Poor Mountain Family’s Winter Fun

“It is snowing again!” exclaimed Poor Mountain Mother, looking out the kitchen window of her log cabin.

“Good,” said Poor Mountain Sister. “I love the snow! Can we go skiing this weekend?”

“Oh my!” exclaimed Poor Mountain Mother. “I don’t know if we can afford it. It costs a lot of money to go skiing.”

“Afford what?” asked Poor Mountain Father, just coming into the kitchen.

“Poor Mountain Sister wants to go skiing,” said Poor Mountain Mother.

“Oh,” said Poor Mountain Father. “It would be nice to go skiing but we definitely can’t afford it.”

“No problem,” said Poor Mountain Sister, going back into her bedroom.

“Just look at that,” said Poor Mountain Father. “I know she wants to go skiing so badly and yet she doesn’t make a fuss about it.”

“I know,” said Poor Mountain Mother. “Any other child would have taken a temper tantrum if you said no to them. Our children are really special children.”

“Well,” said Poor Mountain Father. “I’m going to take our children skiing this weekend. They deserve it.”

“Really,” said Poor Mountain Mother. “But where are you going to get the money from?”

“Well,” said Poor Mountain Father. “Remember that tractor that I was trying to buy?”

“Yes,” said Poor Mountain Mother.

“I’m just not going to buy it,” said Poor Mountain Father. “My children deserve a holiday and that is exactly what they are going to get.”

“What about your tractor?” asked Poor Mountain Mother.

“Well,” said Poor Mountain Father. “There will be other opportunities to buy a tractor. I’ll manage without it.”

That night after dinner, Poor Mountain Father asked Poor Mountain Sister and Poor Mountain Brother to stay sitting at the table.

“Why?” asked Poor Mountain Brother.

“Well,” said Poor Mountain Father. “How would you like to go skiing this weekend?”

“Oh wow!” exclaimed Poor Mountain Sister and Poor Mountain Brother. “That would be so much fun.”

Later that evening, just before going to bed, Poor Mountain Sister overheard Poor Mountain Mother talking to Poor Mountain Father.

“Did you see the look on Poor Mountain Brother and Poor Mountain Sister’s faces?” asked Poor Mountain Father.

“Yes,” said Poor Mountain Mother. “They were so excited! Are you sure, though, that you want to give up your tractor?”

“Absolutely,” said Poor Mountain Father. “I would do without anything to make my children happy.”

Poor Mountain Sister went into her brother’s room.

“Hey Sis,” said Poor Mountain Brother. “Are you excited about going skiing?”

“I was,” said Poor Mountain Sister.

Poor Mountain Sister explained to Poor Mountain Brother how Poor Mountain Father was giving up buying the tractor that he desperately needed for them to be able to go skiing.

“Then we can’t go,” said Poor Mountain Brother. “Poor Mountain Father needs that tractor more than we need to go skiing.”

“Yes,” said Poor Mountain Sister. “You are right. We can’t go skiing.”

Poor Mountain Sister and Poor Mountain Brother went downstairs to talk with their parents.

“We can’t go skiing this weekend,” said Poor Mountain Sister. “We aren’t going to let you not buy your tractor.”

Poor Mountain Father laid the newspaper down on the coffee table in front of him and was going to say something to his children, when something on the front page of the newspaper caught his eye.

“Oh we are definitely going skiing,” said Poor Mountain Father, pointing to a headline that read, ‘Free Ski Passes for Families at Local Ski Resort’. “And, I will still be able to get my tractor!”