The first snow has fallen. And not only did it fall, but so much of it fell at once that it covered every corner of the forest with a thick, snow-white dunny.
Seeing this, Bunny didn't let the little rabbits out to play for fear they would fall into the deep snow. The snow was just up to his belly, and he could only get out with great difficulty. Only Medvekoma would have been able to wade through the snow barriers without any problems, but he didn't even notice that the forest was covered in white, as he had been hibernating in his cave for some time.
A snow-white stillness descended on the landscape, broken only by the occasional knocking of a woodpecker foraging for food.
One day, however, a different kind of noise broke the thick silence of the forest. The clatter of axes and the shrill shrieks of woodcutters urging themselves to work in the biting cold.
While they worked, they didn't catch a cold, but when they settled down to eat the elemental food on the felled logs, they needed some warmth. Quickly, a large pile of logs was brought together, set on fire and sat around. A canteen filled with good drink passed from hand to hand, they chatted and chatted. The blazing fire lit up their faces, stole stars in their eyes, warmed their hands and hearts, and made them cheerful. They sang songs, told jokes, and enjoyed each other's words, and spent the rest of the time in joy.
The two youngest lumberjacks, fed up with the inaction, suddenly jumped up and, away from the fire, started kneading the snow.
After a short while, a large snowman rose in the clearing. One of the builders dug a carrot out of his bag of elemental mushrooms, which his mother had packed with the bread because she knew he liked it. Now he gave it up, for what good is a snowman without a nose? In place of his eyes, he inserted two pieces of charcoal, already cold. He had become a real snowman!
After a short break, the work continued, the felled timber was loaded onto wagons, and then the woodcutters headed home.
The snowman was alone. The huge bonfire was still going, the fire smouldering, tiny red tongues of flame fluttering in the light wind.
Then he remembered how the woodcutters were sitting around the fire, happy and cheerful. It must be that nice, bright, red log that made them so happy, he thought. He squirmed and squirmed until he managed to wiggle his huge ball belly and reach the fire.
As soon as he got close to the bonfire, he felt a warmth that was good for him. On his face and body, tiny beads of water appeared, in which, like in the eyes of woodcutters, the red flame of the fire glittered. She shrank a little, but did not notice it, for she felt that the gentle warmth of the fire made her as happy as the woodcutters. He could only stare at the beautiful sparks spilling out of the embers, fascinated by the graceful dance of the tiny flames...
It's awakened. The growling of the woodcutters filled the forest again. They arrived at the clearing ready to work, and were amazed to see that the bonfire they had built the day before had not yet completely burnt down.
The young lumberjacks immediately looked for the snowman, but he was nowhere to be seen, even though the cold had not abated overnight, and even a little snow had fallen.
With the fire slowly dying down but still smouldering, all they found were a carrot, a pot and some pieces of coal...
