Echo in the Mountains
Lukas hikes up the high mountains with his father. High on a mountain ledge, he discovers a playful echo that copies his shouts, animal sounds, and whispers.
Bright morning sun shines down on the green grassy slopes of the high mountains. Lukas holds his father's hand tightly, walking happily along a narrow trail filled with colorful wildflowers. Behind them, giant snow-covered mountains stand tall against the blue sky. Lukas looks up at the high peaks and excitedly asks his father if they are almost at the very top. His father smiles, squeezes his hand gently, and leads him a little faster toward a flat grassy clearing ahead.
When they reach a large flat rock at the edge of the slope, Lukas lets go of his father's hand and runs to the edge to look at the view. Far below in the deep valley, a flock of sheep looks as small as tiny white clouds eating grass. Lukas cups his small hands around his mouth and shouts a loud greeting toward the giant stone wall across the valley. Just a second later, the exact same greeting bounces back clearly from the far cliff. Lukas turns to look at his father with wide, surprised eyes.
His father laughs gently and explains that the mountain wall is copying Lukas's voice like a sound mirror. Excited by his father's words, Lukas shouts his own name as loud as he can to test the mountain again. A short moment of silence passes as the sound travels through the wide valley. Then, from the far stone wall, his name bounces back loud and clear. The little boy jumps up and down with joy, his cheeks glowing red with excitement.
Suddenly, Lukas spots a wild mountain goat standing on a rocky ledge nearby. The goat wiggles its ears and tilts its head, looking at Lukas with curiosity. The playful boy cups his hands and makes a funny bleating sound to tease the goat. The startled goat wiggles its tail and runs away. A second later, the same funny bleating sound bounces back from the cliff. Lukas laughs happily at the playful mountain wall.
The sun begins to set behind the snowy peaks, painting the sky in a soft orange glow. Lukas is tired after a long day of climbing, and he rests his head on his father's shoulder as he is carried. Lukas cups his hands one last time and whispers a very quiet goodnight toward the mountain. The valley is silent for a moment, and then the cliff whispers the same goodnight back like a soft breeze. The stars begin to twinkle as they walk down the trail.
