The Dragon at the North Pole Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Kate Klimo
door, and Santa closed it behind them. They were standing in a sort of sitting room. Directly across from them were French windows. There were two doors on opposite sides of the room. Jesse opened each one.
“Bedrooms,” he reported.
On one side of the sitting room was a huge carved wardrobe. On the other, two chairs stood before a fireplace in which flames licked the hearth. Daisy went over and huddled there. After a moment, she grumbled, “Ugh. This fire is
cold
!”
Jesse looked thoughtful. “Maybe real fire would melt this place. But Miss Alodie was right about how when you’re cold you burn calories staying warm. I’m starved.”
Jesse slung off the backpack and sat in one of the chairs, breaking out the trail mix and the thermos of cocoa. He looked over at Daisy. “Better hurry before I eat it all. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m t-t-t-too cold to be hungry,” said Daisy, shivering in front of the fake fire.
After a quick snack, Jesse zipped the trail mix bag closed and screwed the lid back on the thermos. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he wandered over to the windows.
“Is it still dark out?” Daisy asked.
“We’re only a few days past the winter solstice,” Jesse said, peering out the window. “This time of year at the North Pole, the sun never rises. It’s dark twenty-four seven. And speaking of dark, come look at this!”
Daisy came to stand next to Jesse and looked out through the clear pane of ice. What was there to see? It was pitch dark outside. The aurora borealis shone some distance away, but not anywhere near where they were.
“Look down,” Jesse said.
Daisy did and her head swam. The ice palace was perched on the edge of a precipice, plunging down into an abyss.
“We must be on top of a glacier,” Jesse said.
Daisy backed away from the window and returned to the fireplace. Cozying up to a fake fire was better than staring into an abyss. Just when Daisy remembered the thermal gel pads in the backpack, Jesse said, “Maybe these will help.”
He was standing before the open wardrobe. Daisy joined him. Hanging side by side were two identical green snowsuits lined with fur, with mittens attached to the sleeves. There were also two pairs of furry embroidered boots.
“What kind of fur is this, do you think?” Daisy asked, fingering the snowsuits.
“Rabbit,” he guessed.
“Poor bunny,” Daisy said. “And what are these boots made of?”
“Reindeer,” Jesse said reluctantly. “I did a social studies unit last year on Laplanders. You know, the people who herd reindeer near the Arctic Circle. They prefer to be called Samis.”
“I guess if this is good enough for Samis, it’s good enough for us,” said Daisy.
They took the snowsuits and boots into their bedrooms and changed. The moment Daisy put on the snowsuit, she was so flooded with warmth that she felt positively dizzy. She was standing next to a big ice bed with an ice canopy and a large fur quilt, and wondered whether it would be okay to lie down just for a few minutes, until the dizziness passed. She was about to test the “mattress” when she heard a familiar voice sing out: “Hello, Jesse Tiger! Hello, Daisy Flower! Welcome to Toyland! Toyland! Toyland! Dear little girl and boy land!”
Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Jesse had taken off his coat and was struggling to get his snowsuit on over his hoodie. As he fastened the little silver buttons up the front, he noticed that although the suit was a little tight—like something he had outgrown by several years—it made him feel cozy and warm.
“Thank you, Santa!” Jesse whispered. He felt a little dizzy, but he chalked it up to the sudden change in temperature. Then he got the raw emerald out of his coat pocket and transferred it to his snowsuit pocket.
By the time he came into the sitting room, Daisy was perched on Emmy’s lap. Emmy was wearing a large green elf’s cap with a silver bell dangling at the end. The top of the hat brushed the ceiling. She
“Bedrooms,” he reported.
On one side of the sitting room was a huge carved wardrobe. On the other, two chairs stood before a fireplace in which flames licked the hearth. Daisy went over and huddled there. After a moment, she grumbled, “Ugh. This fire is
cold
!”
Jesse looked thoughtful. “Maybe real fire would melt this place. But Miss Alodie was right about how when you’re cold you burn calories staying warm. I’m starved.”
Jesse slung off the backpack and sat in one of the chairs, breaking out the trail mix and the thermos of cocoa. He looked over at Daisy. “Better hurry before I eat it all. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m t-t-t-too cold to be hungry,” said Daisy, shivering in front of the fake fire.
After a quick snack, Jesse zipped the trail mix bag closed and screwed the lid back on the thermos. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he wandered over to the windows.
“Is it still dark out?” Daisy asked.
“We’re only a few days past the winter solstice,” Jesse said, peering out the window. “This time of year at the North Pole, the sun never rises. It’s dark twenty-four seven. And speaking of dark, come look at this!”
Daisy came to stand next to Jesse and looked out through the clear pane of ice. What was there to see? It was pitch dark outside. The aurora borealis shone some distance away, but not anywhere near where they were.
“Look down,” Jesse said.
Daisy did and her head swam. The ice palace was perched on the edge of a precipice, plunging down into an abyss.
“We must be on top of a glacier,” Jesse said.
Daisy backed away from the window and returned to the fireplace. Cozying up to a fake fire was better than staring into an abyss. Just when Daisy remembered the thermal gel pads in the backpack, Jesse said, “Maybe these will help.”
He was standing before the open wardrobe. Daisy joined him. Hanging side by side were two identical green snowsuits lined with fur, with mittens attached to the sleeves. There were also two pairs of furry embroidered boots.
“What kind of fur is this, do you think?” Daisy asked, fingering the snowsuits.
“Rabbit,” he guessed.
“Poor bunny,” Daisy said. “And what are these boots made of?”
“Reindeer,” Jesse said reluctantly. “I did a social studies unit last year on Laplanders. You know, the people who herd reindeer near the Arctic Circle. They prefer to be called Samis.”
“I guess if this is good enough for Samis, it’s good enough for us,” said Daisy.
They took the snowsuits and boots into their bedrooms and changed. The moment Daisy put on the snowsuit, she was so flooded with warmth that she felt positively dizzy. She was standing next to a big ice bed with an ice canopy and a large fur quilt, and wondered whether it would be okay to lie down just for a few minutes, until the dizziness passed. She was about to test the “mattress” when she heard a familiar voice sing out: “Hello, Jesse Tiger! Hello, Daisy Flower! Welcome to Toyland! Toyland! Toyland! Dear little girl and boy land!”
Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Jesse had taken off his coat and was struggling to get his snowsuit on over his hoodie. As he fastened the little silver buttons up the front, he noticed that although the suit was a little tight—like something he had outgrown by several years—it made him feel cozy and warm.
“Thank you, Santa!” Jesse whispered. He felt a little dizzy, but he chalked it up to the sudden change in temperature. Then he got the raw emerald out of his coat pocket and transferred it to his snowsuit pocket.
By the time he came into the sitting room, Daisy was perched on Emmy’s lap. Emmy was wearing a large green elf’s cap with a silver bell dangling at the end. The top of the hat brushed the ceiling. She