One night, Liam was tucked beneath his blanket, dreaming warm and wonderful dreams.
Then—**BRRRR!**—a chilly breeze tickled his nose and woke him up.
Liam peeked out of the window. Snowflakes were dancing through the dark sky!
“Snow?” he whispered. “But it never snows here!”
Liam pulled on his warmest coat, his woolly hat, and his bright little boots.
If there was strange snow outside, perhaps there was a strange treasure waiting too!
He packed his trusty treasure map and hurried to Papa’s room.
“Papa,” Liam whispered. “Would you like to come on an adventure?”
But Papa was fast asleep.
“Paaapa?” Liam tried once more.
Papa only gave a tiny snore.
Liam stood tall. He was a little boy, but he had a very brave heart.
Liam opened the front door.
**WHOOSH!**
The frosty wind swirled around him and made his scarf flap like a flag.
“Cold!” Liam squeaked.
He opened the treasure map. A sparkling trail pointed toward the mountains.
Liam followed the map across fields covered in soft, crunchy snow.
Ahead, the mountain had turned completely white.
“Why is it snowing?” Liam wondered. “And where did all this snow come from?”
The treasure map twinkled as if it knew the answer.
Suddenly, the mountain began to rumble.
**RUMBLE! RATTLE! ROOOOOLL!**
A humongous snowball came crashing down the hill. It was bigger than a house—and it was rolling straight toward Liam!
Liam reached into his adventure pack.
**CLICK! WHIRR! FLUTTER!**
Out sprang his special robot wings. They opened like the wings of a shining butterfly.
Liam zoomed into the air just as the giant snowball thundered beneath his boots.
Higher and higher Liam flew.
Then he spotted something glowing on a distant peak.
It shimmered gold, blue, and violet beneath the snow.
“The treasure stone!” cried Liam.
But someone was standing beside it.
The guardian of the treasure was round as a snowball and tall as a tower.
Three enormous eyes bobbed on long, wiggly stalks.
And beneath them curled the funniest moustache Liam had ever seen.
It was the Snow Monster!
The Snow Monster twirled his moustache.
“Ho-ho! You will never reach my treasure!” he boomed.
He wiggled all three eyes and poked out his tongue.
Then he scooped up the snow and rolled another gigantic snowball.
So this silly monster was making the strange winter!
Liam needed a plan—and a very warm invention.
He fastened his special robot blaster over his arm.
**KA-CHUNK!**
The blaster glowed orange and red.
“Snow melts,” Liam said, “when it gets warm!”
The Snow Monster threw one snowball.
Then two.
Then ten!
Liam swooped and spun through the frosty air.
**FWOOSH! FIZZ! PLOP!**
His fire blaster melted every snowball into harmless splashes of water.
The Snow Monster’s three eyes grew wide.
“My beautiful snowballs!” he wailed.
With one last wobble of his funny moustache, he turned and bounced away over the ridge.
“I did it!” cheered Liam.
The treasure stone sparkled just ahead.
Liam reached for the treasure.
But the snow beneath him had grown soft from the warm blaster.
**CRACK! CRUMBLE!**
“Uh-oh,” said Liam.
The ground disappeared, and down, down, down he tumbled!
Liam landed with a soft **POOF** in a pile of powdery snow.
He was inside a secret ice cave. Blue crystals shone from the walls like stars.
Then Liam heard a sound behind him.
**Shuffle. Snuffle. Stomp.**
He slowly turned around.
There was another Snow Monster.
And another.
And another!
A whole group of snowy monsters filled the cave. Their moustaches bounced as they marched toward the glowing treasure stone.
There was no room for Liam to fly.
Liam looked at the steep frozen slope beneath his feet.
Then he looked at his robot wings.
“Time for a new trick!”
**CLICK-CLICK! ZIP!**
The butterfly wings folded together and transformed into a shining snowboard.
Down the frozen tunnel Liam raced.
He swooped around crystal towers, sailed over sparkling bumps, and zipped beneath glittering icicles.
It was like the wildest rollercoaster in the world!
Behind him came the monsters—**BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!**
Liam shot out of the cave and landed at the bottom of the mountain.
He skidded to a stop.
The Snow Monsters crowded at the cave entrance. Every one of their eyes was fixed on the treasure stone.
And then Liam understood.
“They are following its glow!”
Beside Liam lay a piece of ice shaped just like the treasure.
He polished it until it gleamed, then fastened it to his robot wings.
From far away, it looked exactly like the treasure stone.
Liam smiled. “I have a plan.”
The robot wings fluttered into the sky, carrying the shiny icy copy.
The Snow Monsters gasped.
“The treasure!” they cried.
Away flew the wings.
Away thundered the monsters—bouncing, slipping, and tumbling after them in one great snowy parade.
As the monsters disappeared into the distance, the icy wind became a gentle breeze.
The clouds opened. Warm sunlight poured across the mountain.
**Drip, drip, drip.**
The strange snow melted away, and the green hills returned.
Liam tucked the treasure stone safely into his bag and hurried home.
By the time he reached the front door, the last snowflake had vanished.
Inside, Papa was finally awake.
“Good morning,” Papa yawned. “Did I miss anything?”
Liam placed the treasure stone in Papa’s hands.
It filled the room with gold, blue, and violet light.
Papa’s eyes opened wide as Liam told him about the giant snowball, the butterfly wings, the ice cave, and the monsters with their funny moustaches.
Papa gave Liam the biggest hug.
Liam beamed. He felt very proud—and he knew that another adventure was never far away.
~ And that is the end of the story ~
The Adventures of Liam 