The Old Silk Hat
A Frosty The Snowman Prequel
By P. Edward Auman
Copyright 2012 P. Edward Auman
Cover Art by Shae Prows 2013
ISBN: 9781301457113
Dedicated to Emilie Parker and all the children of Sandy Hook Elementary. Love provides the magic, and we will love you always.
MEMORANDUM
June, 22nd
To: Board of Directors, Institution for the Preservation of Magical Artifacts
Dr. Wilhelmina Rheinhart, President
From: P. Edward Auman, Historian
IPMA, Eastern U.S. Regional Offices
Subject: Current status of investigation into and acquisition of The Old Silk Hat
Dear Madam President and Members of the Board:
In response to my assignment to acquire the Old Silk Hat said to contain magical properties which brought to life one Mr. Frosty A. Snowman of Philadelphia, PA, some number of decades earlier, I write to you this short memorandum to update you on the status of my search.
I regret to inform you that actual acquisition of the said Hat has so far eluded myself and my team of historians. After the last reported whereabouts of Mr. Snowman in Gnome, Alaska, we have thus far been unable to track either his or the hat's location. We believe that the most likely scenario for the hat's continued existence lies in direct connection to the said Snowman, as no evidence of his demise has been solidly identified. At the present, we believe it entirely possible Frosty continues to roam the northern latitudes with, of course, the hat still in his possession. In fact, there have been reasonably credible reports of Frosty the Snowman sightings throughout Alaska, the Yukon and British Columbia provinces, and a few reports from Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
While an encounter with Frosty would provide undeniably conclusive evidence of the Hat's existence, we would only take precautions to prevent its misuse and would not remove it from Frosty's possession. Our reasoning is based on the idea we were given to believe during our research that Frosty the Snowman's self-animation is directly connected to tactile contact with the hat, and all reports indicate Mr. Snowman has expressed nothing but kindness and love for those whom he has met.
Meanwhile, I have included in this package a brief history of the hat in as much as we have been able to determine through our research. While some accounts may be spurious it seems clear the magic imbued into this particular 'Physica Carnation de Magicis' is sourced entirely in the greatest magic the IPMA has yet identified: Love.
Any further directions or objectives you might provide us with in regards to this particular project will be greatly appreciated. As the collection of magical artifacts goes, the Old Silk Hat has been a particularly uplifting project for myself and my team and we look forward to one day providing you a personal inspection of the Hat.
Thank you.
Unknown Date, Fall, mid to late 1870's
Boston, MA
After procuring a small shop in downtown Boston a young hatter began his trade, replicating all the current fashions in headwear and attempting to develop some of his own. His was a lively shop where both men and women would come to look at his displays but also to have a little conversation. Eventually, a particularly curious and energetic young woman came to call upon the young hatter on a regular basis. Some said it was unbecoming, but the young lady found the hatter to have a tender and humorous side not often discovered by those who more often came to speak than to listen.
The young woman took a fancy to the hatter; that much was clear to the patrons and neighbors of the small shop. However, she found his reluctance to engage in social affairs or balls of any kind a deterrent to her own interests. So she set about luring him by promising increased sales and revenue if he would just participate in the community more.
Although not a greedy man by any means, the charms of the young lady did indeed bring the young hatter out of his shell and he attended many fine gatherings with the beautiful lady on his arm. Eventually, she broached a particularly nerve-wracking subject for the hatter.
"Julius?" she began.
"Yes, my dear Katherine?" the youthful hatter replied.
"Do you not love me, as much as I have grown to love you?"
"Of course, Katherine," he replied. But then he was overcome with those most difficult of things to overcome in life for someone who has a tough time expressing them: his feelings. He stuttered. He stalled. But finally he concluded, awkwardly, "You know I love you tenfold that which any man is entitled in his life...particularly a simple life such as mine."
Katherine tutted at him and smiled all the same time, (a skill for which he forever more admired her). "Then it is time that you ask my hand in marriage, Julius. We should be husband and wife. We should raise fine young boys to help you in your shop and beautiful daughters to be the envy of town!"
Julius nodded his agreement, grinning ear to ear.
In two days’ time following the conversation, Julius had had enough time to purchase a ring just down the street from the jeweler with whom he was good friends. It was not a large diamond, but it was selected after three hours of investigation and advice from his friend.
In six months’ time, Julius joined Katherine at the altar of marriage sporting a particularly prominent black silk hat he had spent three weeks creating and re-creating for the occasion. He knew Katherine's favorite flower to be a bright shimmering white carnation, but he had instead chosen a variation. A brilliant cardinal red carnation was pinned to the brim on the left side, where she might notice it during the ceremony.
Following the wedding, the hatter stored his lovingly crafted silk hat on a mannequin in the back room of his shop to remind him of their wedding each day that he worked and of how they met.