Reading time: 6 minLarge, soft snowflakes fell silently from the sky as Harper and Dylan played with their wooden train set in their warm living room. It was a tradition that the old train set was put up every year at the beginning of winter and ran leisurely through the living room at Christmas.
But this year, Dylan, Harper’s older brother, seemed less than enthusiastic. “I’m too old for all this,” he said defiantly, dropping a carriage onto the tracks with a soft clack. “There’s so much snow outside—I’d much rather go sledding!”
Harper looked at her brother disappointedly. She loved the train set and playing cozy by the fireplace. But before she could reply, the doorbell rang. It was Ben and Zoe, the neighbor children, with a tin full of fragrant cookies.
As they nibbled on the sweet treats, Ben told them about their last sledding trip in the “fairytale forest,” a nearby hill known for its old, gnarled trees.
“Zoe and I were sledding yesterday, and when we got to the top of the hill and were about to start down, we saw a whole bunch of dwarves in the snow,” Zoe said mysteriously. Her brother confirmed his little sister’s story and nodded convincingly.
“Dwarves? Really?” Harper asked excitedly. “Yes—they were tiny and very busy,” Zoe whispered. “They carried little bags on their backs and kept disappearing into small caves.”
Dylan raised his eyebrows. “Dwarves don’t exist!” he said skeptically.
But Harper was fascinated by the idea that something magical was actually happening on top of the hill. She had always felt that the old gnarled trees were different, sometimes seeming almost alive.
Lost in thought, she let the train cars glide along the tracks. After Zoe and Ben had said goodbye, Harper sat restlessly in her chair at dinner.
When her mom asked if everything was okay, Harper looked up and asked, “Can we go sledding tonight?” Her parents looked at each other skeptically, and Dylan also looked at his sister in surprise. “This late?” asked Dad, glancing at his watch.
But Mom smiled. “Why not? The snow is beautiful, and none of us have been outside today. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see the fairy tale forest by moonlight.”
Harper could hardly believe her luck and threw her arms around her mom. “Yes!” she cried excitedly and grabbed her snowsuit. Dylan was also looking forward to the trip. He loved sledding more than anything.
All four of them stood in front of the shed, wrapped up warmly, with Grandpa’s old wooden sled in tow. Together they trudged through the deep snow to the fairy-tale forest.
“Mom, you’re coming up with us, right?” asked Dylan, who felt a little uneasy in the dim light of the forest.
“Of course,” Mom said reassuringly. “Dad is waiting below to watch us race down.”
The climb was exhausting, but the soft light of the moon and the glittering snowflakes made the path look like a magical staircase. Harper held on to Mom’s hand while Dylan pulled the sled.
When they reached the top, a fairytale landscape spread out before them. The trees seemed alive, their branches forming shadows that dug into the snow.
Harper held her breath. She sensed something strange. And there it was! She knew it for sure: something was moving among the gnarled trees.
“There! Look!” she cried, pointing to two tiny figures dragging heavy sacks through the deep snow.
Dylan followed her gaze but frowned. “What do you mean? There’s nothing there.”
“Yes, there is! Right there!” Harper’s voice trembled with excitement. The little figures trudged on; the bags on their backs were filled with sparkling stones, as if they were little treasure chests.
Mom placed a reassuring hand on Harper’s shoulder and looked in the direction her daughter was pointing. “I don’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing there,” she said with a gentle smile.
Harper felt a warm tingling sensation spread through her. “So you believe me?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Mom replied. “If you believe it, then it is. Some things you have to see with your heart, not just with your eyes.”
“Come on, let’s finally go down!” Dylan shouted, sitting down on the sled. Mom sat behind the children and held them tightly.
The descent was breathtaking. The sled shot across the smooth snow, and it felt as if it were floating over the icy track. Harper and Dylan cheered with joy as the icy wind cooled their faces.
At the bottom, Dad was waiting with a look of amazement on his face. “You were lightning fast! It almost looked like you were flying!”
Harper and Dylan grinned at each other. Was Grandpa’s sled just in such good shape, or was the place actually a little magical? As they looked back at the hill once more, Harper saw a small light flashing between the trees. It was as if someone wanted to say goodbye to her.
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