No Two Alike?
Characters: Dust, Tiny Plate, Big Plate, Needle, Column, Capped Column, Stellar Dendrite.
Dust Here I am, a tiny speck of dust floating in a cloud of snow crystals. Yoo hoo. Hello there.
Needle What’s this? A speck of talking dust.
Why, I was once a bit of dust, too.
Dust Really? You look like ice, not dust.
Needle I’m a snow crystal made of ice, but inside me, and every other snow crystal, is a tiny speck of dust – or salt or pollen or dirt.
Dust Do you think I could become a snow crystal?
Needle You just might. If weather conditions are just right, water vapor in the air will freeze onto you, and you’ll find yourself inside a snow crystal.
Dust It sounds like magic!
Needle No, it’s not magic at all, it’s science. Crystals form all by themselves. It’s just the shape water takes as it freezes onto us.
Dust That’s amazing! Will I become a pointy crystal like you?
Needle Well, it all depends on the temperature and the amount of moisture in your cloud. When I was formed, the temperature was just below freezing and there was lots of moisture in my cloud.
Dust There are other kinds of crystals?
Needle Yes indeed, lots of them. But right now we’re all needles. Sometimes we fall to earth in a bunch.
Dust That sounds like fun. I hope I become a needle crystal – and I hope it’s soon!
Needle Well, it all depends on where you’ve been and where you’re going, if you get my point. Bye now – the wind is carrying me off!
Dust So long, Needle! Gee, I’m being carried by the wind, too, and I’m starting to feel different. Oh, oh! (exits)
Tiny Plate (formerly Dust) Wow! I’m not a speck of dust anymore. I think I’m a snow crystal! But I’m not shaped like that needle crystal. I’m kind of flat – like a plate. Oh no, maybe I’m not a snow crystal!
Column Whoa, look out! I can’t steer. (tips this way and that) Sometimes I don’t know which way is up. What’s the trouble?
Tiny Plate I wanted to be a snow crystal, but I don’t look like a needle.
Column Well, neither do I, but I’m a snow crystal.
Tiny Plate You are? But I don’t look like you either. I’m flat and thin. You’re tall and round – like a column.
Column Yes indeed, Cody Column Crystal, pleased to meet you.
Tiny Plate Oops, I was wrong. You’re not round at all. You’ve got edges and flat sides.
Column That’s right – I’ve got the same number of sides as every snow crystal. Count ’em – you’ll see.
Tiny Plate Okay, turn while I count. One, two, three, four, five, six. But why six?
Column That’s just the way we crystals form. We can grow into different shapes but we all have six sides.
Tiny Plate I wonder if I have six sides?
Column Let’s count. One, two, three, four, five, six. See, you are a snow crystal!
Tiny Plate Yippee! I’m a snow crystal! But I’m very small and rather plain.
Column Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get bigger. You might grow taller and become a needle or a column like me. Or you could grow wider and become a flat plate. Why, you might even grow branches.
Tiny Plate Wow! How does that happen?
Column It depends on the air temperature and moisture. Columns and plates usually form when the air’s kind of dry. But needles, fancy plates, and branching crystals form when there’s lots of moisture.
Tiny Plate Gee, it’s pretty cold in this cloud and not much moisture. Why, I can feel myself changing… (exit; return as Big Plate—bigger voice) Look at me now!
Column Wow! You’re a bigger plate crystal, and now you’ve got little ridges and grooves making nice designs all over you.
Big Plate It’s true, I’m pretty fancy now!
Column Hmm, if this cloud is just right for growing plate crystals, that means…(exits)
Big Plate Huh? Where’s Cody? He must have blown away. Why, here’s another crystal!
Capped Column Hi! Like my new style?
Big Plate Is that you, Cody Column? You’ve grown two caps! One on each end!
Capped Column Yup, conditions were just right, so I grew these two plates and now I’m a Capped Column. A capital improvement, don’t you think?
Big Plate Yes, indeed, you can’t top that!
Capped Column But now I’m feeling a bit top heavy. Down I go! (exits)
Big Plate Bye Cody! Gee, it feels damper now. Oh, look at the beautiful, fancy crystal. Yoo hoo! Were you once a speck of dust too?
Stellar Dendrite Yes! But now I’m a stellar dendrite.
Big Plate Stellar…that means star. You do look like a star. But what does dendrite mean?
Stellar It means branching, like a tree.
Big Plate I see! Your six arms have many side branches. It makes you look so lacy. I’ve never seen a snowflake just like you.
Stellar And you never will! You may see other stellar and plate crystals, columns and needles, but you will never see another one just like me…or you either.
Big Plate Really? You mean I’m the only flake like me?
Stellar One of a kind! We’re all unique because we each traveled a different path through the sky. So, ready to go?
Big Plate Is it time for the show?
Stellar Yes! It’s time for us to SNOW!
All Crystals (hop around) Yippee, hurrah! It’s a SNOW DAY!
The End
Nearby Nature 