The snowman stood tall and very straight for many days after the new snow. Then the sun shone brightly and the warm winds blew. The snowman began frowning and was sad, for he knew that he was melting. Slowly his shoulders began to droop, and he bent forward and then backward from his middle, to one side and then the other. He felt his head as it began to slide off his chest. It was turning around and around. He leaned forward and then backward to keep it from sliding farther. The snowman caught his head in his stick hands just in time . He could feel himself shrink, getting smaller and smaller, bending his legs, squatting - his bottom half was disappearing into the ground. Suddenly he fell over on the ground and his body fell apart. He couldn't move. The poor snowman was so unhappy and he began to cry.

The sun set and darkness covered the sky with heavy gray fluffy clouds. The winds changed, sweeping cold chilling air across the snowman. His tears turned to icicles and he smiled again. It was snowing!

The next morning the children dashed outside to have snowball fights and to repair the snowman. The children rolled a big ball, packing it hard, then a second snowball. The snowman was growing again. The children placed the heavy balls on top of each other. There he was - bottom and chest but no head. Delicately they replaced the eyes which now rolled around. They gave him a carrot nose which wiggled and a big smile made of wood so it would last all year. Two rocks were added for big floppy ears, and he had a huge cowboy hat. The children carefully placed the head on the rest of the body and once again the snowman stood straight and tall. He was very happy.