One winter night, when Alfie was staying at Grandma’s house, the whole family put on coats and scarves and went out to look at the stars. It was so clear that they could see the whole sky full of them, some tiny pinpricks of light, some very bright. They are all other worlds, far, far away. Alfie wants to know how many stars there are, but Dad says there are far too many to count.

Now it is getting cold and the puddles are iced over. You can see the water underneath, and between the water and the ice are white frosty stars. When Alfie stamps on them, the ice splinters and all the stars are gone.

When the snow comes and Alfie looks out of his warm room, he sometimes thinks he can glimpse the Snow Goose flying overhead with great wings outspread, all muffled in white.