The Snow Queen

Alex and Yana were best friends.

They lived next door to each other. Their bedroom windows faced each other. Alex and Yana were always together.

One winter day, when Alex and Yana were playing in the snow, Alex suddenly cried out.

“I’ve got something in my eye,” Alex said.

Yana examined her friend but saw nothing.

“I guess it’s gone,” Alex said. The friends continued to play.

Even though they could not see it, something did land in Alex’s eye. It was a tiny sliver of ice that was cursed with an evil spell.

Over the next few days, that piece of ice split. The other sliver jumped to Alex’s heart, piercing it.

Alex’s heart turned into a lump of ice. His icy heart made everything seem small and ugly.

Alex changed. He no longer behaved like the sweet boy Yana knew so well.

“You look ugly,” he shouted at his friend. “I don’t want to play with you anymore,” he said.

Alex picked up his sled. “Don’t follow me!”

Yana stood there, stunned.

Alex took his sled into the forest. There he saw a great white sleigh led by a dozen white horses.

“If I tie my sled to that sleigh, I will go faster than any sled,” Alex thought. He snuck up behind the great sleigh and tied his sled to a blade.

The great sleigh started moving and Alex’s sled flew across the snow behind it. Alex was thrilled.