Once upon a time there lived a hatmaker in a freezing cold kingdom. Their hats were beloved by all who lived in the kingdom, and always considered the height of fashion.

But despite this the hatmaker was lonely, for they could never tell if they were the one being loved or simply their hats.

So in the night the hatmaker would make sculptures out of the snow trying to envision someone they may call a friend. They would stylize these sculptures with their hats.

One of these nights the hatmaker believed they had created their best sculpture yet, and gifted it their most incredible hat yet. But after that night the hatmaker awoke to find both sculpture and hat nowhere to be seen. The hatmaker was distraught and immediately went to the guards with the news believing the hat and sculpture both were stolen.

Over the coming days more things would be stolen around town. Everything from clothing, food, money, and valuables. All of this would be blamed on “The Hat Thief" titled as such for their first crime.

For weeks this went on. Until one day the thief was caught with some of the stolen valuables.

Each of the valuables the thief stole would be returned, starting with the hatmaker's prized hat. The hat maker asked the guard if they had found the sculpture as well, the guard confused asked what the hatmaker ment, the hatmaker confessed their nightly activities of creating sculptures. The guard was surprised by this reveal and asked the hatmaker if they wanted to come see the thief.

The hatmaker followed the guard to the jail and behind the bars was none other than the sculpture wearing nothing but rags. The night the sculpture and hat disappeared the sculpture had actually gained sentience, with no memories, knowledge, or connections it was forced to steal in order to survive.

The hatmaker asked, pleaded, begged the guard to free the thief, but the guard refused. Nothing the hatmaker could have said or done could have freed the thief.

Punishment in this kingdom was swift and absolute, without exception or mercy, and as such the typical punishment for any thief was the removal of the thief’s hands. The Hatmaker couldn’t bear to watch their friend be harmed so stayed home crying while the guards removed the thief’s hands for the whole town to witness. Once over the thief was left all alone and badly wounded due to missing their hands. Hopeless and alone, the thief began to shed icy tears.

The Hatmaker then went off to find the thief so they may help them, they found the thief and returned the hat the Hatmaker had once given to them. And as if a miracle, the love within the hat began to heal the thief's hands.The Hatmaker and thief then lived happily ever after.

THE END