The Rain Collector's Bicycle

Emil wanted to be the town's rain collector. He owned three jam jars, a notebook, and a bicycle that squeaked whenever he turned left. Each morning he rode to the school gate, the playground, and the community garden to measure the rain.

His sister said the jars were just getting wet. Emil explained that scientists wrote things down. In his notebook he recorded the date, the depth of water, and whether the playground cat had tried to drink the measurement.

For eleven days, nothing happened. The jars stayed empty. Then a storm arrived during the night. In the morning, Emil pulled on his boots and wheeled out the bicycle. At the school gate he measured two finger widths. At the playground he measured almost three. At the garden, the jar had fallen over.

Water lay across the path beside the garden shed. It reached the bottom of his boots. Mrs. Noor stood on the other side with a wheelbarrow full of seedlings. She could not get through.

“The drain's blocked,” she said. “I've called the caretaker.”

Emil looked at the water. It was shallow near the shed, deep by the gate, and moving very slowly toward a pile of leaves. He drew the path in his notebook. Then he climbed onto a bench and saw a small metal grating beneath the leaves.

Mrs. Noor fetched a rake. She pulled away a wet blanket of leaves, twigs, and one red mitten. The water gurgled, spun in a little circle, and began to sink. Emil marked a line on the shed wall with chalk. After a minute, he drew another line lower down.

By the time the caretaker arrived, they could cross the path. He showed Emil the drain cover but told him never to lift it himself. Underground water pipes were work for adults with proper tools.

Emil nodded and wrote that down too.

The next day, Mrs. Noor gave him a bell for his bicycle. The caretaker oiled the squeaking wheel. His sister helped make waterproof labels for the jars. Even the playground cat appeared interested, though it might only have wanted breakfast.

On Friday, Emil brought his notebook to school. His teacher asked what the week's most useful measurement had been. Emil thought about the rain, the chalk lines, and the time it took for water to leave a path.

“How long we had to wait before Mrs. Noor could plant her seedlings,” he said.

Outside, the three jars stood ready for the next shower.