|
Cleo and Tootsie bundled into their snowsuits, gloves,
and hats. They pulled on their snow boots and walked out into the deep, fresh snow. As they crossed the yard toward their
snowman, they noticed something was wrong. They froze in their tracks.
“What
happened to our snowman?” Tootsie asked her sister as they stared at his blank face. “Someone took his carrot
nose, walnut eyes, and red scarf!”
Cleo and
Tootsie moved closer to investigate. They studied their snowman’s head
and saw bird tracks pressed gently into the sparkling snow. “Birds? Why would birds take the carrot, scarf, and walnuts?”
asked Cleo.
Tootsie
closed her eyes and imagined a flock of birds flying through the sky with cozy red scarves tied around their necks. “I
think I know why the birds took the scarf,” she said. “They used it to make little scarves for all their friends.”
“Maybe,”
Cleo said.
Just then,
something caught Cleo’s eye. She pointed to tiny round prints scattered around the middle of their snowman. “A
squirrel? Why would a squirrel take the carrot, scarf, and walnuts?” Cleo asked.
Tootsie
closed her eyes and imagined a squirrel pushing acorns into a tree with their snowman’s nose. “I think I know
why the squirrel took the carrot,” Tootsie said. “He needed a tool to stuff his tree with nuts for winter!”
“Maybe,”
Cleo said.
Cleo and
Tootsie examined the powdery snow around their boots. They noticed deer tracks. “A deer? Why would a deer take the carrot,
scarf, and walnuts?” Cleo wondered.
Tootsie closed her eyes again and imagined a deer
dancing on her hind legs shaking the walnuts like maracas. “I think I know why the deer took the walnuts,” Tootsie
said. “I like to shake maracas when I dance, too!”
“You
are a creative thinker, Tootsie,” Cleo said. “Let’s follow the deer
tracks. It looks like the deer walked over to that big tree.”
Cleo and
Tootsie followed the tracks. Soon the sisters could see a small spot of orange at the base of the trunk. “Our carrot!”
cried Tootsie.
They ran
to the tree and Cleo picked up the small piece of carrot. “The deer ate our carrot!” Cleo said.
Suddenly,
Tootsie heard a sound, “Chirp-a-Peep Chirp.” She looked up into the tall tree. “Look!” she said, pointing
to a crook in the branches. There sat a red knit nest holding a family of birds.
“The
birds made a nest with our scarf!” said Cleo.
Tootsie
heard another noise, “Chitter-Flick, Chitter-Flick.” She searched through the branches until she spotted a gray
squirrel. “That squirrel is eating our walnuts!” she shouted.
Tootsie
and Cleo laughed and laughed. The squirrel flicked his tail and munched his walnuts. The birds chirped happily in their warm
nest. And hidden in the trees, a quiet deer stood with a full belly.
Tootsie
and Cleo walked back to the house. They went inside and grabbed a bag of bird seed, a bunch of carrots, and a few handfuls of walnuts. They took everything outside and decorated
their snowman.
“He’s
not just a snowman anymore,” said Tootsie.
“He’s a snack-man too!”
~The End~
Illustration by: Beverly
Luna
Copyright © 2007 by Rachel A. Hamby
|
