Once upon a time, there was a man and his wife who were very sad because they had no children. One sunny winter day, the couple stood outside their cottage, and the woman looked at the icicles hanging from the roof. She sighed and said to her husband, "I wish I had as many children as there are icicles hanging there." "Nothing would make me happier," replied her husband. Just then, a tiny icicle fell from the roof into the woman's mouth, and she swallowed it with a smile, saying, "Maybe I'll have a snow child now!" Her husband laughed at her strange idea, and they went back inside.
Not long after, the woman gave birth to a little girl who was as white as snow and as cold as ice. If they brought her near the fire, she would scream until they put her back in a cool place. The little girl grew quickly, and in a few months, she could run and talk. But raising her wasn't easy, and she caused her parents much worry. In the summer, she insisted on staying in the cellar, and in the winter, she slept outside in the snow, happier the colder it was. Her parents called her "Our Snow-daughter," and the name stuck.
One day, her parents sat by the fire, talking about their daughter's strange behavior as she played in the snowstorm outside. The woman sighed and said, "I wish I had given birth to a Fire-son!" As she spoke, a spark from the fire landed in her lap, and she laughed, saying, "Maybe I'll have a Fire-son now!" Her husband laughed, thinking it was a joke. But soon after, she gave birth to a boy who screamed until he was placed close to the fire and nearly had a fit if the Snow-daughter came near him. The Snow-daughter avoided him, staying as far away as possible. They called him "Our Fire-son," and the name stuck. He also caused them trouble, but he grew quickly, and before long, he could run and talk. He was as red as fire and hot to the touch, always sitting close to the hearth and complaining of the cold. If his sister was in the room, he would almost crawl into the flames, while she complained of the heat if he was near. In summer, he lay in the sun, while she hid in the cellar, so they rarely saw each other, avoiding contact as much as possible.
As the girl grew into a beautiful woman, her parents both passed away. The Fire-son, now a strong young man, said to his sister, "I'm going out into the world. What's the point of staying here?"
