The Night of the Salamanders

The Night of the Salamanders

1Chapter 1: The Yellow Sign
Nadia passed the yellow sign on Hollow Road every day on her way to school. It showed a small black shape with four legs and a tail. One afternoon she finally asked her aunt about it. "That's a spotted salamander," Aunt June said. "They spend most of the year underground in the woods. But on the first warm, rainy nights of spring, they walk to the big pool across the road to lay their eggs. The road is right in their way." Nadia frowned. "So what happens to them?" "That," said Aunt June, "is why some of us go out on those nights to help."

2Chapter 2: Waiting
Nadia begged to come along, and Aunt June agreed. Then nothing happened. March stayed cold and dry. Every evening Nadia checked the weather, and every evening it said the same thing: clear skies, near freezing. "Salamanders won't move in this," Aunt June told her on the phone. "We need rain and warm air together." Nadia put her rain boots by the door anyway. Two weeks later, on a gray afternoon, the air turned soft and warm. By supper, rain was tapping on the windows. The phone rang. "Tonight," said Aunt June.

3Chapter 3: Big Night
They wore bright vests and carried flashlights. The road shone black and wet. At first Nadia saw only leaves and puddles. Then something moved at the edge of her light: a dark, shiny body dotted with yellow spots, walking slowly with its tail swinging. "Wet your hands first," Aunt June said. "Then carry it the way it was already going." Nadia scooped up the salamander. It felt cool and soft in her palms. She set it down gently in the leaves on the pool side of the road. By midnight, the helpers had carried dozens of salamanders across. When a car came, the driver slowed to a crawl and waved.

4Chapter 4: The Pool
Three weeks later, Nadia and Aunt June walked to the pool in the daylight. The water was still and brown. Near a fallen branch, Nadia spotted clumps of clear jelly, each one packed with tiny dark dots. "Eggs," Aunt June said. "Some of these might be from your salamander." Nadia knelt and looked for a long time. Soon those dots would become tiny larvae swimming in the pool. On the way home, they passed the yellow sign, and this time Nadia gave it a small wave.