The River That Circles the Town

The town of Albarracín has its own moat. The river Guadalaviar makes a big loop around the rock. The town sits inside the loop, like a castle inside a ring of water. Today Polly wants a slow day. She goes down to visit the river.

Down in the gorge the air is cool. Trees lean over the water. Blue dragonflies fly above the shallow places. The river works on the rock, slowly, like it has done for ages. The air smells green and fresh. Polly walks the small path along the water.

All afternoon she does nothing important. She watches little insects walk on the water. She listens to the river's different sounds. High above her, the pink houses look down from the rock, over their wooden balconies.

When it gets dark, a fox comes to drink at the other side. Polly and the fox look at each other over the water. Nobody hurries. Then the fox disappears, and Polly flies slowly home. It was a perfect day, and nothing happened at all.