LIFE AS IT IS

For months, they remained all wrapped up. Wind and snow could crack her feet’s soft skin, so she feared stepping outdoors without bundling them up. When days and nights were not so cold, however, she would go out in slip-on shoes - no socks! Those were always the happiest days for her two feet. On those days although her toes remained covered in thick shoes, her inner and outer ankle bones could still peek out and see the snow-white world. The soft skin atop her feet could also breathe in crisp winter air. When a sudden gust of wind would blow old snow, the exposed skin of her feet would tremble in cold and excitement.  In winter, the toes and heels were always unhappy though. No matter how much they wriggled inside, they could not come out from those thick, sturdy, leather shoes to see the beautiful world outside. They heard quietly the sounds of their owner's steps on snow-covered streets and fallen leaves.  The left big toe growled in anger and refused to work when its