The Incredible Adventures of

TweedleDrop

A morally focused children's novel that explores the exciting world of life and science through the eyes of a

water droplet personified as a young girl.

By

Dr. Robert Schwab

A primary ESL Resource developed for Hispanic immigrant children in Southern California with descriptive and engaging dialogue.

Easily adapted to structured learning tasks and for developing interactive discussion.

Chapter 1

HELLO!

My name is TweedleDrop, and I am so glad to meet you - Ive had so many exciting adventures in the last while, and Im just bursting to tell someone about them.

You know, I do believe weve met before - I remember many nights ago looking at you through a glass wall. You stared back at me - looking right through me in fact. I

remember you called that glass wall a drinking glass. Yes, thats right, Im a droplet of water, and I had a whole bunch of friends with me that evening. Remember?

Ill bet youre smiling at my name - so many people smiled and even laughed at my name when I was younger. I used to be so embarrassed that I blushed light pink - very

difficult for a droplet of water to do. I had wondered why my Mom and Dad had chosen

such a name, until one day, Alice explained it to me. Alice is a dear friend and knows my

family well. Alice told me that I had been named after my great - great - great grandfather,

and that he was very well traveled in water circles. He helped produce the first electricity

produced by water, called hydroelectric power. Alice, who is very smart, says hydro means

water in the Greek language. An then, much later, Grandpa was one of the very lucky

group of droplets to fly through space with the first astronauts to set foot on the moon. Now,

when friends call me Tweedy, I get little goosebumps of pride, and Im no longer embarrassed by my name.

Right now, as we visit, you see me as a little drop of water. you may have difficulty

distinguishing me from all my friends and companions. Humans seem to have a problem

telling one droplet from another, just as we droplets have a tough time distinguishing one

human from another. Right now, Im pretty average as droplets go - sort of big around the hips and a pointy little head. But when Im sitting alone, I tend to bead up into a ball or spread out like a pancake, depending on the floor Im sitting on.

We droplets are able to do some fun things, like change into different states. We can be solid - like a snowflake, my favorite state, because when Im a snowflake, I have six arms as white as a new paint job. I really am a very handsome individual as a snowflake,

and my mother says I sparkle like a diamond. Or I can be liquid, as I am now, or like when

it is raining. Or we can be vapor. Usually we are invisible as vapor, and we can slip around

without even being seen. But you can see me as vapor when Im steam, or a cloud in the sky, or on a cold day when you breath out and your breath looks like smoke. And for us,

there is a fourth state that no one talks about very much called the plastic state. Its not like a plastic bag or a plastic toy, though. When we are in a plastic state we move very

slowly, and only under a lot of pressure. Its sort of like toothpaste in the tube you use to brush your teeth with after every meal. We sort of look like ice, but we are under

tremendous pressure and move ever so slowly. And that is where my story. begins.

Chapter 2

Im so cold and cramped moaned Alice. It seems like weve been caught in this creepy glacier for a thousand years.

Now, its not like Alice to complain - shes usually the bright spot in any group. But we all have a bad day once in a while, and this must be hers.

Cheer up, Alice came a deep voice from beside me. That was Roger, a stranger to both of us before this glacier adventure. Roger had always pulled his weight and helped out

when needed, and had become a good friend. We all arrived in the same snow storm, and by my count, continued Roger, that was only 520 years ago.

Only! answered Alice. Ive never been under this kind of pressure before! But what was that other name you called it, Roger?

The human scientists call it plastic flow, and it only happens when we droplets are in our solid state - like ice - and then put under great pressure. That pressure is almost

always the weight of our own people. Mountains of frozen droplets heaped on top of us.

Then we can move in our solid form without breaking - and thats called a plastic flow. It is sort of like squishing toothpaste from a tube.

Well replied Alice, obviously feeling better now, I do wish this old glacier would squish along a little faster. There is so much of this world to see and so many things to do.

Really, I do think we are speeding up said Roger. Look at how we are pushing against that rock wall there by your side. I think that soon, we will be out of this glacial

mess. We all chuckled at Rogers attempt at humor, but the idea of finally being free of this glacier was an exciting prospect.

How fast are we moving? I asked Roger. Well, Im no expert, but I believe that when we first got involved with this glacier, we were moving about six inches a day. Were headed down a steeper slope now, and Id say we are covering three or maybe four feet a day.

Oh, big deal! Alice said, obviously still in a grumpy mood.

Look gang, said Roger, eager to change the subject, Lets team up and do what our job is - or at least one of them. We water droplets are here to reshape the world - to tear

down hills and fill up holes, and this is a great place to do our thing.

Come on now, I said to Roger. I know you are very convincing, and your muscles glisten through your ice cover, but tear down mountains?

Tweedy, Roger replied, you and me will hardly be noticed in our world, but together we can reshape the earth. Turning to the many plasticized droplets who were watching, he shouted all together now, lets do our thing!

Chapter 3

A purpose and a goal! Suddenly I realized what I had been missing all those years

in the glacier - a reason for living. I had gotten so used to being squeezed this way and that

way that I had lost my enthusiasm, and with it, my action. But Roger had reminded us all

that everyone of us has a reason to be on this earth - a purpose and a goal. Sometimes it is

hard to tell exactly what we are aimed for or how to get there, but sometimes a little

guidance from a trusted friend can help us see our goals more clearly. I could feel my

temperature rise and my flippers tremble with new excitement.

Rogers voice brought me out of my daydream as I heard him continue. Droplets, well join together and do some rock plucking.

I didnt even know what he meant, let alone how to do it, but I figured Id never learn if I didnt ask. Roger, I called, maybe Im dumb, but Ive never been in a glacier before - what is rock plucking, and how do we do it? From the sigh that I heard, many other droplets had the same question, but had been too timid to ask.

Tweedy, replied Roger, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Anytime that you dont understand something, ask - thats the only way to learn. Im not smarter than any of you, but I have been through several glaciers in my life, and Ive met some good teachers who have helped me. So let me pass on my experience to you all.

We all listened carefully as Roger explained exactly what the procedure would be.

The glacier had pushed us against the rock wall at the edge of the glacier. Roger explained

that we were still deep down bellow the top of the glacier, and that this was the first step in

gaining our freedom. We were to team up together and push even harder against one

another so that the droplets closest to the wall rubbed so hard against the rock that the

friction would heat us up, and turn us back into water. Then when we got to a chunk of

rock sticking out a bit from the wall, we would stop around the rock and refreeze. Then all

the droplets would join hands and as the glacier pushed us forward, the rock surrounded by

us frozen droplets would be plucked - or torn loose from the wall. Well, it sounded good,

but most of us had our doubts. But before we knew it, Roger had us organized and we were

started.

I had ended up right next to the rock wall, and when Roger wiggled his flipper to

give the signal, I could feel the team push even harder. It felt good to rub up against the

wall, like a stiff brush in the bathtub. And then something wonderful happened. As the

scraping continued, I got warmer and warmer, and then suddenly, for the first time in 520

years, I turned back into a liquid again. I was so excited that I let out a squeal of delight.

Some of the droplets thought I was hurt, but I quickly explained my happiness. By now,

other droplets were experiencing the same change, and were shouting out in happiness.

Then we saw Roger pointing to a piece of rock that was sticking out from the wall. We all

remembered the plan. We quickly flowed all around the rock where Roger was, and then

stood absolutely still. With all our icy friends around us, it didnt take long for us to start to freeze again.

Roger told us to get ready for when the glacier moved again, because it would be

then that we would complete the task we had set out to accomplish. Suddenly the glacier

moved, and we heard a sharp cracking noise followed immediately by an ouch! Sure enough, there was a piece of rock riding along with us.

Hey fellows said the rock, that stung! You all ganged up against me, and thats not fair.

Roger quickly answered for all of us. Not so he said. One of our jobs is to reshape the earth. We wouldnt have been doing our job in life if we hadnt had you join us. Besides, Roger continued, Were going to get you started towards a life like you never imagined. Now that youre free, youll see the world as gravel and sand and clay. Youll travel, make new friends, and fulfill your special purpose in life. Im not sure the rock believed Roger, but he didnt say anymore.

Meanwhile, all the droplets were caught up in the excitement of doing something

useful again. Other teams had been organized, and there were more and more chunks of

rock joining our glacier. Some big chunks of rock were as large as a house. Our portion of

the glacier started turning from blue-green to dark gray as more and more rock were

plucked, and as they joined us droplets on our journey.

Roger was obviously pleased, and so was I. We talked together about how much

fun it was to succeed at an important task, and how the entire mood of the droplets had

changed by working together towards a common goal. Everyone was thrilled by what we

could accomplish as a team. Tomorrow said Roger, Ill show you how to make rock flower, and how to put a polish on our work. But before I could ask him what he meant, he had plasticized himself and was fast asleep.

Chapter 4

Roger slept for a full ten days, which really isnt unusual for us droplets when we are in a frozen state. So much had been happening while he was asleep that I doubted he

would recognize his old ice river home when he awoke. Teams continued to work day and

night, and all manner and size of rocks were sharing our space.

Alice and I were taking a break, sitting together and looking with pride at what our

entire community of droplets had accomplished in such a short time. Alice had taken a

liking to a large block of pink granite that had been plucked from the surrounding walls by

one of the teams. It really was a lovely piece of granite - with a clean face that reflected the

light like a mirror, and a rich pink color as if it had been freshly painted. Suddenly, Alice

looked at me and in a startled voice said Tweedy, maybe Im getting dizzy, but that big block of granite seems to be slowly turning and moving closer to the edge of the glacier.

Am I dreaming?

But before I had a chance to answer, there was a loud bang - like a rifle shot, and

right in front of us, the big block broke in half. Alice looked on in disbelief, and mumbled

now what ever would have caused that?

A deep voice answered from the direction of the rock. Ill tell you what caused it. I cant go two places at the same time, and you guys are moving me faster on one side than on the other. Something had to give, and it was me! Now look at me! All this time, I

thought I was king of the mountain, and now Im falling to pieces.

Who are you? I called, pretty sure I knew.

Im Grant, the granite chunk, and I know that you droplets are only doing your thing. It was time for a change anyway. I am pleased to be with you, but I never thought

the ride would tear me up so much!

Golly Grant Alice replied, we certainly are sorry for shattering your ideas. We droplets are only starting to learn our full strength when we work together as a team.

Sometimes though, there are forces that we cant control, no matter how hard we try. Did you say that one side of you was moving faster than the other?

Exactly, said Grant, thats what split me in half. Look - already you can see how the side of me towards the edge of your ice river is slowing down, and my other half is

moving ahead. Now I suppose Ill have a split personality!

Sure enough, as we looked at the rocks that had collected in our ice river, several

things became evident. First, we could see that all the big blocks of stone were gradually

being torn apart into smaller rocks, and second, we could see that these rocks were being

moved by the glacier up towards the top of the ice river where they were starting to pile up.

It was our plastic ability to stretch that was keeping us droplets all in one piece instead of

cracking like simple ice would have done.

The little rocks like the one we first broke off were being ground into even smaller

pieces. Some of them were being ground so fine that they looked like dust. We watched

closely as a team worked at plucking still another rock from the wall by the edge of the

glacier. As the droplets all pressed together, some of the loose rocks were pushed with the

droplets against the wall, and we actually saw one rock gouging and tearing a big groove in

the wall as it was carried away. At the same time, very fine dust was doing the same thing,

but instead of tearing and gouging, the result was a polished surface just as if it had been

shined by a jeweler.

You know, I said to Alice, there is a lot more going on here than I ever realized. Im embarrassed that I never noticed all these things around me before.

Dont think like that, came Rogers voice from behind me. Obviously, he had just woken up, and he gave out a huge yawn as he stretched his flippers. The world is so full of new experiences that you can never notice everything. Just be thankful for what you are

able to see, and for the things you have.

Well, youre finally awake cried Alice. Please tell us what you meant when you talked about rock flower and polish.

Sounds like you have gotten most of the answers for yourselves. Rock flower is simply what we call the very fine dust which the rocks are ground into. The rocks along the

side walls are polished as the rock flower rubs hard against their surface. I learned

something from your observations too. I never realized that different parts of the ice river

flow at different speeds.

Alice laughed. So even the professor has learned something new! That makes me feel better.

Just then there was another big bang. Oh me, we heard Grant moan, Im just going to pieces! We all laughed, and Grant laughed with us. Grant seemed to know that he was embarking on the greatest adventure of his life, and he didnt mind the temporary discomfort that we droplets were causing him. We all appreciated each other because it is

good to have friends with us when everything is changing around us.

Chapter 5

But only a short time later, it was I who needed a friend. Alice, Roger, and I had

gradually worked our way towards the center of the ice river, which was the fast moving

portion. Grant had broken up quite completely - some of the little Grants were still close to

us, some as gravel and some as rock flower.

I pushed against Rogers flipper to get his attention. Im worried, Roger, but I dont know exactly why. I think that a lot of the pressure I felt earlier has gone, and we seem to be moving faster. But Im almost sure we are going down a faster slope than before.

I think youre right, Tweedy replied Roger. Things have changed greatly in the last while. But Tweedy, dont worry - never worry about the things you cant control. And those things you can control - dont worry about those either - do something about them. Worry never helped to solve anything. But I share your feeling - I sense some changes very

soon.

Roger said nothing for a long time. Finally, he spoke again. Ive traveled these glaciers many times during my time on Earth, and I think we are getting close to the end of

our journey in this ice river. I think we may be in the portion of the glacier called the

hanging glacier. Thats the part of the ice river that hangs on to the main glacier as long as it can after we have spilled out from the walls of rock that held us earlier. Well only have ourselves to hang on to now, and soon we will break off or melt. And then we will be able

to continue our life journey.

I was a little confused and lost when we fell as snow those many years ago Roger continued, but I believe we are somewhere in the Grand Teton National Park in Northwestern Wyoming. There are many small glaciers there, but I think this may be St.

Marys Glacier. We are moving towards the setting sun, so we must be west of the continental divide, and certainly we are at a great elevation above the ocean.

Continental divide! I exclaimed. You mean the continent is actually split in the middle and is divided into parts?

No, no laughed Alice, and her easy laughter made me feel warm and comfortable. Thats the name that is given to the line where water runs in one direction into one ocean or in the other direction into another ocean. The continental divide Roger is talking about

separates the waters which eventually end up in the Atlantic Ocean from those that end up

in the Pacific Ocean. Either way, it is a long wonderful journey.

Not only that, but... and then a tremendous bang interrupted Roger. At the same time we felt a tremendous lurch and a lot of pressure came off us. No question about it Roger said, Were close to the end of our ride on this ice river. I have already lost a lot of my plastic flow, and I am more like regular ice now. Gosh it will be good to have a breath

of fresh air again - Ive almost forgotten what its like to have some air clinging to me.

You bet I agreed. Alice continued thats what that that crash was - a huge crack developing close by us. Youll hear lots more of those over the next few days.

And we did. It was like living in a thunder storm. The pressure on us became less

and less. We found that as we lost our plastic state and became regular ice again, our ability

to move around was much less. About five oclock one evening, a tremendous crack opened up next to us. The noise was deafening - like being inside the big drum of a

marching band. And with the crack came sunlight. It was the first direct sunlight we had

seen since we became part of the glacier more than 500 years ago. Roger was on the other

side of the crack, downstream from us. This is probably the big break, Tweedy he called, good luck - well meet again. Just as he finished, the entire piece of ice Roger was attached to broke loose and fell downward, banging against the cliff on the way down.

Finally, with a splash it fell into a big lake. I knew Roger was okay - if it is one thing we

droplets are good at, it is falling and swimming!

Alice and I were left on the very outer edge of the new front of the glacier. I thought

I could see a thousand miles, but Alice thought that was an exaggeration. We could see

many mountains stretching into the distance, and there were snow fields, rivers, and

waterfalls in all directions. The sun was low in the sky and obviously we were going to

spend another night on the glacier. But even the last few rays of sun warmed me a little and

I knew that when the sun arose in the morning, Id be free again, starting a whole new adventure.

Chapter 6

That night, the moon was full and the skies were free of clouds. I had forgotten how

beautiful the sky could be at night with a million pinpoints of light , each one a separate star.

It was also nice to be in contact with air again. In an ice form, I was limited to how much

air I could grab on to, and we droplets need oxygen to be truly healthy.

You look happy, Tweedy, Alice said.

You bet I am, I replied. Im looking forward to being on the move and seeing more of this great big world.

I wonder if we will flow westward towards the Pacific or eastward towards the Gulf of Mexico Alice mused.

Roger said that if we went east, wed go to the Atlantic Ocean I corrected her, not the Gulf of Mexico.

Basically, Roger was correct, Alice explained, but to get to the Atlantic Ocean, we must first go through the Gulf of Mexico. And then depending on the currents, we

might have to go through the Caribbean Sea as well before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. It

is a long trip to get to the Atlantic Ocean from here - unless of course, we go in cloud form

and fly over those eastern mountains.

Obviously, I had some geography to learn before I started correcting Alice. But the

mention of eastern mountains concerned me, and I expressed my concern about being stuck

in another glacier on those mountains.

No worry laughed Alice. Those mountains are almost all too low to have snow fields let alone glaciers. You might get delayed in a heavy snow on Mt. Washington in

New Hampshire, but that would be the worst that could happen. Alice was quiet for a long time , and then she continued. I wonder if we will be able to stay in contact with each other.

For the first time, I suddenly realized that when the sun came out the next morning,

Alice and I might be separated, each going our different directions. Gosh, I hope so, I said, but remember what Roger said - not to worry about the things we cant control. If we are separated, well both make new friends, and our paths will probably cross again.

After that, we both remained still for the rest of the night. The morning sunrise

broke over the eastern horizon with colorful red, orange, and yellow streaks across the sky.

As the sun started its daily march across the sky, I could feel the first warming rays reach

me and start to warm me.

This process of changing from ice to water and back to ice actually takes a lot of

energy. We all know that water changes to ice at 32 degrees, but it really isnt quite that simple. We droplets have to accumulate some extra cold or heat to change from one form

to another. It takes a lot of energy to heat us up from 20 degrees to 32 degrees, but it takes

even more energy to change us from ice at 32 degrees to water at 32 degrees. So Alice and

I had a lot of warming up to do. The suns warmth is the natural form of energy we usually use to make a change in state like going from ice to water.

How are you doing, Alice I asked as the morning wore on. Are you getting any heat from the sun?

A little Alice replied, but part of the time I am in the shadow of one of the rocks we plucked. Ill have to wait for the afternoon sun to warm me before Ill be ready to travel. Dont worry, Ill be right behind you.

I was sorry Id be leaving Alice, but I knew Id have lots of company because we droplets almost never travel alone. Roger used to say that a stranger is just a friend that he

hadnt met yet, and I think he was right. If you are nice to people, almost always they are nice to you in return.

The sun continued to beat down on me, and I knew I would be traveling soon.

Suddenly, it happened. Almost without warning, I was a drop of water again. Bye Alice - Ill miss you. I had barely finished those words when I was sliding down the face of the glacier. As I gathered speed, I picked up some rock flower as I slid over the ice. I had

joined many other droplets by now, and we were becoming a fast moving little stream. As

we tossed and turned and mixed with the air, we became a whitish color, and we made a lot

of froth. We tumbled together, gaining speed, and then with a great leaping dive we left the

glacier and fell straight down.

What a wonderful experience, and a wonderful way to start the day for a droplet. It

brought back faint memories from long ago, but I was to busy to reminisce. The bottom of

the waterfall was a steep gravel beach, and it barely slowed me down. Then we were swept

into a small lake. As I slowed down, it became harder and harder for me to hang into the

rock flower. As the rock flower fell away, we became almost clear again, losing our

whitish color. I continued to flow more and more slowly around the lake.

Hello Tweedy called a familiar voice, and there was Roger. Roger seemed very excited. Thats the first time I ever came down as a big block of ice, laughed Roger. You should have seen the splash we made when we hit the lake! We started melting right away, and weve been waiting here for you and Alice ever since. Oh - Id like you to introduce you to Laura. Laura rode the ice block down with me, and shes been a good companion while weve been waiting.

Hello Laura I said, it sure is nice to have friends waiting to meet me on my arrival. She laughed a pleasant laugh and replied my pleasure, Tweedy. Roger has told me about you and I was hoping wed find you so we could visit.

So we all floated around and told each other stories. New droplets were arriving all

the time, and we kept a sharp eye out for Alice because we knew we would be moving

along again very soon. It was a wonderful evening, to be with friends and to have the

freedom to move about as we wished. We talked long into the night before we finally fell

asleep.

Chapter 7

All of us in this world - not only we droplets, but you too, do certain things and act

certain ways that we cant really control. You must breath air to live, and eat to stay healthy. We droplets must follow certain natural orders as well. For example, we can only travel

downhill unless we get outside help to go up. But all droplets have one trick that is pretty

sneaky, and this is it.

Almost everything in this world gets smaller and smaller as it gets colder and colder.

But not us. We droplets do get smaller and smaller as the temperature goes down, but only

to a point. About six or seven degrees above the freezing temperature, we reverse ourselves

and start getting larger until we turn into ice. Thats the reason that ice floats, and it is also the reason that the water at the bottom of those deep mountain lakes stays about 38 or 39

degrees. At that temperature, thats the smallest that any droplet gets, so it sinks to the bottom.

So all the droplets that want to move around and explore the world do their best to

avoid staying at that heavy temperature. So we did everything we could during the night to stay in the shallow water, knowing that in the morning the sun would warm us quickly

past the heavy temperature zone. Even if we did start to sink, if we stayed in the shallow

part of the lake, wed warm enough during the day to stay afloat. We all wanted to move on past the lake and on to our next adventure.

In the morning, the sun peaked over the edge of our world, and it wasnt long before we were starting to warm up. Pretty soon, we were cozy warm, and we realized that we had

better try to find a way out. If we got too warm, we might just turn into vapor, and then we

could end up on that glacier again. So the three of us set out to find our way out of the lake.

That really isnt as difficult as it might seem. We soon spotted a current that seemed to be leading away from the glacier. All we had to do is ride along with the flow of the

other droplets. We decided that if we could stay just bellow the surface, wed be safe and still make good time. If we were in deep water when the sun went down, we might cool

enough to start sinking. Id already been on that glacier too long, and I really didnt want another long stay in one place - even if it was a beautiful mountain lake.

We made steady progress, and all around us, other droplets were laughing and

talking with one another. It was wonderful to see so much happiness all around us, and the

lake sparkled like a diamond as they all laughed.

When you think about it, happiness is probably more important than just about

anything - except freedom. We three wanted our freedom more than conversation right then,

so we wiggled along, slowly passing the other droplets who drifted along visiting. We

noticed the current was getting closer to the spill point. Thats the point where the lake spills into the river. Soon we could hear the water rushing and dancing over the edge.

Were almost there called Roger, hold flippers so we stay together.

We had just joined flippers when suddenly everyone stopped talking. We looked

around to see what had attracted everyones attention, and then we saw it. Another big block of ice had broken loose from the glacier, and was falling, aimed for the lake not far

from where we were. Before we knew it, the block of ice crashed into the lake. Wow Roger called, that was an even bigger splash than my block made.

And then came the wave! A wall of water - thousands and thousands of droplets

came rushing at us. The wave carried us up and over the edge of the lake, across a bit of

shore line, and over the rocky bank. We were free of the lake and we laughed and jumped

from rock to rock, glittering white as we bubbled along. If we hadnt been holding flippers, there is no telling where we might have been scattered. Then suddenly, we came to an

unexpected stop.

Well, now were in a mess I heard Roger say. I was still trying to pull myself back into shape because the sudden stop had really spread me out, but I heard Laura ask

Roger what he meant.

Weve been pushed out of the lake by that wave Roger said, but not at the normal spill point. Look over there and you can see the waterfall and rapids. Weve fallen behind a sliver of rock, and we might be trapped here.

You cant scare me I called back. We droplets cant be trapped here too long. At worst, well be vaporized in tomorrows sun.

No said Roger, what really worries me is seeping down into the ground and becoming part of the underground water system. We could be stuck there for millions of

years before we got out. Everyone was stunned. We had come too far to be defeated now.

Finally, Roger spoke. If we are going to get out of this mess, were going to have to work together. Maybe if we all put our heads together, we can find a solution. Does

anyone have any ideas how we can get back to the river?

Chapter 8

I may have an idea said a voice from behind us. My name is Harry - Im pleased to meet you - heres my idea. You know how we get bigger when we freeze? If we all stood real still around this sliver of rock, when the sun goes down, well freeze. Why couldnt we break this sliver of rock when we expand the same way we did when we plucked rocks back on the glacier?

Of course said Roger, we can use the same principal to solve our problem on this cliff as we used up on the glacier. Sometimes, the solution to a problem is right in front of us, but we cant seem to think how to apply an old situation to a new circumstance. Good idea, Harry called Laura, lets crowd up close to this rock and do our thing!

And so we did. The sun went down, and it started to get colder. Here on the face of

the cliff, there wasnt much to hold the heat, so after the sun went down it got cold quickly. Bellow us on a flat spot by the river, a camp fire was burning and some humans were

talking. It seemed they were mountain climbers, and they wanted to get to the top of the

glacier as much as we wanted to get away from the glacier. We heard one of them warn the

others to be careful. The human said that when it freezes tonight, there will be a lot of scree

forming.

Whats scree I asked Roger.

Scree Roger explained, is the small pieces and slivers that we droplets break loose from the ground when we freeze and expand. The humans are concerned that these

small pieces will break loose and fall down the slope towards them. They have a difficult

time walking on the scree because it is loose and slippery for them. It is especially hard for

them if we droplets are covering the scree as a layer of ice - sort of like walking on

marbles.

About midnight, Laura squeezed my flipper and said softly I think Im getting bigger, and sure enough, I noticed the same myself. We must have all turned to ice about the same time, and just moments later, I heard the familiar plink of cracking rock. The sliver of rock broke loose, clattering down the bank.

Hurrah we all shouted, and we knew we were all free. We still clung to the rock wall, but we knew that as soon as the suns heat reached us, wed melt and be free to continue our journey.

We watched the sunrise, and it was especially beautiful from our vantage point on

the cliff. The lake seemed to glow with a thousand different shades of orange and red and

yellow.

We droplets have a lot of fun with color. All of us are clear unless we are mixed

with something else that carries color. But we like to make people think we are different

colors. Do you remember some of the phrases you have heard like white water, blue ocean,

green lakes, or black pools? What we droplets do is reflect the colors around us. If we are

surrounded by green fields, we take on a green color. Dark fir trees make us reflect black.

The reflection from a sunny blue sky is what makes the ocean look blue, and on a stormy

day, it is the cloudy gray sky that makes the ocean look gray. My favorite time for colors is

at sunset when we reflect the rich gold colors of the sun as it sinks bellow the horizon.

About three hours after the sun started to come up, Harry said it wont be long now. You droplets at the back - see if you can give a little push, and suddenly we were loose falling towards the stream.

Bang! We landed on the rocky shore and bounced towards the creek. We landed

right at the very edge. Great aim Harry called, we make a good team. Maybe we can stick together and travel down this stream together. We all thought that was a great idea.

Soon, I had turned back into water again, and I waited in a quiet pool until all of us

had changed back into water again. I was looking forward to moving on to our next

adventure.

Chapter 9

Soon, we were all basking in the sun, soaking up the heat like sunbathers at the

beach. We had landed about ten feet from the main river, and we could hear the water

rushing down the canyon. The sound of water roaring was exciting and it made us all more

anxious to be on our way. After we melted, we had to creep through some wet moss. It

was almost like a wet sponge, and we just flowed around each little sprig. Then we came to

some tall grass that was so tall it almost blocked out the sun. We hung onto each other and

wound our way through the blades. As we gently flowed downstream, we got closer to the

main current.

Next, we ran into a big log which had fallen across our path. If we had been a boat,

wed have been in big trouble, but we droplets hardly gave it a second thought. The old log was lying on a bed of sand and gravel, so we just started swimming between those grains of

sand and gravel. Those sand bars and gravel beaches that seem so solid to you are really a

highway for us, and hardly even slow us down. In fact, we even flow through some types

of hard rock like sandstone in the same way. The empty space between these tiny grains of

rock is called porosity by humans, but we call it our underground highway. Anyway, a

minute later we came back to the surface on the other side of the log.

Many other droplets had joined us, and suddenly we were swept into the main river.

Laughing and shouting, bubbling and frothing, we mixed with great bubbles of air. As we

picked up speed, wed pick up a piece of sand laying on the bottom of the stream and carry it with us. Those sand grains were actually pieces of rock that had been ground up by the

glacier. When ever we had enough speed and energy, we would toss them around, sort of

like playing ball in a playground. Sometimes the sand grains would land against another

rock and chip in two, making two sand grains.

I lost track of how long we traveled like that, but it was several days and nights. I

had been on river trips before, but never with friends. Traveling with friends made the

experience much more enjoyable. Often times, Laura or one of the others would see

something I had missed, and point it out to me. It was great because we were all seeing new

sights and experiencing new events.

Finally, we slowed down and many other droplets had joined us. We were still

moving along pretty fast, but the river was much deeper now. I was surrounded by tiny

particles of air that clung to me, and I carried a couple of fine grains of rock flower which

gave me a white reflection in the sun. I had put on a little weight as well because a little salt

had broken off one of the rocks I had rubbed against and gone into solution with me. It

doesnt bother us to gain weight though, and when we evaporate, or turn into vapor, only the pure water in us changes. We leave any minerals or other materials we have mixed with

behind.

I was dozing in the afternoon sun when suddenly a great big silver thing landed on

top of me. I gave a gasp of surprise as the slick smooth silvery thing slipped past me. My

gasp was hardly out of my mouth when this silvery monster turned to me and spoke in a

grandfather like voice. Oh, excuse me he said, I didnt hurt you did I? No, no I laughed, I was dozing, and you just surprised me, but who - and what are you? I judged this creature to be about three feet long and to weigh about thirty pounds.

Me? the stranger said. Why, Im a salmon fish. In fact, one of the rivers just down from here is named the Salmon River. My name is Saul, and Im returning from a four year trip in the Pacific Ocean to go to the place where I was born. My wife is waiting

for me there, and when I get there we are going to start raising a whole big family of baby

salmon.

I was thrilled. I had seen these silver giants flash past me before, but this was the

first time one had stooped to talk with me. We talked for a little while and then he said he

really had to be on his way. As Saul turned to leave, he waved his tail, and then suddenly I

was drawn through a large opening in the side of his body just behind the head. For a long

moment, I was lost. It was very dark, but somehow I knew I was inside of Saul. I was

surrounded by what felt like soft curtains. Later, Roger told me they were called

membranes. They closed down tightly over me, opened, then closed down again, and then

opened. And then just as suddenly, I was outside of Saul again.

Wh - what happened? I stammered.

Oh dear me Saul said, I fear you got sucked through my gills. I hope I didnt frighten you Tweedy, but thats the way all we fish breathe. And then I realized that all those little particles of air that were attached to me only moments before were gone.

No harm done, it was just a new experience for me I answered. Ill pick up some more air at the next waterfall. Good luck and have a safe journey, I wished my new friend.

It is wonderful to help other creatures through their life. In fact, human scientists

believe that life could not exist without water, so we droplets play a very important role in

this world. Fish wipe the air off us so they can breathe, humans drink us, and plants absorb

us through their roots. Most of the surface of the world is water, and a large portion of the

air you breathe is water in the form of vapor. I feel very lucky to be a droplet, and to be an

important part in the lives of so many creatures.

Chapter Ten

With Harrys help, we finally identified the river we were floating down as the Smoky River. The sun beat down on us, and we felt like we were on a holiday. But every

day, we did a little work. If we werent carrying some sand grains along to a new home, we were eroding, or washing away one of the big rocks that stuck up in the river. Many of

Sauls cousins and friends raced past us, always in the opposite direction.

Things had changed so much since I had last flowed down a river! Of course, now I

understand more about you humans and the civilizations you have built, but that trip down

the river was an exciting experience for all of us. We saw many humans along the river

bank, and for the first time we saw the great ribbons of concrete and asphalt you call roads.

The cars and trucks that traveled on these roads fascinated us. They seem to make a lot of

noise and exhale a lot of vapor that doesnt smell very good. Sometimes, they also drip oil or gas into the river which ends up covering us droplets, and makes us sick. But those cars

and trucks move those humans and the things they need around very rapidly, so it must be

worth it. There were many other changes as well. Small boats with motors hanging off the

back swarmed across the lake. When we were in the rapids, we shared our space with

humans in yellow or gray rubber boats, and the humans in them were shouting and having

as much fun as we were riding down the river. But it was clear that the world had gotten

much more crowded and complicated since we had last traveled.

We eventually entered a huge lake, and that confused me. Roger I called, we seem to be in a large lake, but the mountains around us still rise so rapidly that it doesnt seem natural. But Roger didnt know any more than I did. We had seen small dams before that had been made by beavers or had occurred naturally when earthquakes or

landslides had blocked the flow of the river, but this was unlike anything I had ever seen

before.

Harry Roger said, youve been circulating more recently than we have. Do you have any idea what this lake is?

If what Saul said is correct Harry replied, we are close to the Palisades Dam, and we are in a lake behind the dam called a reservoir.

Gosh Harry I called, how could a dam be this big?

I keep forgetting that youve been iced up for five hundred years Harry answered. These dams are huge walls of concrete and earth the humans have built across rivers. They build them for many reasons - to collect water for drinking, to help big boats sail up

and down the rivers, but mostly to generate electricity.

Whats electricity? Roger asked.

Well said Harry, Ill do my best to answer that. It seems that humans have developed all kinds of tools and devises that need power, and make their life much easier.

The power to run these devises comes from either electricity or gasoline. In order to make

electricity, which is a form of power, they have to get power from something else. They

can get that energy from the heat created by burning coal or oil, or from the heat created by

controlled atomic reactions, or from water. Instead of letting us go down the mountain

canyon dancing and doing cartwheels, wearing off our energy against rocks and riverbanks,

they put us in a big storage lake like this one. Then they drop us down a long pipe where

we turn a big wheel with paddles called a turbine. The turbine turns the energy of falling

water into electricity. Then the electricity is sent out through big cables that hang from tall

towers - like that one over there he said, pointing his flipper at what I thought was some kind of strange silver tree.

You mean there going to push me into one of those big cables in the sky I gasped.

Laura laughed her pleasant laugh, and I knew at once that I had jumped to a wrong

conclusion without considering all that Harry had said. No worry, its the energy they put in the wire Harry explained, and we all come out at the bottom of the dam and continue on our way. And in the process we have the opportunity to help those humans to get the power

they need for running their tools, cooking their food, and lighting their homes when the sun

goes down.

It was Alices turn to ask a question. What about coal she asked, how is it used to make electricity?

Harry didnt have the answer, but after a few moments of silence, a stranger broke into our conversation. Excuse me he said, my name is Peter, and Ive learned a lot listening to all of you. Ive been around steam engines for a long time, so maybe I can answer Alices question. Coal or oil is used to generate electricity by heating us droplets of water until we have all kinds of energy stored up inside us as steam. Then we use the

energy the same way as Harry described - by turning a paddle wheel called a turbine. But

years ago, we were used directly as steam to drive huge engines. I remember traveling

across the parries on a steam locomotive pulling a train load of people, and on one trip we

passed thousands of big buffalo. The humans didnt have electricity or cars then. When they had to travel a long distance, they rode horses or took a train to where they were

going.

Thank you said Roger, we appreciate all the help you can give us. By sharing our knowledge, all of us benefit from the experiences of others. Wed like to invite you to join our group as we continue on our way.

Peter was obviously pleased to be asked. Id be delighted to run with you he said, and we all laughed and welcomed him.

Chapter Eleven

Laura spoke suddenly- I believe were picking up speed again, but were traveling across the top of the lake, not downhill. Its a different feeling than I can remember having had before.

Were approaching the intake tower said Peter. It wont be long before well be on our way again, so lets try and stay together. Then we went through a curtain of wire which screened out and logs or other items that were floating along with us. Obviously, the

humans wanted only us droplets going through their turbine.

As we floated along faster and faster, we were being pulled towards a concrete wall

that stuck up above the water level. As we approached the concrete wall, we started

spinning around in a big circle which got smaller and smaller as we moved faster and faster.

Suddenly, we were in the center of this spinning funnel of water which I later learned was

called a vortex. And then it happened!

We entered a pipe that went almost straight down, and we fell with increasing speed

and pressure. It was sort of like when you are taking off in a jet airplane and you are sucked

back in your seat, only many times more force pulled at us droplets. We couldnt even move or talk because the pressure was so great. I noticed that the air bubbles that were

clinging to me were squeezed right inside me as the pressure increased from the weight of

all those other droplets on top of us in the pipe.

Suddenly, out we came, up against the metal blades of the turbine. Then we were

able to use the stored up energy to push the turbine wheel around. With the many droplets

that had gone before us, the wheel was spinning really fast, so our job was pretty easy

because all we had to do was keep it going. In a moment, it was over, and we left the pipe

at the bottom of the dam as we entered the river again.

I was rather pleased with myself for having helped to generate electricity, and

having helped some human perhaps hundreds of miles away. Then one of Sauls cousins came by. He looked ill. I called to him, asking how he was, and telling him that I had

recently talked to Saul. Between gasps, he told me that his name was Sam, and that he

knew Saul well. Sam said he was having trouble breathing and couldnt get enough proper air.

There were bubbles starting to come out of my skin again now that I was free of the

pressure inside the pipe. Quickly Sam I said, run me through your gills and maybe I can help. He did. But no help came.

Thats not the air I need Sam said. I need oxygen, and after your trip through the turbine under such great pressure, all the oxygen is still dissolved inside you. Those

bubbles on you are nitrogen, and that kind of air doesnt help me. In fact, it hurts me. Sam was gasping now, obviously in trouble.

I hadnt realized that air was made up of more that one gas. But because of the nitrogen, I was powerless to release the oxygen that Sam so desperately needed. Sam

slipped away, and soon I lost sight of him. But I feared for him because I think he was very

ill.

I felt guilty that I hadnt been able to help Sam. I had done all I could, but it was beyond my ability to supply Sam with the oxygen that he needed. I had helped produce

electricity for the humans, but Sam had to suffer for it.

Laura and I talked for a long time. She said that we cant control everything that happens, and that sometimes we just have to accept things the way they are because there is

nothing we can do about it. I think she is right, but I still feel badly about Sam.

Chapter Twelve

No doubt about it - there had been major changes since I had last navigated down a

river. I was becoming an old hand at generating electricity. Wed now been through eleven more electric power dams, plus a couple of smaller dams used mostly for irrigation water.

Because of the time of the year, not much irrigation was being done and we traveled all the

way across Idaho without much else happening. We had joined the river Saul had told us

about - The Salmon River, and we were a really big river as we traveled into Southwestern

Washington State. The shores had changed from cool green tree covered slopes to dry rock

covered hills. The days were hot but it cooled off at night. We had to keep well below the

surface during the daylight hours to avoid being evaporated by the suns heat. There is really nothing wrong with that, but we all wanted to reach the ocean on this trip if we could.

So we laid low during these hot days.

One special day, we had a delightful afternoon of fun. We were coasting along

close to shore just after the Clear Water River had joined us, and we were now in

Washington State. There was a big park along the shore and there were hundreds of

humans out there enjoying a holiday. We risked evaporation and came to the surface for a

closer look, and found ourselves face to face with a young human. She wasnt surprised to see us and we must have looked exactly like the millions of other droplets in the river. This

was my first really close look at a real live human being.

Our new acquaintance wore a bathing suit and a thick belt around her waist that

helped her float. She had big long sticks attached to her feet, and she held a handle in her

hands which had a long rope attached to it. She looked a little funny to us with those big

clumsy looking sticks on her feet, but we tried not to laugh because that would have been

impolite.

Just then, she waved her hand to her friend who was in the boat at the other end of

the rope. Peter sensed that something was about to happen. Hold on to each other tight he shouted, and hang onto the stick as hard as you can. No sooner had he finished than we saw the rope tighten up and we felt ourselves being carried forward. Suddenly, we were

above the water and our human friend was actually standing on the water as we rushed

across the lake.

What a ride we had! Our friend could do all kinds of tricks on those water skis, and

if Peter hadnt warned us to hang on tight, we would have probably been swept away. We raced across the lake and we saw many other droplets sprayed to the side as we sped along.

There was enough spray from the other droplets that we were in no danger of evaporating,

and we got a view of the country side that we otherwise would never have seen. For a

droplet, racing along above the water is a very rare and exciting experience because it

allows us to see the world from a new perspective. Flying around the lake above the water

with our human friend was a grand experience that I will remember all of my life.

Eventually, our human friend got tired and let go of the handle. She settled safely

into the water, supported by the big belt around her waist. The boat circled back and picked

her up. Peter told us to let go of the skis so we didnt end up inside the boat, but we were close enough to hear the humans say that we were in Lower Granite Lake just across the

Washington State border from Idaho.

Chapter Thirteen

We noticed that whenever we passed a large city where a lot of humans lived, the

water got dirty. We droplets are proud of the part we play in keeping the world cleaned up.

But instead of the simple dirt that I could remember cleaning up before we got stuck in the

glacier, now there were complex chemicals that were new to me. These new chemicals

didnt wash clean and settle out as plain old dirt used to do. Sometimes, the only thing we could do was divide the problem between us and dilute the chemicals so they werent as toxic. But sooner or later we knew that those chemicals had to go somewhere, and we hated

to be part of making our world a great big garbage pit!

We also noticed that we were carrying along a whole bunch of different bacteria.

That worried me because I remembered bacteria as being all bad and causing terrible

sickness in people. But Peter assured me that there were a lot of good bacteria that would

help us out when necessary.

One day, not long after that talk with Peter, we were floating along close to shore

when, without warning, we were all scooped up in a bucket. A human man with a big beard

had brought his pick-up truck to a shallow point in the river and was washing it. We went

to work with him, soaking the dirt until it was soft, and then rinsing it away with us back

into the river. The human was a nice man, and obviously he was proud of his vehicle. We

were all glad to do our part to help him keep it looking clean and new.

Afterwards, we found ourselves covered with a thin film of oil that came from the

grime on the pick-up truck. It limited our movements, and the oil insisted on floating,

keeping us on the surface. It also swept all the air off of me, and coated me so I couldnt pick up any more air. When you humans get a really bad cold and you are all stuffed up, it

makes you feel really sick because you cant breathe properly. This is how we all felt after being coated with the oil. We didnt mind doing our part to clean things up, but we didnt think that it would make us all so very sick.

Suddenly, I heard the chomp - chomp of bacteria eating and I saw they were eating

the oil scum that was stuck to us. They were turning the oil into dirt that we could handle!

Those special bacteria loved oil, and in a short while, they had us all cleaned up. And then I

realized what Peter meant about good bacteria. Thank you I called, I feel like new!

Glad to help one of them called, That was a great lunch. You droplets have your work to do in this world, and so do we. Our main purpose in this world is to eat oils called

hydrocarbons, and our job is very important. We help to keep the earth clean, and without

us, you couldnt do your job. You should see what we can do in really warm water, the bacteria continued, but we cant help you as much when you get cold. Thanks for lunch, and keep clean, and then the bacteria disappeared from sight.

We all laughed, both at what the bacteria had said, and in relief to be clean again.

The bacteria had hurried off to clean up some more droplets that had also been coated with

oil, but I had learned a valuable lesson. I had thought that all bacteria were bad. Now I had

seen one type of bacteria that had come to my rescue, and helped to restore my health so I

could resume my job. This special kind of bacteria had helped make us better when we

were sick just like the medicine the doctor gives helps to make you better when you get sick.

I reminded myself that I must value everything on the basis of what that thing does, and not

its name, or its color, or where it comes from. Sometimes when we dont understand something, or something is different than we are used to, it is easy to look at that person or

situation negatively. I think you humans call it discrimination, but what ever you call it, it

isnt a very nice way to treat other people.

Chapter Fourteen

Suddenly there was a surge of excitement that swept over all the droplets in our

portion of the river. We were joining a river even bigger than we were, and we would soon

change name. We were joining the Columbia River. Gosh, I thought we were big before;

now we were three times as big! We now had about 450 miles to go before reaching the

Pacific Ocean, and only 350 feet to fall in all that distance. We braced ourselves for a long,

dull trip, but what a mistake. Our trip down the Columbia was as exciting as anything we

had yet seen.

Everything about the Columbia was bigger. We encountered long boats called

barges that were all tied together, and were pushed by powerful boats that stirred up the

water with their propellers into a mighty froth. And there were so many salmon that

sometimes there seemed like there might not be enough water for them all. I only then

realized how hard it must have been for Saul to fight his way upstream to where we had met

him.

I can remember coming through here before the dams were built said Harry. There were a lot of big rapids then, and the river was too shallow for these big boats. I used my imagination to picture how it must have looked.

I like to use my imagination. That way, I can pretend to be anyone anywhere. Its fun, and sometimes it helps me to understand someone elses problems. But I have to be careful so that I dont start to really believe that make-believe world.

As one of the big barges passed by us, I noticed that there were ocean barnacles on

its side. With all those dams along the river, I started to wonder how all those big boats

could ever get over the dams. I tried my imagination, and in my imagination I could see the

humans pulling the barges up the front of the dams using big ropes. But that didnt seem very reasonable. I asked Peter if that was the way it was done.

No Tweedy he replied, the barges would probably be pulled in half if they tried to lift them that way, and a lot of the cargo might spill. There is a special river built around

the dam so that the barges can come through. In fact, it is we droplets that lift the barges

from one level to the other - like an elevator. In fact, Peter continued, the humans have even joined the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean together with one of these special

rivers, and its called the Panama Canal.

Well now, I was certain that Peter was joking with me - imagine we small droplets

lifting one of those big boats! But Peter seemed very sure of himself. Remember the power we had when we worked as a team back there on the glacier? Peter said. Roger replied, saying I cant ever remember seeing a boat elevator, but I do believe what Peter says. By working together, we droplets can do almost anything. Then he turned to Peter and asked for details.

Peter explained that these boat elevators were called locks, and have a big gate at

each end that acts like a temporary dam. First, the boat sails into the lock on the

downstream side. Then the humans close the big gate behind the boat and allow we

droplets to flow into the lock from above the dam. As the water in the lock rises, so does

the boat until the boat is at the level of the water at the top of the dam. Then the humans

open the upstream gate and the boat sails out of the lock and continues on up the lake

behind the dam. If the boat wanted to go downstream instead, the boat would sail into the

lock and the gate would be closed. Then the water would be allowed to flow out of the lock

until the level of the water in the lock was the same as the level of the water on the

downstream side of the dam.

Roger understood immediately, but I still had a hard time seeing how this lock could

raise and lower such a big boat. But Peter drew some pictures, and suddenly it all became

simple and clear. Why its so simple and easy that I should have thought of it myself I cried, and then we all had a big laugh because even a complicated situation seems easy

when someone else solves it for you.

I was still amazed that we droplets could team up and lift such a huge thing the

height of a dam. When we approached McNary Dam, I suggested that we try to go through

the lock instead of the power turbine. Lets try to steer over to that side of the dam, Roger said, pointing to the shore. Id like to see this process myself.

As we approached McNary Dam, we gradually worked our way over to the edge of

the lake where the lock would be. When we arrived at the upper end of the lock, we could

hear a barge and a tow boat entering the lock downstream from us. After only a few

minutes of waiting, we felt a sudden rush and zip - down we went through a big pipe. A

few seconds later, we came out inside the lock right beside the big boat. We were followed

by millions of other droplets, and as more and more droplets joined us, the lock filled up to

the same level we had started at. Then the big gate opened and the tow boat with the big

barge sailed off. The whole process had taken less that ten minutes. I said to Roger Its hard to believe how easy teamwork makes it all happen.

Theres more to come Roger said. Here comes another big boat headed downstream - seeing as were headed downstream too, lets go with the barge through the lock! Again the boat sailed into the lock and the humans swung the big gate closed. Then the humans opened a big valve and we droplets started pouring through a big pipe into the

water bellow. But instead of the river, it was another lock. Soon, the water level of the two

locks was the same, and the gates swung open. The big boat joined us in the second lock.

We went through three locks with the boat, and then we came out into the river downstream

of the dam.

Suddenly it all became very clear. These dams that the humans built served them in

many different ways. Without these dams and locks, the river would be to shallow and have

too many rapids for these big boats to sail on. But in addition to providing a transportation

system for the humans, the dams also provided electricity for their homes, irrigation water

for their farms, drinking water for their cities, and recreation - like for the girl we saw

water-skiing. I wondered what other uses these dams might have.

Chapter Fifteen

We had passed under several bridges which carried roads and railways across the

river. Some were like a giant spider web, and others were like a graceful rainbow. I heard

Peter and Roger discussing the engineering principals, and it sounded very complicated.

They even taught me to identify some of the basic bridge designs like the cantilever arch

and the suspension type.

I was admiring a majestic bridge just downstream from the McNary Dam when -

thump - I bumped into something. I turned to excuse myself looking square into the eyes of

Saul the salmon! Saul I cried in surprise, what are you doing here? You were headed upstream to meet your wife - has something happened?

That big silver fish twinkled his eyes at me. Sorry he said, but you have the wrong fish. I have a second cousin named Saul that a lot of friends confuse me with, and I

know he headed this way several weeks ago. Perhaps you are confusing me with him.

Oh, pardon me I said, first I run into you, and then I mistake you for somebody else. Please accept my apologies.

Golly, theres nothing to apologize for, and Im pleased to meet a friend of Sauls. As for bumping into me, why I didnt even feel a little drop like you. And where would we fish be without you and your friends? Why, wed be like fish out of water he joked, and we both had a good laugh. Im glad to have a chance to stop and talk with you he continued. The way we rush through life, we dont stop often enough to enjoy the friends we have around us.

How are you ever going to get past that dam? I asked, suddenly worried that his trip might be caught short. Do you go through the locks with the big boats?

No, my new friend said, that would be dangerous for us. We might get stuck or injured in one of those big pipes that you slip through so easily Besides, we like to stay

away from humans when we are in the river because they like to catch us with hooks and

nets, and take us away. But some of the people who built the dam built a fish ladder right

next to it so we migratory fish can climb past the dam.

I smiled so broadly that I almost split in half. Youre kidding me I said, I know fish cant climb ladders any more than I can drift upstream. Honestly, how do you get past the dam? I asked.

Honest Tweedy my friend said. It is different than the ladders that humans climb up to paint a wall or change a light bulb, but it is called a fish ladder. It is a series of pools

and small waterfalls specially built just the right size so we can jump up and up and up from

pool to pool until we eventually reach the top. If you want to see one, check out the salmon

ladder at the Bonnyville Dam, downstream from here. I think it is one of the best youll ever see.

My mouth just hung open in amazement, and my new friend laughed at the

expression on my face. Tweedy he said, I have to be going now, but I see the beginning

of this dams fish ladder right over there, and he pointed with one of his fins. You just watch me, because Im on my way, and he streaked off in the direction he had pointed. As he approached the small waterfall, he gave a mighty heave with his powerful tail. Half

jumping and half swimming, my new friend went right up the face of the waterfall and into

the pool above it. We saw him hake another leap up the next waterfall, and then we lost

sight of him.

Well, I never!! said Roger, who had been listening to our conversation. I never would have believed it - imagine, a fish ladder! Were just going to have to see this fish ladder for ourselves Roger continued. Lets be extra careful to stay bellow the surface so we dont evaporate. This fish ladder is something I really want to see!

Chapter Sixteen

It didnt take long before everyone in our little group had heard about the fish ladder, and we were all excited about seeing it on our way downstream. None of us could

remember ever seeing anything that resembled the fish ladder that Sauls cousin had described. Even though Bonneyville Dam was still several days away, we talked of little

else. We all stayed well below the surface most of the time, but every little while wed float carefully to the surface to look at the shore and to see if Bonneyville Dam was in sight.

Isnt it strange that the more you anticipate some special event, the slower time seems to pass until that special time finally arrives?

Every now and then, when it was my turn to go to the surface for a quick look, Id get a funny feeling that I had seen this country before. Do you ever get those feelings?

Maybe you felt almost sure that you had seen something at an earlier time, or that you had

been through a city or village before, but you couldnt remember ever having been there before. When I wasnt thinking of the fish ladders, I was searching my brain to try to remember if I had ever traveled down the Columbia River before. It is possible. After all,

we droplets have been around for a very long time.

Then one afternoon while we were coasting along close to shore, we spotted some

young boys up ahead. They were swimming and diving from their boat which was

anchored close to the shore. Our course would take us close by them, so we decided to stay

in the deep water. We figured that way we wouldnt get splashed and possibly separated. Just as we were about to pass the boat, one of the boys dove into the water. He was a very

good swimmer, and he came right towards us. This did not alarm us because we had

brushed by humans before. But this time, just as the boys head came beside me, there was a sudden suction that pulled me away from my friends. Roger explained that there must

have been a pressure adjustment that pulled me deep inside the boys ear.

I was terrified. Suddenly, after all these many years, I was alone and all of my

friends were left behind. I was in surroundings that were very strange to me, and that

confused and upset me. I seemed to be in a tiny spiral shaped tube - like a watch spring, or

a tiny snail shell. It was hard to tell where I was because it was very dark. There were hairs

coming out from the walls of the tube which made my movements very difficult. Even

when I stretched myself out as thin as possible, I completely blocked the spiral tube.

Whats that in our eardrum? hissed an unfriendly voice. We dont like strangers here. Strangers always irritate us and make us hurt. In fact, the small passage was getting even smaller as the walls started to swell up, just like your skin does when a mosquito bites

you.

The boy was obviously in pain. He also wanted me out, but between the swelling

and the hairs in the tiny tube, I couldnt even move. The boy must have come back to the boat. He was hitting the side of his head with his hand, trying to knock me out. I tried to

coordinate my efforts with his. I moved a little bit, but the strange spiral shape made it

impossible for me to escape.

I found out later that I was stuck in the part of the ear that changes the little

vibrations that sound really is into the words and noises that we hear. Each of those little

rows of hairs responds to a different pitch of sound, and nothing is ever supposed to get in

there except air. Often, when humans get an earache, it is because of something like a drop

of water, or some dust or pollen that has gotten inside that portion of the ear and is irritating

the nerve.

I knew something was happening though because there were other people trying to

help the boy. Someone finally tried to push a thin strand of cotton towards me, hoping that

I could grab it and hold on while they rescued me.

I saw the wispy white cotton creep towards me, but it remained just out of my reach.

I gave a super stretch, and I managed to get a flipper hold on the cotton. The cotton was as

dry as desert sand, and that helped me pull myself into the cotton. When the human pulled

out the cotton swab, I came with it. The boy let out a whoop of joy, and the lady who

helped us tossed me and the cotton swab over the side of the boat. At least now, I was back

in the Columbia River.

I bet it didnt take me two seconds to wriggle free from that cotton, but there were plenty of other droplets anxious to take my place. A dry absorbent thing like that is like a

club room for us droplets where we can get together and meet new friends. But I wanted

out. I had friends of my own to find.

Freedom is a funny thing - you never really appreciate it until youve lost it. I was certainly happy to have my freedom back after almost loosing it in the boys ear. Now freedom created a new challenge - to find my old friends.

Chapter Seventeen

Tweedy!! Tweedy!!

I had so many things to consider to find my companions again. I had to consider the

time I had been separated, and the current of the river. I only hoped that I wasnt so upset that I might forget some important factor.

Long ago, another droplet who had traveled the world over many times had told me

that the sweetest sound that anyone could ever hear was their own name. I remember

thinking that this droplet must be very conceited to even think that. But my heart gave a

leap - was that my name I heard so distant, that it almost seemed to be coming from another

world?

Tweedy!! Tweedy!!

There was no mistaking it that time - my pals were somewhere close by, and they

must have seen me. I spun around, looking upstream, downstream, and across the stream,

but nowhere did I see my friends. I started to think that my imagination was playing tricks

on me.

Tweedy! Down here! Below you!

Of course! To keep from going downstream with the flow of all the other droplets,

my friends would have had to grab onto something that wasnt moving. That meant the anchor chain or some of the grass and reeds that grew along the bottom of the river. I

looked down into the water below me, and there they were. They were all waving their

flippers to get my attention. I waved back with all the energy I had. I was so excited and

relieved that I was even waving my head!

It took a little time and a little maneuvering, but before the sun went down, I had

rejoined Alice, Laura, Roger, Peter, and Harry. I hugged Alice so hard that I almost

squished her in two. They all wanted to hear what had happened, and we talked long into

the night as I recounted my tale. That night, I slept a very contented sleep.

When the sun came up the next morning, we decided we had better do some advance

planning if we were going to see the fish ladder. Alice said that if we trusted to luck, wed have a very slim chance of meeting our goal. We knew that by planning our strategy

carefully, we would have a much better chance of being successful.

We set up three teams. Peter and Laura were to talk with the salmon to find out

which side of the river the ladder was on and how we could recognize it. Alice, Roger, and

myself were to take turns as lookouts to spot Bonneyville Dam so we would have the

greatest possible time to move into the right position. That left Harry as the droplet

assigned to keep us close to one another so we didnt get separated. Too much for one droplet Roger said. Your very capable, but we each can only do so much, and that responsibility is so great, you really need help Roger said to Harry.

Pardon me said a new voice, and we all looked up to see a pleasant looking droplet. My name is Clara, and Ive been listening to your ideas. Id sure like to join your group and help out. Ive been through the pipes and sewers of some of the big cities that youll be visiting downstream. Thats where I got separated from the last group I was traveling with. This fish ladder sounds fascinating, and although Ive heard of them before, Ive never actually seen one.

We were overjoyed, and we all introduced ourselves to our new friend. Clara

teamed up with Harry to make sure that none of us got separated. We all looked forward to

hearing some of Claras experiences in those big cities at our evening get-togethers.

It wasnt long before our planning paid off. Laura and Peter talked with many salmon and found out that the entrance to the fish ladder was about 400 yards upstream

from the dam and that it was on the south bank. We all knew that the sun sets in the west,

and that whenever you face the setting sun, the south is on your left. We started to crowd

over to the left shore of the river, just to be prepared.

Alice was on duty when the dam came into sight, and we all rushed to the surface to

take a look. Everyone else looked downstream at the towers and buildings of the dam, but

my eyes were drawn to the shore. I know Ive been here before I said aloud, but I remember a huge rock arch that crossed the river - sort of like a natural bridge.

Clara was floating next to me, and heard my comments. Could be, Tweedy she said, human scientists that study rock structures believe that there was a natural bridge that crossed the river at about this point. These human scientists, who are called geologists,

believe that it might have been destroyed in an earthquake over 1000 years ago. When it

collapsed, it formed the rapids on which the Bonneyville Dam was later built. Maybe your

memories of long ago are coming back she said with a funny little laugh.

But we didnt have time to talk about it further. Roger and Alice were organizing us to move quickly towards the south shoreline so that we wouldnt get pulled into the intakes for either the power generator or the lock system. As we pushed hard against the

shore, we were amazed by how many salmon were sharing our space. We knew that we

must be nearing the salmon ladder because they were swimming past us in the thousands.

To me, there are few things as exciting as seeing these big silver fish flash past, and

I was thrilled to witness this spectacle. By following the procession of fish backwards, we

soon found ourselves at the top of the fish ladder. The description that Laura and Peter had

obtained from the salmon they had talked to was almost exact.

We relied on Roger a lot for his quick thinking and experience. Remember he said, stick together and hold on tight to one another. If anyone gets separated, wait by the south shore at the bottom of the ladder, and hang onto the bottom so we can find you. Hang

on - here we go!!

Chapter Eighteen

Did you ever notice how much more fun and enjoyable an experience can be if

youve planned ahead for it? Certainly, you cant plan for everything, but planning does enable you to see things that you might have otherwise missed. Some people go to great

effort in planning a trip, and professional planners called travel agents make their living by

planning trips for other people.

Certainly, our trip down the salmon ladder was like that. While all the planning in

the world could never have never prepared us for everything we encountered, we were able

to notice and remember more of our trip because of those evenings we spent preparing for

this special event. Now, all those study sessions were paying off.

We swept into the inlet pool of the fish ladder, all holding onto each other tightly.

The current was strong now, and big silver and red salmon fish were all around us. Most of

them were big salmon like Saul and his cousin, but there were a few other fish using the

ladder as well. I recognized a few as trout, and they really looked tired.

The pool narrowed as we were swept along, and we went faster and faster.

Suddenly, we jumped over the edge of an underwater cliff and made a small waterfall. It

had been a long time since we had tumbled down a waterfall, and it felt good to mix with

the air and splash into a white froth again. Then we landed in another pool.

Each waterfall was very simple with no rocks sticking out, and only about two feet

high. In fact, we would have gone over the edge as a smooth wall of water except that we

kept running head on into those big salmon fish that were jumping and swimming up the

falls. Those husky beautiful fish dont really jump up the falls at all. They actually swim up the waterfalls! But their body and tail thrash the water so much that it looks like they are

jumping.

Each time we slipped over one fall, wed land in another long, narrow pool. Each pool was teeming with fish that were resting briefly before swimming up the next set of

falls. As we went along, we helped these big fish catch their breath by passing through their

gills, and giving them some of the oxygen we had collected. It was our way of helping the

fish carry out their purpose in life.

All good things must come to an end, and our trip down the salmon ladder was no

exception. We had learned so much on this trip, and we talked for hours afterwards, sharing

what we had seen. So thats the salmon ladder said Alice, a series of pools with waterfalls short enough for the salmon to swim up. Then Roger broke in. The pools and falls let some of the water from behind the dam escape to form the salmon ladder, and its

only purpose is to help the salmon get back to where they were born. And when the salmon

get back there, they raise a big family of baby salmon. We droplets sure play an important

part in helping the living things around us to fulfill their purpose in life.

I learned something interesting when I talked to the salmon above the ladder Peter said. The salmon will only start raising a family when they reach the same pool, or stream, or brook where they were born. That is why the fish ladder is so important to the salmon -

without it they would never get back to their spawning grounds. Thats the place where

they were born, and it is the only place where they will raise their new families of baby

salmon.

As we moved slowly downstream as part of this mighty river, we talked about what

we had seen. Alice had a particularly bright smile. I feel so good she said, clean and fresh. And then after a moments thought, she continued. Come to think of it, I often feel this way after tumbling through some rapids. I wonder why.

Clara cleared her throat and tried to answer Alices question. I think I know part of the answer she said, and Clara told us of some of her travels through the water systems in the cities and villages she had visited. Humans are very particular about getting clean water - water that is free from bacteria or chemicals. One of the ways they sometimes do

this is to spray us as droplets into the sunny sky. The sun produces a special kind of energy

called ultraviolet light, and it kills off a lot of the bacteria that is bad for humans. And in

addition, the oxygen in the air combines with some of the chemicals we sometimes carry to

oxidize, or break those chemicals down into forms that are easier for the humans to handle.

You probably feel the same thing, Alice. The sunlight and oxygen you get when you

tumble over the falls probably really does clean you up. Its sort of like taking a bath after a hard days work. We all laughed at Claras example.

We talked of our trip through the salmon ladder and our experiences with these

magnificent fish for days afterwards. But one thing continued to amaze us. Always, there

were more and more salmon swimming and fighting their way upstream. Who would ever

have dreamed that so many fish could live in just one river?

Chapter Nineteen

One afternoon, a few days after our trip down the salmon ladder, I brought up an

observation of my own. Did any of you notice the eating habits of these salmon on our journey down the river? I asked.

Our group grew quiet as each one of us reviewed what they had seen. Roger replied

first. Tweedy, I dont remember seeing any of those salmon taking even a bite of food anywhere through this entire river trip. What was it you noticed?

Exactly the same thing I answered excitedly. With all the energy those fish use swimming upstream day after day, you would think they would be hungry all the time. Yet

they didnt pay any attention to the flies and insects that other fish seem to like, even when they fly right under their nose.

A great discussion followed, but none of us could seem to come up with an answer.

Finally, Peter suggested that the best way to get an answer was to ask on of the salmon

about their eating habits. Wed all had plenty of experience talking to salmon over the last few days. A few minutes later, Peter was able to get the attention of a passing salmon, and

asked him to stop for just a minute. Quickly, Peter outlined the question. Well, I Never! replied the salmon grumpily. Do I ask you about your eating habits? I don't think thats any of your business!, and with the flick of his tail, disappeared.

We were all too surprised to say a word. We had only been trying to answer a

question so we could better understand our friend. But before we could recover fr