By Clare Mishica • Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
The Winter Window Washers
By Clare Mishica • Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
No one knows exactly why they wash windows in the winter. Can Theodore find out?
Theodore Bear watched his papa drag their ladder through the snowy drifts. "What are you doing?" asked Theodore, pulling his woolly scarf over his chilly nose.
"It's time to wash our windows," answered Papa. He leaned the ladder against the house with a thunk and pulled a big purple rag from one coat pocket. A bottle of window cleaner poked out of the other.
"Why do you wash our windows in the winter?" asked Theodore.
"I think it is because the dirt is easier to wipe off when it's frozen," said Papa, climbing up the ladder. "Fox always washes his windows in the winter, so this must be the best time."
But Theodore still wanted to know why, so he climbed up, up, up a snowy hill and slid down the other side. There he found Fox standing on a ladder washing his windows.
"Why do you wash your windows in the winter?" asked Theodore.
Fox knocked some snow off his window and dipped a rag into a bucket of sudsy water. "I think it's because the snow doesn't stick to windows when they are clean," said Fox. "Grandma Squirrel always washes her windows in the winter, so this must be the best time."
"Oh," said Theodore. But he still wanted to know why. He caught two snowflakes on his tongue, and then he headed for Grandma Squirrel's house.
Theodore found Grandma Squirrel standing on top of a huge snowdrift. She had on a fuzzy coat with pink and white stripes. She was so busy scrubbing her windows that she didn't see Theodore coming.
"Hello," said Theodore.
"Oh my goodness!" said Grandma. She was so startled that she knocked her glasses into her bucket of soapy water.
"I'll get them," said Theodore. He pulled out the glasses and wiped them off with the end of his scarf.
"That's better," said Grandma, slipping her glasses back on. "Now, how can I help you?"
"Would you please tell me why you wash your windows in the winter?" asked Theodore.
Grandma chuckled. "No one has ever bothered to ask me for my secret, but I'll be happy to tell you," she said. "Every winter, this giant snowdrift grows right under my windows. I don't have a ladder, but when the snowdrift is big enough, I can climb up and wash my windows without one!"
Theodore laughed. "That is a good reason," he said.
Then he helped Grandma finish scrubbing her windows, because even Theodore was big enough when he stood on the giant snowdrift.