Toadstools & Technology

Today's image is courtesy of our neighbor down the street, who had three of these enormous mushrooms growing in her yard. The scale may be hard to judge, but this one was easily 6-8 inches tall, and the cap was bigger than the spread of my hand from pinkie to thumb (i.e. the size of a small dinner plate)! These invaders were probably occasioned by our recent wet weather, but they are gone today, as the weather was so nice this weekend that everyone was out doing yard work. I've paired the image with a classic poem about a rain-related technology that seemed to fit the situation.

The Elf and the Dormouse

~Oliver Herford (1863-1935)

Under a toadstool crept a wee Elf, 

Out of the rain to shelter himself.

Under the toadstool, sound asleep, 

Sat a big Dormouse all in a heap.

Trembled the wee Elf, frightened and yet

Fearing to fly away lest he get wet.

To the next shelter—maybe a mile! 

Sudden the wee Elf smiled a wee smile.

Tugged till the toadstool toppled in two. 

Holding it over him, gaily he flew.

Soon he was safe home, dry as could be. 

Soon woke the Dormouse—"Good gracious me!

"Where is my toadstool?" loud he lamented. 

—And that's how umbrellas first were invented.