Winter Refused To Leave

Mother Nature was having a fit. Who could save the day?

Would there be no end of winter? Even its magical snowman was shivering from his head to his toes. “If this keeps up, All my magic will magically freeze,” he sneezed and whipped his frosty nose.

The wind howled like a demented demon. Snow didn’t fall, it never sank to the ground. It hung like walls in the swirling air. Huge snowdrifts clung to every nook and granny, fearful of being blown away. They piled up on each other until it was the only sight of the sky that melted away.

Amidst all this foreboding tableau, not a soul stirred nor ventured forth. Life was an other worldly dream now dreaming somewhere else, of course.

In his burrow down under this mess, rested Punxsutawney Phil. Bless his heart he had the sniffles, the sneezes, and such a cold never pleases nor leaves when it should. “Aahsnit!” At the magical word Phil’s eyes stirred inside of his head.

One eyelid opened, then the other, “I wonder if it is time to rise from my wintery bed?”

He listened to the howling wind crying out for him to come out and do his job. He yawned and it spawned a mischievous idea. “I think I’ll teach that storm a lesson. It has had its turn playing mischief with me. It woke me up when it shouldn’t have. Now it’s time to set it to flee.”

Phil’s nose was not like any other, but at the moment it was too stuffed up to blow. Instead of using the magic it possessed, he’d have to borrow some from his favorite wintery neighbor.

Lucky for Phil, there was a ground swill that could hide him from the wind. When he went outside it was easy to slide until the magic snowman cried out, ‘Hey, whose tickling my side? Oh. It’s you, Phil. Boy, look at that view.”

The winter storm grew more shrill and violent. It gave it all that it had. “Mind if I borrow some of your magic until tomorrow?” asked Phil with a hint of disgust.

“You’ll have to warm it up a bit, but sure, take all you want.” the magic snowman shook out his fluff and deposited some of the stuff.

Phil’s body heat was just the treat to unfreeze and tease just enough magic to unleash it into that howling wind.

It was it’s turn to sneeze, cough itself to its knees, until it became a warm spring breeze, melting the mountains of snow.

People came out and began to shout with glee clear down to their knees. They had spring in their feet. When they saw Phil the groundhog, they danced all about and began to chant his name.

With all their shadows mixing together, Phil couldn’t find his own. It must have gone elsewhere on loan. “No more six weeks of winter!” came the yell. We’re saved by the Punxsutawney Phil magic spell.”

Don’t worry, though the magic snowman melted away, he’ll come back another day, when winter time comes out to play and once again has a fieldday. And? Phil the groundhog would get the dreamy sleep he loved so much.