Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Jacob who was only three years old. All week long he looked forward to snow, and every morning he asked: “Mama, has it snowed yet?”
“Not yet, sweetheart,” Mama answered. “You must be patient. The snow will come.”
But Jacob didn’t know how to wait. He wanted snow NOW!
One day passed. No snow.
A second day passed. No snow.
Third day. Still nothing.
“You must hang in there,” Daddy told him. “We can’t have everything right away.”
And then, one morning – finally! Everything outside was white!
“SNOW!” Jacob shouted. “Emma, come on! Let’s go sledding!”
Jacob and his four-year-old sister Emma quickly got dressed and ran outside. Jacob pulled his beautiful red sled behind him.
They ran and ran until they reached their favorite hill. It was the highest hill in the whole village!
But when they got there, they stopped and looked around.
“There’s only a little bit of snow here,” Jacob said sadly. There was just a thin layer of snow – too little for sledding.
“Why is there so little snow here?” Emma asked. “There’s lots of snow everywhere else!”
Jacob sat down and started to cry. “I waited so long and now I can’t even go sledding!”
Just then, old Uncle Thomas with white whiskers came by. “Why are you crying, children?”
“We wanted to go sledding, but there’s not enough snow here,” Emma explained.
“Ah,” Uncle Thomas nodded. “That’s because this hill is the highest in the village. It’s completely bare, without any trees. When the wind blows, it carries all the snow down into the valley. That’s why snow never stays here long.”
“But we want to sled right here,” Jacob said sadly. “This is our hill!”
Uncle Thomas thought for a moment. “I know where there’s lots of snow! In the forest under the tall trees. The wind doesn’t blow there, so the snow stays. What if we brought it here on your sled to the hill?”
“That’s a great idea!” Jacob jumped up.
They went to the forest together. There was snow everywhere! The big trees protected it from the wind.
“See?” Uncle Thomas pointed out. “The trees are like a big shelter. The wind can’t get the snow away from here.”
Jacob and Emma gathered snow and piled it onto the sled. Then they all pulled it together to the bare hill. Once, twice, three times!
“I’m tired,” Jacob said. “But I’m not giving up!”
“You’re a brave boy!” Uncle Thomas praised him.
When they had brought enough snow, the hill was covered with a beautiful thick layer of snow. Now there was enough snow for sledding!
“Now you can go sledding!” Uncle Thomas said.
Jacob sat on the sled. Emma pushed him off. “Three, two, one… go!”
“Wheeeee!” Jacob shouted and laughed with joy. “This is the best sledding in the world!”
They sledded until lunchtime.
“Thank you, Uncle Thomas!” the children said. “Now we know why there wasn’t any snow here and how to solve it!”
“You’re welcome,” Uncle Thomas smiled. “Remember – sometimes we must wait, like Jacob waited for snow. And sometimes we must also do something to make things work out!”
Jacob went home happy. And in the evening he told Mama: “Mama, I learned to wait. And then I learned that when we have a problem, we can solve it!”
Mama hugged him. “I’m proud of you, Jacob!”
The End
