A Korean "Nature" Tale of Friendship & Sacrifice:

The weather was very cold as winter had come. The clear and twinkling white snow seemed beautiful and amusing to the baby rabbit who was born in summer.

"Mom, what is snow?" asked Baby Rabbit to Mother Rabbit.

"Snow is a flower of the Gods which blossoms in the sky," said Mother Rabbit

Mother Rabbit also said that if you look at snow closely enough, you can see that it is formed with six petals.

"Dear child! Isn't snow beautiful? How about we make a snowman?"

Mother Rabbit went in the house and brought a shovel, a water bucket and many other tools and prepared to make a snowman with Baby Rabbit.

But Baby Rabbit could only watch in curiosity Mother Rabbit running up and down to gather snow because he didn't know what a snowman was.

Soon after, a snowman that resembled a boy was made. Baby Rabbit was so happy that he ran round and round the snowman. As he was running, he discovered another curious thing.

"Ah! Why doesn't snowman have eyes and nose?" Mother Rabbit proposed they make eyes with two coals, and a nose with a carrot.
Baby Rabbit hurried into the house and brought back two coals and a carrot, and an adorable snowman was made. Then Mother Rabbit asked Baby Rabbit to name the snowman.

Baby Rabbit thought for a while and insisted to name it as "Little Snowman".

"Yes! It is a wonderful name!" Mother Rabbit praised him. Mother Rabbit made a hat with the water bucket for the Little Snowman.

Everyday, Baby Rabbit who looked out the window and saw Little Snowman who stood outside. Baby Rabbit asked Mother Rabbit, "Won't Little Snowman be cold?"

Mother Rabbit told Baby Rabbit: "Little Snowman doesn't get cold. If you bring Little Snowman inside the house, he will melt immediately."

One day as Spring was coming, Mother Rabbit went out and Baby Rabbit had to stay home alone. Being alone was so boring that the Baby Rabbit wanted to play with someone. So he went outside and said to the Little Snowman. "Will you play with me?"

Suddenly the Little Snowman moved and smiled at Baby Rabbit and said "All right! I was tired of standing here and wanted to play with someone!"

The twp of them ran up and down the forest covered with snow playing hide and seek, and even ran down the mountain outside the forest. Baby Rabbit faced a far away mountain shouted. "I am a baby rabbit." The other side of the mountain echoed, "I am a baby rabbit". This time, Little Snowman shouted, "I am a Little Snowman." And also it echoed back "I am a Little Snowman." Finally, they shouted together.

"We are good friends!" Likewise, it echoed, "We are good friends! Good friends! Good friends! Good friends!"

Baby Rabbit got tired of playing and went home together with Little Snowman. As always, Little Snowman stood outside and Baby Rabbit inside, each sleeping and having
sweet dreams.

But a bit later, a spark escaped the fireplace and the rug beside it caught on fire. The fire got bigger and bigger and spread throughout the house. Baby Rabbit woke surprised and tried to escape the fire, but the smoke was too thick that he couldn't move and fainted. Little Snowman saw the fire from outside and wanted to save Baby Rabbit. But Little Snowman was afraid that the blazing fire would melt him.

The fire got bigger and bigger and the house was about to collapse any minute. So Little Snowman made his mind to save his friend Baby Babbit although he might have to sacrifice himself.

Little Snowman ran into the flames, through the smoke and tried to hold Baby Rabbit in his arms. Then the room started to collapse and Little Snowman started to melt. The shining drops of water from the Little Snowman fell down on Baby Rabbit's face, which woke Baby Rabbit just a bit.

Little Snowman dodged the falling burning poles and barely escaped the burning house. But his body melted so much from the fire and he was too small to support himself. Eventually Little snowman melted completely beside Baby Rabbit.

Mother Rabbit saw the smoke from the fire when she was on her way home and hurried back. When she arrived home, the whole house was burnt down, Baby Rabbit was lying in the snow, coughing but safe. Mother Rabbit took him in her arms at once.

Mother Rabbit asked "Who saved you?" and Baby Rabbit answered that Little Snowman had saved him. Then Mother Rabbit asked where Little Snowman was. Baby Rabbit was silent and could only stare at the shining clear water beside him with eyes full of tears. In the water, there were two coals, one carrot and a water bucket, so Mother Rabbit knew what had happened.

Mother Rabbit said to Baby Rabbit: "My child! Don't be sad, the Gods will return good Little Snowman will to us next winter".

And they did.