The Paradise of Children

The story opens in a snow‑bound New England village where a lively group of children gathers in the spacious play‑room of Tanglewood. With a fierce winter storm blanketing the hills, they abandon their toys for sled rides, snow forts and endless snowball battles, reveling in the white wonder that turns the world into a playground. Their exuberant chatter is punctuated by the arrival of Eustace Bright, a college student visiting for Christmas, whose bemused remarks about the relentless snow set the tone for a cozy, seasonal adventure.

Eustace soon becomes the children’s storyteller, answering their eager pleas for a tale while the storm howls outside. He promises a story set in a time when the world was new, when only summer existed, and wonders were as fresh as a humming‑top. Listeners are invited to share the children’s anticipation as the first part of this timeless fable unfolds, hinting at mysteries that lie beyond the snow‑covered hills.