It w?s ? ?ict???s??? wint?? ???, with th? w??l? c?v???? in ? ??istin? ?l?nk?t ?? ???shl? ??ll?n sn?w. Th? s?n h?n? l?w ?n th? h??iz?n, c?stin? ? w??m, ??l??n ?l?w ?v?? th? ic? l?n?sc???. B?t ?mi?st this wint?? w?n???l?n?, th? m?st ?nch?ntin? si?ht w?s ?n????t??l? th? ch????-ch??k??, ??s?-??c?? ???? n?stl?? ?n ? ???? whit? sn?w??nk.

W?????? sn??l? in ? c?z?, c?l????l ?l?nk?t, th? ???? l?? th??? with wi??, c??i??s ???s th?t s???kl?? lik? th? sn?w?l?k?s ????n? th?m. His tin? mitt?n?? h?n?s ???ch?? ??t t? t??ch th? c?l?, ?l???? sn?w, ?n? his l???ht?? ?ch??? th????h th? c?is?, ???st? ?i?. Th? c?nt??st ??tw??n his inn?c?nc? ?n? th? ?n????ivin? wint?? c?l? w?s st?ikin?, ?n? it sti???? s?m?thin? ???? within th?s? wh? ??h?l? th? sc?n?.

As ????l? ??ss?? ??, th?? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t ???s? ?n? t?k? in th? h???tw??min? si?ht ?????? th?m. Th? ????’s j????l ????l?s ?n? th? ??li?ht?? ?x???ssi?ns ?? his ????nts st?n?in? n????? ?ill?? th? ?i? with ?n in??cti??s h???in?ss. St??n???s ???n? th?ms?lv?s smilin? inv?l?nt??il?, ?n? th?i? h???ts w??m?? lik? th? s?n-s??k?? sn?w ?n??????t.

In th?t m?m?nt, th? ???? ??c?m? ? s?m??l ?? ???it? ?n? h??? in th? mi?st ?? ? c?l? ?n? ??t?n h??sh w??l?. His ???s?nc? ?n th?t sn?w??nk s??v?? ?s ? ??min??? th?t ?v?n in th? c?l??st ?? tim?s, l?v?, w??mth, ?n? h???in?ss c??l? th?iv?. It w?s ?s i? h? ??ss?ss?? ?n inn?t? ??ilit? t? th?w th? ???sti?st ?? h???ts ?n? ??kin?l? th? ?i??s ?? c?m??ssi?n in th?s? wh? h?? m?m?nt??il? ?????tt?n th? sim?l? j??s ?? li??.

P?ss??s?? sh???? kn?win? ?l?nc?s ?n? ?xch?n??? n??s ?? ?????v?l, sil?ntl? ?ckn?wl???in? th? m??ic?l ??w?? this littl? ?n? h?l?. St??n???s st??ck ?? c?nv??s?ti?ns, ??n?in? ?v?? th? sh???? ??li?ht ?? witn?ssin? s?ch ? h???tw??min? sc?n?. S?m? ???ch?? int? th?i? ??ck?ts t? ????? sm?ll t??s ?? ?i?ts t? th? ????, whil? ?th??s t??k ?h?t?????hs t? c??t??? th? m?m??? ????v??.