Key Ingredient

The giant bearded figure stood on the hill and looked down at the vast, slowly sloping expanse of powder- covered hillside. This was not good; not good at all. Winter was here now but where were all of the snowmen? Sure, there was beauty and serenity. What was missing was the joy. He needed a snowman

From within the many folds of his enormous winter robe, he pulled out a heavy thick tome. It was ancient with wooden binding and golden inlaid letters. It had to weigh thirty pounds yet he hefted it with ease; holding it in one hand as he flipped through the pages with the other.

Hmmm, let me see, he said to the empty landscape.

Nope, this should be working, he thought. Pulling a pencil out of his beard, he began to check off items as he read.

Snow … check. Cold … check. Coal … check. He continued down the list placing a confirming mark after each item. He chuckled to himself at the out-of-place carrots on the ground, seasonally inappropriate.

Shaking his head again yet again, he let out a heavy sigh. Everything, absolutely everything was in place and yet when he lifted his head and looked out at an open expanse of snow, he saw only emptiness where snowmen should have been. The field stared back at him in frigid silence.

He looked back at his book one last time … and noticed something. The bottom corner was folded over, covering the last ingredient.

Smoothing out the page, he saw what was missing and let out a chuckle.

Of course, he thought and then said out loud, “Let there be children.”

Soon, amidst squeals of delight and flying snowballs, snowmen began to rise above the heads of the small, cotton-capped children.

word count 299