T is so delightfully cold，“ said the Snow Man， ”that it makes my whole body crackle. This is just thekind of wind to blow life into one. How that GREatred thing up there is staring at me!“ He meant thesun， who was just setting. ”It shall not make mewink. I shall manage to keep the pieces.“
He had two triangular pieces of tile in his head，instead of eyes; his mouth was made of an oldbroken rake， and was， of course， furnished with teeth. He had been brought into existenceamidst the joyous shouts of boys， the jingling of sleigh-bells， and the slashing of whips. Thesun went down， and the full moon rose， large， round， and clear， shining in the deep blue.
“there it comes again， from the other side，” said the Snow Man， who supposed the sunwas showing himself once more. “Ah， I have cured him of staring， though; now he may hangup there， and shine， that I may see myself. If I only knew how to manage to move away fromthis place，—I should so like to move. If I could， I would slide along yonder on the ice， as Ihave seen the boys do; but I don't understand how; I don't even know how to run.”
“Away， away，” barked the old yard-dog. He was quite hoarse， and could not pronounce“Bow wow” properly. He had once been an indoor dog， and lay by the fire， and he had beenhoarse ever since. “The sun will make you run some day. I saw him， last winter， make yourpredecessor run， and his predecessor before him. Away， away， they all have to go.”
“I don't understand you， comrade，” said the Snow Man. “Is that thing up yonder toteach me to run? I saw it running itself a little while ago， and now it has come creeping upfrom the other side.”
“You know nothing at all，” replied the yard-dog; “but then， you've only lately beenpatched up. What you see yonder is the moon， and the one before it was the sun. It will comeagain to-morrow， and most likely teach you to run down into the ditch by the well; for I thinkthe weather is going to change. I can feel such pricks and stabs in my left leg; I am sure thereis going to be a change.”
“I don't understand him，” said the Snow Man to himself; “but I have a feeling that he istalking of something very disaGREeable. The one who stared so just now， and whom he callsthe sun， is not my friend; I can feel that too.”
“Away， away，” barked the yard-dog， and then he turned round three times， and creptinto his kennel to sleep.
there was really a change in the weather. Towards morning， a thick fog covered the wholecountry round， and a keen wind arose， so that the cold seemed to freeze one's bones; butwhen the sun rose， the sight was splendid. Trees and bushes were covered with hoar frost，and looked like a forest of white coral; while on every twig glittered frozen dew-drops. Themany delicate forms concealed in summer by luxuriant foliage， were now clearly defined，and looked like glittering lace-work. From every twig glistened a white radiance. The birch，waving in the wind， looked full of life， like trees in summer; and its appearance waswondrously beautiful. And where the sun shone， how everything glittered and sparkled， as ifdiamond dust had been strewn about; while the snowy carpet of the earth appeared as ifcovered with diamonds， from which countless lights gleamed， whiter than even the snowitself.
“This is really beautiful，” said a young girl， who had come into the garden with a youngman; and they both stood still near the Snow Man， and contemplated the glittering scene. “Summer cannot show a more beautiful sight，” she exclaimed， while her eyes sparkled.
“And we can't have such a fellow as this in the summer time，” replied the young man，pointing to the Snow Man; “he is capital.”
the girl laughed， and nodded at the Snow Man， and then tripped away over the snow withher friend. The snow creaked and crackled beneath her feet， as if she had been treading onstarch.
“Who are these two?” asked the Snow Man of the yard-dog. “You have been here longerthan I have; do you know them?”
“Of course I know them，” replied the yard-dog; “she has stroked my back many times，and he has given me a bone of meat. I never bite those two.”
“But what are they?” asked the Snow Man.
“they are lovers，” he replied; “they will go and live in the same kennel by-and-by， andgnaw at the same bone. Away， away!”
“Are they the same kind of beings as you and I?” asked the Snow Man.
“Well， they belong to the same master，” retorted the yard-dog. “Certainly people whowere only born yesterday know very little. I can see that in you. I have age and experience. Iknow every one here in the house， and I know there was once a time when I did not lie outhere in the cold， fastened to a chain. Away， away!”
“the cold is delightful，” said the Snow Man; “but do tell me tell me; only you must notclank your chain so; for it jars all through me when you do that.”
“Away， away!” barked the yard-dog; “I'll tellyou; they said I was a pretty little fellow once;then I used to lie in a velvet-covered chair， up atthe master's house， and sit in the mistress's lap.They used to kiss my nose， and wipe my paws withan embroidered handkerchief， and I was called'Ami， dear Ami， sweet Ami.' But after a while IGREw too big for them， and they sent me away tothe housekeeper's room; so I came to live on thelower story. You can look into the room from whereyou stand， and see where I was master once; for Iwas indeed master to the housekeeper. It was certainly a smaller room than those up stairs;but I was more comfortable; for I was not being continually taken hold of and pulled about bythe children as I had been. I received quite as good food， or even better. I had my owncushion， and there was a stove—it is the finest thing in the world at this season of the year. Iused to go under the stove， and lie down quite beneath it. Ah， I still dream of that stove.Away， away!”