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Speaker 1: The Ambitious Snowflake by S. Sutton Moore. There is a

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very beautiful land hidden from mortal eyes, where thousands and

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thousands of snowflakes are borne every year. If men and

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women had clearer sight, they would see that each little

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white atom contained a lovely wee seprite. These dainty fairies

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travel in large families, and as is the case with

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human beings, many kinds of character make up the family party.

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I am going to do very great things, said Najette,

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an unusually large and beautiful snowflake, and you must all

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come and help me to do them. And she waved

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her tiny crystal wand imperiously, what are you going to do?

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Tell us? Nicheded, cried the large family of brothers and sisters, Well,

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said Nichete. As they sailed along. There is a country

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ruled by the greatest queen that ever leaved. And little

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Irmine told me all about her. His family do not

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like her because she dresses in nothing but tales of

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his friends, so he says, But I don't quite believe that.

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But I am going to see for myself. I intend

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to fall right into her hands. They say she holds

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the keys of the world, and I am going to

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end in the sight of all the millions of people

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over whom she rules. It will be seeing that Nigette's

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ideas of things were not quite right, but the admiring

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family circle only uttered ohs of family admiration and wonder.

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They did nothing but talk about it among themselves as

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they blindly followed Nigette through the sharp, cold air. Nigette, too,

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was so occupied with her great thoughts about the stir

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she was to make in the big unknown world, that

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she did not see where she was going and blundered

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right into a most curious trap, and all her family

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followed her. Of course, this was a very strange thing.

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It is not often a trap is set for snowflakes.

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But there was a cause, a very urgent cause, for

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the setting of this one. King Magnificus and his squeam

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Splendidoza had one son who was most terribly spoiled. Prince

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Superbus had such a fiery disposition that his life was

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despaired of unless he could be kept cool. So, after

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many and long deliberations, the court physicians had most wisely

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decided to order snowflakes to be caught and kept all

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over the palace, so that they might call the air

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and so correct the heat of the Prince's temper. For

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this reason, unwary snowflakes were captured, frozen stiff by the

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court magicians and placed in crystal boxes. This was very

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trying for the courtiers, who all caught tremendous colds, and

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the court physicians were kept busy all the year round

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trying to cure them. However, it became so unfashionable not

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to sneeze that everyone was soon resigned to his fate,

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and as the ladies found furs surprisingly becoming, they were

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very soon reconciled to the inevitable Prince. Berbus had been

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worse than ever on the day of Nigette's capture, so

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she and all her family were quickly shut up in

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his special ten and the Prince left in solitude. Finally,

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he began kicking at the crystal boxes, and that greatly

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upset Neigette's dignity. So she called out as loudly as

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she could, Prince Superbus, what are you doing. The Prince

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stood as still as if he had been suddenly turned

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into stone. Then he peered about, but at first could

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find no one. At length, the idea struck him to

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look in the crystal boxes, and when he saw sprite

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after sprite sitting disconsolately in their prisons, he laughed at right.

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Nijette grew very angry. Indeed, you may laugh, she cried indignantly.

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But if you were a nice boy, you would not

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behave in such a ridiculous fashion interfering with other people's

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lives in this way. Pray, why should we be shut

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up in a box just because you like to be

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so silly? Prince Superbus gasped in astonishment. This was quite

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a new way of looking at his conduct. He knew

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quite well that his mother and father were secretly delighted

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at his wonderful high spirit, as they were pleased to

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call it. He was greatly offended. I'll keep you there forever,

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he said angrily. You ought to be glad you can

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be useful to a prince, and he stormed out of

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the room altogether. Nijed wept, but she had sense enough

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to know now that she must make friends with the

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prince if she were ever to carry out her grant

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scheme of life. The next time Superbus came near her,

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she said, she felt very dull and meekly asked the

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Prince to come and talk to her. The first day

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he refused, but presently he began to grow interested in

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his pretty little prisoner and spent quite a long time

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talking with her. The court physicians congratulated themselves on the

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grand success of their treatment, and went about with their

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noses so high in the air that one after another

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they all had severe tumbles through not being able to

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see where they were walking. This put the Prince in

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a high good humor when the edifying procession came to

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see him in the morning, for every single physician was

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bandaged and plastered. Nijette soon discovered that the fiery Prince

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was ambitious too, and so artfully did she talk and

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talk that finally super Erbus came to the conclusion that

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nothing would do but he must see this wonderful queen

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who wore ermine tails, and to whom millions of people

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bowed themselves down all day and all night. Tell me, Najette,

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he said, tell me how I can come with you.

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I do not think you can, said the artful spright,

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knowing that was just the way to make Superbus all

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the more determined. At last, she said, if you open

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wide the windows to let the cold air in and

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let us out of the boxes. We will change you

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into a snowflake too, then you can come with us.

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Superbus actually believed every word she said, opened the windows

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and broke to pieces the crystal boxes. Then, of course,

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all the snowflakes flew out into the frosty air, and

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Nijette cried, good bye, Prince Berbus, I will tell the

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great Queen you are coming now. Superbus stormed and raged

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and shook his fist at the retreating snowflakes. Finally he

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threw cushions at the King and Queen and all the physicians,

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and behaved so badly that in self defense the court

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magicians had to be called in to freeze him into quietness.

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The Queen wept bitterly, and the King sniffed secretly, but

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no one could find a better way out of the

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difficulty at present. So now Nigette was free, and the

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poor little prince a prisoner. The fairy family continued its

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long journey, and some of the flakes began to feel

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worn out and to express desire to settle down softly

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on some object or other. I should like to stay here,

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murmured one flake, looking longingly at some tall pines bending

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under the weight of snow, And I hear sighed another

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flake as they passed a snug little cottage with gleaming

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windows and a roof already wide with its winter burden.

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But Nichette sternly kept them altogether. We are getting nearer

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journey's end. I feel sure, she said, reassuringly. They were,

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in fact nearing a great city. Instead of lonely fir

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trees and nestling cottages, there were rows and rows of

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gleaming lights and houses. The snow did not keep wide

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very long, and the little sprites quite shuddered at its

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ugly color. But numbers of people were hurrying about in

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a cheery fashion, heedless of the now fast falling flakes.

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Mostly their hands were so full of queer shaped parcels

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that they had not a free hand to hold an umbrella,

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or even to give in friendly greeting. But they nodded

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to each other and smile and said joyfully, A merry Christmas,

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A merry Christmas. There were a great many happy little children,

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looking very excited about something or other. Then some bells

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began to ring, and the people seemed to grow happier

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and happier. Even Nejette began to feel a wild desire

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to tumble down among the happy crowd. However, she stilled

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her heart against any such mud ideas, and decided to

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look about for the great queen she had come to seek.

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The snow had ceased falling now, and the sky grew

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bright with stars, and Nijette heard people murmur seasonable weather,

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This just the right weather for Christmas time. Fires were replenished,

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pretty maidens wrapped themselves up in cozy firs. Grandmothers told

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tales of cold winters they remembered, and grandfathers ate it

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and abetted them. But at last all grew still, and

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the cold grew more and more intense. As all these

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sounds of joy and festivity died away into silence, Nijette

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heard a sound of sobbing, and saw a little child

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lying on the ground, clasping a bunch of crimson berries.

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I wanted to give him to the kind lady. He

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was sobbing. She liked him so last year, And I

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be so cold, I can't walk no more. And down

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the head dropped on the little chap's arms till he

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sobbed himsel sleep he'll die of cold, cried Nigette, thinking

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of a poor wee bird she had seen one day,

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with its bright eyes glazed and its poor feet stretched

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out stiff and straight and straightway. Forgetful of queen and glory,

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she sailed softly down and rested lightly on the little

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lonely figure to try to keep him warm. Down fluttered

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all the flakes, and then more and more, till the

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child's figure was covered with the soft white snow. Where

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is the queen, asked one snowflake. I forgot all about her,

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murmured Nigette, and she quietly melted away. Why what is this?

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Cried a quiet voice as the speaker tumbled over the

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little figure in the snow. Then it was not long

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before the sleeping burden was carried into light and warmth,

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and the poor wee Laddie restored to life again. His

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childish story was soon told. The lady at whose gait

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he had fallen had lost, visited him when sick, and

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she had worn crimson holy berries in her warm fur mouth.

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The child's quickeye noted how she caressed them, but he

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did not know that it was for the sake of

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the giver. He had tried to show his gratitude by

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bringing her some this year, and had nearly fallen a

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victim to the cold. Brave little man, cried the finder

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of the little wanderer, when he heard how far he

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had come. We shall share our happiness, he cried, turning

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to the lady, who shyly smiled assent. And that was

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the first of Ned's happy Christmases. First he was a

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prosaic little page, all batons and importance. But though in

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after years he ropes to positions of trust, he always

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kept a shriveled bunch of holy berries in memory of

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the Christmas night when his good fortune began. When he,

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Jette had sunk down, regardless of her fine plans, she

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of course, had expected the fate of every snowflake to

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melt away into nothingness. Imagine her surprise then when she

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awoke again, feeling bigger and looking more lovely than ever,

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and by her side stood another white fairy, holding out

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hands and greeting welcome. Nigette said the fairy, you are

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one of us now. But the others they helped too.

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They only went because you did. They did not give

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up anything, for they cared nothing about the great Queen

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Nijette smiled. Neither did she now how funny it seemed

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to her that she ever did come, said her fairy guide.

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You have one more task to perform, And the astonished

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Nigette found herself before the palace of King Magnificus. It

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cannot be a merry Christmas with one son frozen stiff.

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The Queen was sobbing when the door opened and a

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bewitching little white maiden stood smiling on the threshold. I believe, ma'am,

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she said, I could help to keep Prince Superbus very

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good tempered. Indeed, at once the Queen dragged her off

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to the court magicians, and they, in their turn hurried

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the two off for the court physicians, and in less

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time than it takes to tell, Prince Barbus was free

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once more. When he saw how very pretty Nigette looked,

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he quite forgot she was the naughty little snow fairy

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who had cheated him so and promised to be good

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always if only the little maiden could stay to play

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with him. So that was a merry Christmas at court.

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In fact, there never was a merrier until years and

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years later, when the boy and girl had grown up

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to be handsome youth and sweetest maiden. And then there

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was a wedding that Christmas, which put all weddings into

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the shade that have ever been held before or since.

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Before a glowing fire. A little boy was sitting enjoying

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the cheerful blaze, and a motherly looking person was holding

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a steaming basin of something good. The snow fairies saved me,

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the little fellow was saying. The gentleman said, so, snow

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fairies sniffed the comfortable looking party. You drink this and

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see if it isn't much better than snow fairies. Such rubbish.

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Another sniff, But the gentleman in the background laughed and

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nodded at the boy. I shouldn't wonder if the snow

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fairies know all about it, he said. Just then the

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bells began ringing merrily, swiftly, as if they could not

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tell their message quickly enough. Peace and good will, Peace

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and good will, they pealed, and the kind lady bent

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to kiss the little wistful face and cried and Merry Christmas.

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Ned and of the ambitious snowflake by s sett On

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Moore