Snowflake's Great Adventure (part 1)

   Snowflake wandered out into the snow. She shivered. The ice was freezing her paws. "Brr!" said her brother, Ice. Snowflake laughed, and said, "You're a sled dog. Aren't we supposed to like the cold?" "Not me," Ice said. It was their first day. They were excited to go out onto the ice for the first time. They were training for the Iditarod race in Alaska. They were huskies. Their father was a great lead dog. He had lead the pack for many years. He had won many awards. 

   Snowflake wagged her tail excitedly as they were strapped in beside their father on the sled. "Remember, my pups, never trust the other team. They are willing to cheat to win," her father warned. But the pups were too excited. They barely heard their father. Their answers were, "Yes, Dad," and, "Uh-huh."

   A man came up. He was wearing a dark coat. He came down and petted Snowflake and she licked his face. Then he stopped to talk to the driver. "Yes, we're just practicing. These dogs will be used for the Iditarod," the driver said. What he didn't know was that when the man had leaned down to pet Snowflake, he had quickly cut a little of the rope. Not all of it, but enough to make it snap in the middle of the practice run. He had been paid by the driver of the other team. "If they don't have enough dogs," the enemy had said, "surely they cannot compete in the Iditarod."

   The driver called to the dogs to tell them to begin. They started running. After a while, Snowflake got excited and pulled a little harder on her harness. Snap! it went. She tumbled down the hill, yelping for her father. She tumbled into some trees, and soon got lost. "Father? Mother? Ice?" she called out. She was lost in the woods. Alone.