A sudden snowstorm caught four hikers high on the mountain: Ida, a nurse; Jonas, a student; his little sister Pia, who was nine; and Mr. Lee, a retired teacher. They could not see the path, and the wind was getting stronger. Then Pia pointed. Through the snow they saw a tiny mountain hut.
Inside there was a wood stove, one candle and a deck of cards, and nothing else. But each of them had brought a little food: noodles, an onion, a stock cube and a piece of cheese. Ida lit the stove, Pia sliced the onion with great seriousness, and Mr. Lee stirred the pot. Together they made the best dinner any of them could remember. Afterward they played cards, told stories and laughed until Pia fell asleep with her head on her brother's arm.
At dawn the snow stopped, and the lights of a rescue team appeared on the path. Before they went down, Mr. Lee suggested that they all meet at the hut again, and everyone agreed. The next summer, there were four sleeping bags in the hut again.