For what felt like hours, Maxim lived the lesson. He felt the heat of the sun "evaporating" him until he felt light as air, floating into the ceiling-turned-sky. He watched water vapor huddle together to form heavy, gray clouds. He felt the rush of "precipitation" as he splashed back down into the cool, clear stream.
Suddenly, the room smelled like rain and pine needles. The diagram of a cloud on the page didn't just sit there; it pulsed. Maxim touched the paper, and his bedroom floor turned into a soft, mossy riverbank. "Looking for the answer to Question 3?" a voice croaked.
"The Reshebnik is a map, not just a list," the frog said, pointing its toe at a nearby stream. "You want to know where the water goes? Follow it."