The Prince of Winter sat on his mountain throne again and surveyed his kingdom and was glad. His great, cold eyes stared, while he growled in his beard:

Proud of speech and hard of hand,

A cruel lord to follow,

Winter locks up sea and land,

Blocks up every hollow.

Summer coaxes, sweet and bland,

Flowers in soft vigour;

At Winter’s harsh and grim command,

They die of ruthless rigour.

Short and cold is Winter’s day,