The Curious Snowflake, Part 1

The Curious Snowflake
A Children's Parable

Part 1

Once upon a time, there was a snowflake.

She was not the largest snowflake in the Great Cloud,
nor the smallest,
nor the prettiest,
nor the plainest,
but she was the one that asked the most questions
because she was eaten up from tip to tip with curiosity.

She asked why the Sky Above was sometimes blue
and sometimes black.
She asked why the North Wind felt different from the South Wind
and the East Wind from the West Wind.
She asked why the Pale Light always changed its shape,
but the Bright Light never did.
She asked why the Ground Below always changed color.
She asked why the thunder always followed the lightning.
She asked and asked and asked and asked and asked
until all the other snowflakes were quite cross with her.

Then one day, the Curious Snowflake asked a new question.
“What happens when we Fall?”
All the other snowflakes gasped aloud
for no snowflake wants to talk about Falling,
leaving the Great Cloud forever,
never to return.

“You ask too many questions,” the other snowflakes snapped,
more cross than ever.
“Go away.”
“I believe I shall,” the Curious Snowflake replied.
“The Great Cloud is a very big place,
so there must be someone who knows what happens when we Fall.
I shall go and find them.”
And she floated away.

The Curious Snowflake went first to the very top of the Great Cloud,
where all the snowflakes are large and star-shaped,
and asked them,
“What happens when we fall?”
All the star-shaped snowflakes gasped aloud
for no snowflake wants to talk about Falling,
leaving the Great Cloud forever,
never to return.

“Well,” answered the largest and most beautiful of the star-shaped ones,
“here at the top of the Great Cloud we are taught
that once we touch the Ground Below
we vanish, gone forever.
So we must enjoy the Great Cloud while we are here,
and strive to be as big and beautiful as we can be.
For that is the purpose of a snowflake, to be beautiful.”

The Curious Snowflake thought about this for a moment,
and felt in her heart that it was not quite right.
“If that is true,” she said
then why is there a Great Cloud at all?
Can you tell me why the Great Cloud exists
if what you say is true?”

“You ask too many questions,” the star-shaped snowflakes snapped,
now very cross with her.
“Go away.”
“I believe I shall,” the Curious Snowflake replied.
“The Great Cloud is a very big place,
so there must be someone who knows what happens when we Fall.
I shall go and find them.”
And she floated away.

The Curious Snowflake went next to the very edge of the Great Cloud,
where all the snowflakes are thin and needle-shaped,
and asked them,
“What happens when we fall?”
All the needle-shaped snowflakes gasped aloud
for no snowflake wants to talk about Falling,
leaving the Great Cloud forever,
never to return.

“Well,” answered the longest and sharpest of the needle-shaped ones,
“here at the edge of the Great Cloud we are taught that
once we touch the Ground Below
we go to the place of Stillness
where we are judged on how fast we whirled and twirled through the air.
Those who whirled the fastest and twirled the highest
remain there, in perfect stillness, forever.
But those who were not perfect are sent back to another Great Cloud
to try again, over and over, until they are perfect.
For that is the purpose of a snowflake, to whirl and twirl.

The Curious Snowflake thought about this for a moment,
and felt in her heart that it was not quite right.
“If that is true,” she said
“then why are snowflakes of all different shapes?
How well a snowflake whirls and twirls depends as much
on her shape as it does on her effort.
Can you tell me why we are all different shapes
if what you say is true?”

“You ask too many questions,” the needle-shaped snowflakes snapped,
now very cross with her.
“Go away.”
“I believe I shall,” the Curious Snowflake replied.
“The Great Cloud is a very big place,
so there must be someone who knows what happens when we Fall.
I shall go and find them.”
And she floated away.

The Curious Snowflake went next to the very bottom of the Great Cloud,
where all the snowflakes are round and pebble-shaped,
and asked them,
“What happens when we fall?”
All the pebble-shaped snowflakes gasped aloud
for no snowflake wants to talk about Falling,
leaving the Great Cloud forever,
never to return.

“Well,” answered the roundest and hardest of the pebble-shaped ones,
“here at the bottom of the Great Cloud we are taught that
once we touch the Ground Below
We are brought before the One who made both us
and the Great Cloud itself.
We are there judged on how cold we were here,
and those who are imperfect are melted by His wrath
and cast out from His presence forever.
But those found worthy are gathered into the Perfect Cloud
to stay in bliss, forever.
For that is the purpose of a snowflake, to be cold.

The Curious Snowflake thought about this for a moment,
and felt in her heart that it was not quite right.
“If that is true,” she said
“then why do some of us melt as we Fall?
Some snowflakes fall as flakes and others as raindrops.
Why do some of us fall as rain
if what you say is true?”

“You ask too many questions,” the pebble-shaped snowflakes snapped,
now very cross with her.
“Go away.”
“I believe I shall,” the Curious Snowflake replied.
“The Great Cloud is a very big place,
so there must be someone who knows what happens when we Fall.
I shall go and find them.”
And she floated away.