Footprints in the Snow, Nate
Strange footprints appear in the snow outside Nate’s door. Whose are they?
One winter morning, Nate opened the front door and gasped. The whole world was white. And right across the garden, leading away into the woods, was a line of small footprints.
‘Who made those?’ wondered Nate. He put on his warm coat and boots and called Iris the turtle. ‘Let’s follow them,’ said Nate. ‘It’s a mystery!’
They followed the tracks across the garden, over the fence and into the woods. The footprints were small and round, with four tiny toes. ‘Not a bear,’ said Iris. ‘Not a dog either.’
The trail wound past the frozen stream. It went round a big fir tree. Then it stopped. ‘Where did they go?’ said Nate. They looked around. There was only a pile of snow and something shivering inside it.
Nate brushed the snow away very gently. Out peeped Finn the fox, with big, scared eyes. ‘Oh, hello,’ squeaked Finn. ‘I had wandered away from the others. I’m so cold.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Nate, wrapping his scarf round Finn. They carried Finn home, where the fire was crackling. Iris made hot chocolate. Finn drank it and started to get pink and warm again.
When the snow stopped, they took Finn home. And on the way back, Nate looked at the footprints. Four sets now, all side by side. The mystery was solved, and a new friend was made.
The little lesson
A little curiosity and a lot of kindness can turn a mystery into a friendship.
Let’s talk about it
- What animals leave footprints in snow?
- How did Nate help the lost one?
Finish stories to collect Nate as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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