The lynx blinked slowly, unimpressed by the volume. He didn't even flinch. "Because, kid," the lynx said, his voice completely flat, "screaming at the top of your lungs on a patch of black ice is a great way to trigger an avalanche. Or at the very least, a really embarrassing slide." Max opened his mouth to yell something even angrier, but before he could get a word out, his back paws slipped entirely. With a high-pitched squeak, the bully rat shot backward across the slick incline like a puck on a hockey rink. Whoosh. Max slid straight past Rascal—who didn't even try to help him—and skidded right into a snowbank, disappearing in a puff of white powder.Silence descended over the hill again, save for the wind howling through the ravine. Mrs. Willow adjusted her glasses from further down the path, clutching her clipboard. "Well," she called out calmly, deciding to turn the slip into a teachable moment. "That, class, is precisely why we maintain a three-foot distance on icy slopes. Thank you for the demonstration, Max." From deep inside the snowbank came a muffled, furious growl. Max looked like a icy mouse. He stared at the ground. Oops! He made a mistake. The ground shook and then, the class and the Lynx slipped and fell into the cold icy water. The water made little ice particles on them. They looked like snowy animals who just put their feet in the water, and like animals whose feet are made of ice. The class make blankets made of leaves and made tents. Tori, and badger and Jakey the bear came back. Tori was done with supper and Jakey found leaves. They decided to visit. As the animals slept, the lynx and bear and badger were on guard. In the morning, the snow was 4 feet. The animals took leaves and ate. They played chess, monopoly, and did puzzles and listened to music. A few hours later, Jaime the rabbit yawned, and she was staring at the door of the tent. Then the teacher told the class to stand up. Jaime looked up, smiled and said, "Are we finally going for a walk?"
"Yes, we are," the teacher said. "Put on your coats, come on." The class put on thick socks and snow boots. Then, they set out. The water had turned to solid ice, and it looked like the class were stranded. Their maps were completely buried beneath four feet of snow. "What should we do?" the bilbies asked, trembling in the freezing wind.
