King Winter
The sky is dull and grey, piercing the chill its blast,
each day grows gently darker, winter's come at last.
Mamma knits by the fire, her little ones round her knees.
"It's dark before we tired, tell us something if you please?"
Mama looked at her children, with a mother's eye so keen
I see that you are not too fond of winter's chill,
but if you'll listen and be still
I'll tell you about someone you haven't seen...
Someone very nice, a King who lives in a palace of ice. "
"We'll not be noisy at all, but as good as ever we can."
"Then," said mama smiling, "I will tell you about King Winterland and Jack Frost his man."
Some children don't like the dark, the forest bare with naught but bark
Some miss the summer's heat, autumns glow, and the spring's bower of flowery treats
The children shook their heads in agreement, "we could do well with out all this cold treatment"
But the wisest children see...that each season has gifts to be received,
One of them is a man very nice, his heart made of the purest ice.
And although some may think him cold, he gives mighty gifts greater than gold.
King Winter dwells in the North, far away in the frozen zone,
in a palace of snow he holds his court, upon an icy throne.
He has cushions of course: his queen made them out of her wedding gown,
stuffing them well with snowflakes fine, they are soft as a goose's down.
The King has a trusty servant, Jack Frost is his name,
his nose is raspberry red, his beard is as white and stiff as a cane.
Jack is a good fellow of joy, and serves their Majesties well.
He's here and he's there, and he's everywhere, and does more than I can tell.
but you might have seen him, he loves to make children art
On windows he paints flowers for you with shimmery frost.
Each year, about this time, the King and his royal train
set off through the world, sweeping over mountain and plain.
His Majesty fails not to visit every land that's not too hot,
to give chill both high and low, from the palace down to the smallest lot.
So that the Earth may stay warm and have water for the spring
The king knits of blanket of snow, the finest I've ever seen
Fine mirrors for children to skate on; none are finer than Jack can make;
in scratchless sheets of crystal clear, he lays them on river and lake.
The trees, all naked and drear, he robes in the purest white,
with icicles shining of rainbow hues, making their branches bright.
"I have, I have seen him, he vistited just last night! "
"Quiet now", said susy to her brother, "this story is such a delight!"
These wonders wrought in a single night may well excite surprise,
amazed is the sun when he gets up at dawn, and stares as he rises.
Then out come all the waking boys and girls, all of winter's gifts to view,
and their noses and cheeks turn red with cold, some of them even turn blue.
Outside they pelt each other with snow, rolling it up in a mighty ball,
and shout and laugh and scamper about, and heels over head they fall.
Next they make a man of snow, is grand as a soldier tall.
A wooden broom in his hand, a carrot for his nose.
He is the finest of friends any child should know.
King Winter laughs at the fun being had in his kingdom of snow
A happy tear streaks down his cheek as he cries, "Bravo!"
The children of this village delight in the fun and good of this season
I'll give to them more gifts for this happy reason.
"What my king,"asks Jake "shall you bring, when you have given so many wonderful things?"
The King smiled, showing his teeth of ice, "Oh gifts so very nice!"
I will make the child's breath be seen in my winters air
They can puff and huff like dragons, magic now theirs!
a crispy crunch of shimmer dust shall drape the forest ground,
So that they shall never be lost, but always found.
My icicle tears shall drape the roofs of all their dwellings
so that they may know, whilst icicles may melt, my heart is ever swelling.
"Mama, mama, King Winter is so kind when will he pass our way?"
"He will stay with us past Christmas Day but usually leaves before May."
"Oh we love, we love this wintertime," they said
Mama smiled and patted their heads...
"Now dream of all the wintery gifts of glittering snow and
all the love of Winter's time you're soon to know."
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