skin, hair, and fur and they get wet. However, ducks’ feathers are saturated with the special fat, so the water did not make them wet, and ducks and ducklings stay dry.”

Danny kept asking, “ Daddy why the frog escaped falling into the water when it jumped on the branch, but the puppy fell down. Dad responded very patiently, “That branch was not firm enough for the puppy. The frog is much smaller and lighter that the puppy. It stayed there, but the puppy was heavy, that is why he ended in the water.”