The Trail of Seeds

Luka walked to school on Monday morning. The sky was grey, and the street was wet. He looked down at his shoes. Then he stopped.

There were seeds on the ground. They were small, black, and shiny. They lay in a long line along the pavement.

"Sunflower seeds," said Luka. "Who dropped them here?"

He looked left. He looked right. The street was empty. Only the seeds were there, one after another.

Luka was ten minutes early. He had time. "I will follow them," he said. "Just for a little while."

The seeds went past the bakery. A pigeon walked next to them. It ate one seed and looked at Luka. Then it walked on.

"You like this trail too," said Luka.

The seeds turned left at the post office. Two more pigeons came. Then three. Luka walked behind them. They all walked in a line, like a small parade.

At the corner, an old woman stood with her dog. "Why are you walking so slowly?" she asked.

"I follow the seeds," said Luka. "I want to know where they go."

"Ah," she said. "That is a good puzzle. I hope you find the answer."

The seeds went across the old stone bridge. Under the bridge, the river was brown and fast. Luka stopped for a moment. A duck looked up from the water.

"I cannot find a person," said Luka. "I only see birds."

He walked up Mill Road. It was a steep road. His bag felt heavy. The seeds were fewer now, but they did not stop. He saw one by the yellow gate. He saw one by the blue bicycle.

Then the seeds ended. Luka stood in front of a small house. It had a red door. The door was open. On the step, a man sat on a chair. He wore a green hat. In his hands he held a paper bag.

Luka looked at the bag. It was old. The bag had a little hole in the bottom. A black seed fell out. Then another one. They dropped onto the step.

"Excuse me," said Luka. "Your bag has a hole."

The man looked down. "Oh no," he said. "Not again!"

"Not again?" asked Luka.

"Every morning I walk to the park," said the man. "I feed the birds. Every morning my bag is lighter than before. I never know why."

"Because of the hole," said Luka. "The seeds fall out on the way. They make a trail from the park to your door."

The man laughed. It was a big, happy laugh. "So that is why the birds follow me home!" he said. "Last week, five pigeons waited at my gate. I thought they liked me."

"They do like you," said Luka. "You are their best friend. You also feed them all day."

"You are a smart boy," said the man. "How did you find me?"

"I followed the seeds," said Luka. "It was a puzzle."

Luka took some tape out of his school bag. He put it on the hole. It was a bit crooked, but it held.

"There," he said. "Now the bag is good."

The man took a handful of seeds from the bag. He put it into Luka's hand.

"Now you throw," he said. "The birds want their breakfast."

Luka threw the seeds high in the air. The pigeons came down from the roof.