Sasha was a boy who really didn't like winter. The cold wind and snow that pierced right through him were much less appealing than the warm autumn breeze and hot sunny rays. Sasha had an older brother named Igor and a younger sister named Tanya. They loved winter—it was their favourite time of year.
"What do you see in this winter anyway? Cold, snow, slippery ice—you're bound to get hurt," Sasha complained once again.
"Oh, Sasha, Sasha, instead of complaining, why don't you come outside with us, play in the snow, and you'd understand for yourself," Igor replied, putting on a warm hat and mittens before heading out.
"No thanks, I'd rather stay home!" Sasha laughed.
Igor didn't try to convince him—he knew it was pointless anyway. He was much more eager to get outside where Tanya was waiting for him.
Of course, Sasha would have liked to go outside with his brother and sister to play, but he couldn't stand the cold. So, as always, he stayed home, made himself a large mug of hot tea, and sat by the window. Outside below, a snowball fight was in full swing. Igor and Tanya had been joined by other kids from the neighbourhood, and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. Snowflakes fell gently, and Sasha leaned his head against the glass, sipping his tea so contentedly that he drifted off to sleep without noticing.
When Sasha opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself not at home. More than that, he was outside in the middle of a huge snowy field, and in the distance, he could see tall snow gates. Sasha looked around and saw a small snowman beside him. He was quite amusing—with eyes made of black buttons and a carrot nose. On his head sat a red basin instead of a hat. The boy studied the peculiar snow figure carefully.
"Why are you staring?" the snowman suddenly spoke.
"Oh, excuse me, I didn't know you were alive. My name is Sasha," the boy answered in surprise.
"Hello, Sasha, I'm the Snowman. I'm here to guide you to the world where Winter Queen lives," the snowman tipped the basin on his head as a greeting.
"Wow, I'd really like to meet her, but to be honest, I don't like winter," Sasha said truthfully, as he didn't like to lie.
"What? That can't be! I don't believe it!" exclaimed the snowman, clearly surprised and upset.
Sasha felt awkward for upsetting his new acquaintance, and he realized it would be rude to refuse a journey to the winter kingdom. Besides, he really wanted to see a real queen in person. His brother and sister would be so jealous when he told them about it.
"Well, Snowman, if I've offended you, I'd be happy to go with you to the winter world. I just don't know how to behave or what to do in winter," the boy decided to do everything properly.
"Don't worry, I'll help you," the snowman brightened up considerably, pleased to help the boy.
"Where do we start?" Sasha asked eagerly, keen to begin the adventure.
"First, we need to bundle you up, or you'll get frostbite before we even reach the queen. In winter, you need to prepare well before going outside. You should wear plenty of layers, especially when it's as cold as it is now," the snowman said importantly.
"Do I have to? I'll look like a cabbage!" Sasha protested. Although he didn't like the cold, he didn't want to wear a hundred layers at once.
"Of course you do, if you want to enjoy your walk instead of freezing. Look, it's simple: the first layer of clothing should fit snugly against your body," the snowman stomped his foot and warm thermal underwear appeared on Sasha, "We'll replace cotton items with wool ones, because cotton takes forever to dry if you sweat during games, and we will definitely play in the winter kingdom," the snowman stomped again and a warm woollen sweater appeared under the parka.
"Oh, that's so much warmer, thank you!" Sasha was pleased—he finally felt warm despite being outside.
"Now we can move on!" said the Snowman, satisfied with his work.
The Snowman and Sasha headed toward the gates. When they arrived, Sasha saw two more snowmen standing guard. They wore large woollen mittens on their hands. They greeted the visitors but didn't seem in a hurry to let them pass.
"Snowman, what do we have to do? Answer riddles or solve puzzles?" Sasha whispered to his companion.
"What? Of course not! We need to have a snack!" said the snowman, licking his lips in anticipation.
"What? We need to eat? Why?" Sasha was surprised again. He loved good food, and he was amazed that entering the kingdom was so simple.
"Before entering the winter kingdom, you absolutely must eat something high in calories. Don't you know that you burn more energy in the frost?"
"I didn't know!" the boy exclaimed again—everything the snowman said was a revelation to him.
The Snowman and Sasha happily enjoyed delicious cream cakes with berries. As Sasha finished his cake, he turned to the Snowman again:
"But where's the tea? I'd love some hot drink!"
"Oh, Sasha, you really don't know anything about winter. You can't drink hot beverages before going out into the frost—your blood vessels expand, which makes it easier to get hypothermia."
"Wow, thanks for warning me. Tell me, why do snowmen wear mittens?"
"Why? Because mittens keep hands much warmer than gloves. They retain heat longer."
"Well, I'm glad I put on mittens!" Sasha was pleased that he'd at least thought of something for his adventure.
Finally, the gates opened, and the Snowman and Sasha entered the winter kingdom. Tall trees lined the roads, covered in snow like frosting. Colourful garlands sparkled everywhere, and Christmas ornaments grew on bushes like berries. Boys, girls, snowmen, and squirrels, along with other forest animals, walked through the snowdrifts. Sasha thought it strange that they all walked with their legs spread wide apart and their knees slightly bent. Everyone walked slightly hunched forward, moving in small sliding steps.
"Snowman, why is everyone walking so strangely?"
"That's the best way not to fall on the ice, look, it's not difficult!" the snowman began moving like everyone else around him, "The main thing is to step on your whole sole, not just your toes, then you definitely won't fall!"
Sasha tried walking with his legs spread wide, and at first it worked, but suddenly he started to fall and the snowman barely caught him.
"Sasha, take your hands out of your pockets! That's very dangerous—if you start to fall, you won't be able to help yourself, and I won't always be around."
"Thank you, Snowman, for catching me. So where do we go now? How do we get to the queen?"
"There's her palace, look, we just need to cross the road!"
Sasha rushed across the street and barely managed to stop before an oncoming car.
"What are you doing, Sasha! Are you crazy? Never cross the road without assessing the situation first. In rain, snow, and icy conditions, a car's braking distance increases several times over. It might seem to you that the car is far away, but it's approaching steadily, and it won't be able to stop quickly enough. You need to let cars pass that won't stop on their own."
"I thought I'd make it. I'm just so eager to see the Winter Queen! Let's hurry!"
"You need to be very careful in places where cars brake and stop. Even if you manage to slip through, small stones or worse—ice fragments—can suddenly fly out from under the wheels. And you never know what's hidden under the snow and slush. What if there are potholes or bumps? If a driver sees them at the last moment, they might try to swerve around them, and the car could skid."
"I understand, sorry Snowman. Without you, I'd be completely lost in this kingdom."
They carefully crossed the road and found themselves at the palace.
"Well, from here on, you're on your own. I've helped you as much as I could. Good luck meeting the queen," the snowman said goodbye.
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"No, Sasha, I can't—I'd melt inside the palace. But you'll make friends with the queen, I'm sure of it."
Sasha said goodbye to the snowman and thanked him once more. As soon as he opened the palace doors, he woke up.
He was sitting by the window, and outside below, the children had finished playing snowball and building castles. Now they were making funny snowmen. Sasha looked more carefully and saw that very snowman with the red basin on his head instead of a hat. And nearby were two others wearing warm mittens. "Was it just a dream?" the boy thought sadly. But suddenly he noticed that the snowman seemed to wave at him.
Then Sasha understood that he really had visited a magical land, and now he knew how to behave in winter. He decided that next time he would definitely go for a walk with his brother and sister, but he wouldn't tell them about his adventure—it would be his big winter secret.
