Kapittel 1

Chapter 1

"Bye Papa!" I called to my father, who was bundled in a fur coat and hat. My little reindeer, Sven, bounced next to me. For a reindeer, he acted an awful lot like a dog.

He shouldered his ice pick and walked with confident steps to the wagon where the men were gathering to go.

I couldn't wait until I could join them.

Mama had died four years earlier, I was only two. According to Papa, I had barely escaped dying from the fever she had succumbed to.

I sat on the wall by the warm hut and watched for Papa to come home. And he did.

He and I packed the ice in straw in the ice house for him to sell.

When we were done, he put his arm around my shoulders. "Tomorrow, Kristoff," he said in his rich, deep voice, "We are going to the ice fields."

"Together?"

"Together."

The next morning, I woke up at sunrise, almost eight by Gammel Kvinne's clock, which was almost as old as she was. She had been around since Agdar the first. The current king was Agdar III.

The sun would set only about 4 hours later, but I had to get ready.

I grabbed my coat, hat, and scarf. Then I needed an ice pick. I started digging in the old shed for one. There had to be one in there somewhere.

Then Papa touched my shoulder. i turned around.

In his large hands rested a brand new ice pick. It was shiny and polished, every bit perfected.

I hugged him around the neck.

Soon it was time to go. I skipped after him to the sleigh, where Filip swung me up behind the reindeer.

Sven banged his head against the shed where he was tethered. I waved happily. "Bye, Sven!"

We rushed through the forest as the sun set, finally reaching the lake by the time it was dark. The men started to light lanterns, distributing them around the lake where the men would get the ice from.

Filip showed me how to tell where the ice was thinner and thicker. "Now, go find us a thick spot."

I jumped from the wooden sleigh and ran out onto the lake.

"Watch out for weak spots, Kristoff!" he called behind me.

I scurried around the lake until I found a thick spot. I yelled to Filip, "Found one!"

"Good!" he yelled back.

Lanterns were beginning to come over. Papa was in the lead.

He put his hand on my head and said, "Good job, son."

I had never been more proud.

The men thrust long saws into the crystal ice. It crackled and sang in the cold air.

The sound coming from the lake ice moving was like muted thunder, or a dying tree, its wood shifting and cracking within. I loved the sound.

After long pieces had been cut, they cut them into blocks. Filip gave me a small piece to cut and showed me how.

I raised the ax and brought it down. It bounced off without making more than a dent.

Filip pulled my hat over my eyes. "Keep working."

I smiled and pushed up my hat.

Finally, I had cut the piece. It was sloppy and jagged, but Papa was proud. He let me drive the sleigh with him.

Sven was excited to see me. He bounced around and almost knocked me over.

I laughed, then sneezed. It scared the little reindeer for a second, and he dashed away. But then he returned and we went into the hut.

The next morning, I woke up with a fever. Papa looked worried and went to get Gammel Kvine. She brought teas and food for me to eat.

And soon, I was asleep.

I woke up from a feverish nightmare to voices whispering outside.

"The poor boy…"

"...too young…"

"What will he do?"

"He can't stay alone…"

"...All he had left…"

I didn't understand what they were saying. It seemed like another feverish dream.

I tried to talk, but started coughing. The voices outside stopped and the Gammel Kvinne walked in.

"How are you feeling?"

I tried to talk again, but nothing came out.

She held a cup of tea to my lips, and the herbal remedy put me to sleep.

When I woke up again, truly woke up, Filip was sitting on a stool next to my bed, his fur hat in his hands.

"Kristoff," he began, then his voice cracked. He cleared his throat, "Kristoff, I'm sorry, but your Papa...won't be home."

"Did he go to the village?" Papa did that, but he usually told me when he was going.

"Ikke, Kristoff, he...he is dead"

His voice cracked on the last word and he started crying. I did too.

My little boy heart was completely torn in two. Papa was the center of the universe to me, and now I had nothing to revolve around for guidance and love.

I leaned toward Filip and he embraced me. We sat like that for a long time. My father's friend held me as I cried.

GLOSSARY

Kapittel-Chapter

Gammel Kvinne-Old Woman

Ikke-No

Frosne Netter-Frozen Night