When it stopped snowing, Stan went out to the garden and built a snowdog. He was just putting the finishing touches to the snowdog’s nose when a boy cried over the wall: ‘What’s that?’
‘A snowdog,’ said Stan.
‘A snowdog!’ the boy laughed. ‘Who ever heard of a snowdog?’
‘I thought it’d be a good idea,’ said Stan.
‘A stupid idea,’ snorted the boy.
A girl stopped and stared at Stan’s snowdog.
‘That’s a funny snowman,’ she said.
‘It’s a snowdog,’ sniggered the boy.
The pair teased Stan.
‘What’s its name?’
‘Does it bite?’
‘Where’s its bark?
‘Are you going to take it for a walk?’
‘Come on,’ said the boy. ‘I’ve had enough of snowdogs. Let’s go and build a snowman.’
The two ran away giggling, leaving Stan alone with his snowdog. He didn’t much like it anymore. In fact, he wanted to destroy it. He could too with a couple of kicks.
‘Stan, dinner’s ready!’
Stan’s mum was at the door. She was looking at the snowdog.
‘What’s that, Stan?’
‘It’s a snowdog, mum.’
‘I’ve never heard of one of them before.’
‘Mu-um!’
‘It’s very nice, Stan. Now come in, before your dinner gets cold.’
After dinner, Stan had his bath and went to bed. The snowdog would be gone in the morning, he thought. It would simply melt away. Then those other kids would have nothing to laugh about.
Stan was woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of howling outside his bedroom window. He got out of bed and peeped through the curtains.
Standing in the garden was the snowdog, smiling and wagging its tail. Stan put on his dressing gown and slippers and climbed out the window.
‘Hello,’ said Stan, patting the snowdog on the head.
‘Come, Stan!’ said the snowdog.
‘Where to?’
‘It’s a surprise. Now jump on my back and close your eyes. And hold on tight.’
Stan did as he was told. Suddenly it felt like he was flying. When the snowdog told him to open his eyes, Stan was almost blinded by the whiteness.
‘Where are we?’ he gasped.
‘Arctantica!’ grinned the snowdog.
‘Wow!’ said Stan who’d never been to Arctantica before.
‘Now,’ said the snowdog. ‘How would you like to go to a polar bear tea party?’
‘Yes, please,’ said Stan who had never been to a polar bear tea party either.
The snowdog sped across the snow, Stan keeping a tight hold. When they reached the polar bear tea party, it was in full swing.
‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ one of the polar bears asked Stan.
Stan didn’t drink tea. His parents did. But he thought it rude to turn down the offer of a cup of tea from a polar bear. ‘I’d love a cup,’ said Stan.
The polar bear served Stan his tea and waited for him to take his first sip.
‘Bleuch,’ spluttered Stan.
‘Something wrong with your tea?’ frowned the polar bear.
‘It tastes fishy!’ said Stan.
‘Of course it’s fishy,’ said the polar bear. ‘It’s fish tea!’
‘Well, do you have any other kinds of tea?’ asked Stan.
‘What other kinds of tea are there?’ asked the polar bear.
‘I don’t know,’ said Stan. ‘Normal tea?’
‘Normal tea’s fish tea,’ said the polar bear.
‘Not where I come from,’ said Stan.
‘Can I offer you something else?’ suggested the polar bear.
‘Yes, please,’ said Stan.
The polar bear got Stan a strawberry slush.
‘Mmm,’ said Stan. ‘That tastes nice.’
‘Not as nice as fish tea if you ask me,’ said the polar bear.
Stan was reaching the end of his strawberry slush when the snowdog said: ‘We’d better go or we’ll miss the race.’
‘What race?’ asked Stan.
‘The snow race!’ grinned the snowdog.
Stan thanked the polar bears for the lovely tea party then jumped on the snowdog’s back and they sped across the snow.
When they reached the starting line for the snow race, Stan was delighted to see other children with snowdogs.
Stan’s snowdog explained that these children had also built snowdogs, which was why they were here in Arctantica.
‘Now,’ said the snowdog. ‘Let’s win this race!’
An Arctantic fox blew the whistle – and they were off!
Stan and his snowdog fell quickly behind, but upon entering the forest, they began to catch up.
As they emerged from the trees and neared the finish line, they took the lead and held on to win the snow race!
Stan received his winner’s medal from a well-dressed walrus.
‘Well done,’ said the walrus.
Stan felt good having a winner’s medal round his neck and he felt better still as the other boys and girls congratulated him.
Stan’s snowdog came and told him he’d been invited to a penguin dance and off they rushed again across the snow.
When they arrived at the penguin dance, the penguins were dancing in pairs to the live music.
The band, The Arctantic Five, was excellent, the line-up consisting of narwhal on vocals, puffin on drums, Arctantic hare on lead guitar, caribou on bass and snowy owl on keyboard.
Stan tapped his toes to the music and watched the penguins dancing.
‘You should ask one for a dance,’ suggested the snowdog.
Stan wasn’t much of a dancer, plus he’d never danced with a penguin before.
He plucked up the courage to ask a penguin to dance and, in the end, found the Penguin Two-Step quite easy really.
Stan just copied his penguin partner, rocking back and fore, from one foot to the other.
‘I see you can dance,’ said the penguin.
‘Thanks very much!’ said Stan.
When the dance finished, the snowdog said to Stan: ‘We’d better go. It’s time you went home.’
Stan didn’t want to go. He was having a wonderful time in Arctantica.
But then he thought of his parents. Arctantica was fun, but it wasn’t home.
Stan said goodbye to the penguins who said he could dance with them any time.
Then he jumped on the snowdog’s back. ‘Hold tight and shut your eyes,’ said the snowdog.
When Stan opened his eyes, he was back in his garden.
‘Goodbye Stan,’ said the snowdog.
‘Can’t you stay?’ asked Stan.
‘I must return to Arctantica,’ said the snowdog. ‘But if you ever hear a snowdog howling outside your window one night…’
The snowdog turned away and disappeared into the dark.
When Stan woke the next morning, he wondered if it had all been a dream. Then he felt the medal round his neck. He tucked it away in his bedside drawer and got dressed.
After breakfast, Stan went out to the garden and built a snowman.
He didn’t want those other children getting any ideas.
Connections
