Walden Pond

Author: Henry David Thoreau
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-08-01
Features: There are many legends among the residents around Walden Pond. One such legend tells of ancient Indians performing a powwow ceremony on a small hill here, which rose as high as the heavens. However, the Indians had committed many acts of sacrilege, and just as they indulged in such behavior, the hill began to shake and suddenly sank, forming a lake. Only an old woman named Walden escaped, and thus the lake was named Walden Pond. Walden Pond is essentially a well. For four months of the year, the water in the lake is extremely cold, just as the water quality remains pure throughout the year. In winter, all the water is exposed to the open air, making it colder than spring water and well water, which are protected by the earth. In summer, however, it is the coldest water temperature, as the shallow, still surface water does not mix with it. Therefore, Walden Pond never gets very warm, unlike most water exposed to the sun, because it is so deep. If someone were to camp by the lake for a week in the summer and dig a few feet into the shade of their tent to bury a bucket of water, they would not need extravagant ice.