 Winter Short
Stories
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The Babies' Blankets
"Such a cold day," sighed Mother Nature, "and no blankets to keep
my babies warm! Little Jack Frost came over the hill last night,
and what mischief the boy is planning to do now, it is hard to
tell. He is such a happy little fellow, but is always up to some
prank. If Father Winter does not send me some blankets soon, I
fear Jack will pinch my babies' toes, and pull their ears, and
make them shiver till they am ready to freeze. I have put them to
bed and told them to keep quiet, and perhaps Jack will not see
them."
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed a tinkling voice right at the dear old
lady's elbow. "Some of your children did not mind you. Early this
morning I found one of them whispering to a sunbeam, and under
the hedge found a tiny blue aster. I shook her till she was so
cold she was glad to go back to bed again. Ha! ha! ha!" and Jack
gave Mother Nature such a hug that she shivered, and murmured:
"Poor babies! I must write a letter to Father Winter."
This is what the letter said:
Earthdom, November 1, 2005.
Dear Father Winter:
Have you any warm blankets for my babies?
The season is coming when they should take a long, long nap, and
Jack is up to his tricks again. Please send me some blankets
soon.
From your old friend,
Mother Nature.
This letter she directed to:
King Winter
The Polar Regions
Cloud-dom
Then she called her messenger, Autumn Wind, and sent him
northward with her message. King Winter was seated on his throne
at the back of the North Wind, planning his coming work in
Earthdom, when Autumn Wind arrived with the letter.
"Deary me! deary me!" said the king, "has Jack Frost gone to
bother Mother Nature? I meant he should wait for me this year.
But something must be done. Ho! Snowflake, come here, and bring
your sisters and brothers with you."
In a few moments a troop of dainty beings clothed in white came
dancing along. "What do you wish, Father Winter?" they asked.
"Mother Nature has need of you, my helpers," replied the king.
"You must, stop the next passing cloud, and go down to Earthdom,
and cover up the babies. Jack is there, and they are freezing."
Just then a golden-edged cloud floated by, and the snowflakes
huddled together on it and were soon travelling earthward. The
sun was setting as they passed the western gate of the city, and
the cloud was tinged with red and gold. By and by it began to
grow dark, and the little cloud grew larger and larger, and
before long the night came. In the morning the little children of
Earthdom were surprised to see a white covering over the land.
"See the snow, the beautiful. snow" they cried; and the sleds
were brought out, and such a merry time as they had playing in
the white drifts! But I wonder if any of them knew what the snow
really came for, and how glad dear Mother Nature was because her
babies were sleeping safe and warm under the downy snowflake
blankets.
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