A Whale, a Hat, and a Rather Small Pond

How it begins

Mabel followed the hat because it looked familiar.

A reed brushed her cheek. She held very still, remembering that a small place could still be someone's whole home.

It floated from the sea into a river, from the river into a channel, and from the channel toward a pond the size of a very modest whale bath.

Mabel stopped.

The hat continued.

A duck wearing a green waistcoat appeared beside the reeds.

"Good morning," he said. "Please don't come any farther."

"I was only visiting."

"I can see that. The pond is already visiting the path."

Mabel looked down. A small wave had lifted a frog onto a bench.

The frog seemed surprised but comfortable.

"I'm Oliver," said the duck. "Pond keeper."

"Mabel. Hat follower. Temporarily."

The hat caught on a reed. It was yellow, with a blue feather tucked into the band.

Mabel had last seen it on her oldest friend's head. He was a turtle who'd moved inland after deciding the sea contained too much interruption.

"I hoped he might be here," she said.

From beneath the bench, a small voice answered.

"I am. I was wondering when you'd notice the hat."

Mabel smiled so widely that Oliver glanced at the water level.

"I could move the bench," she offered.

"The bench isn't the main difficulty," Oliver said kindly.

The turtle climbed into the sunlight. He looked exactly as Mabel remembered, except that his shell now carried a little moss garden.

For a moment, neither friend spoke.

Then Mabel looked at the frog, the path, and the pond trying very hard to remain a pond.

"Where would be a good place to meet?" she asked.

Oliver's shoulders relaxed.

"Now," he said, "that's a question we can all help with."

The yellow hat bobbed free of the reed and drifted back toward Mabel, as though it had finished the part of the journey that belonged to it.