Saving Frosty

Global warming affects the temperatures of the world in many different ways but who ever thought that this worldwide electric blanket would warm up the North Pole. First time in decades there was patches of green in Santa land and the elves were running around without their pointy shoes and colorful smocks. The reindeer had some fresh green grass to munch on. This warm weather, green grass and outlandish elf behavior came at a cost to the most famous of snowmen, Frosty.

The warmth first started melting the snow under his magical hat, the very same hat that made him special. Then it started melting his broad but round shoulders. Frosty began to worry when a small puddle began to creep up under him, prompting him to walk up the elves workshop and knock on the door.

While waiting for an answer he started to sing that familiar song, the song that the children wrote for him when he was younger.

“Frosty the Snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say
He could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

Frosty the Snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said let's run
And we'll have some fun
Now before I melt away.”

The red wooden door was finally opened by Santa’s leading elf, Jangles. Just inside of the doorway stood a little man with rosy cheeks, button nose, and sparkling blue eyes. He was dressed in a green smock over a red turtleneck sweater and his legs were covered with green and red striped pants that looked more like a second skin. The stripes ran in the same direction as the floor. A brass bell at the end of his green hat jingled every time he moved his head.

“Hello Frosty. How is Santa’s favorite snowperson?”

“Happy Birthday” the melting snowman replied. Jangles looked more closely at his winterized friend and saw how desperate the situation was. Frosty’s frozen complexion imitated the moon’s surface with the mixture of slush, snow and ice. The elf also noticed that the life-giving magical hat of the famous snowman was closer to Frosty’s two eyes made of coal and his corncob pipe than ever before.

Jangles, the lead elf for his superior intelligence, called a couple of his younger Christmas elves to his side and directed them to find some fresh snow and begin adding it to Frosty. The elf also called the main house and spoke with the jolliest of elves. Santa was quick to come to the elves workshop and to the aide of Frosty, although he didn’t have a clue as how to help out the living icicle.

As Frosty lapsed in and out of his frozen form the residents of the North Pole became more concerned with his lack of frozenness. The new snow was now getting harder to find. Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves held a meeting to see if someone could come up with a solution to help Frosty.

“Santa,” said the youngest elf named Noel, “we could, we could ask Abom- Abominable if Frosty can stay in his cave until it gets colder”

Yukon Cornelius, The North Pole’s only fulltime prospector and the first man to call the Abominable Snowman a Bumble, was summoned to Santa’s workshop. The man who searches for silver and gold brought along with him six of the sturdiest of sled dogs, a healthy appetite for adventure, and his extensive collection of tools.

His dogsled traveled up the storied Santa Lane surrounded in song. The elves added to the excitement in the air by clapping and cheering. Even Frosty added a light-reflected sparkle to the mix.

Cornelius was every bit the rugged mountain man. He stood a few inches shorter, had the same bowl of jelly stomach, and almost the same beard and moustache as Santa. The differences were in hair; Santa had wavy, white hair and Cornelius had curly, deep brown hair. When Cornelius either became excited or knew that riches were within his grasp his moustache straightened out to the sides of his face.

“Silver and Gold, Gold and…” Cornelius stopped singing when he saw the hollowed look of Frosty. A look of understanding took him from his song to the reason why the Jolly Elf summoned him.

“Cornelius,” announced Santa, “thanks for coming, friend. We need your help to save the world’s favorite, famous snowman. This global warming has made the air around us to hot for our friend and we need you to ask the Abominable Snowman if Frosty can keep him company in his lair.”

“The Bumble?” asked Cornelius while playing with his moustache.

Minutes later Frosty was loaded onto the sled and good-byes were said as the dogs, man and snowballs continued on their journey. The elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus went back to doing the things that people and elves do at the North Pole all except one. Jangles, although he would never say it out loud, never trusted the Abominable and now worried about the snowman.

Jangles’ worries never had a chance to grow beyond a mild concern. The next day the prospector, the six dog sled team and Frosty made their return trip back to the workshop followed by a toothless Bumble. Cornelius told Santa and the elves that the global warming had also affected the ice caves making it impossible for Frosty to stay there.

This is when Jangles remembered me, Bovine Bessie. Besides being a red and white Holstein cow, a writing ruminant and a friend to Christmas elves, I’m known for my detective skills. This is why I was called to see if I could save Frosty from melting. Those elves were more than happy to email me all of the facts, figures and test results that they had. I’m sure that I could’ve had them send me the list; the big list of all the good boys and girls, if I wanted too.

After I studied all of the information that they sent I had to run a few tests of my own. I called in my two partners; Jake the Golden Retriever and Novello the crime-solving cat. Together we went to the snow covered pasture and constructed our own snowman. We then ran our own tests on the snow and we discovered that Pennsylvania snow, at least for this year, contained more ice content than the snow at the North Pole.

That night I heard sleigh bells and reindeer toes on the barn roof above my head. As Santa came down to visit my animal friends and I, Jangles filled up the sleigh with shovels of fresh, ice-filled Pennsylvania snow.

Later that winter I got an email from one happy snowman. I had to decline his offer of adding another verse to the song that bears his name.