The man began to speak.
"Let's go inside and warm up. It's awfully chilly outside today—even for me." He chuckled and turned to lead the way. The monster followed with a million questions flowing through his mind. Who was this man? How did the deer fly? Had he gone insane—lost his mind? Perhaps he was dying?
The man turned and said, "There will be plenty of time for your questions to be answered. Now is not the time." As he said this he approached the large pole and touched a well camouflaged button. Instantly the pole moved upward revealing a door way with a long spiral stair case below. The man motioned for the creature to follow and follow he did.
The winding stair case led to a world unlike the bareness above. Heat rushed and the creature and he began to feel warm for the first time since he had left the side of his creator. Lights twinkled around him and the air had something—something swift about it (the creature would later learn that the whole place was filled with magic and that was the indescribable quality of the air). When he reached the bottom of the stair he looked around. Before him was a large, expansive cavern that appeared to be carved out of the ice. It was like an underground igloo but warmer. So warm in fact that the creature was puzzled by it: the walls and ceiling should be melting but they stood firm and solid despite the temperature. The man continued to lead him into one of the half a dozen buildings in view. It was a descent size cottage. It appeared to have two stories and was painted in bright, cheery colors. The windows were round—not square—which gave the structure a whimsical feel. Curling smoke rose from the chimney and with it an aroma unlike anything the beast had sensed before.
The man opened the door and called out to an unseen body as he led the monster inside.
"He's here Darling. Come out and meet our new guest."
The Creature had just a moment to take in the quaint furniture of the living room before a round woman bustled in from what looked to be the kitchen. With her came the same smell of the chimney. The woman was older, about the same age as the man, she had curling white hair that fitted her round face. Round glasses sat on the end of her cherry nose, and her cheeks were rosy after being in front of a stove all day. She wore a red dress with tiny white dots and white trim on the sleeves and collar. Around her waist a white apron was tied.
"Oh you're here!," She cried with delight. "We have been waiting so long. And after all you've been through," She added with slight sadness in her voice. "Well where are my manners! You must be simply starving!"
The monster wondered how they could have possibly known he was coming or about what had happened to him, but the woman immediately began to feed him so his thoughts did not have much time to dwell on his now countless questions.
She brought him to the kitchen where she placed a roast goose before him. Before the meal was through he had most of the goose, a batch of sugar cookies and nearly a jug of milk. His hunger subsided, he now sat out to get answers to his questions.