Careful There

The winter lake was covered by a delicate sheet of newly formed ice. Beneath its glassy surface, dark water remained perfectly still, reflecting the pale sky and surrounding snow-covered trees. Upon this fragile stage, a ballerina danced. Her white tutu fluttered with every graceful turn, her pointe shoes gliding across the slippery surface. Each movement was precise and delicate, her reflection following like another dancer beneath her feet. A nearby observer watched nervously. "Careful there! The ice is still thin!" The ballerina merely smiled, continuing her elegant arabesque. A cloud of warm breath escaped her lips, quickly dissolving into the freezing air. "Don't worry," she replied softly. "I've danced on more difficult stages." She rose onto her toes and completed a beautiful final pirouette. For a moment, the entire frozen lake seemed to hold its breath. Then she bowed gracefully, as if the winter itself were her applauding audience.