Treasures of the Snow

by Patricia St John

  Lucien suddenly felt shier than ever.

  When it came, Annette and Dani were at the window, rosy with excitement and longing to get out.

  Dani gave one glance at the well-loved faces that had come to welcome him, and in that glance he noticed Lucien standing apart. For an instant he wondered why. His loving, happy little heart wanted to gather everyone together about him, and he jumped off the train and ran straight to Lucien.

  “Look, Lucien,” he shouted, “I can walk! The doctor you found made me better, and I can run just as though I never fell over the ravine. Look, Grandmother! Look, Papa! I’m running without my crutches! And look, Klaus, here’s your kitten. Isn’t he big, Grandmother? Nearly as big as Klaus!”

  Klaus and the kitten simply hated each other, and snarled and scratched and swore dreadfully. Dani and Grandmother struggled to keep them apart, everyone laughed, the train rattled off, and Annette clung to her father as though she would never let go of him again.

  Only Lucien turned away, because he found there were tears in his eyes. He had been honored above everybody. The wrong he had done had been forgiven and forgotten forever. Dani could walk as if he had never fallen.

  Spring had come. The winter was over and gone. With the flowers appearing and the birds singing again, joy had returned to their hearts.