Winter's No Time to Sleep! Read online

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Winter White

  Chapter 2: Snow Buddies

  Chapter 3: Hickory Hill

  Chapter 4: Wake-Up Call

  Chapter 5: Pippa’s First Snow Day

  Chapter 6: Snow Much Fun!

  Chapter 7: Slip-Sliding Away

  Chapter 8: The Scarf Search

  Chapter 9: Rock-a-Bye, Pippa

  Chapter 10: Good Night, Sleep Tight

  The Clover Curse Excerpt

  About Poppy Green and Jennifer A. Bell

  Winter White

  Sophie yawned and sat up in her bed. The early morning light glowed through her window. She squinted and blinked hard.

  Sophie rubbed her eyes. She gasped. Is that what I think it is? she wondered excitedly. Her vision cleared. White flakes drifted past her window. Snow! It was snowing!

  Sophie leaped out of bed. She pressed her nose and whiskers against the frosty window. Outside, a blanket of white covered the sleeping forest.

  “A snow day!” Sophie squeaked. “At last!” It was the first snowfall since winter had come. Her class at Silverlake Elementary had been on winter break for a week. But now the wintertime fun could really begin!

  Still in her pajamas, Sophie tiptoed downstairs. She went to the front door and pulled it open. A little pile of snow fell onto the floor.

  Sophie looked around. The forest was a glistening winter wonderland! Sophie breathed in the crisp air. Her ears perked up, listening. It was so quiet and still—except for clumps of snow softly falling from trees. Sophie imagined all the animals tucked away in their cozy homes.

  “You’re up early,” said a voice behind her. Sophie turned. Her dad, George Mouse, was coming downstairs. “I can’t imagine why,” he added with a smile. “How about we make blueberry pancakes and some rhubarb tea for everyone?”

  Sophie nodded and joined her dad in the kitchen. They mixed up some pancake batter. Mr. Mouse got a jar of preserved blueberries from the root cellar. Sophie stirred them into the batter.

  Her dad heated a pan. It sizzled as he dropped in blobs of batter. He spooned two small blobs next to a larger one. The batter ran together to make . . .

  “A mouse!” Sophie cried. “Can I try one?” She loved to draw and paint. And even making pancakes was art to her!

  George Mouse handed her the spoon. Sophie made three blobs stacked on top of one another. Onto the last blob, she added two tiny drops.

  “Aha!” said George Mouse. “A snow mouse!”

  Before long, the smell of pancakes lured Sophie’s mom and brother downstairs.

  “Surprise!” Sophie cried when she saw Lily Mouse and Winston. “Sit down. Breakfast is ready!”

  “Yippee!” Winston cried as the Mouse family sat down to warm pancakes and hot tea. Sophie took her seat by the window. She reached for the syrup and gazed outside. The snow sure was piling up!

  I bet it’ll be up to the tops of my boots, Sophie thought. Her mind swirled with snowy ideas. I can make snow angels! And snow mice! And snow forts! But first I want to go sledding at Hickory Hill! I’ll pick up Hattie and Owen and we can—

  “Sophie?” Her mother’s voice interrupted her snowdream. “Sophie! Your pancakes!”

  Sophie looked down. Her plate was almost overflowing with syrup.

  “Oops!” Sophie cried. She put down the syrup jug. “I guess I was thinking about something else.”

  Lily Mouse smiled. “I guess so!”

  Snow Buddies

  Sophie got ready to go outside. She pulled on her warmest woolen leggings. She laced up her boots.

  “I’ll be at the bakery,” Mrs. Mouse said. She owned the only bakery in Pine Needle Grove. “Folks still need their bread. Even in snow!”

  George Mouse added, “But I’ll be here, Sophie. Come home when your toes get cold.” Sophie’s dad was an architect. He was going to sketch at his desk—between snowball fights with Winston, of course.

  “Okay!” said Sophie. She bundled up in her warmest winter jacket.

  “Oh!” said Lily Mouse. “I almost forgot!” She got her tote bag. She pulled out a purple bundle, tied with a ribbon.

  Then she handed it to Sophie. “I’ve been knitting when business is slow,” she explained. “I finished it yesterday.”

  Sophie untied the ribbon. The bundle unfurled into a long purple scarf. “It’s so beautiful!” Sophie exclaimed. She wrapped it around her neck. “And so warm and soft!” She gave her mom a big hug. “I love it!” cried Sophie. “I’m never taking it off. Thank you, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome,” Mrs. Mouse replied with a smile. “Now go have fun!”

  So Sophie tromped off. The snow crunched under her feet. She headed straight for her best friend Hattie Frog’s house. The friends always played outside on the first snow day of the year.

  But it was still early. I wonder if Hattie’s up yet, Sophie thought. She reached the Frog family’s house on the bank of the stream. The window shutters were closed. Sophie decided to knock quietly in case they were still asleep. She raised her hand to the door.

  But before she could knock, it swung wide open. And there was Hattie, dressed and ready.

  “What took you so long?” Hattie teased Sophie. “I’ve been ready since sunrise!”

  Sophie laughed. “Sledding at Hickory Hill?” she suggested. “We could get Owen on the way.”

  “Yeah!” Hattie replied. She said good-bye to her mom and dad. Then the two friends set off toward town. They walked all the way to the other side of town, where Owen’s house was. In the warm months, the Snake family lived in a house nestled in a bunch of lily plants. But as the cold came on, the leaves dried up. So Owen’s family moved into tunnels beneath their house. Sophie and Hattie had to dig a little in the snow to find the door. Sophie knocked.

  The door opened a crack. Mrs. Snake peeked out. When she saw Sophie and Hattie, she flung it open wide. “Hello! Look at you, snow bunnies . . . I mean snow mouse and frog!”

  Owen peeked around his mom. “Sophie! Hattie!” he exclaimed.

  “Want to come sledding?” Sophie asked excitedly.

  Owen beamed. He looked at his mom for an okay. She nodded and smiled.

  In a flash, Owen zipped out the door. He squeezed between Sophie and Hattie. He slithered away fast, leaving a ripple pattern in the snow.

  “Come on!” Owen called back to them. “Last one to Hickory Hill is a stinky mushroom!”

  Hickory Hill

  Sophie and Hattie ran to catch up with Owen. They walked back through town and past Forget-Me-Not Lake. It was frozen solid. A big section of ice had been swept clear of snow. Sophie could see scratches on it.

  “Someone’s been skating,” Sophie pointed out.

  “We could do that too!” said Owen.

  Hattie nodded. “But sledding first. Look!” she said as she pointed toward some trees with white trunks. “Birches! Maybe we can find some bark for sleds.”

  Birch bark was perfect for sleds. Maple bark was too bumpy. Oak was even bumpier. But birch bark was smooth and thin—flexible but strong. And sometimes it came off in a big sheet.

  Hattie found a fallen birch branch in the snow. She grasped a piece of bark that was peeling up. She pulled slowly . . . carefully . . . until it came loose.

  “Big enough?” Hattie asked. “If we go one at a time?”

  Sophie and Owen nodded. “Good job, Hattie!” cried Sophie. “You get the first ride!”

  Working together, they carried their birch-bark sled down the path. Soon they came out of the woods. There was Hickory Hill! It was big and wide, and covered with untracked snow.

  They climbed up to the top. Hattie knelt on the sled. She grabbed the front and curled it up over her knees
.

  Sophie put a hand on Hattie’s back. “Ready? Set? Hold on tight!” She gave Hattie a big push.

  “Whoo-hooooooo!” Hattie’s voice trailed off as she sped away.

  A few minutes later, Hattie ran the sled back up the hill. “That was so fun!” she cried. “Who’s next?”

  “You go, Owen!” said Sophie. So Owen coiled up on the sled. Sophie and Hattie gave him a push.

  “Aaaaaaaaaah!” Owen called the whole way down. He slid a few yards farther than Hattie had.

  Owen wriggled his way back up the hill. It was Sophie’s turn. “Give me a really, really big push,” she told her friends.

  “You asked for it!” said Owen.

  Hattie started jogging as she pushed Sophie. Owen slithered next to her, pushing his head against Sophie’s back. They pushed and pushed until Sophie rocketed away.

  The air ruffled Sophie’s fur. Snow sprayed into her eyes. The sled raced down the track Hattie and Owen had packed down. Sophie leaned forward, trying to go faster!

  She got to the bottom of the hill. And the sled kept going! It flew past the spots where Hattie and Owen had stopped.

  Oh no! thought Sophie. She was headed right for the bushes!

  Wake-Up Call

  Sophie—and the sled—plunged into the underbrush and came to a stop. Sophie could hear her friends running down the hill.

  “Sophie!” Owen called out. “Are you okay?”

  He and Hattie arrived breathless. Hattie offered Sophie a hand. Sophie stood up and shook the snow off her leggings. She caught her breath. “That was the best ride ever!” she exclaimed, laughing and still breathing in deep gulps.

  Just then, Sophie heard a squeak. She looked at Hattie and Owen. They froze, listening. They’d heard it too.

  There was another squeak. And another.

  Sophie leaned toward the bushes. It was coming from in there!

  “Uh . . . hello?” Owen called.

  For a long moment, there was no reply. Then a little voice squeaked, “Hello.”

  The friends looked at one another. Who was that?

  Sophie peered into the brush. But she couldn’t see much. “I’m going in,” she said.

  “Wait!” cried Hattie. “You don’t know what’s in there.”

  Sophie smiled. Hattie was always so careful. But Sophie wasn’t worried. “Scary things don’t usually have squeaky voices.”

  Hattie still didn’t look so sure. “Then let’s go in together,” she said.

  So Sophie, Hattie, and Owen inched into the thick underbrush. They took turns holding branches aside to let the others go through. Sheltered by the branches and trees overhead, the ground was free of snow.

  Sophie stopped. Hattie and Owen did too. A big mound of dry leaves and grass blocked their way.

  As they started to walk around one side, they saw it. It was an opening—a door in the mound. And poking out was a little head. It was covered in spiky fur and had a tiny brown nose.

  The animal stepped out of the doorway. It was a hedgehog!

  “Oh, hi!” Sophie said.

  “Shhhhhh,” the hedgehog whispered. She yawned, turned, and shuffled back into her nest.

  Sophie looked at Hattie and Owen. “I think we scared her,” she said.

  Hattie still looked nervous. She stayed behind Sophie and peeked over her shoulder. But Owen leaned toward the door of the nest. “Sorry,” he whispered. “We didn’t mean to bother you.”

  Just then, the hedgehog reappeared, startling Owen. Now she was wearing a purple sweater, green pants, and a red scarf. She motioned to them to follow her. She led them away from the nest and then turned around.

  “Hi,” she mumbled sleepily. “I’m Pippa. Didn’t mean to be rude.” She rubbed her eyes. “I just didn’t want to wake my brothers and sisters.”

  Sophie and Owen introduced themselves too. “And this is Hattie,” Owen added. Hattie was still being a little shy.

  “Is your family nocturnal?” Sophie asked Pippa. She knew that some animals slept during the day and were awake at night.

  Pippa nodded. “We are nocturnal. But we hibernate, too. So we sleep through most of the winter.” She gave a big yawn.

  Hattie came out from behind Sophie. She seemed to realize Pippa wasn’t scary. “So why aren’t you sleeping?” Hattie asked.

  Pippa sighed. “I should be, but a loud noise woke me up. I think the brush even shook a little.”

  Sophie was embarrassed. “Sorry. That was me crashing my sled.”

  “Oh,” said Pippa, nodding her head. “Wait. What’s a sled?”

  Owen laughed. “You know. For riding in the snow?”

  “Oh,” said Pippa, nodding again. “I’ve heard of snow. But I’ve never seen it.”

  Sophie was shocked.

  Pippa had never seen snow?

  Pippa’s First Snow Day

  Then Sophie realized: “You’re always asleep in the winter!”

  “Ohhh,” said Owen and Hattie, getting it.

  Sophie gasped. “Do you want to see some snow?” she asked. “Right now?”

  Suddenly, Pippa’s eyes opened wide. She nodded excitedly. Sophie led the way. Hattie, Owen, and Pippa followed to the edge of the underbrush. Pippa peeked out.

  At first, she squinted in the light. But slowly her eyes got used to it. She looked up, down, and all around.

  “Wow,” she said in awe. “It’s beautiful! And it’s just . . . frozen water?”

  Sophie picked up a clump of snow. She spread it out in her hand. “See each little ice crystal? They’re snowflakes!”

  Pippa studied the snowflakes. Then she gazed out at the snow-covered hill. “Imagine how many snowflakes it takes to make . . . all this!” Pippa said.

  “I’ve never really thought about that before!” Sophie said to Pippa. It was amazing!

  Pippa smiled. “You know what?” she said. “Suddenly I don’t feel so tired.”

  “Well, since you’re awake,” said Owen, “do you want to play with us?”

  Sophie added, “There are lots of fun things to do in the wintertime!”

  Hattie pulled a pair of earmuffs from her coat pocket. “And you could borrow these,” she said. Hattie adjusted them to fit Pippa’s head.

  Pippa beamed. “Thank you!” she said. “So . . . what should we do first?”

  “How about some more sledding?” Sophie suggested.

  Pippa was nervous to try it. She watched Sophie, Hattie, and Owen take their turns. “Watch out for the underbrush!” Pippa teased just before Sophie went.

  Sophie laughed. “No more crashes today!” she said.

  Finally, the friends got Pippa to take a ride. “The snow is nice and soft,” Owen told her. “Even if you fall off, you’ll be fine.”

  They gave Pippa a gentle push. She picked up speed and slid away. Pippa didn’t whoop or cheer on her way down. Sophie watched, worrying. Did she hate it? Sophie couldn’t tell! Not until after Pippa had come to a stop.

  Suddenly there came a big “Yahoooooo!” from the bottom of the hill. It was so loud it echoed off the trees.

  Sophie laughed. “Well, I think she likes it!”

  Next, they built a snow animal on top of the hill. They thought about building a snow snake, a snow frog, or a snow hedgehog. In the end, they thought a snow mouse would be easiest.

  They showed Pippa how to roll snow into balls. They stacked them up. Then they found small sticks to use as whiskers.

  Hattie dug in the snow looking for pebbles for eyes. Sophie added two snowballs on top for ears.

  She was adding a few more items to the snow mouse when—whomp! Something cold hit the back of her neck. A snowball!

  She whirled around. Owen was giggling—and making another snowball with his tail!

  Sophie scooped up some snow. She chased Owen down the hill.

  “Snowball fight!” the animals cried.

  Snow Much Fun!

  The four friends divided up into teams: Owen and Pippa versus Sophie and Hattie.
Then, at the edge of the woods, the snowball fight began!

  Owen’s secret weapon was his tail. Using it, he could fling the snowballs so far!

  But Sophie’s secret weapon was Hattie. Always practical, she started building a snow wall. She and Sophie hid behind it. While Sophie threw snowballs, Hattie made the wall bigger and wider. Owen and Pippa threw tons of snowballs. But they were all hitting the wall.

  “Sneak attack!” cried Owen. He and Pippa ran up to the wall and jumped on top of it. The soft wall crumbled.

  Everyone laughed and flopped down into the snow.

  They lay there, resting, gazing up at the wintry sky. Sophie took a scoop of fresh snow. She ate it like a snow cone.

  “So how come you don’t go to Silverlake Elementary?” Sophie asked Pippa.

  “My mom homeschools us,” Pippa replied.

  Owen added, “Plus, you live pretty far from the schoolhouse. It would be a long walk.”

  “Do you ever get bored—not going to school?” Hattie asked.

  Pippa shook her head. “No. I have five brothers and sisters! We play a lot. And we have playdates with friends. There are lots of other animals on Hickory Hill!”

  Pippa asked them about school. Sophie described their teacher, Mrs. Wise. Then Hattie listed all their classmates. Owen talked about the games they played at recess when the weather was warm.

  “But we know some snow games, too,” Hattie told Pippa. “Like snow hide-and-seek! Whoever’s ‘it’ tries to find the hiders by following tracks in the snow. But the hiders try to make their tracks confusing and hard to follow.”