A pond we talk here is not as big as a lake. We can find a pond and a swamp close to where people live, and it has a trait as somewhat spooky.
For example, some legendary monsters, such as “Kappa”, big snakes, and big frogs, may live there as a guardian of the area.
When I was a child, I was eager to see the guardian from my adventurous spirits. I even wanted to catch it if I had a chance, and explore ponds and swamps for that purpose.
Ponds and swamps generally situate so-called “Satoyama”, or secondary forests.
That is a place where water flows into and stays from the nearby hills. It is used by farmers for their cultivation and daily chores.
The place has a unique habitat with many insects and birds where you can see many competitions for existence. Therefore, it is a battlefield for them. They gather close to water to live; it nurtures lives, offers straggles for survival, and the dead body brings out new lives.
The condition would not be changed even the water surface becomes ice. That makes the ponds and swamps alive.
