One winter day, Kris Moose and his friends Peter and Kiley and their dad, Mr. Roberts, visited the big ski resort near their home. The blue sky was dotted with poofy white clouds. Prickly pine trees covered in puffs of white snow surrounded the resort. Mr. Roberts led the way to the little ski slopes near the resort office.

“Okay, this is the bunny slope,” said Mr. Roberts. “This is where we’ll learn how to ski before going on the big slope.”

“The big slope?” asked Kris. His eyes got wide.

“Yeah,” said Peter. “See that really tall slope up there? That’s where people ski and snowboard like real winter sports stars.”

“And there’s even a pond over there for ice skaters,” said Kiley, twirling like a figure skater.

“Wow!” said Kris.

“Let’s get our skis and hit the slopes,” Mr. Roberts said.

While Mr. Roberts and the kids got started on the bunny slope, Kris couldn’t keep from watching the people on the big slope.

“Oh, wow!” Kris exclaimed, as a skier ZIPPED and ZIG-ZAGGED down the hill. Kris looked down at his big moosey hooves. “I think I’d fit into skis. I need to find my very own winter sport. Maybe skiing is it.”

Kris swished his tiny tail excitedly and headed for the resort office to look for some skis.

“Now, you know what to do with these, right?” asked the resort attendant, giving Kris two pairs of Jumbo-sized skis.

“Oh, sure!” Kris said. He took his skis and hurried to the big slope.

Once he got up the big slope, he put his Jumbo-sized skis onto the snow and stepped onto them. One moosey hoof fit just right on each ski.

“Okay, here I go!”

Kris lifted his front foot to push off down the hill, but his long moose legs wobbled. His skis SLIPPETY slipped out from under him, and he fell KER-PLOP! into the soft white snow.

Kris shook the snow from his blue sweater and red scarf and from his plump moose tummy. “Well, I guess skiing just isn’t for me,” he sighed. “I need to find my very own winter sport.”

Just then, Kris heard a SWOOSH-SWISH, and a snowboarder SWOOSHED his way. Up a ramp went the snowboarder. Kris’s moosey mouth hung open as the snowboarder flew off the top of the ramp, spun into the air, and SWISHED down the hill on the other side.

“Wow!” said Kris. “I think I’d fit onto a snowboard. Maybe snowboarding is it.”

Kris jumped up to go ask the attendant for a Jumbo-sized snowboard.

Once the attendant found a snowboard the right size, Kris traded in his skis and hurried back to the slope. Back at his starting place at the top of the hill, Kris planted all four feet on the middle of the snowboard. He squeezed his hooves as close together as he could to get all the way onto the board.

“Now let’s get moving,” he said.

Kris wiggled left, and squirmed right. Then he hopped forward and started to slide down the hill. But as he SWISHED around the first turn, his huge antlers weighed him down. KER-POOF! He landed face first in the snow again.

“AAH-BRRR-RRR-R!” Kris Moose sneezed out some snow flakes. “Well, I guess snowboarding isn’t for me, either. I’ll have to keep looking for my very own winter sport.”

As Kris lumbered down the slope to return the snowboard, he heard a SCRITCH-SCREECH from the frozen pond.

“Ice skaters!” he said.

He watched the ice skaters from the edge of the pond, as they TWIRLED and SAILED across the ice.

“Oh! I think my hooves would make great ice skates! Maybe ice skating is it!”

Kris took a running jump out onto the pond. He landed on all four feet. His hooves SCRITCH-SCREECHED over the ice. But he couldn’t stop from sliding the wrong way. Kris spun in circles. KER-SLIP! KER-SLIDE! KER-SPLAT!

His long moose legs and huge antlers stuck willy-nilly out of the snowbank on the other side of the pond.

“Are you okay, Kris?” Peter and Kiley asked together, as Mr. Roberts pulled them in a sled toward the snowbank.

“I’m okay,” Kris replied, getting out of the snow. “But ice skating just is not for me, either.” His tiny tail drooped and his head hung down until his huge antlers touched the ground. “I’ll never find my very own winter sport,” he moaned.

“You’ll find one, Kris,” Peter said. “Don’t worry.”

“Yeah,” Kiley agreed. “Dad, can we help him find his winter sport?”

Mr. Roberts thought for a minute. He looked at the sled. “Hmm.” Then he snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it!” he said. “Come on, everyone. This way.”

Kris Moose, Peter, and Kiley hurried after Mr. Roberts, who led them to the resort office.

“What about this?” Mr. Roberts said, pointing to a sleigh that was parked behind the office.

“Wow!” Kris said. “Can we try it?”

“Yeah!” Peter and Kiley said together.

Mr. Roberts helped Kris put on the sleigh harness and collar. Then he and Peter and Kiley got on the sleigh. The sleigh’s bells JINGLED and TINKLED as Kris started to pull. Then away he went. The sleigh sailed over the snow. The bells RANG and RANG.

Peter and Kiley and Mr. Roberts laughed and laughed.

Kris laughed too. “I found the perfect winter sport for me! Yippee!”

The End