The Big Hill

"That hill is too big," Adam said. "It will take us two years just to get to the top! Then, we'll just sled down it one time."

"Come on," Danny said. "The hill may be long, but it's not too steep. We'll have fun!"

Pete listened to his two friends try to decide whether to climb the hill or not. They could stay at the bottom and build a fort. Pete wanted to sled ride, but it was a long way up.

"Think of how much fun it will be racing down the hill. Look at the other kids," Danny told his friends as he pointed to some of the other children sledding down. Those kids seemed to be having a good time.

"It's still such a long way up," Adam sighed.

It was too late. Pete wanted to have fun like the other kids. So, Adam lost the vote. The three boys started up the hill.

Adam knew it was going to be hard climbing the hill and the other two would agree with him once they got tired. He walked slowly so that when his friends did change their minds about climbing the hill, he could get to the bottom first.

"Come on, Adam," Pete yelled.

"Yeah," Danny said. "You know the faster you walk, the faster you'll get to the top."

Adam was tired. He wanted to rest. The other two agreed that resting would be a good idea. So, the three sat in the snow and made little snowmen out of snowballs.

"I think we should just ride the sled down from here," Adam suggested, "and when we get to the bottom, we can build a fort."

Dan wanted to keep going up the hill. He pointed out how far they already walked, and with just a little further to go, it would be worth it to continue. Pete agreed.

"Why sled half the hill, when we can sled the whole thing!" he said.

The three boys seemed to climb the hill forever. Adam began to wonder if it was time for him to go home yet. Pete told him that his watch only said two-thirty. Adam looked up the hill and saw that there was still a long way to go to the top. He pointed up the hill and told his friends it was too far.

Pete agreed with Adam this time. They had been walking upward a long time and there was still far to go. Dan said they should play a game to make the time go faster and to make the climb more fun. This way, they would be at the top in no time.

It was agreed that each boy would make up one rule to the game.

Dan said each person had to keep their footprints in the snow in a straight line. The first one to the top would win, naturally.

Adam said that his rule would be that anyone who did not walk in a straight line would have to stop and make a snowball before continuing. He also said that every ten steps, each of them would have to make a snowball to try to knock their opponents out of line.

Pete said, "My rule is that the last one up the hill has to ride in the front of the sled, that way they'll get the snow in their face!"

"Ready...set...go!" Dan yelled.

The three boys struggled up the hill with their footprints all in a straight line. Every ten steps, each made a snowball and threw them at each other, laughing and playing. Dan had to make an extra snowball because Pete knocked him off his line with a snowball right in the knee!

And, before they knew it, they were standing at the top of the hill, with Pete making it to the top last. All there was left to do was sled down.

"Let's not sled down yet," Adam said. He thought it would be a good idea to build a fort at the top of the hill. Then, they could sled out of it.

The boys gathered snow and packed it into short walls with an opening toward the sledding path. By the time they were finished, the fort looked like a miniature castle.

Pete began to play make-believe. He said troops were coming up the west side of the hill.

"Fireballs!" Danny cried.

Each of the boys started making snowballs to throw at the imaginary troops.

"It's not working," Adam yelled. "We must retreat!"

Dan and Pete agreed. With Pete in the front to catch the snow in his face, the three boys shot out of the fort's opening, down the hill.

Tbey were sliding fast, which they all enjoyed. At the bottom of the hill, the boys rolled out of the sled, laughing. They lay in the snow for a moment and made snow-angels until it was time to go home.

"Climbing that big hill was worth all that fun," Pete said, and Danny and Adam agreed. The three boys decided to do the same thing the next day after school.