The Softening of the Snows
A snow man stood on the side of a hill,
Stern and silent stood he,
And though his manner showed but little grace
It showed wonderful dignity.
He carried himself as snow men do
With his chin well up in the air,
And he seemed to say without word of mouth,
“I’m better than you are, so there.”
His chest was as full as an alderman’s chest,
His head as round as a ball—
And he wore, as such men usually do,
A hat that was shiny and tall.
The snow man’s wife was much like her spouse,
As she stood there by his side.
Like him she was round, and silent, and stern,
And equally dignified.
Each treated the other with cold reserve,
For their hearts were icy and chill;
’Twould have made you shiver to look at them
As they stood there on the hill.
THE PROUD SNOWS
The kind old sun with his heart of gold,
From his place in the sky above,
Resolved to soften this icy pair
With the tender warmth of his love.
The greeting he gave was so tender and warm
It melted their hearts of snow,
And the moment they felt the warmth of love
Their pride began to go.
Then each toward the other more tender grew
And softer toward all, it is clear;
But as they nearer to each other drew,
It was plain that their end was near.
Each gave to the other a melting smile
And tears flowed from their eyes,
Then both sank into the friendly earth,
The snow people’s paradise.
THE TENDER SNOWS