“It’s going to snow this year too,” declared Dazel as she chomped on a few nuts she was sharing with her friends, Delma and Din Din. They were seated around a bonfire they had lit near the lake’s edge. Delma was lazing in the water while Din Din roasted almonds on the blazing flame.

“The last few winters have been tough on us,” mused Din Din. “The lake froze and we faced unexpectedly harsh cold. The snow is also something which has taken a while to get used to.”

“But this year should be easier,” said Delma. “When it becomes very cold, I am mentally prepared to stay in the coves where the lake water doesn’t freeze,” the dolphin explained.

Din Din added, “My father was saying that there is a plan to build embankments at the base of the mountains so that the snow melt does not cause a flood like last year.”

“Yes, it’s best to be prepared and learn lessons from our experience,” said Delma nodding her head.

“But I do think we should enjoy this weather,” Dazel insisted. “Can’t we do something to make the most of this climate?”

“Uh-oh!” exclaimed Din Din. “What’s your over-active imagination pressing you to do, Dazel?”

“Nothing much,” Dazel replied laughing aloud.

“Come on. Mom’s waiting for you. You wanted to learn how to make chocolate from her, didn’t you?” Din Din said. Bidding farewell to Delma the two friends made their way to Fruit Park.

“Hello Mrs. Dee,” greeted Dazel as she entered the huge cave which was Din Din’s new home.

“I just started making a new batch of chocolates,” said Mrs. Dee in her cheery voice.

As Dazel and Din Din helped Mrs. Dee stir the chocolate in a pot over the flame, they discussed how they wished to make winter fun this year.

“I remember when we were younger we would trek up to the base of the Northern Mountains in winters and make snowmen and have snow fights in the snow,” Mrs. Dee recalled with a smile.

“Oooh really!” cried Derek, Dave and Don, Din Din’s younger brothers. “That sounds like fun.”

“But the best part was when we used to have snow candy,” Mrs. Dee grinned at the younger lots’ excitement.

“What’s that?” asked Din Din.

“We used to squeeze the juice of fruits onto snowballs and eat them,” Mrs. Dee shared in a stage whisper.

“Oooh!” gasped Dazel. “What a brilliant idea! Let’s make snow candy this winter; in fact let’s have a competition. Let’s find out who can make the best snow candy!”

The idea caught on like a forest fire. The next day Dazel went to Wiz Rooster to share the idea.

“Are you trying to suggest we all go up to the Northern Mountains?” asked Wiz Rooster raising an eyebrow.

“The base of the mountains,” Dazel corrected him politely. “I have been there several times, Sir. It’s cold there, I admit, but the cold is bearable for a while. We can have a full day Snow Festival.”

“We can keep snowmen building contests, snow fights and snow sculpturing. And the highlight will be making the snow candy!” Din Din shared. “The dinosaurs have agreed to bring in fruits from Fruit Park and use them to make the candy.”

“It’s a bizarre idea; it’s never happened before,” said Wiz Rooster. “But there’s no harm in trying.”

“Yipee!” cheered Dazel and Din Din. Before long, all the Aviary School and the Terrestrial School creatures could talk about was the Snow Festival.

“I wish the Aquatic School creatures could make it,” said Delma morosely.

“I wish so too; but I promise to help arrange a festival for the lake creatures too,” said Dazel.

In the meantime, all the birds and land creatures got busy thinking of ways to enjoy the snow.

“We can even slide down the slope of the mountains,” said Dell the beaver and his troupe of mischievous friends.

“I wonder when it’ll start snowing?” Dazel’s classmates at Aviary School anticipated.

Finally, in the first week of December, the gentle falling of soft snowflakes began! This time the creatures were excited!

“Let the snow settle; this Sunday we can hold the Snow Fest!” agreed Wiz Rooster.Sunday dawned chilly and refreshing. All the creatures trekked up to the base of the Northern Mountains.

“What a spectacular sight!” exclaimed Dazel as she and her bird friends approached the base of the mountains.

Soon, everyone made teams and began making snowmen. A group of dinosaurs began a snow fight and shrieks of laughter and yelps resounded.

Din Din and his friends parked themselves in front of a flat rock and began to make balls of the freshly fallen snow. “We can put these bamboo sticks into one end of the balls to hold it,” Mrs. Dee showed her kids.

They squeezed oranges and lemons onto the balls of snow. Din Din’s father, Mr. D, also sprinkled some almonds onto one.

“Try dipping the balls into this watermelon juice,” suggested Din Din’s Grandmamma.

“And what about this chocolate sauce that I have brought,” said Mrs. Dee. “Just dip the snowball with your stick into this liquid chocolate.”

There was a clamour of creatures who wished to slurp a snow candy and Din Din’s family showed everyone how to make the snow candy more delectable by trying a variety of fruit juices on them. The celebration and revelry went on well into the evening.

“I love winters!” hollered a group of young rabbits who were burrow¬ing their way in the snow.

“Yippeee! Watch me slide down this hill,” yelled Dell as his friends followed suit.

“It’s time to return home,” suggested the elder dinosaurs.

“Come on, birds,” summoned Wiz Rooster. “It’s time to fly homewards.” It was a joyous and contended group who made its way to their homes that Sunday. As the snowflakes continued to flutter down, Dazel who was perched on Din Din’s back, chirped, “What a memorable day! Now we have a reason to look forward to winter.”

“That’s true,” approved Din Din. “This just goes to prove that we can make the most of every situation.”

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