Read Online Beware, the Snowman by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R. L. Stine
Tags: Children's Books.3-5
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me.
“No—please!” I begged.
I grabbed Aunt Greta by the shoulders and tugged her away from the ledge. We
pressed ourselves against the icy wall of the cave.
“Good-bye,” the monster grunted. “Good-bye, all.”
“But I saved you!” I pleaded. “Is that my reward? To be thrown over
the side of the mountain?”
The red-scaled beast nodded. An ugly grin revealed more jagged teeth. “Yes.
That is your reward.”
He picked me up in one powerful hand. Squeezing my waist. Squeezing it so
tightly I couldn’t breathe.
He picked Aunt Greta up in his other hand.
Raised us above his head.
Let out an ugly, raspy groan.
And held us over the side of the mountain.
31
His powerful hands swung us out over the cliff edge.
I peered down, down at the sheer drop, at the snowy ground that appeared to
be miles below.
To my surprise, the monster didn’t let go.
He swung around and dropped my aunt and me back onto the ledge.
“Huh?” I uttered a startled gasp.
The monster was staring down the ledge now. He had stopped paying attention
to Aunt Greta and me.
Struggling to catch my breath, I turned and followed his gaze.
And saw what had startled the monster. And saved my life.
A parade!
A parade of snowmen.
All of the snowmen of the village. They were marching up to the ice cave in a
single line.
Their red scarves waved in the wind. Their sticklike arms bobbed up and down as they rumbled up the mountainside.
Like soldiers, they came marching up to us. Bouncing, thudding, rumbling
forward. All identical. All scarred and stern-faced and sneering.
“I—I don’t believe it!” I stammered. I grabbed Aunt Greta’s arm.
We stared at the marching snowmen in horror.
“They’re all coming to serve the monster,” Aunt Greta whispered. “We’re
doomed, Jaclyn. Doomed.”
32
The snowmen rumbled up the icy ledge. The steady thud thud thud grew
louder as they neared. The sound echoed off the snowy mountaintop until it
sounded as if a thousand snowmen were marching to attack us.
Aunt Greta and I shrank back against the glassy cave wall.
We had nowhere to run. The monster blocked the cave entrance. The marching
snowmen cut off any escape down the ledge.
Closer came the snowmen. Closer. Close enough to see the anger in their
round, black eyes. Close enough to see the snakelike scars cut into their faces.
Aunt Greta and I couldn’t move. We raised our hands as if to shield
ourselves.
And then we gasped in surprise as the snowmen marched right past us.
They rumbled up to the monster. Bouncing fast. Thudding over the ice. Arms waving, dark eyes glowing.
Bounced up to the startled monster. And pushed him. Pushed him back.
The snowmen crushed up against him. One snowman. Then two. Then ten.
They crushed against his scaly, red body. Pushing him back. Back.
The monster tossed its head in an angry roar.
But the roar was smothered as a snowman rolled over the monster’s head.
Aunt Greta and I gasped in amazement as the snowmen swarmed over the monster.
Pushed him back against the cave wall.
We saw the monster’s powerful arms flail the air, thrashing wildly.
Helplessly.
And then the monster disappeared behind a crush of snowmen.
The snowmen pushed forward. Pushed hard. Pushed silently.
Like a silent avalanche.
And when they finally stepped back, the monster stood frozen, arms stretched
out as if to attack. Not moving. Frozen inside the ice wall.
A prisoner.
The snowmen had pushed him into the wall. Trapped him inside the glassy wall
of ice.
Aunt Greta and I stood trembling beside the cave entrance. We were still
holding on to each other. My legs felt weak and rubbery. I could feel Aunt Greta trembling
beneath her coat.
“What brought all the snowmen up here?” I asked her. “Did you do it,
Aunt Greta?”
She shook her head, her eyes still wide with amazement. “I didn’t bring them
here, Jaclyn,” she said softly. “I told you the truth. I have no magic.
“No—please!” I begged.
I grabbed Aunt Greta by the shoulders and tugged her away from the ledge. We
pressed ourselves against the icy wall of the cave.
“Good-bye,” the monster grunted. “Good-bye, all.”
“But I saved you!” I pleaded. “Is that my reward? To be thrown over
the side of the mountain?”
The red-scaled beast nodded. An ugly grin revealed more jagged teeth. “Yes.
That is your reward.”
He picked me up in one powerful hand. Squeezing my waist. Squeezing it so
tightly I couldn’t breathe.
He picked Aunt Greta up in his other hand.
Raised us above his head.
Let out an ugly, raspy groan.
And held us over the side of the mountain.
31
His powerful hands swung us out over the cliff edge.
I peered down, down at the sheer drop, at the snowy ground that appeared to
be miles below.
To my surprise, the monster didn’t let go.
He swung around and dropped my aunt and me back onto the ledge.
“Huh?” I uttered a startled gasp.
The monster was staring down the ledge now. He had stopped paying attention
to Aunt Greta and me.
Struggling to catch my breath, I turned and followed his gaze.
And saw what had startled the monster. And saved my life.
A parade!
A parade of snowmen.
All of the snowmen of the village. They were marching up to the ice cave in a
single line.
Their red scarves waved in the wind. Their sticklike arms bobbed up and down as they rumbled up the mountainside.
Like soldiers, they came marching up to us. Bouncing, thudding, rumbling
forward. All identical. All scarred and stern-faced and sneering.
“I—I don’t believe it!” I stammered. I grabbed Aunt Greta’s arm.
We stared at the marching snowmen in horror.
“They’re all coming to serve the monster,” Aunt Greta whispered. “We’re
doomed, Jaclyn. Doomed.”
32
The snowmen rumbled up the icy ledge. The steady thud thud thud grew
louder as they neared. The sound echoed off the snowy mountaintop until it
sounded as if a thousand snowmen were marching to attack us.
Aunt Greta and I shrank back against the glassy cave wall.
We had nowhere to run. The monster blocked the cave entrance. The marching
snowmen cut off any escape down the ledge.
Closer came the snowmen. Closer. Close enough to see the anger in their
round, black eyes. Close enough to see the snakelike scars cut into their faces.
Aunt Greta and I couldn’t move. We raised our hands as if to shield
ourselves.
And then we gasped in surprise as the snowmen marched right past us.
They rumbled up to the monster. Bouncing fast. Thudding over the ice. Arms waving, dark eyes glowing.
Bounced up to the startled monster. And pushed him. Pushed him back.
The snowmen crushed up against him. One snowman. Then two. Then ten.
They crushed against his scaly, red body. Pushing him back. Back.
The monster tossed its head in an angry roar.
But the roar was smothered as a snowman rolled over the monster’s head.
Aunt Greta and I gasped in amazement as the snowmen swarmed over the monster.
Pushed him back against the cave wall.
We saw the monster’s powerful arms flail the air, thrashing wildly.
Helplessly.
And then the monster disappeared behind a crush of snowmen.
The snowmen pushed forward. Pushed hard. Pushed silently.
Like a silent avalanche.
And when they finally stepped back, the monster stood frozen, arms stretched
out as if to attack. Not moving. Frozen inside the ice wall.
A prisoner.
The snowmen had pushed him into the wall. Trapped him inside the glassy wall
of ice.
Aunt Greta and I stood trembling beside the cave entrance. We were still
holding on to each other. My legs felt weak and rubbery. I could feel Aunt Greta trembling
beneath her coat.
“What brought all the snowmen up here?” I asked her. “Did you do it,
Aunt Greta?”
She shook her head, her eyes still wide with amazement. “I didn’t bring them
here, Jaclyn,” she said softly. “I told you the truth. I have no magic.
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