Moon-Light returned that night. He had obtained a wound somehow, a thorn in his paw. Red-Rose examined it with care but even so the cub pulled back in bitter pain.

“You know Moon-Light there’s this story that ma used to tell Snow and I when we were younger. It was about a prince and a princess. They were young, much too young to get married or even have romantic feelings for each other. They were the best of friends and spent almost every moment of everyday together. Their favorite thing to do was to climb the mountain of Zyno. It was a mountain higher than that of Fuji, but the prince and princess were expert climbers.

It was quite dangerous but only they knew that at the top was a treasure chest of sweets that refilled with every visit. One day while climbing the prince felt dizzy, he collapsed before the princess. The princess didn’t know what to do. She thought maybe the candy at the top of the mountain would revive him but they weren’t even half way there.

The princess looked at the prince’s limb body tremble in the snow. She packed him on her back and begin the long climb uphill. Before she knew it she was cold and hungry, but also incredibly tired. The chest was in view but she couldn’t carry the prince anymore. First he dropped of her back and was followed by her own body. They both lay almost lifeless in the snow….there I got it!” Rose said showing Moon-Light he prick she had removed from his paw without him noticing.

She wrapped up the wound and put more wood in the fire. Moon-Light nudged at her hoping to hear the end of the story..

“I’ll tell you the rest another time. I’m tired now, been a pretty unlucky birthday. First screamed at by a grumpy dwarf, then looked at strangely by people I’ve known my whole life,a nd then announced useless by my own sister!” she sighed. “But at least I have you Moon-Light, and this pretty bracelet.”

#

“Red-Rose! Snow-White! I need you two to go catch a big fish for tonight’s supper.” Charlotte called. She had watched all day as Rose and Snow avoided one another.

“But mama!” Snow whined. “You know how much I hate fishing.”

“Yes ma, it is quite boring.”

“Go you two. Don’t you disobey your mother, and while you’re at it suit out your troubles.”

Snow and Rose gathered fishing gear and went out to the nearby brook. “How does she expect us to fish in these conditions. The brooke is frozen solid.”

“It’s called ice fishing SNOW.”

“What is that thing?” Snow asked looking into the distance on the far side of the brooke. “A large grasshopper? It looks like it’s trying to jump into the water…er ice.” They made their way over to the other side where they recognized an unhappy face.

The dwarf.

“Are you trying to freeze yourself cold?” asked Snow-White to the dwarf.

“I’m am not such a fool!” cried the dwarf. “Don’t you see that fish trying to reel me in!? You see I was just sitting here fishing for a good meal when the wind decided to tangle my precious beard with the fishing line and just as that happened this creature decided to take a nibble of my line. It is a strong beast.”

Snow and Rose couldn’t see a fish from over the frozen brooke, even in the small piece the dwarf had cut away to fish, but they didn’t dare doubt him as they could see whatever was in the other side of that line had the upper hand.

The dwarf tried to hold onto the nearby bushes but it was to no avail. The fish only pulled him closer. “Do we have to discuss this again? Stop gawking and help a poor fellow.”

The girls grabbed at the dwarfs beard and tried to untwist and undo it from the line, but it was all in vain. “Guess there’s nothing else but these.” Snow pulled the scissors and snipped at the beard once again.

The dwarf screamed out in horror. “Is that civil you toad stool, to disfigure ones face? Didn’t you get enough enjoyment out of snipping the end of my beard, now you have the audacity to cut the best part! To show my face to my people is now a shame.”

He waked over to the bushes and pulled out a sack of pearls and dragged them away without another word.

“I guess it was too much to ask to even look forward to a thank you.” Snow grumbled.

“Well at least we helped someone today.” Rose laughed.

“Did you see his face when I cut his beard this time?”

“Yes it was like a ripe red tomato!”

“I wonder where he gets all those treasures?”
“Who knows, he won’t keep them long with the luck he has.

Snow and Rose easily caught a fish in all but 20 minutes. They wrapped it up and took it home. They were laughing about the dwarf when they opened the front door.\

“Oh so I see you took my advice.” Charlotte said smiling at them while she mixed the broth.

“Yes mama” they both said.

#

They all sat down and ate supper happily that cold summer night laughing and giggling at things from their childhood. They soon went to bed warm and full.