Fairytale story

Second Draft

Once upon a time in a dark and snowy forest there lived a little girl by the name of Lilipad.  She lived with her mother and father on one side of the forest and her grandmother lived by herself in a little cottage (not that far away, but far enough) on the edge of the forest on the opposite side to Lilipad.

    One day Lilipad's mother sent out Lilipad to her grandmother's house to take her some pastry products she had made herself. Lilipad was told to dress warmly by her mother. She put on her brown button-up boots because it was snowing outside and she wore her warm red hooded-cape. "Put your parcels in the pockets in your coat." instructed Lilipad's mother as she plaited Lilipad's hair and pinned it neatly to her head.

    Lilipad was sent out into the cold to follow the little path through the forest to the gingerbread cottage where her grandmother lived. On the way she remembered her mother's warning to stick to the path and not talk to strangers. Unfortunately, Lilipad was not inclined towards obedience that afternoon. As Lilipad walked along, she became covered in snow. The pine trees were thickly clad in white and even the eucalyptus trees looked thin and pale under a splashing of snow.

   The little path was soon neglected by Lilipad as she scooped up handfuls of white snow and flung it at tree branches high above her. One such fling hit a poor sparrow in the mouth and lifted him out of his nest and into the air. (Fortunately birds can fly!!)

    As Lilipad continued to completely disregard her mother's instructions she noticed that a few dandelions were waving their heads around, poking them out from the snug, white blanket. The chilly wind swept off some of their wispy seeds further into the forest where Lilipad spied even more flowers poking their buds and blooms out of the cold earth. Something strange was happening so early in the winter season. The little girl just had to find out where these flowers were coming from and why they were showing up now. Lilipad strolled off into the forest, fuelled by curiosity.

    Suddenly, the stars came out and it began to get dark. Lilipad looked around for shelter, as she was suddenly petrified by the thought of being all alone in the middle of the forest and of what would happen to her if she had to stay out all night in the bitterly freezing temperature without anywhere to sleep? Fortunately, a little house, built into a hillside, appeared as if out of nowhere, to which Lilipad now quickly scurried.

    She knocked on the door. "Hello, who's there?" came a lilting voice from within. Muffled sounds from the other side followed, after which Lilipad replied, "Please let me in, I'm cold and all alone and I'm so far from home. Will you let me call my mother?"
"Of course," said the voice, as the door moved forward. The owner of the soft, lilting voice now appeared in the doorway. She was a large, female teddy bear, with soft light-brown fur and sparkling brown eyes and a happy, chubby figure and face. Lilipad looked in surprise, as the bear led her into a room where a log fire was blazing in the hearth. "I didn't know teddy bears could talk." said Lilipad.
"Well, now you do." said the teddy's husband.

The first teddy bear apologised for not introducing herself, "My name's Teddy," she said, "And this is my husband, Renaldo. What's your name?"
"I'm Lilipad." said the little girl.

......................still under construction........................unfinished..........................work in progress