A child spends a happy moment by a small stream, playing with wiggletails—tiny wiggling creatures in the water. The experience comes alive through smell rather than sight. She notices five small scents moving through the air: cold water, mud, wet moss, fennel on the shore, and one mystery she can’t name. A big, strong smell from mint rises over the rest, and all of these smells blend pleasantly together. The speaker’s voice is simple and wondering, full of quiet excitement at being outside. There’s no big event or lesson here, just a feeling of being absorbed in a familiar place and enjoying it with all your senses. The mood is fresh, peaceful, and lightly playful—like a warm afternoon by the water when small discoveries feel large.
At the Water — Summary
I liked to go to the branch today; I liked to play with the wiggletails there. And five little smells and one big smell Were going round in the air.
One was the water, a little cold smell, And one was mud and that was more, And one was the smell of cool wet moss, And one was some fennel up on the shore.
And the one big smell came out of the mint, And one was something I couldn't tell. And the five little ones and the big one All went together very well.