Every fall, when the frost first played freeze tag with the grass, Papa would come to our house. He would shuffle in, his soft, shiny leather shoes dancing across Momma's sunflower-yellow-tiled kitchen floor. All six of us kids knew why he was there. First frost meant magic snowball time.
Papa only came to our house once a year. He and Granny lived in an apartment upstairs from an old neighborhood corner store in the big city. Papa said they lived there to be close to the old-fashioned penny candy counter in the store.
We went to see Papa, Granny and that penny candy counter every Saturday. Unless, of course, the first frost fell on a Saturday. The first frost always meant that Papa was coming to see us.
Papa would bring an old battered coal shovel and an old-fashioned ice chest with him. He'd hustle all six of us kids out to the backyard. Then, he'd start digging and talking. He always worked as he talked.
Papa would tell us how he'd lived with the gypsies before he'd met Granny. He'd tell us 
We'd gather around him and listen like we were supposed to, but never did, in church. He would tell us how some folks believed that if you wanted a good snowy winter, you always had to save a little snow from the winter before and put it into the magic snowbank. Then, he'd let us each have a turn digging.
The dirt would fly, as we steadily took turns digging down into the earth. We could smell the last barbequed breezes of summer, and the newly fallen leaves of autumn. Sometimes, we'd all swear that we'd smelled the peppermint, candy cane, gingerbread house and poinsettia fragrances of Christmas wafting out of that hole.
Papa would tell us how some folks believed that you have to give to the earth if you want it to give to you. He'd talk
Soon enough, Papa would open that old ice chest. We'd crowd around it with the same amount of wonder every year. Inside, Papa would have seven perfect magic snowballs. There was always one for him, and one for each of us kids.
We'd wait politely, but impatiently as he passed them out. We could never hold them for long, as Papa said it wouldn't work if we were selfish. We didn't want to melt the snow and have nothing to offer the earth.
We would solemnly place our snowballs into the hole, quickly, if still a bit reluctantly. There's not a child I've ever known that didn't want to throw a snowball once it was placed into his or her hands. We weren't any different. We just knew that we had to give our snowballs to the earth. Our snowballs were magic. Our snowballs were the seeds for the magic snowbank.
Papa would cover our magic snowbank with the dirt that we'd shoveled out of the hole. We'd all hold hands and sing Christmas carols, as Papa buried our magic snowballs.
Then, Papa would wipe his hands on his pants and smile.
"Well, we've planted our magic snowballs on the day of the first frost, kids. It's up to the magic snowbank now," he'd say.
When the first snow came, as it did every winter, all six of us would run out into the yard and catch snowflakes on our tongues and in our mittens. We'd taste the tickly, shivery delight of falling ice stars. We'd examine the crystal beauty of bright white, frosty flakes on dark, warm mittens.
It was all Papa's magic, and we were a part of it. We would dance and hug and giggle and grin and sing, all six of us together. We never quarreled or argued on the day the first snow fell. We were too pleased with ourselves.
We knew we were magic. The first snow reminded us of Papa, the first frost and our magic snowbank deep within the earth. We knew we had a secret all our own. We had helped the snow to fall once again. We were snow farmers, and to us, first frost meant magic snowball time.
I'm all grown up now. Still, I'll tell you a secret. My family carries on Papa's magic. We have a magic snowbank in our backyard. Think of us when the first snow flies...as I think of my Papa and hope that someday my grandchildren will think of me.
相关单词：shuffle
shuffle解释：n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走
shuffle例句：
I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。
相关单词：battered
battered解释：adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损
battered例句：
He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
相关单词：shovel
shovel解释：n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出
shovel例句：
He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。
He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。
相关单词：hustle
hustle解释：v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌)
hustle例句：
It seems that he enjoys the hustle and bustle of life in the big city.看起来他似乎很喜欢大城市的热闹繁忙的生活。
I had to hustle through the crowded street.我不得不挤过拥挤的街道。
相关单词：carnival
carnival解释：n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演
carnival例句：
I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。
相关单词：steadily
steadily解释：adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
steadily例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
相关单词：peppermint
peppermint解释：n.薄荷，薄荷油，薄荷糖
peppermint例句：
Peppermint oil is very good for regulating digestive disorders.薄荷油能很有效地调节消化系统失调。
He sat down,popped in a peppermint and promptly choked to death.他坐下来，突然往嘴里放了一颗薄荷糖，当即被噎死。
相关单词：cane
cane解释：n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的
cane例句：
This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
相关单词：fragrances
fragrances解释：n.芳香，香味( fragrance的名词复数 )；香水
fragrances例句：
The bath oil comes in various fragrances. 这种沐浴油有不同的香味。
This toilet soap lathers so nicely and has several fragrances. 这种香皂起泡很多，并且有好几种香味。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
相关单词：wafting
wafting解释：v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的现在分词 )
wafting例句：
But that gentle fragrance was clearly wafting from the window. 但那股淡淡的香气，却分明是从母亲的窗户溢出的。 来自互联网
The picture-like XueGuo, wafting dense flavor of Japan, gives us a kind of artistic enjoyment. 画一般的雪国，飘溢着浓郁的日本风情，给人以美的享受。 来自互联网
相关单词：shoveled
shoveled解释：vt.铲，铲出（shovel的过去式与过去分词形式）
shoveled例句：
The hungry man greedily shoveled the food into his mouth. 那个饥饿的人贪婪地、大口大口地吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
They shoveled a path through the snow. 他们在雪中铲出一条小路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
相关单词：flakes
flakes解释：小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人
flakes例句：
It's snowing in great flakes. 天下着鹅毛大雪。
It is snowing in great flakes. 正值大雪纷飞。
相关单词：mittens
mittens解释：不分指手套
mittens例句：
Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。
相关单词：giggle
giggle解释：n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说
giggle例句：
Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。
