One winter morning, Freya wakes to find the garden covered in snow.
“Poppy!” she calls. “Come and look!”
They go downstairs, and Freya opens the back door. The garden looks as though it has been covered with a fluffy white blanket.
Usually, Poppy runs straight out, but now she stands at the doorway, stretching out one paw and then drawing it back. She gives a quiet whine.
Everything looks different. Everything smells different.
Poppy is confused.
Freya giggles, puts on her coat and wellies, and steps out into the garden.
“Come on, Poppy! It’s just snow!”
Poppy sniffs the cold air, then lifts one paw. She still hesitates. The snow looks strange. It smells strange.
Poppy is a careful dog. Could this be dangerous?
But Freya is out there and looks happy, so slowly and carefully, Poppy stretches out one paw.
Then another.
And then… WHOOSH!
Poppy bursts into movement. She zooms across the garden like a mad thing, racing around wildly and kicking up flurries of snow behind her.
She tries to catch falling snowflakes, just as she catches the little treats Freya throws for her.
Freya giggles as she watches her, then crouches down and picks up some snow to make her first snowball.
Poppy watches her, looking slightly bemused.
Then she takes off again, zooming around the garden until her nose tells her it is time to go inside.
Breakfast is nearly ready.
And if you are Poppy, breakfast is one of the most important things in your day. You are certainly not going to miss it — snow or no snow!
Freya laughs. She knows exactly what has made Poppy dash indoors, and after being out in the snow, she is looking forward to her own breakfast too.
While she eats, an idea pops into her mind.
“If it keeps snowing, we can build a snowman, Poppy.”
She looks around for her puppy, but Poppy is in the kitchen, sitting like a statue and hoping that an extra treat of “people food” might come her way.