At the very top of Lomberstack Mountain, up past the pastures, and up past the forests, right at the snowy peak, lives a very big, but very friendly monster.
His name is Belvedere, but to most of the people that live down in Horsmarlonerpool, he’s known as Belvedere the Crusher.
His mummy and daddy didn't call him Belvedere the Crusher, they just called him Belvedere, but you see Belvedere’s hobby was to take great big scoops of snow in his huge hairy paws, and crush them together to make snow blocks.
He could make them round, or square, or even triangular. He built his snow castle out of crushed blocks, he even built an observation tower of crushed blocks. And because it’s so cold up on Lomberstack Mountain, the blocks never melt - so his creations stay that way forever.
Belvedere was a popular monster in the town. Everyone loved his thick white fur, and he was so big that sometimes if he was molting a little, he’d pull off a bit of fur and one lucky family could make a blanket for winter.
And he was so tall, that he would offer people rides. He’d pick them up and balance them on his head so they’d cling on to the fur by his ears and see all around the town the all over the countryside for miles and miles.
But then one year, Belvedere was up on Lomberstack Mountain, whistling away happily to himself, crushing the freshly fallen snow into huge, perfectly round snowballs, when he turned around to pick up his huge bucket of hot chocolate.
You see, Belvedere might have had the thickest fur in the world, but he still liked a big bucket of hot chocolate every now and again. But as he was sipping it, behind him, his new snowball began to roll… And by the time Belvedere turned around, it was already speeding down the mountain!
He threw his bucket of chocolate aside and ran after it, but not only was the snowball moving far too fast now, it had also picked up so much snow that it was twice its original size.
“Oh, no!” bellowed Belvedere, and stopped to watch the huge snowball crash through the forest and - out the other side!
Now it was headed through the grassy pastures, and rabbits and sheep ran out of its way, and turned to watch it head straight for the town of Horsmarlonerpool.
At the very top tower of Castle Earnose, Ben and Emily were drawing the landscape when they saw the snowball approach.
They raised the alarm, shouting “Snowball coming! There’s a snowball coming!” and people ran out of their houses and the fire engine screamed out of its shed, but there was nothing that could be done to stop it. And the snowball charged into three houses, breaking all the windows and smashing tiles off the roof.
Everyone gathered around the damage, and then looked up towards Lomberstack Mountain. There was only one place snow could come from at this time of year, and only one thing up there making snowballs.
About an hour later, a very nervous Belvedere slowly trudged towards the town.
“You need to be more careful, Belvedere,” said Mayor Dubbin.
“Yes, Belvedere,” said Bense Higherground, the builder. “Just look at this mess!”
Belvedere looked at the broken windows and tried to mend them but his big hairy fingers just smashed them up even more.
“Oh just go away, Belvedere!” said Mister Bibbin the newsagent. “You’ve done enough harm for today.”
Belvedere slunk back to the top of Lomberstack Mountain.
“He’s Belvedere the Crusher,” people said. “He just crushes things up.”
But the townspeople had just been angry, and when Mister Bibbin said “just go away” he didn’t really mean it. Yet, Belvedere was so ashamed, he sat at the top of his mountain, in his snow tower, for weeks and weeks and weeks. And soon, everyone in the town had forgotten about poor Belvedere.
Everybody, that was, aside from Ben and Emily.
THEY wanted to know why Belvedere hadn’t been to visit, especially as it was nearly Christmas. And so they packed their backpacks full of cheese and pickle sandwiches and packed two big flasks of hot chocolate and headed up Lomberstack Mountain.
They had to get as far as the forest before they found Belvedere, who was sadly making much smaller snowballs in his huge hands.
“If I make them here in the forest against the trees, then they wont roll away and I won’t be any trouble any more,” he explained.
“Oh don’t be so silly, Belvedere,” said Emily.
“Look,” said Ben. “Let’s got up to the top, and crush the snow into the biggest snowball ever.”
Well Belvedere thought for a moment, but couldn’t resist! And for the first time in weeks he was having fun!
“Hang on,” said Emily, looking at the huge snowball which was about the side of her. “I’ve got an idea. Belvedere, do you still have your sledge?”
“My car, yes,” said Belvedere.
“Then we’re going to need it. And another big snow ball, and two fallen trees from the forest!”
Well Belvedere and Ben looked at each other. They didn’t know what Emily meant, but they went about making and gathering the things all the same.
A little while later, the townspeople of Horsmarlonerpool came out of the houses at the sight of Ben, Emily, Belvedere and a huge sled piled high with two enormous snowballs and two tree trunks coming slowly towards them.
They walked right to the centre of the old town, and the square at the crossing of Pepperpot Street and Candlesmoke Lane. A large crowd gathered around, and Belvedere looked at them sheepishly. They probably all still hated him.
“Belvedere,” said Emily. “Please unload the snowballs and place them in the middle of the square.”
Well Belvedere did so.
“And now,” she continued. “Please place the smaller one on top of the larger one.”
Well Belvedere did so again.
“And now please take these tree trucks and stick them in either side of the lower one.”
Belvedere gave Emily a strange look, but did as she asked.
“And now,” said Emily to the crowd, “Could I borrow two old shoes that nobody wants, and a shovel that nobody wants, too.”
Well these things were brought forward.
“Belvedere,” said Emily. “Please pick me up.”
Belvedere did so, and Emily placed the two old shoes in the side of the top snowball, and then stuck the shovel sideways beneath them.
“Behold!” shouted Emily to the crowd. “The first Horsmarlonerpool Christmas snowman!”
And there it was. A big round snow body, and a big round snow head. And two shoes for eyes. And a big shovel as a pipe!
“I love it!” said Major Dubbin.
“It’s a present,” said Ben. “A present from Belvedere!”
Everyone jumped up and down. “Hooray for Belvedere!” they said.
“Oh, but wait,” said Mayor Dubbin. “A snowman needs a scarf.”
With that, Belvedere carefully picked off a row of Christmas lights that were strung around the square on a wire, and placed them around the snowman’s neck.
“Oh, Perfect!” said the major.
“Perfect!” said everyone.
And from that year on, Horsmarlonerpool had a snowman every Christmas. And even though other towns tried to copy it, they didn’t have a Belvedere, so theirs was never as big.
And it wasn’t only Christmas that Belvedere was welcomed into the town. He was welcomed every single day. And they didn’t call him Belvedere the Crusher any more.
They just called him Belvedere - their friend.