The weather was getting colder and colder.
When the big sun was high in the sky, the clouds appeared to be hazy and unreal; more and more grayish-yellow streaks appeared in the sky when day was alternating with night. The stars were cold and bright; all kinds of signs indicated that this was going to be a winter that was even colder than the usual.
And it was difficult for the homeless to get through such a winter.
'Red-Nose Tom' hugged a bundle of dry wood that had been gathered with great effort, hobbling on his way back to his habitation. The Frost Month's frigid winds blew from the north, curling past the surrounding sparse forest and low hills to sting his face and rush into his collar, making him feel as if his entire person was soaked in a tub of cold water that was gradually cooling.
