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Alvie, the Little Brown Burro has an Adventure in the Snow
"Brrrrrrr. It sure is cold today." Mommie looked at the outdoor temperature gauge on the kitchen window. "Only 19 degrees outside! Brrrrrrr!"
Alvie and Mommie looked out the window at the bare tree branches swaying in the wind. The sky was cloudy and grey. There was no sunshine anywhere. "Oh my! It even looks cold!" Mommie said. "I am staying inside today where it is cozy and warm. I’ll build a fire in the fireplace and we can have a nice cup of hot chocolate."
Since Alvie had not spent much time outside, he was not really sure what ’cold’ meant. Other than the time he went outside and the squirrels tried to nip at his tail, he spent most of his time inside the nice warm house where he had recently come to live.
"What does ’cold’ mean, Mommie?" Alvie asked.
"Well, it’s kind of hard to explain." Mommie said. "But, do you know how it feels when I open the refrigerator door? That is what cold feels like. It makes your eyes water, and your skin shiver. It makes your teeth chatter and your hands and feet go numb. It makes your nose run too." She said.
"That doesn’t sound very nice," said Alvie. "I think I’ll stay inside with you where it is cozy and warm."
"Good idea," she said. "You are a smart little burro."
At just that moment, something small and white drifted past the window. Then there was another one and another one. Suddenly, a whole bunch of small white things were flying around outside.
"What is that white stuff?" asked Alvie.
"Why, that is snow!" said Mommie. "Snow is the nicest thing that can happen in cold weather. It’s kind of like frozen rain. Isn’t it beautiful?"
The snow was coming down really fast and covering everything in sight. Before long, there was a clean, white blanket of snow covering the ground. It covered the rocks and the bushes. It covered the branches on the trees. It covered the fence and the bird house. It covered everything.
"Alvie, we’re going out into the snow!" said Mommie. "It’ll be an adventure." And with that, she opened the door and out they went into the snow.
Suddenly Alvie knew what ’cold’ meant. It felt just like the inside of the refrigerator. Brrrrr! But he was so excited to play in the snow, he soon forgot all about being cold.
He and Mommie built a snowman. They made balls out of snow and threw them at each other. Mommie lay down in the snow and swished her arms and legs and made a snow angel. It was so much fun!
But after playing for a long time, Alvie’s little hoofs got numb. That's because they don't make boots and coats and gloves small enough for little brown burros. So he asked Mommie if they could go back inside the house to warm up.
"Of course Alvie. This is your house too, and you can go inside anytime you want to." said Mommie. And in they went.
"Oh! Thank you for taking me outside to play in the snow. It was so much fun! It was a blast! But it sure was cold. I’m glad to be back inside our house where it is warm and snuggly." said Alvie.
And with that, Alvie and Mommie sat down by their warm fireplace and had a big cup of hot chocolate together.
What did Alvie learn? He learned that snow is pretty but it makes your feet cold and that it's good to have a safe, snuggly, warm house to live in.
THE END
Here are some good discussion questions to ask your children after reading them Alvie's story:
1. What was the temperature outside?
2. What does cold feel like?
3. What does the cold make your hands, feet and eyes do?
4. What did Alvie and Mommie do in the snow?
5. Do you like hot chocolate too?
6. What did Alvie learn?
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