The Snowy Reindeer

by Paula Harrison

  The reindeer sniffed Annie’s fingers and gave a little bleat, making her giggle. Bea rubbed her forehead. What was she going to do now that Annie knew about Marshmallow?

  For my mum, who always made

  Christmas magical.

  Chapter One

  The Castle in the Snow

  Bea leaned her head out of the car window and a snowflake landed on her nose. Her tummy fizzed with excitement. “It’s snowing already and we’re not even there yet!”

  “Beatrice, what on earth are you doing?” said her father, King George. “Close that window at once before you catch a cold.”

  But while Bea closed the car window, her younger brother, Alfie, opened another one. The wind rushed past and a flurry of snowflakes blew in.

  “Hey!” cried Alfie. “I caught a snowflake on my tongue!”

  “Alfie! Dad said don’t open the window.” Natasha, their elder sister, leaned over and shut it.

  Mr Humbert, the royal chauffeur, turned the wheel and the shiny black car swept round a corner into a long driveway. A magnificent castle crowned with a row of snowy-white turrets came into view. Fir trees stood on both sides of the driveway, which sloped upwards to the castle steps.

  The king, who was sitting in the front beside the driver, turned around to smile at his children. “Here we are! Take your first look at Peruva Castle.”

  Bea stared up at the snowy castle. It was white and sparkling, as if icing sugar had been shaken all over it. She had been excited about this holiday visit to see Great-Aunt Sylvia for weeks and weeks. There would be plenty of time for snowball fights and building snowmen, and that slope down to the field looked perfect for sledging!

  Snow never fell at home in Savara because it was so hot and sunny. Here, in the north of the kingdom, they had snow every winter. The snowdrifts were so crisp and deep that you could jump into them and sink until the snow came to the top of your boots!

  Bea’s mind wandered. She imagined she was swooping down a hill on a sledge, holding tight to the reins with her woolly mittens.

  Natasha nudged her. “Bea, are you listening? Dad’s talking to us.”

  Bea jumped. “Yes, I’m listening.”

  “Remember you must all be on your very best behaviour. Great-Aunt Sylvia is very kind to invite us to stay and your cousins are only little, so you have to set them a good example,” said King George.

  Bea smiled. She couldn’t wait to see their cousins, Annie and Leo. Annie was three years old and Leo would be having his first birthday tomorrow. They had wrapped up lots of presents for him. Bea’s favourite was the teddy bear with the shiny red ribbon around his neck.

  “Natasha, I’m putting you in charge because you’re the eldest,” the king continued. “I don’t want to hear lots of noise and mischief. We’re going to be perfect guests for Great-Aunt Sylvia.”

  “Yes, Dad,” Natasha nodded seriously. “I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”

  Bea glanced at her sister in alarm. Natasha was already quite bossy about royal rules and manners. She was sure to be even worse now she was in charge!

  The car stopped outside the castle and Annie came running down the steps, her eyes sparkling. Her parents, Uncle Henry and Aunt Amber, followed with baby Leo. Lastly, Great-Aunt Sylvia came out with her walking stick. She was wearing a rainbow-coloured scarf and she had dyed her hair purple.

  Great-Aunt Sylvia was actually Lady Sylvia Nibbs, whose family had owned Peruva Castle for hundreds of years. Bea liked her a lot because she wore brightly coloured outfits, played rock-and-roll very loudly and didn’t seem to care what anyone thought. Bea remembered dancing along to the music when she was younger.

  Bea climbed out of the car and little Annie leapt at her. “Hi, Bea! Do you like my new bobble hat?” The little girl pointed to her blue hat with its fluffy pom-pom.

  “It looks great!” Bea hugged her back.

  “Thanks for inviting us to stay, Aunt Sylvia.” King George kissed Lady Sylvia’s cheek before saying hello to Uncle Henry and Aunt Amber.

  “It’s wonderful to see you!” said Sylvia, smiling. “Children, come here and let me look at you all. Goodness, Princess Beatrice! It’s amazing how much you’ve grown!”

  “Can we play out in the snow?” Alfie jumped around, trying to catch more snowflakes on his tongue.

  “Alfie!” Natasha made a grab for him. “We’ve only just got here.”

  “There’ll be plenty of time for playing in the snow later,” said their great-aunt. “Come inside and warm up first. I’ve asked Mr Upply to fetch us hot chocolate and cinnamon buns.”

  A gloomy-faced man in a black suit appeared at the front door. “The refreshments are ready in the parlour, Your Ladyship.”

  “Thank you, Upply.” Lady Sylvia turned around slowly, leaning on her stick.

  As Bea followed her into the house, she looked around eagerly for animals. “Great-Aunt Sylvia, do you keep any pets?” she asked hopefully.

  “No, my dear,” replied Sylvia. “But there is a little robin that likes to come and perch on the parlour windowsill. Sometimes I sprinkle some crumbs there for him. I’ll point him out to you sometime.”

  “Oh!” Bea’s heart sank. She had really hoped Great-Aunt Sylvia might have a dog or a cat she could play with.

  Even though Bea was animal-mad, she wasn’t allowed any pets at home in Ruby Palace. Her father had always been quite strict about this rule, saying, Beatrice, a palace is no place for a pet. Bea had felt quite sad about it at first but then she’d begun looking after any animals that needed her help. She’d rescued Tiger, a gorgeous kitten, and Rosie, a playful puppy. She couldn’t imagine spending the whole of the winter holidays without any animals around.

  Bea tried to smile as she followed her great-aunt into the parlour. Soon everyone was sitting beside the crackling fire, drinking mugs of hot chocolate and eating warm cinnamon buns. Baby Leo began to gurgle and everyone chatted happily. Even Natasha stopped looking serious and smiled as she plaited Annie’s ponytail.

  “It’s so nice to have you all here together!” Great-Aunt Sylvia beamed, handing Bea the empty bun plate. “Would you go to the kitchen and fetch some more buns please, Princess Beatrice? Obviously, some of us are very hungry.” She glanced at Alfie, who was cramming a third bun into his mouth.

  Bea nodded and took the plate. She hurried through the drawing room and the library, following the long chain of rooms that led to the kitchen. Fires were lit in all the hearths and there were boxes of sparkly streamers ready to hang up around the walls. The sunshine made the snow on the windowsills sparkle.

  Bea sighed. Then she gave herself a shake. She had been so excited to come to the snowy castle – and she was still really glad to be here – but she missed Rosie and Tiger. If only there was an animal here she could make friends with!

  Chapter Two

  A Flash of Ginger Fur

  Once everyone had warmed up and finished all the buns and hot chocolate, Great-Aunt Sylvia told the children they could go out in the snow. Bea rushed to fetch her coat and boots. Then she pulled on a thick bobble hat and tied a red woolly scarf around her neck.

  “I can’t wait to build a snowman!” cried Annie, putting her boots on the wrong feet.

  “Those aren’t right, Annie.” Natasha pointed to the boots before yelling out of the door, “Alfie, come back! You haven’t even got a coat on!”

  “Here, I’ll help you.” Bea crouched down to swap Annie’s boots on to the right feet. “Don’t forget your gloves. It’s really frosty out there!” She smiled at the little girl before pulling on her own gloves and stepping outside.

  The castle garden lay under a thick, white snow blanket. Delicate lines of frost clung to every leaf and branch, sparkling in
the sunlight. Here and there, little bird prints were scattered across the whiteness.

  Bea took a few giant steps across the garden, listening to the snow crunch under her wellington boots. Then a snowball from Alfie whizzed past her ear.

  Bea laughed and scooped up a lump of snow. Squashing it between her gloves, she threw it at her brother. Soon Natasha and Annie joined in and there were snowballs flying everywhere.

  Bea and the others played in the snowy garden for hours. They had a game of tag, leaving footprints all over the place. They also made a snowman with a twig mouth, two little stones for eyes and a carrot nose that Natasha fetched from the kitchen. Last of all, they made a snow dog, sitting beside the snowman, with long ears and a big white tail.

  The sun disappeared behind a huge grey cloud.

  “My hands are cold!” said Annie, suddenly.

  “Me too! Let’s go inside,” said Natasha. “Come on – you’ll feel warmer once you’ve had another hot chocolate.”

  “But we didn’t get the sledges out!” cried Alfie, tugging at the door to the shed. “I want to go sledging.”

  “We can do that tomorrow,” said Natasha. “We’re here for three days.” But Alfie went on pulling on the latch. The shed door flew open with a creaky groan and a pile of flowerpots fell out. “Alfie, now look what you’ve done!”

  Alfie pulled a face and kicked a mound of snow.

  Bea caught a flicker of movement at the corner of the shed. Then there was a flash of ginger fur just behind a pile of logs stacked against the shed wall. Was that a dog … or maybe a fox? She watched the logs carefully, but the creature didn’t move again. She hoped they hadn’t scared it with all the shouting.

  “I’ll tidy up and close the shed,” she told Natasha quickly. “You take the others inside. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Don’t be too long, Bea.” Natasha held Annie’s hand as she set off across the garden. Alfie stomped behind them, scowling.

  Bea picked up the flowerpots and stacked them up neatly. Once the others were gone, she moved towards the log pile. The wood had been stacked under the overhanging roof to keep it free from snow. As Bea got nearer, there was a scrabbling of claws and a very large ginger cat with a thick tail leapt out from behind the logs. The animal hissed, barring her way, and its spiky whiskers stiffened.

  Bea stepped back in surprise. From a first glance the animal had seemed fox-sized, so she hadn’t expected a cat at all. “Hello! You’re enormous, aren’t you? Where are you from? Do you live nearby?” She held out her hand, expecting the cat to want to be stroked.

  The ginger cat gave a low snarl and flexed its claws.

  “Don’t worry – I won’t hurt you,” Bea said soothingly. “I love cats. I know a kitten called Tiger and we’re great friends! What’s your name? Maybe I could call you Ginger.”

  Ginger’s snarl rose into a yowl and his tail flicked fiercely. He stared at Bea, his dark yellow eyes narrowing into thin slits.

  Bea drew her hand back quickly. This cat wasn’t very friendly at all. She wasn’t sure where it came from – Great-Aunt Sylvia had said there were no animals at the castle – but it didn’t look like it needed rescuing. Bea didn’t think she dared pick it up, anyway.

  She was about to leave when Ginger jumped on top of the wood pile and stared down the gap between the logs. He gave a low mew and scraped at the wood, as if he was trying to reach something. Bea peered into the hole and her heart jumped as a pair of scared brown eyes stared back.

  “Ginger, what have you found?” Bea looked closer, ignoring the cat’s hissing.

  A pale-brown furry face looked up at her. The creature had soft velvety ears and a patch of darker fur on its nose. Between its ears, two small antlers poked up.

  “A reindeer!” Bea stared in astonishment. “How did you get in there?”

  The reindeer pricked up its ears and twitched its fluffy white tail. Ginger grew excited and scratched the logs with his sharp claws. The reindeer shrank back, its nose trembling.

  “Stop it!” Bea reached for the cat, wondering if the naughty animal had chased the reindeer under the logs in the first place.

  Ginger slipped past her fingers and started squeezing under the pile of wood. Bea was suddenly afraid of what the cat might do. Ginger was so fierce and the reindeer was so frightened.

  She clapped her hand at the cat. “Shoo! Go and find something else to chase.”

  Ginger sidled away with a low yowl. He sat down in the snow a short distance away and began licking his paws, stopping every few seconds to throw Bea a cross look.

  “Hi, little reindeer!” Bea crouched down and peered between the logs. “What are you doing down there?”

  The reindeer wriggled and its darkbrown nose twitched anxiously. Bea noticed that one of its hooves was stuck between two logs. The animal’s eyes flashed with panic as it tried to pull itself free.

  “You poor thing! Hold still and I’ll help you.” Bea leaned over the log pile, trying to work out what to do. The logs looked heavy and she didn’t want the whole pile to tumble down and hurt the reindeer.

  She took hold of each log, rolling it carefully aside. Then she reached down into the space and gently pulled the reindeer’s hoof free. The animal shrank back a little. Then he sniffed at her sleeve.

  “There you are – free at last!” Bea lifted the reindeer out of the woodpile and set him down on the snow. His fur was soft and pale, and he wobbled a little on his thin legs. Bea stroked his head gently and stared around the snowy garden. He must be a wild reindeer, but where was the rest of his herd?

  “Shouldn’t you be with your mother?” she said, and the reindeer pricked up his soft ears.

  Bea was just wondering whether to fetch the snowman’s carrot nose for him to eat, when she spotted Ginger skulking near the shed door. She quickly gathered the baby reindeer into her arms. He wriggled for a moment before snuggling against her coat.

  She rubbed her forehead worriedly. The sun was setting, and the shadows of the trees stretched across the snow like spiky hands. What was she supposed to do? If she left the reindeer here, Ginger was sure to chase him again. The big cat had sharp claws and a mean look in his eyes.

  Bea hugged the little animal tighter. She had to take him inside! It was the only way she would know he was safe. She wrapped her coat around him and hid his head underneath her scarf. Then she hurried back to the castle door. Ginger stared after her grumpily before padding away across the snow.

  Chapter Three

  Keeping a Secret

  Bea crept into the castle with the reindeer tucked snuggly into the top of her coat. There were voices in the parlour and the smell of hot chocolate drifted into the hall.

  Bea pulled off her wellington boots and tiptoed to the stairs. “What shall I call you?” she whispered. “Maybe Woody, because you were hiding in the wood pile.”

  “There you are, Beatrice!” Great-Aunt Sylvia came past with an armful of sparkly streamers. “We’re just about to put up the decorations for Leo’s party tomorrow. Would you like to come and help us?”

  The baby reindeer wriggled under Bea’s coat and two velvety ears popped out of the top of her scarf. Bea looked at her great-aunt in alarm. Luckily, Lady Sylvia was busy pinning up a streamer.

  “Yes, please!” gabbled Bea, dashing up the stairs. “I’ll be back in a minute!”

  “Your guest bedroom is just on the left, dear,” her great-aunt called after her.

  Bea hurried to the room where she and Natasha would be sleeping. Throwing off her coat and scarf, she set the reindeer down on the stripy pink bed quilt.

  The guest room was clean and bright, with a crystal vase full of carnations on the dressing table.

  “Well, you can’t sleep in here. Natasha would never approve!” Bea told the reindeer as she unzipped her case, looking for a towel.

  The reindeer settled down on the bed, his nose twitching. Bea knelt beside him and stroked his soft coat. She had to find out where his herd had gone
. In the meantime, she needed somewhere safe to keep him.

  Slipping out of the door, she went along the passage, peeping into each room. At last she found a small room at the end of the corridor with no bed inside. Boxes were stacked against the wall and there was an old sofa with faded cushions. Bea’s heart rose. It looked as if Great-Aunt Sylvia was just using the room to store things. That made it an excellent place to hide a reindeer.

  “What are you doing?” asked Alfie.

  Bea jumped. “Alfie, don’t sneak up on me like that!” She saw that Alfie was holding a large cardboard box and an idea popped into her head. “Hand me the box, I’ll store it in here for you.”

  Alfie held on to it. “Leo’s birthday presents are in here and I’m meant to put it somewhere safe.”

  “I’ll look after them.” Bea took hold of the box but Alfie wouldn’t let go.

  “I want to do it! Anyway, Dad says you have to come downstairs.”

  “I need the box for something,” Bea told him. Alfie pulled a stubborn face so she added, “It’s something important! I’ll show you – but you have to promise not to tell.”

  “I won’t!” said Alfie eagerly.

  Bea led Alfie back down the hallway and opened the door to the guest room. The reindeer was standing on the edge of the bed, happily chewing the flowers on the dressing table and leaving behind a bunch of bare stalks.

  “A reindeer!” Alfie dumped the cardboard box on the floor and ran over to the animal. “Where did you get him from?”

  Bea explained about the log pile and the ginger cat. “So I just need somewhere to keep him and the box would make a good reindeer bed.” She lifted the reindeer into her arms and Alfie stroked his fur.