Whiter than snow (session 2)

We left the story yesterday, oh yes, how do Swiss children get to school? Who figured that one out? How do the children get to school? Do you know Jack? You're spot on, that's the very first picture. In the depths of winter, that's the way to go. The only thing that worries me about this sled is there's no controls.

I don't see a brake, I don't see a handle, I don't see anything. I'm not quite sure how you stop except you put your boots down into the snow. This is Lucian, look how mean he looks.

We were saying yesterday how hateful Annette was. If she hated Lucian, my oh my, Lucian hated her. He thought she was really smarty-pants, blonde hair, blue eyes, always top of the class.

He was always bottom of the class. Everybody thought she was an angel looking after little Danny. He resented the fact that because his dad had died, he couldn't go and buy fine new skates, he couldn't go and play with the other boys because he had to help his mum on the farm.

But you know, Annette's mum had died, she didn't have a lot of extras either. But one of the things that made him even more mad was that she was happy. She had all the kind of issues that he had, but she seemed to be okay with them.

Everybody at school thought she was an absolute die. And he's thinking about these things as he's on his way to school, sledding from his farm to join the road that goes down to the village. He wasn't concentrating because he was thinking about Annette, he didn't see Annette coming from the other side.

Suddenly, boom, right at the crossroads, he went slam-bam right into poor Annette on her sleigh. Neither of them had seen each other. And oh dear, he knocked her off, she went up in the air and she landed in a big snowdrift.

He stopped his sled. Now he hadn't meant to do that, it was an accident and he was sorry he knocked her into the snow which was cold and wet. So he went over to help her.

Leave me alone, you dumb donkey, she shouted back. Can't you watch where you're going? Now look at me, look at my boots, they're all in the snow. Oh, I'm sorry, said Lucille, I come to help you.

I don't need your help, clear off, leave me alone. Okay, okay. You think I killed you or something? All right, out of your way, I'll see you at school.

Got back onto his sled, he was off. Poor Annette, took her ages to find her books. Her hands were cold and bleeding, her ears and her nose were really blue with the cold.

She was late to school that morning because of the accident. And when her teacher saw her, what a mess she was in. She was in a terrible mess.

Whatever happened to you, said the teacher. Now, Annette had been taught it was wrong to tell tales, it was wrong to lie. But when she saw Lucian, dry, warm, sitting at his desk, she was filled with hatred again for this boy.

And so she pointed and she lied and she said to the teacher, it's his fault, sir. He deliberately knocked me off my sled and he didn't come back to help me. It's all his fault that I'm wet and I'm late.

All the children looked at Lucian. As I say, everyone thought Annette was just such a little darling. They always believed Annette.

They didn't imagine that she could have a wicked heart and be such a sinner. But you know, one person was watching. You know, boys and girls, someone had been watching.

It had been the Lord God. The Lord had been watching and he could see something that none of the boys and girls in the next class could see. The Lord could see her sinful heart and the Lord knew how wicked she was.

What a sinner she was. Boys and girls, it's the same for all of us. The Lord knows our hearts.

He sees us through and through. You think x-rays are clever for showing up the bones. God's got even better eyes than x-ray eyes.

He sees right into our hearts. And even though the children, oh dear, poor Lucian. The teacher got out his cane.

This happened about 70, 80 years ago when a teacher would use a cane there in Switzerland. He got a whipping and he knew he had done nothing wrong. Oh, he was mad.

He was the last to leave school that day. Now, one of the disadvantages of sledding down to school is you've got to walk home. You can't sled uphill.

So he's dragging his sled behind him and he always has to pass Annette's farm before he turns to his. He noticed Danny. He thought, this is my chance.

I'll get it back. I'll get it back. That's what I'll do.

I'll do it straight away. Danny was just finishing a very beautiful snowman. He had just popped the head on.

He was just positioning the eyes. He was about to put the snowman's hat on. You can see the shadow of Lucian coming near and then suddenly he lifted up his boot and pushed it over and smashed it to bits.

Oh, that's my snowman. Danny shouted. Now, unknown to Lucian, Annette, who had been coming out the barn, had seen what he did.

She flew towards Lucian like a tigress and she slapped him across the face and he was about to punch her back when he spotted her father coming out the kitchen door. He knew he mustn't. Mustn't hit her now.

He made a face. Oh, who's a sissy? Who's a baby? Who came in crying? She shouted back, you bully. Picking on girls.

Picking on little boys. You are the sissy. Grow up.

Go on. I'm glad you got a whipping. You deserved it.

Danny ran into the house crying. On the other hand, she went to close the door of the little house where they lived and suddenly she found herself transfixed. She couldn't take her eyes off the mountains because the sun was just beginning to set and suddenly the whole of the sky and the top of the mountains on the snow went a wonderful pinky colour.

And as she stood there, she thought about the God who made the mountains, the God who made the sunset, and she thought that God can't be pleased with me when I hate Lucian so much. She wasn't going to ask for forgiveness. She knew that with her sin in her heart, she'd never be in heaven.

She knew what the Bible taught about how to be saved, how you needed to have your sins forgiven. She knew her mum was saved and in heaven, but oh no, she was so filled with hatred, she wasn't going to do anything about it. Well, winter started to melt into spring.

And that little pet that he got for Christmas present, remember? Little Klaus, the little kitten, was getting very frisky and wherever Danny went, the little kitten went. And Danny had wandered quite away from home. Wherever snow had melted, the little alpine crocuses and snowdrops were growing and he thought, I'll pick some for my sister.

Lucian was out walking and Lucian had been waiting for a chance to get back at Annette. He was sure if he could hurt her little brother, she would have, she'd have regretted ever getting him a whipping at school. Suddenly, he marched up and he snatched the flowers out of Danny's hands.

They're my flowers, they're for Annette. Annette, she doesn't know much more than her cows. She's not having them.

And he threw the flowers on the ground and he stomped and he crushed every single one of them. They're mine, I'll tell my dad on you. Just then, Lucian noticed Klaus sitting on a little wall by the edge of the ravine.

The little kitten didn't like to get his paws wet in the snow. Quickly, he grabbed the cat and he held it over the ravine, which went down a steep cliff into the river. You tell your dad and I'm dropping your cat.

Now, he thought the little fellow would back off and stop threatening. Suddenly, instead of stopping, Danny went worse. Danny flew at him, started kicking his shins.

He's my cat, he's my cat. Well, all the commotion made the cat squeal and scratch him. He didn't mean to let go, but the cat hurt him and he let go.

Down into the ravine. And before Lucian could do anything, Danny was following over. Come back, come back.

But it was too late. Unknown to Danny, the cat hadn't gone all the way down. He had got caught on a ledge.

And he could see, as he went towards the edge, could just see the tail of the cat. And he was just about to lean over and pick up, but the ledge was wet. And he disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

Lucian turned around, covering his eyes, daring not to take a second look. Oh, no. Oh, no.

I've killed him. I've killed him. What am I to do? What am I going to do? Just then, a little voice in his heart said, run.

Run away. Run fast. Nobody saw you.

Nobody knows. Run, boy, run. And he ran.

Without looking again down the ravine, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him all the way home. He was just about to go through the front door of his house and he stopped. Oh, he thought, mum will know something's wrong.

Oh, what am I going to do? I must, I must look like a murderer. Maybe I am a murderer. I'm going to go to the barn.

And he rushed across into the barn, climbed up the ladder into the hayloft and flung himself down into the straw. And his wicked little heart began to break. And he sobbed and he sobbed and he sobbed.

What happened to Danny? What happened to the kitten? What would happen to Lucia?