The Messenger of Spring

by C.J. Taylor

Iceman sits by his small fire, feeling old and tired after a long winter. Suddenly, a spry young man with a wreath of sweetgrass around his neck appears at the campsite with a message. Iceman tells the stranger, called New Dawn, of his powers: how his cold breath turned leaves brown and blew them from the trees, how he made bears and beavers hide in their dens, how he shook his head and caused snowdrifts to form. New Dawn then delivers his message, which is the coming of Spring. As he sings his song, he grows stronger and taller, the snows melt, birds return to the budding trees, and Iceman retires for the next season.

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997