Nina and the Winter Whirlwinds

Once there was a girl named Nina. She lived in a village near a big mountain. 

One day, Nina woke up shivering. It was frigid. It was so cold! Something was wrong. 

The snow in her village was so deep. People had to dig tunnels through it to get from house to house. Everyone in the village met at Nina’s house. 

“The Winter Witch has cast a spell. This bad winter will last forever unless we do something,” said Nina’s grandfather. Everyone was terrified. 

“What will we do?” 

“How will we survive?” the villagers said. 

“We need to ask Father Frost for help,” Nina’s grandfather said. “He can break the spell.” 

Father Frost lived high in the mountains. It would be dangerous to get there. Who would be brave enough to go? Nina’s grandfather stood up.

“I will go,” he said. 

Nina looked at her grandfather. He looked frail. 

He wasn’t strong. She loved him, and she loved her village. She knew what she had to do.

“No, I’ll go,” Nina said. Everyone stared at her. 

“You’re not fast and strong enough!” 

“You’ll freeze!” people yelled. 

“I can do it. I can climb as high as a mountain goat, and I can run as fast as a rabbit,” Nina said. 

“You really think you can do this?” Nina’s grandfather whispered.

“I know I can,” she said.

The children in the village gave Nina their warmest coats, mittens, and hats. Nina hugged her grandfather and her friends. Then she started her journey.

Nina climbed up the icy mountain. Suddenly, she heard a harsh hissing noise. It was the winter whirlwinds. 

“Who goesss there? We’ll teach you a lesssson,” the whirlwinds hissed. They tried to blow her backward. She persevered. She would not give up!

Soon the whirlwinds were exhausted. They were tired out. 

“She’s too ssstrong,” they hissed. “We’ll have to call our sssisters, the blizzards.”

Finally, they arrived at Father Frost’s palace. They told him everything.

“Thank you for you bravery, Nina. Thank you for your kindness, animals,”

Father Frost said. “I will fix this at once.” Father Frost found the Winter Witch, the blizzards, and the whirlwinds. He locked them deep in a dungeon until it was time for winter again.

Nina and the animals walked down the mountain. The way back was much, much easier. The sun shone. The snow melted before their eyes. Tiny green sprouts poked out of the dirt. Spring had finally arrived. When Nina came back to her village, everyone cheered. Flowers bloomed. Everyone picked bouquets of flowers and gave them to Nina and her animal friends. Nina’s grandfather gave her a hug.

“I knew you could do it,” he said.

“I knew I could too,” Nina said.