As soon as her whole family drifted off to sleep, Clara woke up in a whole new world: Wonderland. Only the maddest and most creative children could have imagined it. For Clara, Wonderland was like a second home. Back in London she was only a 12-year-old girl who still believed in unicorns and fairytales. In Wonderland, though, Clara turned out to be the best alchemist anyone had ever seen.
It was Christmas Eve. While the busy London streets were already filled up with beautiful, melodic carols, the Wonderland paths were dull. The magical creatures who lived there described winter as a cold season with many windy days. Though, in time, Clara had been taking care of her secret land. She always came up with something new and exciting for her unusual friends. Her job was to keep them happy and always entertained. When she experienced the first winter day in Wonderland, she knew right away what she needed to create in order to brighten up the atmosphere: snow.
On that crispy cold night, Clara was about to finish her latest invention. Only her closest buddy, Caspar the elf, knew every single detail about it. “You’re late!” Caspar said when Clara arrived to their hiding place. “I stayed up late with my family, it won’t happen again. Have you mixed the potions like I told you?” the little girl asked. “Ah, yes, everything is bubbling and shivering here. You only need to add the crystals you were talking about.” Caspar said proudly. While Clara was working on the finishing touches, the elf was looking at her amazed. There was something magical about her. You could easily say that Clara was born in Wonderland and she was meant to live there.
After she dropped the last crystal in her cauldron, a huge cloud rose out of it. The little alchemist rushed to the front door and gently opened it. The cloud made its way out, leaving pure white snow on the floor. Caspar’s eyes were sparkling with delight. “It worked. It actually worked! You did it, my dear Clara!” he said, dancing happily around. “This is only the beginning...” the girl continued.
When Clara and Caspar went outside, they saw their friends standing in front of their house, gazing at the sky. The wind was blowing gently and the snowflakes seemed to be dancing in the air. Wonderland had never sparkled more. “What’s this? What’s happening?” everyone kept whispering. “Aye, you’d better tell us what it is!” a cold voice shouted. Clara was surprised to see Gustav, the old alchemist, coming towards her. Gustav had never been as good as Clara, which explained the rivalry between the two of them. Gustav hated the little girl right from the start. “This is my new invention. It’s called snow... To make winter a more beautiful season!” Clara explained politely. “What did you use?” Gustav continued, showing off an evil smirk. “That’s none of your business.” the answer came. But as the old man watched the snowflakes, his eyes lighted up. “Crystals, eh? Now I know it... I could sell all of this snow to other lands. I could win a fortune...” Gustav whispered loudly enough so Clara could hear. “The snow is not for sale. It is meant to stay here and make everyone happy. Besides, it won’t stay forever. By spring everything will have disappeared.” the little girl said.
Unfortunately Gustav paid no attention. In a few seconds he managed to create a gray cloud. It wasn’t long until a powerful snow storm started. “Please... Stop...” Clara tried to say. She and her friends were shaking wildly from head to toe. As Gustav flew to the snow cloud, the little girl thought that everything would be over for Wonderland. But when the wicked alchemist took some snowflakes in his hands, they all melted right before his eyes. “Is this some sort of a trickery?” Gustav shouted angrily. The snow storm gradually vanished away. “I’ve told you, but you wouldn’t listen. You can’t steal the snow cloud. Once you touch the snowflakes, they melt and they’re gone forever. You must learn to treasure the beauty of winter...” Clara said. Gustav turned back to the ground, muttering to himself: “You stupid girl...”
Everyone started to play in the snow, trying to have as much fun as possible. Nothing had ever brought so many Wonderland creatures together. Caspar patted Clara on her back and whispered into her ear: “I’m so proud of you! We all are!” The little alchemist looked around her once again. There was something different in Wonderland. A sheer delight on everybody’s faces. A magical feeling in the air. This is why winter is different from all the other seasons...
“Wake up, Clara, wake up! Santa was here!” Clara’s brother shouted, jumping on her bed. The girl was back home. She rushed downstairs to the living room, where the Christmas presents were. The lights and the glittering decorations from the Christmas tree reminded Clara of Winter Wonderland.
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