A Friend in the Snow

by Mary Ann Turner

Out in the country, high on a hill,

Live Tommy and Johnny and sister Jill.

One day by the window, their eyes opened wide—

There was snow on the ground and on roofs outside.

“Let’s go make a snowman,” they shouted with glee.

“On top of the hill, right where we can see.”

So they rolled and they patted the snow into place,

Put a hat on his head and a smile on his face,

Coal for his eyes, a carrot for his nose,

Two sticks for arms, and a bright tie for clothes.

Then they got out their sleds and had so much fun

As they slid down the hill and then back up would run!

They waved at the snowman each time they passed by,

And he watched them all day with each twinkly black eye.

Then in the evening when time came for bed,

They called to the snowman. “Good night now!” they said.

They wrapped a bright scarf that was warm and snug

Around his neck, and they gave him a hug.

Then while they slept, the snow sifted down

And layers and layers covered the ground.

In the morning they hurried outside to play.

But their snowman was gone! They stared in dismay.

On the spot where he’d stood was a big mound of snow.

What happened? they wondered. Where did he go?

They looked all around. He was nowhere in sight.

He had just disappeared while they slept through the night.

“Should we build another?” Their faces were sad.

“But no snowman could replace the one that we had.”

They looked for the coal, the sticks, tie, and hat

To make a new snowman where the old one had sat.

They dug in the snow and they pushed it aside

To clear a place that was level and wide.

Their busy hands worked as fast as they’d go

Till the first thing they found was a smile in the snow!

Then two lumpy eyes came sparkling through—

The hat on his head and the sticks were there too!

They jumped up and down and shouted, “Hooray!

Our snowman’s still here. He’s not gone away.

The snow made a blanket for him last night.

Now we’ve brushed it away, and our snowman’s all right.”

When their work was done, they all danced with glee.

Their snowman was still right where they could see.