The Owl Who Kept the Winter Promise

In the North, when snow hushes the land, a Snowy Owl watched from a birch tree, white as the moon. Below her lived two hares—quick-footed sisters—who laughed through summer and learned hard lessons in winter.

One cold season, the snow grew deep and food grew shy. The hares worried. The Snowy Owl spoke in a calm, old voice:
“Listen to the birch. She remembers.”

The owl showed them where birch leaves still clung, dry but strong, and where red berries slept beneath the snow, kept safe by the cold. The hares shared what they found and thanked the trees with gentle paws.

The owl did not hunt them. Instead, she guarded the grove, keeping the balance as her grandparents had taught her.

When spring returned, the birch trees shimmered green, berries shone bright, and the hares leapt with joy. From then on, the land whispered a lesson:

Respect the gifts, share what you find, and winter will pass.