Hogfather - Snowman

The other dogs looked her in the eye, decided that no one did, and that there wasn’t. Finally, after one or two nervous attempts, they managed to turn, still sliding, and tried to make it back to the plateau.

A figure barred their way.

It hadn’t been there a moment ago but it looked permanent now. It seemed to have been made of snow, three balls of snow piled on one another. It had black dots for eyes. A semicircle of more dots formed the semblance of a mouth. There was a carrot for the nose.

And, for the arms, two twigs.

At this distance, anyway.

One of them was holding a curved stick.

A raven wearing a damp piece of red paper landed on one arm.

“Bob bob bob?” it suggested. “Merry Solstice? Tweetie tweet? What are you waiting for? Hogswatch?”

The dogs backed away.

The snow broke off the snowman in chunks, revealing a gaunt figure in a flapping black robe.

Death spat out the carrot.

HO. HO. HO.

The gray bodies smeared and rippled as the hounds sought desperately to change their shape.

YOU COULDN’T RESIST IT? IN THE END? A MISTAKE, I FANCY.

***

Hogfather - p338-339