Alvin Tresselt - White Snow, Bright Snow

This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHINGwww.picklepartnerspublishing.com To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books picklepublishing@gmail.com Or on Facebook Text originally published in 1947 under the same title. Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder. Publishers Note Although in most cases we have retained the Authors original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern readers benefit. We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible. WHITE SNOW: BRIGHT SNOW BY ALVIN TRESSELT Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

Drifting, sifting, silent flight, Softly, gently, in the secret night. * * * * * * White snow, bright snow, smooth and deep. Light snow, night snow, quiet as sleep. Down, down, without a sound; Down, down, to the frozen ground. * * * * * * Covering roads and hiding fences, Sifting in cracks and filling up trenches Millions of snowflakes, tiny and light, Softly, gently, in the secret night. The postman said it looked like snow.

The farmer said it smelled like snow. The policeman said it felt like snow, and his wife said her big toe hurt, and that always meant snow. Even the rabbits knew it, and scurried around in the dead leaves. While the children watched the low grey sky, waiting for the first snowflake to fall Then, just when no one was looking, it come. One flake, two flakes five, eight, fen, and suddenly the air was filled with soft powdery snowflakes, whispering quietly as they sifted down. The postman put on his rubbers.

The farmer went to the barn for a snow shovel. The policeman buttoned up his coat. His wife made sure she had cough mixture in the medicine cabinet. But the children laughed and danced, trying to catch the lacy snowflakes on their tongues. While the rabbits hid in their warm burrows under the ground. Fields and stone walls roads and gutters, lawns and sidewalks, all were buried under the soft white snow. Fields and stone walls roads and gutters, lawns and sidewalks, all were buried under the soft white snow.

It covered the roofs of houses, and piled on top of chimneys, It filled the cold tree branches with great white blossoms. And when night came, icy cold snowflakes sparkled in the light of the street lamps. The postman Slipped and fell into a snow bank. The farmer dug a path from his house to the burn. The policeman got his Feet wet, and had to soak Them in a tub of hot water. His wife put a mustard Plaster on his chest so he Wouldnt catch cold.

The rabbits stirred in their sleep, deep in their warm burrows under the ground, under the snow. And the children dreamed of snow houses and snow-men as they slept in their snug beds under the roof-tops, under the snow. Silently, the frost made pictures of ice ferns on the window panes. Then without a sound, just when everybody was asleep, the snow stopped, and bright stars felled the night. * * * * * In the morning a clear blue sky was overhead and blue shadows hid in all the corners. Automobiles looked like big fat raisins buried in snowdrifts.

Houses crouched together, their windows peeking out from under great white eyebrows. Even the church steeple wore a pointed cap on its top. The postman put away his rubbers and took out his high boots. The farmer milked his cows in a barn filled with bright snow-light. The policeman had a chill, and stayed in bed. The rabbits hopped about as best they could, making long funny rabbit tracks in the soft snow. The rabbits hopped about as best they could, making long funny rabbit tracks in the soft snow.

The children made a snowman, a snow house, a snow fort, and then had a snowball fight. The wind pushed light puffs of white from the branches, while the melting snow on roof-tops drip-drip-dripped into long shiny icicles. Each day the sun grew stronger, and the snow melted. Big patches of soft muddy ground showed through the snow in the fields. The sound of dripping, running water and the smell of wet brown earth filled the warm air. Now the branches were bare again and grey pussy willows pushed out of their brown shells.