snow and further away from the cabin. But this year, the weather took a sudden turn. After a few days, a fierce snowstorm began to brew, and the family decided it was too dangerous to stay. They packed up to return to town, but in the chaos of activity and worsening storm, Snowflake had not yet come back from her play outside. With heavy hearts, they left, hoping she would find her way home. Snowflake, however, was far from the cabin, jumping and dancing between the falling snow, as she often did. She loved to watch the snow twirl and dance in the wind, its wild spirals making her bark with de- light. That’s where she got her name from. Her job was to keep watch for polar bears, a serious task for any young Samoyed, but she couldn’t resist the joy of chasing the snow. The storm made the snowflakes move in such wild and unpredictable ways that when her family called for her, their voices were swallowed by the howling wind, and Snowflake, lost in the thrill of the storm, didn’t hear them. As the storm became even too much for the little Samoyed, Snowflake returned to the cabin only to find it dark and empty. The realization struck her like a gust of icy wind: her family had gone. She barked and scratched at the cabin door, but there was no answer, no movemnet. The cabin layed still and frozen before her. The snow, once her playful companion, now felt threatening and dangerous. With nowhere else to go, she turned back into the blizzard, hoping to find her way home and a sign of her beloved family. The storm continued raging without mercy, a sudden whirlwind of ice and wind that painted the sky white. The snow stung her nose and hurt her paws. The howling wind muffled all sounds. She barked for her family, but the storm carried her voice away. Lost and disoriented, Snowflake wandered through the drifts, her paws sinking deep into the snow and her legs filled with icy snowballs. Her thick coat, usually perfect for the Arctic, was no match for the biting wind. She began to get really cold. Curled up in the middle of the unknown, shivering, she wondered if she would ever find her way The Legend of Nanuk & the Spirit of Snow 2
NANUK’S CHRISTMAS STORIES
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