"What! are you still here?" said the sun. And he stared so hard at the snow that at last it grew quite bashful, and melted away and sank into the earth.
"Wait a moment," said the cloud to the sun; "we must have a thorough cleaning before your turn comes."
So it fell like a sousing rain on the earth, washing the leaves of the trees and bushes, and collecting into quite a little lake on the ice.
"Now I am coming! now I am coming!" said the real lake, which lay below, under the ice.
It heaved its breast, and with a great sigh the roof of ice burst, and all the little scales began hopping and dancing like boys who have escaped from school.
Then the sun broke out from the cloud, and a thousand little green shoots peeped up from the earth.
"Lend me your wings," said the winter to the storm; "I must be off."
And away it flew to the cold lands right away in the north, where there is winter always.