#15 Too Cold

Tom followed his ears to the buzzing of the hive, frustrated but not deterred to see the hive just a bit out of reach. He would need to climb a bit up the tree or find something to stand on- a hard order out here in the forest. Instead he donned his gardening gloves to help with warmth and grip and looked for a sturdy branch, beginning his ascent to harvest the last ingredient he needed to brew his pumpkin juice.

He hoped no one came down the path to observe him, as he was sure he made quite a site. Embracing the trunk of the tree in a giant bear hug, he wrapped his arms and legs around it and shimmied himself up towards the branch with the beehive. It was excruciating work as the cold bit at his fingers and he had to move slowly, the fear of bee stings outweighing his fear of frostbite. 

In the end it took Tom about 15 minutes to harvest two jars worth of honey, moving with a methodical slowness that ached his muscles and tired his body, but was worth it for not getting stung. Climbing down was just as involved a task as getting up, and by the time his feet were firmly on the ground again he was relieved. He now had everything he needed to brew himself a batch of pumpkin juice. 

His excitement warmed his body and he ran back to the castle with a huge smile on his face. 

[EXIT]