Winter Wonderland

Randolph Nutley stared glumly out the window. Outside, it was another beautiful Southern California day. Randolph sighed.

Mrs. Nutley was watching an old black-and-white mystery movie on TV while she did the ironing. “If you’re bored,” she said, “why don’t you go outside into the fresh air and play?”

“Play what?” Randolph asked irritably. “There isn’t any snow.”

“Not that again,” Mrs. Nutley said.

“Here it is the middle of winter,” Randolph went on, “and I’m still wandering around in a T-shirt.”

“You won’t be comfortable if you go outside like that. It’s pretty crisp,” said his mother.

“Crisp isn’t snow. Can’t we move to Alaska with the rest of the family?”

Mrs. Nutley put down her iron and stared wistfully at the ceiling as she spoke. “It would be nice to see Aunt Edith and Uncle Morrie, wouldn’t it?”

“It sure would,” Randolph said, encouraging her. “And I never even met my cousin Winslow.”

“Someday we’ll arrange a visit,” Mrs. Nutley said. “But for now, go outside. You’re making me crazy.”

“OK,” Randolph said. “But you’ll be sorry if I grow up twisted because I never threw a snowball.”

“I’m sorry already. Go!”

Randolph found his jacket and went outside. He wandered down the street looking at the flowers and the trees and green grass.

A squirrel scampered across a telephone wire from one pole to another.

“Hey, look! A squirrel,” somebody said. It was Harold, Randolph’s best friend.

“Big whoop,” Randolph said. “What we need are polar bears! Penguins! Icebergs!”

Harold nodded.

“Randolph,” Mrs. Nutley called from her front door. “Come inside. I have something important to tell you.”

“She probably wants to show me the ice cubes in the freezer,” Randolph said as he trotted up the front lawn to the house.

*

Tuesday: The visitor.

* This story will be on The Times’ Web site at https://www.latimes.com /kids.