in the cold air.
Never, since birds wore feathers--never had hoar-frost glittered on
Munza-mulgar before.

These Mullas danced; they crouched down in the dreadful cold, thinking
to warm their hands at these uncountable fires. And, lo and behold! in a
little while, looking at one another, each was a Mulgar, white and
sparkling too. Their very hairs, down-arm and up-arm, every tuft stood
stiff and white with frost. Like millers they stood, all blazing in the
night.

And that was the beginning of Witzaweelw[=u]lla (the White Winter). For
it was only three days after Tishnar's fires were kindled that Nod first
saw snow. Now one, two, three, a scatter of flakes, just a few.
"Feathers," thought Nod.

But faster, faster; twirling, rustling, hovering. "Butterflies," thought
Nod.

And then it seemed the sky, the air, was all aflock. He ran out snuffing
and frightened. He clapped his hands; he leapt and frisked and shouted.
And there, coming up out of the swamp, were his brothers, laden with
rushes, and as woolly with snow as sheep. Because it looked so white and
crisp and beautiful Nod even brought out a pot and filled it with snow
to cook for their supper. But there, when he lifted the lid, was only a
little steaming water.

By-and-by they began to wonder and to fear no more. How glad they were
of all the wood they had brought in, and of their great cupboardful of
victuals! They made themselves long poles, and would go leaping about to
keep themselves warm. They built such roaring fires on the hearth they
squatted round that the sparks flew up like fireflies under the black,
starry sky. Snug in their hut, the brothers would sit of an evening on
their three stools, with their smoking bowls between their legs. And
they would open their great mouths and drone and sing the songs their
father had taught them, beating to the notes with their flat feet on the
earth floor. But, nevertheless, they pined for the cold and the snow to
be over and gone, so that they might start on their journey! Every
morning broke bleak and sparkling. Often of a night new snow came, till
they walked between low white walls on their little path to the forest.
But in spite of the cold which made them ache and shiver, and their toes
and fingers burn and itch, they went out searching for frozen nuts and
fruits every morning, and still fetched in faggots.

Often while they squatted, toasting themselves round their fire, Nod
would look up, blinking his