Chapter 1: Snowy village
Snow blanketed the quaint mountain village like a fluffy white blanket. The first big snowfall of the year meant one thing to the children – it was nearly Christmas! Eight-year-old Jacob peered out his frosty bedroom window at the snow-globe scene below. The village park glistened under the moonlight, the snow sparkling like tiny diamonds.
Jacob smiled as he watched his friends gathering in the park to build snowmen, just as they did every year. He pulled on his snow pants and jacket and slipped out into the silent, icy night to join them.
“Let’s build the coolest snowman ever!” his friend Amy squealed, her pink cheeks flushed from the cold. The children rolled up giant snowballs and stacked them on top of each other, decorating their towering snowman with a carrot nose, coal eyes, and sticks for arms. They topped him off with Jacob’s wool hat and named him Bert.
As the children headed home for hot cocoa, Jacob lingered sadly. He knew Bert’s fate – every year, the big kids from the next town over smashed all their hard work.
An idea struck. Jacob ran inside and grabbed his dad’s spare big fluffy sweater and his mom’s scarf and warm hat. He gently wrapped Bert in the oversized clothing, hoping the bullies would mistake him for a person.
“There, now you’ll be warm,” Jacob whispered. He was proud of Bert’s new winter outfit. For a split second, he could have sworn Bert winked at him. Jacob laughed sleepily at his imagination as his eyes fluttered closed.
Soon Jacob was fast asleep, unaware of the magical events happening outside his frosty window…
As the full moon’s glow illuminated Bert, a single sparkling star fell from the heavens, landing right on his carrot nose with a twinkle. Perhaps it was a reward for Jacob’s selfless act of kindness that made the star single out Bert.
“’Auch,’ what was that?” Bert thought to himself, feeling a sudden sharp sensation. “What hit me? It stings a bit, haha.” He looked around, searching for someone to share this strange experience with. “Psst, hey, Guiry! Guiry, are you there?” Guiry was the local female squirrel, known for her posh accent and humorous nature.
Bert called out again, “Did you see that? What was that? It hurt a little bit…” Guiry, peeking out from her cozy swing in the tree, caught a glimpse of Bert and chuckled. “Hah, that was a falling star, maybe! You’re going to have luck!” She then noticed Bert’s attire and her eyes widened with curiosity. “But you look so nice! Who gave you those nice clothes?” she asked, her voice filled with amusement and intrigue.
Chapter 2: Bert’s Transformation
The park was still and peaceful under the glow of the full moon. Suddenly, the quiet was pierced by a chorus of derisive laughter. Three sneering boys swaggered out of the forest toward Bert.
“Well, well, what do we have here boys?” Josh, the burliest one, mocked. He poked roughly at Bert’s borrowed coat and scarf. “Some loser trying to dress up their snow freak?”
“What a weirdo!” his wiry sidekick Ryan jeered. Bert tried to remain motionless and ignore their taunts, but inside he was trembling.
Josh balled up his fist, wound up dramatically, and swung hard at Bert’s midsection. Bert squeezed his eyes shut and braced for impact.
But the punch never landed. Instead, Bert felt a warm, electric tingle flow from the tip of his carrot nose down to his stick feet. His powdery snow body collapsed instantly into a large, swirling puddle!
“Ahhh!” the boys shrieked, stumbling over themselves to get away from the supernatural spectacle.
“What the heck was that?” Josh yelled as they all turned and fled.
Bewildered but unharmed, Bert gazed down at the wiggly water mound that used to be his solid lower half. He focused intensely, and to his astonishment, the puddle gradually re-froze and reformed back into a perfect snowman body!
“Wow!” Bert exclaimed out loud, though only the sleeping trees heard him. “I can turn into water, and I can turn back into a snowman!” He sloshed experimentally from puddle to snowman and back again several times, giddy with discovery. Was he still a snowman? Or was he now somehow…both? How had this happened? Did it have to do with that sparkly falling star? Bert bubbled with delighted confusion.
Next morning Jacob returned to check hopefully on his new friend. Instead, his shoulders slumped at the sight of only a half-melted muddy puddle surrounded by lumpy snowballs.
“I guess those big goons smashed you after all, Bert,” Jacob murmured dejectedly. “Even with the coat, they still ruin everything fun.” He sighed and turned to trudge home.
Unseen by the disheartened boy, a few lone snowflakes drifted down and slowly began accumulating around the abandoned puddle. They built up into swirling mounds that magically fused into familiar jolly snowman shapes – two powdery legs, then a solid torso, twiggy arms, and finally, Bert’s smiling head reforming right on top! The magical snowman was assembling himself once more!
Chapter 3: Frosty Fun
When Bert finished reassembling himself, he spotted Jacob walking home looking upset. “Jacob, wait up!” Bert called out.
Jacob stopped in his tracks and spun around with eyes wide. Had he just heard someone calling his name?
“Down here! It’s me, Bert!” the snowman chuckled and waved his stick arms.
“Bert!” Jacob shouted gleefully, running over to give his friend a hug. “You’re alive! You can speak?! But…how?”
“Something magical happened last night after you left,” Bert explained. “When those bullies tried to smash me, I turned into a puddle! And then I could put myself back together again as a snowman! Isn’t that neat?”
Jacob’s mouth fell open. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! Let’s have some fun with your new powers!”
The pair spent the whole day playing and experimenting with Bert’s abilities. They had a slippery sled race using Bert’s puddle form as an icy slide. Then he morphed back into a snowman so they could have a snowball fight, with Bert swiftly ducking the blows by turning liquid.
After lunch, mischievous Jacob had an idea. “Hey Bert, can you use your water body to play harmless pranks on people?”
“Sure! What did you have in mind?” Bert replied with a wink.
They headed into town to a cafe where Jacob’s school teacher Ms. Crabapple was having coffee with the principal. Jacob secretly pointed them out to Bert. Then Bert zipped under the cafe door and suddenly sprang up in his puddle form right under Ms. Crabapple’s chair! She leapt up with a yelp as her soggy bottom got doused by Bert’s icy splash.
Jacob nearly fell over giggling as Bert flowed back outside. “Her face was priceless!” Jacob cackled. “This is the best day ever!”
As the two friends headed home that night under the glowing moonlight, Jacob said quietly “I’m really glad that star chose you, Bert. Now every winter can be this magical!”
Chapter 4: Back to School Shenanigans
Jacob could hardly contain his excitement as he walked to school. It was the first day back after Christmas break. The past two weeks had zipped by in a flurry of hot cocoa, snowball fights, and laugh-filled days playing with his new best friend Bert. But now with the holidays over, Jacob was bummed that he’d have to be cooped up in school all day.
Unless…a mischievous idea started brewing in his head.
“Hey Bert, I just had an awesome idea!” Jacob exclaimed. “Since this is the first day back from Christmas break, why don’t you come to school with me? We could have so much fun together!”
Bert tilted his head curiously. “But Jacob, how would I come to school? I’m a snowman, I can’t just walk into a classroom!”
“Sure you can!” Jacob replied enthusiastically. “You just turn yourself into water with your magic, and I’ll bring you inside my water bottle. Then once we’re there, you can sneak out and reform as a snowman. We’ll pull off some hilarious pranks!”
Bert’s coal eyes glinted with excitement. “You’re absolutely right, that’s perfect! Let’s do it – this first day back is about to get a lot more fun!”
Giddily, Bert melted into a puddle which Jacob scooped into his steel water bottle. As Jacob walked through the school gates, no one noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Once settled in class, Jacob discreetly peered under his desk. He stifled a laugh as Bert began leaking out, materializing back into a tiny snowman next to Jacob’s shoes.
“The coast is clear,” Jacob whispered down to Teeny Bert. “Let’s start planning our first prank on Ms. Crabapple!”
They covered their mouths, shaking in silent laughter as they schemed their first joke. After a few more minutes of waiting for the perfect moment, mischief-loving Bert sprang into action…
He suddenly zipped out in his puddle form when Ms. Crabapple had her back turned. Ever so stealthily, he spiraled right up the leg of her sensible work slacks! She released a piercing shriek, frantically wiggling and stomping as the icy splash of water worked its way up her rear!
The class roared deafeningly with laughter at her ridiculous interpretive rain-dance. After about a minute of panicked flailing, Bert streamed back out from the cuff of her other pant leg, freezing himself solid right by her ugly beige heels.
Even when she plopped down heavily at her desk, landing with a loud CRUNCH on mini Bert, he just kept right on laughing and giggling. Being momentarily crushed into powder before instantly re-forming was a small price to pay for such a thrilling prank!
After school Jacob and Bert have laughed and laughed about their funny day, they said goodnight to each other and promised to think of another funny mischief for the following days.
The end.
The Snowman Bert