The Snowman Surprise – December 5 – Advent Calendar 2024

The Snowman Surprise

by Aaron Aaronsen

It was a perfect winter morning in Monti J. Monti’s town. The ground was covered with thick, fluffy snow, and Monti could hear the excited chatter of kids as he walked to the town square. Today was the big day, the annual snowman-building contest.

Monti’s boots crunched in the snow as he adjusted his red-and-white beanie and thought about his plan. He wanted to build the biggest and best snowman the town had ever seen.

When he arrived at the square, the mayor was already announcing the rules. “Work alone or in teams,” she said. “But remember, the most creative snowman wins the prize!”

Monti looked around. Leo was teaming up with a group of kids, laughing and planning. But Monti shook his head. I can do this on my own. If I build the biggest snowman by myself, everyone will be even more impressed, he thought.

Monti got to work right away. He started rolling a snowball for the base, pushing it across the snowy ground. At first, it was fun watching the ball grow bigger and bigger. But soon it became heavy. The snow stuck unevenly, and Monti struggled to move it any further.

“Come on,” he muttered, straining against the weight.

After what felt like forever, he finally had a large base. But as he tried to lift another snowball to stack on top, it slipped and crumbled. Monti groaned, his arms aching. He looked around and saw the other teams making progress.

Leo’s team was rolling snowballs together, laughing as they worked. Another group of kids was decorating their snowman with scarves and twigs. Everyone seemed to be having fun, except Monti.

“Need a hand?”

Monti turned to see Leo standing there, grinning. Behind him, the rest of his team waved.

Monti hesitated. He was embarrassed about his messy snowman, and part of him still wanted to do it alone. But the snowball he’d been trying to lift had already fallen apart again, and his arms were too tired to try anymore.

Finally, he sighed. “Okay, I guess I could use some help.”

Leo’s face lit up. “Awesome! Come join us!”

Working as a team felt strange at first, but Monti quickly realized how much easier it was. Leo and another boy rolled the base snowball together while two others packed the snow to make it smooth. Monti worked on the middle section, and with everyone’s help, they stacked it easily onto the base.

As they built, they shared ideas. One girl suggested making the snowman’s arms out of pine branches, and Monti came up with the idea of using shiny foil from candy wrappers to make buttons. Someone else shaped a tiny snow goat to sit on the snowman’s shoulder, a nod to Monti’s favorite animal.

By the time they finished, their snowman was enormous and full of unique details. It wore a red scarf, had pinecone eyes, and even a big, goofy smile made of licorice sticks.

When the mayor came around to judge the snowmen, she stopped in front of Monti’s team’s creation and gasped. “What a masterpiece! This snowman has so much character. It’s clear you all worked hard together.”

Monti felt a swell of pride. He realized that their snowman wouldn’t have been half as good if he’d worked alone.

When the winners were announced, Monti’s team took first place. The prize was a basket of chocolates, which they all shared, laughing and joking as they ate.

That evening, as Monti walked home with Leo, he felt lighter than the snowflakes drifting in the air. “You know,” he said, “I thought doing it alone would be better. But working together was way more fun—and we made something amazing.”

Leo grinned. “See? Teamwork makes everything better. Plus, now you know how to build the biggest snowman next year!”

Monti laughed, his breath puffing in the cold air. “Next year, I’m definitely starting with a team.”

As he climbed into bed that night, Monti thought about the day. He’d learned that asking for help wasn’t a weakness, it made big things possible. With a smile, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of snowflakes, laughter, and a snowman standing tall in the town square.