Menace in the Snow by Peter Collier, Vancouver, Canada It was December the 20th., about a quarter to four, when it started to snow, then a little bit more. By early next day, there was nearly three feet; it covered the ground with a thick frozen sheet. The school was closed, no need to attend, and travel on roads they did not recommend. Johnny Alexander Macrory was stuck in the house, he was told, not simply because of the snow outside, but it was mostly because of his cold. He caught it from Janey Tremaine, who caught it from Susan Blundaine; and something most strange, never happened before, all the children in town had caught it, all one hundred and four. So, if snow hadn't fallen that day, they would all of stayed home, anyway. The snow was there waiting, covering sidewalks and roads, expecting the children, no matter how cold, to rush out their doors and roll in the white; Always, that's what is expected and right. Keeping indoors, inside from the weather, no one was out playing together. Not having snowmen, castles, or forts, was breaking the rules of winter, all sorts; and rules are rules, no matter how silly, even when weather outside is so chilly. Up and down every street, Inside every kitchen, Gingerbread was baking, No one would listen. Johnny knew that the town had troubles ahead. "We must build Snowmen," that's what he said. "Only we kids build them just right, the kind that give Gingerbread Men a terrible fright." Without the protection, children are lost, lost in the snow or missing in the frost. Johnny saw tracks, there was no mistake; He warned the whole town, from the very first flake, "Not having Snowmen is a mistake!" Snowmen look fierce, they look tall, from down low, and keep away Gingerbread Men, just like a scarecrow. No snowmen were built; outside was too cold; that's what they say; that's what we are told. When there's no snowmen, we know that they'll come; but we don't know were they come from. I've heard it told that it starts in summer, When planting gardens and favourite flowers, Some gardners drink milk and eat ginger snap cookies This is not safe, so stop it…PLEASE!!! It's not safe to plant your seeds, And have Ginger Snap crumbs fall amongst the weeds. Given some time to sprout and to grow, By late fall there's Gingerbread Men in a row. Their not the same as those baked in an oven, They're menacing and much more troublesome. One was seen here and one was seen there; somebody exclaimed, "I saw one with green hair!" They follow young children around, Hiding in the cold snow on the ground. Children go missing, deep in the snow; the Gingerbread Men snatch them below. Some say, " They come looking for me or for you; looking, to add us to Gingerbread Man stew. Johnny Alexander Macrory was over his cold very quick. I think that he may not have been very sick. He was the first outside, first in the snow, and built four large snowmen, all in a row. It might seem unlikely, or some kind of story, but not for Johnny Alexander Macrory. At the end of the day, he went straight to bed, "Tired from saving our town," so he said. We can only guess what happened that night. >From Johnny's back yard came a terrible fright. There were crashes and flashes, scary stuff in the dark; so scary, the big dog next door didn't bark. The smell of ginger was strong in the air, And reports of a Gingerbread man the size of a grizzly bear. The next morning, in the snow, There were tracks from eight reindeer, and some from a sleigh, but no more Gingerbread Men; that's what they say. The neighbours report, "It was Santa that night, during his pre-Christmas flight!" He never is fed enough Gingerbread, There's a reason he wears a suite that is red, It gets messy whenever he bites off a GBM head. THE END (tongue in cheek adaptation of "Snow Alligators" - http://www.bluecrow.com/members/collier )