The Star Under Snow — Under the pines, Willa nudged her scarf higher and listened for the tiny silver chime that was supposed to sing from the holiday tree. Read the full story →
Under the pines, Willa nudged her scarf higher and listened for the tiny silver chime that was supposed to sing from the holiday tree. The branches glittered with bells and striped sweets, but the smallest sound was gone. She wanted it back before moonrise. Near the lantern, a row of paw prints crossed the snow where no pony usually stepped.
Willa left the warm fence corner and followed them. Crunch, crunch, hush. Cold snow packed between her shaggy hooves, and one candy cane snapped underfoot with a peppermint crack. The prints stopped beneath the lowest branches, beside a lumpy drift that smelled faintly of pine sap and old ribbon. Willa’s heart tapped faster than sleigh bells. “Just one brave nudge,” she whispered.
Her nose pushed into the drift. Out rolled the missing chime, tied to a curled note and a tiny wooden star. The note said, For the pony who hears quiet things. Willa carried the chime back and hung the star where everyone could see it. Next time you spot paw prints in snow, listen closely for that tiny silver chime.
