The Snow Baby – Part Two

Now the Snow Baby lived with its mother and father in their hut and, because it was a magical baby it was stronger and smarter than other children. After one winter had passed it had learned to speak like a grown up and after two winters, it had become the best hunter in the village, killing many animals with only a tiny bow and arrow.

But Bitter Frost always had her evil eye on it and, whenever she could, she tried to lure the innocent child into peril. One time she even set fire to the hut with the snow baby inside but, thinking quickly, the snow baby dug a tunnel under the snow and escaped; another time she made a pot of boiling fat
and said to the snow baby, “You are dirty. Go and take a bath in there” but, feeling the heat of the boiling cauldron, the Snow baby got suspicious and , blowing as hard as the North Wind, blew over the cauldron so that it spilled over onto Bitter Frost instead, scalding her.

Finally, though when the child was four winters old, Bitter Frost saw her chance to kill it.

The old woman, Has Walked Far, had told the Snow Baby about a giant Sabre tooth tiger who lived in the forest of the mystic evergreen.

“It’s blood is magical”, she said, “If it spills upon you then you will turn into a real little boy and not a boy made of snow”.

Hearing this, Star of The North was determined that he would go and hunt the great Sabre Tooth
and he said to his mother, “When I come back, mother, then you will have a real little boy”.

But Snow Blossom was afraid for her child and warned him against going.

“You are too young to go on such a dangerous hunting trip”, she said to him and, afraid that he would go anyway, she put him in their hut and left a husky, called Shadow, in front of it to guard it so that he couldn’t escape.

But the Snow Baby, who was a very talented mimic, made the sound of an angry Polar Bear and, hearing the noise coming from inside the hut, Shadow got frightened and ran away.

Then, taking nothing but his little bow and his arrows, the snow baby headed out to find and hunt the great Sabre Tooth.

But, as he was going out, Bitter Frost saw him and said to another man within the tribe, a half-brother and rival of Angry Bear, called Crying Wind, “Look. There goes Star of The North. Angry Bear is old now and if anything were to happen to his son, then he would have no heir and you, being his half-brother, would surely become chief”.

Crying Wind was afraid at first, saying, “That boy is not normal. He has magical powers. No one can kill him”.

But then Bitter Frost told Crying Wind that fire could kill him and so Crying Wind set fire to his spear and, on his husky sled which was pulled by 10 strong sled dogs, followed the Snow Baby waving his spear and meaning to kill him but, looking back over his shoulder, Star of The North saw Crying Wind coming after him and so, because he could run faster than any ordinary boy, he ran as fast as a team of sled dogs.

And, as he was running, he bumped into the Old Man of the North Wind who was coming the other way.

“Where are you running to so fast, little Snow Baby?”, asked the Old Man who was the living incarnation of the cold, blustery North wind.

“I am going to Hunt the great Sabre-Tooth who lives in the forest of the Mystic Evergreen, sir”, replied Star of The North, respectfully, “But my father’s half-brother, Crying Wind is chasing after me
and I believe he means to kill me”.

The Old Man liked the Snow Baby for they were both made of the elements and the Mystic Evergreen who had brought the Snow Baby to life was the North Winds sister too; so then, breathing in so deeply that his cheeks puffed out like balloons, he blew out a howling snow storm in which Crying Wind and his huskies were completely lost.

Then, thanking the Old Man for his kindness, Star of the North headed on towards the forest where the ferocious Sabre Tooth lived.

When he got to the cave of the Sabre Tooth, the creature was waiting for him because it had heard him coming through the forest, trampling on dry leaves and twigs but oddly, it had thought, it could not smell him.

“You do not smell like a man”, growled the gigantic Sabre Tooth emerging from the cave and taking a closer sniff.

“That is because I am made of snow and not flesh and blood. I am not afraid of you because you cannot kill me”, replied the snow baby.

“Why do you come seeking me with your bow and arrow?”, asked the enormous cat, now circling him warily, “What have I ever done to you?”.

“You have done nothing to me”, Star of the North replied, “But your blood will make me human; it will make me into a real little boy”.

The tiger grinned, opening its sabre tooth mouth and showing off all the razor sharp teeth inside; then, with one quick swipe of its claw, it slashed a shallow wound into its furry chest which sprayed its warm blood across the face of the Snow Baby and, immediately and miraculously, then the face of the Snow Baby began to transform from snow into warm human flesh.

Wiping the blood from his face, Star of the North felt that it had changed and laughed with joy.

“I’m human”, he said, happily, “I’m flesh and blood”.

“Yes you are”, laughed the Sabre Tooth menacingly and then, with a roar, added, “And that means I can kill you”.

Terrified for the first time in his life, Star of the North turned and ran but he was not a magical child anymore and could only run as fast as a normal boy and though he fired his little bow and arrow, it seemed useless against the ferocious Sabre Tooth, like a child’s toy.

But just then, a spear flew through the air, striking the Sabre Tooth in its side and, turning round, Star of The North saw his father who had come to rescue him.

Angered by the pain of the spear that was lodged in its side, the tiger then turned on his father, leaping towards him and slashing at him with its long, deadly razor sharp claws, wounding Angry Bear fatally but not before the skilled hunter was able to impale the terrible creature, driving another spear head deep into its heart.

Roaring in grief and agony, the gigantic sabre toothed animal collapsed beside Angry Bear
and then, running over to his father, Star of The North embraced him.

“There was a snow storm but I came through it to find you because my life is not important now. You are all that is important”, said his father.

Star of The North had never felt close to his father before but he felt close to him now that he was dying and he begged for the mystic Evergreen to spare his father’s life.

But his father was not unhappy about dying and, trying to console his son, took hold of his hand.

“I have not been a good chief. I have been too cold inside”, he said to his son, “But you have a warm heart and that is why you will make a good chief. The greatest chief there has ever been”.

And saying this, his father closed his eyes and his last breath escaped him.

After that, Star of The North went back to his village; though he felt colder now that he was made of ordinary human flesh but when his mother saw him, she took him in her arms and he felt, for the first time, the real warmth of a mother’s love.

After that his father was brought and buried in the honoured place of their ancestors; Bitter Frost and Crying Wind were banished forever into the icy wasteland and were never heard of again and Star of The North was made chief of the village and, just as his father had predicted, he was the best and the bravest chief there had ever been.