The Boy and the Little Yeti

The Boy and the Little Yeti - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

Once upon a snowy morning, a boy named Sam pulled on his bright red hat with the pompom and his blue puffy coat. He tugged on his yellow mittens and green snow boots, then wrapped his striped scarf tight. Today he would explore the big white valley behind his house. The snow sparkled like a million tiny diamonds, and Sam's breath made little clouds in the cold air. 1

Sam loved the valley. It was quiet and wide, with soft hills of snow and tall pine trees wearing white coats. He made snowballs and threw them at tree trunks, laughing when they splattered. He watched a bird hop across the snow, leaving tiny footprints. Everything was peaceful and still, and Sam felt like the only person in the whole world. 2

Then Sam saw something strange behind a big snowdrift. A small shape was hiding there, white and fluffy, almost invisible against the snow. Sam's heart beat fast and he took a step back. Was it a monster? He stood very still and looked closer. Two big blue eyes peeked out at him, wide and gentle and scared. 3

Sam was scared at first, but he was also curious. He took a slow step forward and said, "Hello? Are you okay?" The fluffy shape trembled and tried to hide even more. Sam knelt down in the snow. "I won't hurt you," he said softly. "My name is Sam. What's yours?" The little creature blinked its big blue eyes and let out a tiny squeak. 4

Slowly, the little yeti crept out from behind the snowdrift. It was about the same size as Sam, with soft snow-white shaggy fur and tiny rounded horns on its head. Its cheeks were rosy, and it wore a simple woven grass bracelet on one wrist. The yeti gave a shy smile and waved one small paw. Sam smiled back, and his gap-toothed grin made the yeti giggle. 5

"You're a yeti!" Sam said, his eyes wide. "I thought yetis were big and scary, but you're little and friendly." The yeti nodded and pointed to itself. "Yuki," it said in a soft, whispery voice. "I'm Yuki. I'm lonely. Everyone runs away when they see me." Sam felt sad for the little yeti. "I won't run away," he said. "Want to play?" 6

Yuki's big blue eyes lit up. "Play? Really?" It had never had a friend to play with before. Sam laughed and said, "Let's build something amazing! A winter playground!" Yuki clapped its small paws with joy. "I'm good at building," it said shyly. "I can dig and shape snow with my big feet." Sam grinned. "And I can climb and slide! Let's do it!" 7

They started with a snow slide. Yuki dug and packed the snow with its big feet while Sam climbed and shaped the top. The slide grew taller and smoother, shining in the sun. "Wheee!" Sam shouted as he slid down for the first time. Yuki clapped and then tried the slide too, its fluffy fur whooshing down. They laughed so loud that the pine trees seemed to shake. 8

Next, they built a snow fort with walls and a secret entrance. Yuki used its paws to pat the snow firm, and Sam stacked snowballs to make the walls higher. They added a little window and a door just their size. "This is the best fort ever!" Sam said. Yuki nodded, its shy tuft of fur bobbing. "I've never had so much fun," it whispered. 9

They were building a snow castle when Sam heard a voice. "What are you doing?" It was a girl with two puffy braids, a purple coat with white fur trim, and pink earmuffs. Her name was Maya, and she lived nearby. She stared at Yuki with wide eyes. "Is that a yeti?" she asked. Sam nodded. "This is Yuki. Yuki is my friend." 10

Maya looked scared for a moment, but then Yuki gave a shy wave. "Hello," Yuki said softly. "Do you want to play too?" Maya hesitated, then smiled her gap-toothed grin. "Okay! I'm Maya. I can help build!" She picked up a snowball and added it to the castle wall. Yuki's blue eyes sparkled with happiness. "Another friend!" it said, and did a little happy dance in the snow. 11

Soon, a small child in a teal snowsuit came toddling over, holding a white mitten on a string. It was Maya's little brother, Leo. He hid behind Maya at first, peeking at Yuki with bright green eyes. "It's okay, Leo," Maya said. "Yuki is nice." Yuki knelt down and offered Leo a tiny snowball. Leo giggled, took it, and threw it gently at Yuki's fluffy tummy. Everyone laughed. 12

More children came to see what was happening. At first they were nervous, but when they saw Sam and Maya playing with Yuki, they joined in. They built snow tunnels, a wobbly snow bridge, and a row of little snow towers. Yuki dug and shaped and carried snow with its big feet, and everyone helped. The valley was filled with shouts and giggles and the crunch of snow. 13

By afternoon, the winter playground was finished. There was a slide, a fort, a castle, and a maze of snow walls. The children took turns sliding and hiding and chasing each other. Yuki was the best at making snowballs and the fastest at digging tunnels. "This is the best day ever!" Sam shouted. Yuki's rosy cheeks glowed, and its big blue eyes were full of joy.