THE SNOW QUEEN

FIRST STORY. Which Treats of a Mirror and of the Splinters（碎片）

Once upon a time there was a wicked（邪恶的） sprite（小精灵）, indeed he was the most mischievous（顽皮的）of all sprites. One day he was in a very good humor, for he had made a mirror

with the power of causing all that was good and beautiful when it was reflected therein（在其中）, to look poor and mean; but that which was good-for-nothing

and looked ugly was shown magnified and increased in ugliness. In this mirror the most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach（菠菜）, and the best persons

were turned into frights, or appeared to stand on their heads; their faces were so distorted（扭曲的） that they were not to be recognised; and if anyone had a

mole（黑痣）, you might be sure that it would be magnified and spread over both nose and mouth.

\"That's glorious fun!\" said the sprite. If a good thought passed through a man's mind, then a grin（咧嘴笑） was seen in the mirror, and the sprite laughed heartily （衷心地）at his clever discovery. All the little sprites who went to his school--for he kept a sprite school--told each other that a miracle had

happened; and that now only, as they thought, it would be possible to see how the world really looked. They ran about with the mirror; and at last there was not a land or a person who was not represented distorted in the mirror. So then they thought they would fly up to the sky, and have a joke there. The higher they flew with the mirror, the more terribly it grinned: they could hardly hold it fast. Higher and higher still they flew, nearer and nearer to the stars, when suddenly the mirror shook so terribly with grinning, that it flew out of their hands and fell to the earth, where it was dashed in a hundred million and more pieces. And now it worked much more evil than before;

for some of these pieces were hardly so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about in the wide world, and when they got into people's eyes, there they stayed; and then people saw everything perverted（不正当的，堕落的，曲解的）, or only had an eye for that

which was evil. This happened because the very smallest bit had the same

power

which the whole mirror had possessed. Some persons even got a splinter in their heart, and then it made one shudder（战栗）, for their heart became like a lump

of ice. Some of the broken pieces were so large that they were used for windowpanes（镶在窗框的玻璃）, through which one could not see one's friends. Other pieces were

put in spectacles（宏大的）; and that was a sad affair when people put on their glasses

to see well and rightly. Then the wicked sprite laughed till he almost choked（是窒息）,

for all this tickled （使发痒使兴奋）his fancy. The fine splinters still flew about in the

air: and now we shall hear what happened next. 白雪皇后

第一个故事：关于一面镜子和它的碎片

他是一个很坏的小鬼，他是一个最坏的家伙，因为他是魔鬼。有一天他非常高兴，因为他制造出了一面镜子。这镜子有一个特点：那就是，一切好的和美的东西，在里面一照，就缩作一团，变成乌有；但是，一些没有价值和丑陋的东西都会显得突出，而且看起来比原形还要糟。最美丽的风景在这镜子里就会像煮烂了的菠菜；最好的人不是现出使人憎恶的样子，就是头朝下，脚朝上，没有身躯，面孔变形，认不出来。如果你有一个雀斑，你不用怀疑，它可以扩大到盖满你的鼻子和嘴。

魔鬼说：这真够有趣。当一个虔诚和善良的思想在一个人的心里出现的时候，它就在这镜子里表现为一个露齿的怪笑。于是魔鬼对于他这巧妙的发明就发出得意的笑声来。那些进过魔鬼学校的人——因为他开办一个学校——走到哪里就宣传到哪里，说是现在有一个什么奇迹发生了。他们说，人们第一次可以看到世界和人类的本来面目。他们拿着这面镜子到处乱跑，弄得没有一个国家或民族没有在里面被歪曲过。现在他们居然想飞到天上去，去讥笑一下安琪儿或“我们的上帝”。这镜子和他们越飞得高，它就越露出些怪笑。他们几乎拿不住它。他们越飞越高，飞近上帝和安琪儿；于是镜子和它的怪笑开始可怕地抖起来，弄得它从他们的手中落到地上，跌成几亿，几千亿以及无数的碎片。这样，镜子就做出比以前还要更不幸的事情来，因为有许多碎片比沙粒还要小。它们在世界上乱飞，只要飞到人们的眼睛里去，便贴在那儿不动。这些人看起什么东西来都不对头，或者只看到事物的坏的一面，因为每块小小的碎片仍然具有整个镜子的魔力。有的人甚至心里都藏有这样一块碎片，结果不幸得很，这颗心就变成了冰块。

有些碎片很大，足够做窗子上的玻璃，不过要透过这样的玻璃去看自己的朋友却不恰当。有些碎片被做成了眼镜。如果人们想戴上这样的眼镜去正确地看东西或公正地判断事物，那

也是不对头的。这会引起魔鬼大笑，把肚子都笑痛了，因为他对这样的事情感到很痛快。不过外边还有几块碎片在空中乱飞。现在我们听听吧！

SECOND STORY. A Little Boy and a Little Girl

In a large town, where there are so many houses, and so many people, that there is no roof （屋顶）left for everybody to have a little garden; and where, on this account（理由）, most persons are obliged to（不得不，） content（使满足） themselves with flowers in

pots; there lived two little children, who had a garden somewhat（稍微 ）larger than a

flower-pot. They were not brother and sister; but they cared for each other as much as if they were. Their parents lived exactly opposite. They inhabited（占据） two

garrets（阁楼）; and where the roof of the one house joined that of the other, and the

gutter（排水渠） ran along the extreme end of it, there was to each house a small window: one needed only to step over the gutter to get from one window to the other.

The children's parents had large wooden boxes there, in which vegetables for the kitchen were planted, and little rose trees besides: there was a rose in each box, and they grew splendidly. They now thought of placing the boxes across the gutter, so that they nearly reached from one window to the other, and looked just like two walls of flowers. The tendrils（卷须） of the peas hung down

over the boxes; and the rose-trees shot up（发芽，长成） long branches, twined（缠绕） round the

windows, and then bent towards（转向） each other: it was almost like a triumphant（狂欢的，成功的，得意洋洋的）

arch（拱门） of foliage （叶子）and flowers. The boxes were very high, and the children knew

that they must not creep（爬） over them; so they often obtained permission to get

out of the windows to each other, and to sit on their little stools（凳子） among the

roses, where they could play delightfully. In winter there was an end of this pleasure. The windows were often frozen over; but then they heated copper（铜）

farthings on（法新，四分之一便士） the stove（火炉）, and laid the hot farthing on the windowpane（玻璃窗）, and then

they had a capital peep-hole（窥视孔）, quite nicely（恰好的） rounded; and out of each peeped a

gentle friendly eye--it was the little boy and the little girl who were

looking out. His name was Kay, hers was Gerda. In summer, with one jump, they

could get to each other; but in winter they were obliged（要求，约束） first to go down the

long stairs, and then up the long stairs again: and out-of-doors there was quite a snow-storm.

\"It is the white bees that are swarming（群集）,\" said Kay's old grandmother. \"Do the white bees choose a queen?\" asked the little boy; for he knew that the honey-bees always have one.

\"Yes,\" said the grandmother, \"she flies where the swarm hangs in the thickest（最浓厚的）

clusters（集群）. She is the largest of all; and she can never remain quietly on the earth, but goes up again into the black clouds. Many a winter's night she flies through the streets of the town, and peeps（出现，吱吱叫；偷看 瞥见） in at the windows; and they

then freeze in so wondrous（奇妙的） a manner that they look like flowers.\" \"Yes, I have seen it,\" said both the children; and so they knew that it was true.

\"Can the Snow Queen come in?\" said the little girl.

\"Only let her come in!\" said the little boy. \"Then I'd put her on the stove, and she'd melt（熔化）.\"

And then his grandmother patted（轻拍）his head and told him other stories. In the evening, when little Kay was at home, and half undressed, he climbed up on the chair by the window, and peeped out of the little hole. A few

snow-flakes （絮片）were falling, and one, the largest of all, remained lying on the

edge of a flower-pot.

The flake of snow grew larger and larger; and at last it was like a young lady, dressed in the finest white gauze（薄纱）, made of a million little flakes like stars. She was so beautiful and delicate, but she was of ice, of dazzling, sparkling ice; yet she lived; her eyes gazed fixedly（固定的，不动的）, like two stars; but

there was neither quiet nor repose（休息，静止） in them. She nodded towards the window, and

beckoned with（示意，招呼） her hand. The little boy was frightened, and jumped down from

the chair; it seemed to him as if, at the same moment, a large bird flew past the window.

The next day it was a sharp frost--and then the spring came; the sun shone, the green leaves appeared, the swallows built their nests, the windows were opened, and the little children again sat in their pretty garden, high up on the leads at the top of the house.

That summer the roses flowered in unwonted （不寻常的）beauty. The little girl had learned

a hymn（赞美歌）, in which there was something about roses; and then she thought of her

own flowers; and she sang the verse（诗篇） to the little boy, who then sang it with her:

\"The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet,

And angels descend（下降） there the children to greet（欢呼，致意）.\" And the children held each other by the hand, kissed the roses, looked up at the clear sunshine, and spoke as though they really saw angels there. What lovely summer-days those were! How delightful to be out in the air, near the fresh rose-bushes（花丛）, that seem as if they would never finish blossoming! Kay and Gerda looked at the picture-book full of beasts （野兽）and of birds; and it

was then--the clock in the church-tower was just striking five--that Kay said, \"Oh! I feel such a sharp pain（刺痛） in my heart; and now something has got into my eye!\"

The little girl put her arms around his neck. He winked（眨眼） his eyes; now there

was nothing to be seen.

\"I think it is out now,\" said he; but it was not. It was just one of those pieces of glass from the magic mirror that had got into his eye; and poor Kay had got another piece right in his heart. It will soon become like ice. It did not hurt any longer, but there it was.

\"What are you crying for?\" asked he. \"You look so ugly! There's nothing the matter with me. Ah,\" said he at once, \"that rose is cankered（腐烂的）! And look, this

one is quite crooked（歪曲的）! After all, these roses are very ugly! They are just like

the box they are planted in!\" And then he gave the box a good kick with his foot, and pulled（扯） both the roses up.

\"What are you doing?\" cried the little girl; and as he perceived（感觉到） her fright（惊恐）,

he pulled up another rose, got in at the window, and hastened（急忙） off from dear little Gerda.

Afterwards（然后）, when she brought her picture-book, he asked, \"What horrid（可怕的） beasts

have you there?\" And if his grandmother told them stories, he always interrupted her; besides, if he could manage it, he would get behind her, put on her spectacles（眼镜）, and imitate（模仿） her way of speaking; he copied all her ways,

and then everybody laughed at him. He was soon able to imitate the gait（步态） and

manner of everyone in the street. Everything that was peculiar（奇怪的） and displeasing

in them--that Kay knew how to imitate: and at such times all the people said, \"The boy is certainly very clever!\" But it was the glass he had got in his eye; the glass that was sticking in his heart, which made him tease（戏弄，取笑）even

little Gerda, whose whole soul was devoted to him.

His games now were quite different to what they had formerly been, they were so very knowing. One winter's day, when the flakes of snow were flying about, he spread（铺开） the skirts of his blue coat, and caught the snow as it fell. \"Look through this glass, Gerda,\" said he. And every flake seemed larger, and appeared like a magnificent flower, or beautiful star; it was splendid to look at!

\"Look, how clever!\" said Kay. \"That's much more interesting than real flowers! They are as exact （精确）as possible; there is not a fault in them, if they did not melt!\"

It was not long after this, that Kay came one day with large gloves on, and his little sledge （雪橇）at his back, and bawled（叫骂） right into Gerda's ears, \"I have

permission to go out into the square where the others are playing\"; and off he was in a moment.

There, in the market-place, some of the boldest（大胆的） of the boys used to tie their

sledges to the carts（手推车） as they passed by, and so they were pulled along, and got

a good ride. It was so capital! Just as they were in the very height of their amusement（消遣）, a large sledge passed by: it was painted quite white, and there was

someone in it wrapped up in a rough white mantle（斗篷） of fur, with a rough white

fur cap（帽子）on his head. The sledge drove round the square twice, and Kay tied on

his sledge as quickly as he could, and off he drove with it. On they went quicker and quicker into the next street; and the person who drove turned round to Kay, and nodded to him in a friendly manner, just as if they knew each other. Every time he was going to untie（松开） his sledge, the person nodded to

him, and then Kay sat quiet; and so on they went till they came outside the gates of the town. Then the snow began to fall so thickly（厚的） that the little boy

could not see an arm's length before him, but still on he went: when suddenly he let go the string he held in his hand in order to get loose from the sledge, but it was of no use; still the little vehicle rushed on with the quickness of the wind. He then cried as loud as he could, but no one heard him; the snow drifted and the sledge flew on, and sometimes it gave a jerk（痉挛） as

though they were driving over hedges（树篱） and ditches（壕沟）. He was quite frightened, and

he tried to repeat the Lord's Prayer; but all he could do, he was only able to remember the multiplication table（乘法表）

The snow-flakes grew larger and larger, till at last they looked just like great white fowls（飞禽）. Suddenly they flew on one side; the large sledge stopped,

and the person who drove rose up. It was a lady; her cloak（斗篷） and cap were of

snow. She was tall and of slender（苗条的） figure, and of a dazzling whiteness. It was

the Snow Queen.

\"We have travelled fast,\" said she; \"but it is freezingly cold. Come under my bearskin.\" And she put him in the sledge beside her, wrapped the fur round him, and he felt as though he were sinking in a snow-wreath（圈状物）. \"Are you still cold?\" asked she; and then she kissed his forehead. Ah! it was colder than ice; it penetrated（渗透） to his very heart, which was already almost a

frozen lump（结块）; it seemed to him as if he were about to die--but a moment more

and it was quite congenial（意气相投） to him, and he did not remark（察觉） the cold that was around him.

\"My sledge! Do not forget my sledge!\" It was the first thing he thought of. It was there tied to one of the white chickens, who flew along with it on his back behind the large sledge. The Snow Queen kissed Kay once more, and then he

forgot little Gerda, grandmother, and all whom he had left at his home. \"Now you will have no more kisses,\" said she, \"or else I should kiss you to death!\"

Kay looked at her. She was very beautiful; a more clever, or a more lovely countenance（面容，表情） he could not fancy to himself; and she no longer appeared of ice

as before, when she sat outside the window, and beckoned（示意） to him; in his eyes

she was perfect, he did not fear her at all, and told her that he could

calculate in his head and with fractions（片段，部分）, even; that he knew the number of

square miles there were in the different countries, and how many inhabitants they contained; and she smiled while he spoke. It then seemed to him as if what he knew was not enough, and he looked upwards in the large huge empty space above him, and on she flew with him; flew high over the black clouds, while the storm moaned（呻吟） and whistled（呼啸） as though it were singing some old tune.

On they flew over woods and lakes, over seas, and many lands; and beneath them

the chilling （寒冷的）storm rushed fast, the wolves howled, the snow crackled; above

them flew large screaming crows, but higher up appeared the moon, quite large and bright; and it was on it that Kay gazed during the long long winter's night; while by day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen. 第二个故事：一个小男孩和一个小女孩

在一个大城市里，房子和居民是那么多，空间是那么少，人们连一个小花园都没有。结果大多数的人只好满足于花盆里种的几朵花了。这儿住着两个穷苦的孩子，他们有一个比花盆略为大一点的花园。他们并不是兄妹，不过彼此非常亲爱，就好像兄妹一样。他们各人的父母住在面对面的两个阁楼里。两家的屋顶差不多要碰到一起；两个屋檐下面有一个水笕；每间屋子都开着一个小窗。人们只要越过水笕就可以从这个窗子钻到那个窗子里去。 两家的父母各有一个大匣子，里面长着一棵小玫瑰和他们所需用的菜蔬。两个匣子里的玫瑰都长得非常好看。现在这两对父母把匣子横放在水笕上，匣子的两端几乎抵着两边的窗子，好像两道开满了花的堤岸。豌豆藤悬在匣子上，玫瑰伸出长长的枝子。它们在窗子上盘着，又互相缠绕着，几乎像一个绿叶和花朵织成的凯旋门。因为匣子放得很高，孩子们都知道他们不能随便爬到上面去，不过有时他们得到许可爬上去，两人走到一起，在玫瑰花下坐在小凳子上。他们可以在这儿玩个痛快。

这种消遣到冬天就完了。窗子上常常结满了冰。可是这时他们就在炉子上热一个铜板，把它贴在窗玻璃上，溶出一个小小的、圆圆的窥孔来！每个窗子的窥孔后面有一个美丽的、温和的眼珠在偷望。这就是那个小男孩和那个小女孩。男孩的名字叫加伊；女孩叫格尔达。 在夏天，他们只需一跳就可以来到一起；不过在冬天，得先走下一大段梯子，然后又爬上一大段梯子。外面在飞着雪花。

“那是白色的蜜蜂在集合。”年老的祖母说。

“它们也有一个蜂后吗？”那个小男孩子问。因为他知道，真正的蜜蜂群中都有一个蜂后。 “是的，它们有一个！”祖母说，“凡是蜜蜂最密集的地方，她就会飞来的。她是最大的一个蜜蜂。她从来不在这世界上安安静静地活着；她一会儿就飞到浓密的蜂群中去了。她常常在冬夜飞过城市的街道，朝窗子里面望。窗子上结着奇奇怪怪的冰块，好像开着花朵似的。” “是的，这个我已经看到过！”两个孩子齐声说。他们知道这是真的。 “雪后能走进这儿来吗？”小女孩子问。

“只要你让她进来，”男孩子说，“我就要请她坐在温暖的炉子上，那么她就会融化成水了。”

不过老祖母把他的头发理了一下，又讲些别的故事。

晚间，当小小的加伊在家里、衣服脱了一半的时候，他就爬到窗旁的椅子上去，从那个小窥孔朝外望。有好几片雪花在外面徐徐地落下来，它们中间最大的一片落在花匣子的边上。这朵雪花越长越大，最后变成了一个女人。她披着最细的、像无数颗星星一样的雪花织成的

白纱。她非常美丽和娇嫩，不过她是冰块——发着亮光的、闪耀着的冰块——所形成的。然而她是有生命的：她的眼睛发着光，像两颗明亮的星星；不过她的眼睛里没有和平，也没有安静。她对着加伊点头和招手。这个小男孩害怕起来。他跳下椅子，觉得窗子外面好像有一只巨鸟在飞过去似的。

第二天下了一场寒霜……接着就是解冻……春天到来了。太阳照耀着，绿芽冒出来，燕子筑起巢，窗子开了，小孩子们又高高地坐在楼顶水笕上的小花园里。

玫瑰花在这个夏天开得真是分外美丽！小女孩念熟了一首圣诗，那里就提到玫瑰花。谈起玫瑰花，她就不禁想起了自己的花儿。于是她就对小男孩子唱出这首圣诗，同时他也唱起来：

山谷里玫瑰花长得丰茂， 那儿我们遇见圣婴耶稣。

这两个小家伙手挽着手，吻着玫瑰花，望着上帝的光耀的太阳，对它讲话，好像圣婴耶稣就在那儿似的。这是多么晴朗的夏天啊！在外面，在那些玫瑰花丛之间，一切是多么美丽啊——这些玫瑰花好像永远开不尽似的！

加伊和格尔达坐着看绘有鸟儿和动物的画册。这时那个大教堂塔上的钟恰恰敲了五下。于是加伊说：

“啊！有件东西刺着我的心！有件东西落进我的眼睛里去了！” 小女孩搂着他的脖子。他眨着眼睛。不，他什么东西也没有看见。

“我想没有什么了！”他说。但事实并不是这样。落下来的正是从那个镜子上裂下来的一块玻璃碎片。我们还记得很清楚，那是一面魔镜，一块丑恶的玻璃。它把所有伟大和善良的东西都照得藐小和可憎，但是却把所有鄙俗和罪恶的东西映得突出，同时把每一件东西的缺点弄得大家注意起来。可怜的小加伊的心里也粘上了这么一块碎片，而他的心也就立刻变得像冰块。他并不感到不愉快，但碎片却藏在他的心里。

“你为什么要哭呢？”他问。“这把你的样子弄得真难看！我一点也不喜欢这个样子。呸！”他忽然叫了一声：“那朵玫瑰花被虫吃掉了！你看，这一朵也长歪了！它们的确是一些丑玫瑰！它们真像栽着它们的那个匣子！”

于是他把这匣子狠狠地踢了一脚，把那两棵玫瑰花全拔掉了。 “加伊，你在干嘛？”小女孩叫起来。

他一看到她惊惶的样子，马上又拔掉了另一棵玫瑰。于是他跳进他的窗子里去，让温柔的小格尔达待在外边。

当她后来拿着画册跟着走进来的时候，他说这本书只配给吃奶的小孩子看。当祖母在讲故事的时候，他总是插进去一个“但是……”，当他一有机会的时候，就偷偷地跟在她的后面，戴着一副老花镜，学着她的模样讲话：他学得很巧妙，弄得大家都对他笑起来。不久他就学会了模仿街上行人的谈话和走路。凡是人们身上的古怪和丑恶的东西，加伊都会模仿。大家都说：“这个孩子，他的头脑一定很特别！”然而这全是因为他眼睛里藏着一块玻璃碎片，心里也藏着一块玻璃碎片的缘故。他甚至于还讥笑起小小的格尔达来——这位全心全意爱他的格尔达。

他的游戏显然跟以前有些不同了，他玩得比以前聪明得多。在一个冬天的日子里，当雪花正在飞舞的时候，他拿着一面放大镜走出来，提起他的蓝色上衣的下摆，让雪花落到它上面。

“格尔达，你来看看这面镜子吧！”他说。

每一片雪花被放大了，像一朵美丽的花儿，或一颗有六个尖角的星星。这真是非常美妙。 “你看，这是多么巧妙啊！”加伊说，“这比真正的花儿要有趣得多：它里面一点毛病也没有——只要它们不融解，是非常整齐的。”

不一会儿，加伊戴着厚手套，背着一个雪橇走过来。他对着格尔达的耳朵叫着说：“我匣子得到了许可到广场那儿去——许多别的孩子都在那儿玩耍。”于是他就走了。 在广场上，那些最大胆的孩子常常把他们的雪橇系在乡下人的马车后边，然后坐在雪橇上跑好长一段路。他们跑得非常高兴。当他们正在玩耍的时候，有一架大雪橇滑过来了。它漆得雪白，上面坐着一个人，身穿厚毛的白皮袍，头戴厚毛的白帽子。这雪橇绕着广场滑了两圈。于是加伊连忙把自己的雪橇系在它上面，跟着它一起滑。它越滑越快，一直滑到邻近的一条街上去。滑着雪橇的那人掉过头来，和善地对加伊点了点头。他们好像是彼此认识似的。每一次当加伊想解开自己的小雪橇的时候，这个人就又跟他点点头；于是加伊就又坐下来了。这么着，他们一直滑出城门。这时雪花在密密地下着，这孩子伸手不见五指，然而他还是在向前滑。他现在急速地松开绳子，想从那个大雪橇摆脱开来。但是一点用也没有，他的小雪橇系得很牢。它们像风一样向前滑。这时他大声地叫起来，但是谁也不理他。雪花在飞着，雪橇也在飞着。它们不时向上一跳，好像在飞过篱笆和沟渠似的。他非常害怕起来。他想念念祷告，不过他只记得起那张乘法表。

雪越下越大了。最后雪花看起来像巨大的白鸡。那架大雪橇忽然向旁边一跳，停住了；那个滑雪橇的人站起来。这人的皮衣和帽子完全是雪花做成的。这原来是个女子，长得又高又苗条，全身闪着白光。她就是白雪皇后。

“我们滑行得很好，”她说，“不过你在冻得发抖吧？钻进我的皮衣里来吧。”

她把他抱进她的雪橇，让他坐在她的身边，她还用自己的皮衣把他裹好。他好像是坠到雪堆里去了似的。

“你还感到冷吗？”她问，把他的前额吻了一下。

啊！这一吻比冰块还要冷！它一直透进他那一半已经成了冰块的心里——他觉得自己好像快要死了。不过这种感觉没有持续多久、便马上觉得舒服起来。他也不再觉得周围的寒冷了。

“我的雪橇！不要忘记我的雪橇！”

这是他所想到的第一件事情。它已经被牢牢地系在一只白鸡上了，而这只肉鸡正背着雪橇在他们后面飞。白雪皇后又把加伊吻了一下。从此他完全忘记了小小的格尔达、祖母和家里所有的人。

“你现在再也不需要什么吻了，”她说，“因为如果你再要的话，我会把你吻死的。” 加伊望着她。她是那么美丽，他再也想象不出比这更漂亮和聪明的面孔。跟以前她坐在窗子外边对他招手时的那副样儿不同，她现在一点也不像是雪做的。在他的眼睛里，她是完

美无缺的；他现在一点也不感到害怕。他告诉她，说他会算心算，连分数都算得出来；他知道国家的整个面积和居民。她只是微笑着。这时他似乎觉得，自己所知道的东西还不太多。他抬头向广阔的天空望；她带着他一起飞到乌云上面去。暴风在吹着，呼啸着，好像在唱着古老的歌儿。他们飞过树林和湖泊，飞过大海和陆地；在他们的下边，寒风在怒号，豺狼在呼啸，雪花在发出闪光。上空飞着一群尖叫的乌鸦。但更上面亮着一轮明朗的月亮，加伊在这整个漫长的冬夜里一直望着它。天亮的时候他在雪后的脚下睡着了。

THIRD STORY. Of the Flower-Garden At the Old Woman's Who Understood Witchcraft

But what became of little Gerda when Kay did not return? Where could he be? Nobody knew; nobody could give any intelligence. All the boys knew was, that they had seen him tie his sledge to another large and splendid one, which drove down the street and out of the town. Nobody knew where he was; many sad

tears were shed, and little Gerda wept long and bitterly; at last she said he must be dead; that he had been drowned in the river which flowed close to the town. Oh! those were very long and dismal winter evenings! At last spring came, with its warm sunshine. \"Kay is dead and gone!\" said little Gerda. \"That I don't believe,\" said the Sunshine.

\"Kay is dead and gone!\" said she to the Swallows.

\"That I don't believe,\" said they: and at last little Gerda did not think so any longer either.

\"I'll put on my red shoes,\" said she, one morning; \"Kay has never seen them, and then I'll go down to the river and ask there.\"

It was quite early; she kissed her old grandmother, who was still asleep, put on her red shoes, and went alone to the river.

\"Is it true that you have taken my little playfellow? I will make you a present of my red shoes, if you will give him back to me.\"

And, as it seemed to her, the blue waves nodded in a strange manner; then she took off her red shoes, the most precious things she possessed, and threw them both into the river. But they fell close to the bank, and the little waves bore them immediately to land; it was as if the stream would not take what was dearest to her; for in reality it had not got little Kay; but Gerda thought that she had not thrown the shoes out far enough, so she clambered into a boat

which lay among the rushes, went to the farthest end, and threw out the shoes. But the boat was not fastened, and the motion which she occasioned, made it drift from the shore. She observed this, and hastened to get back; but before she could do so, the boat was more than a yard from the land, and was gliding quickly onward.

Little Gerda was very frightened, and began to cry; but no one heard her except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land; but they flew along the bank, and sang as if to comfort her, \"Here we are! Here we are!\" The boat drifted with the stream, little Gerda sat quite still without shoes, for they were swimming behind the boat, but she could not reach them, because the boat

went much faster than they did.

The banks on both sides were beautiful; lovely flowers, venerable trees, and slopes with sheep and cows, but not a human being was to be seen. \"Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kay,\" said she; and then she grew less sad. She rose, and looked for many hours at the beautiful green banks. Presently she sailed by a large cherry-orchard, where was a little cottage with curious red and blue windows; it was thatched, and before it two wooden soldiers stood sentry, and presented arms when anyone went past. Gerda called to them, for she thought they were alive; but they, of course, did not answer. She came close to them, for the stream drifted the boat quite near the land.

Gerda called still louder, and an old woman then came out of the cottage, leaning upon a crooked stick. She had a large broad-brimmed hat on, painted with the most splendid flowers.

\"Poor little child!\" said the old woman. \"How did you get upon the large rapid river, to be driven about so in the wide world!\" And then the old woman went into the water, caught hold of the boat with her crooked stick, drew it to the bank, and lifted little Gerda out.

And Gerda was so glad to be on dry land again; but she was rather afraid of the strange old woman.

\"But come and tell me who you are, and how you came here,\" said she. And Gerda told her all; and the old woman shook her head and said, \"A-hem! a-hem!\" and when Gerda had told her everything, and asked her if she had not seen little Kay, the woman answered that he had not passed there, but he no doubt would come; and she told her not to be cast down, but taste her cherries, and look at her flowers, which were finer than any in a

picture-book, each of which could tell a whole story. She then took Gerda by the hand, led her into the little cottage, and locked the door.

The windows were very high up; the glass was red, blue, and green, and the sunlight shone through quite wondrously in all sorts of colors. On the table stood the most exquisite cherries, and Gerda ate as many as she chose, for she had permission to do so. While she was eating, the old woman combed her hair with a golden comb, and her hair curled and shone with a lovely golden color around that sweet little face, which was so round and so like a rose. \"I have often longed for such a dear little girl,\" said the old woman. \"Now you shall see how well we agree together\"; and while she combed little Gerda's hair, the child forgot her foster-brother Kay more and more, for the old woman understood magic; but she was no evil being, she only practised witchcraft a little for her own private amusement, and now she wanted very much to keep little Gerda. She therefore went out in the garden, stretched out her crooked stick towards the rose-bushes, which, beautifully as they were blowing, all sank into the earth and no one could tell where they had stood. The old woman feared that if Gerda should see the roses, she would then think of her own, would remember little Kay, and run away from her.

She now led Gerda into the flower-garden. Oh, what odour and what loveliness was there! Every flower that one could think of, and of every season, stood there in fullest bloom; no picture-book could be gayer or more beautiful. Gerda jumped for joy, and played till the sun set behind the tall cherry-tree; she then had a pretty bed, with a red silken coverlet filled with blue

violets. She fell asleep, and had as pleasant dreams as ever a queen on her wedding-day.

The next morning she went to play with the flowers in the warm sunshine, and thus passed away a day. Gerda knew every flower; and, numerous as they were, it still seemed to Gerda that one was wanting, though she did not know which. One day while she was looking at the hat of the old woman painted with flowers, the most beautiful of them all seemed to her to be a rose. The old woman had forgotten to take it from her hat when she made the others vanish in

the earth. But so it is when one's thoughts are not collected. \"What!\" said Gerda. \"Are there no roses here?\" and she ran about amongst the flowerbeds, and looked, and looked, but there was not one to be found. She then sat down and wept; but her hot tears fell just where a rose-bush had sunk; and when her warm tears watered the ground, the tree shot up suddenly as fresh and

blooming

as when it had been swallowed up. Gerda kissed the roses, thought of her own dear roses at home, and with them of little Kay.

\"Oh, how long I have stayed!\" said the little girl. \"I intended to look for Kay! Don't you know where he is?\" she asked of the roses. \"Do you think he is dead and gone?\"

\"Dead he certainly is not,\" said the Roses. \"We have been in the earth where all the dead are, but Kay was not there.\"

\"Many thanks!\" said little Gerda; and she went to the other flowers, looked into their cups, and asked, \"Don't you know where little Kay is?\"

But every flower stood in the sunshine, and dreamed its own fairy tale or its own story: and they all told her very many things, but not one knew anything of Kay.

Well, what did the Tiger-Lily say?

\"Hearest thou not the drum? Bum! Bum! Those are the only two tones. Always bum! Bum! Hark to the plaintive song of the old woman, to the call of the priests! The Hindoo woman in her long robe stands upon the funeral pile; the flames rise around her and her dead husband, but the Hindoo woman thinks on the living one in the surrounding circle; on him whose eyes burn hotter than the flames--on him, the fire of whose eyes pierces her heart more than the flames which soon will burn her body to ashes. Can the heart's flame die in the flame of the funeral pile?\"

\"I don't understand that at all,\" said little Gerda. \"That is my story,\" said the Lily. What did the Convolvulus say?

\"Projecting over a narrow mountain-path there hangs an old feudal castle. Thick evergreens grow on the dilapidated walls, and around the altar, where a lovely maiden is standing: she bends over the railing and looks out upon the rose. No fresher rose hangs on the branches than she; no appleblossom carried away by the wind is more buoyant! How her silken robe is rustling! \"'Is he not yet come?'\"

\"Is it Kay that you mean?\" asked little Gerda.

\"I am speaking about my story--about my dream,\" answered the Convolvulus. What did the Snowdrops say?

\"Between the trees a long board is hanging--it is a swing. Two little girls are sitting in it, and swing themselves backwards and forwards; their frocks are as white as snow, and long green silk ribands flutter from their bonnets.

Their brother, who is older than they are, stands up in the swing; he twines his arms round the cords to hold himself fast, for in one hand he has a little cup, and in the other a clay-pipe. He is blowing soap-bubbles. The swing moves, and the bubbles float in charming changing colors: the last is still hanging to the end of the pipe, and rocks in the breeze. The swing moves. The little black dog, as light as a soap-bubble, jumps up on his hind legs to try to get into the swing. It moves, the dog falls down, barks, and is angry. They tease him; the bubble bursts! A swing, a bursting bubble--such is my song!\" \"What you relate may be very pretty, but you tell it in so melancholy a manner, and do not mention Kay.\" What do the Hyacinths say?

\"There were once upon a time three sisters, quite transparent, and very beautiful. The robe of the one was red, that of the second blue, and that of the third white. They danced hand in hand beside the calm lake in the clear moonshine. They were not elfin maidens, but mortal children. A sweet fragrance was smelt, and the maidens vanished in the wood; the fragrance grew stronger--three coffins, and in them three lovely maidens, glided out of the forest and across the lake: the shining glow-worms flew around like little floating lights. Do the dancing maidens sleep, or are they dead? The odour of the flowers says they are corpses; the evening bell tolls for the dead!\" \"You make me quite sad,\" said little Gerda. \"I cannot help thinking of the dead maidens. Oh! is little Kay really dead? The Roses have been in the earth, and they say no.\"

\"Ding, dong!\" sounded the Hyacinth bells. \"We do not toll for little Kay; we do not know him. That is our way of singing, the only one we have.\"

And Gerda went to the Ranunculuses, that looked forth from among the shining green leaves.

\"You are a little bright sun!\" said Gerda. \"Tell me if you know where I can find my playfellow.\"

And the Ranunculus shone brightly, and looked again at Gerda. What song could the Ranunculus sing? It was one that said nothing about Kay either. \"In a small court the bright sun was shining in the first days of spring. The beams glided down the white walls of a neighbor's house, and close by the fresh yellow flowers were growing, shining like gold in the warm sun-rays. An old grandmother was sitting in the air; her grand-daughter, the poor and lovely servant just come for a short visit. She knows her grandmother. There

was gold, pure virgin gold in that blessed kiss. There, that is my little story,\" said the Ranunculus.

\"My poor old grandmother!\" sighed Gerda. \"Yes, she is longing for me, no doubt: she is sorrowing for me, as she did for little Kay. But I will soon come home, and then I will bring Kay with me. It is of no use asking the flowers; they only know their own old rhymes, and can tell me nothing.\" And she tucked up her frock, to enable her to run quicker; but the Narcissus gave her a knock on the leg, just as she was going to jump over it. So she stood still, looked at the long yellow flower, and asked, \"You perhaps know something?\" and she bent down to the Narcissus. And what did it say? \"I can see myself--I can see myself! Oh, how odorous I am! Up in the little garret there stands, half-dressed, a little Dancer. She stands now on one leg, now on both; she despises the whole world; yet she lives only in imagination. She pours water out of the teapot over a piece of stuff which she holds in her hand; it is the bodice; cleanliness is a fine thing. The white dress is

hanging on the hook; it was washed in the teapot, and dried on the roof. She puts it on, ties a saffron-colored kerchief round her neck, and then the gown looks whiter. I can see myself--I can see myself!\"

\"That's nothing to me,\" said little Gerda. \"That does not concern me.\" And then off she ran to the further end of the garden.

The gate was locked, but she shook the rusted bolt till it was loosened, and the gate opened; and little Gerda ran off barefooted into the wide world. She looked round her thrice, but no one followed her. At last she could run no longer; she sat down on a large stone, and when she looked about her, she saw that the summer had passed; it was late in the autumn, but that one could not remark in the beautiful garden, where there was always sunshine, and where there were flowers the whole year round.

\"Dear me, how long I have staid!\" said Gerda. \"Autumn is come. I must not rest any longer.\" And she got up to go further.

Oh, how tender and wearied her little feet were! All around it looked so cold and raw: the long willow-leaves were quite yellow, and the fog dripped from them like water; one leaf fell after the other: the sloes only stood full of fruit, which set one's teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and comfortless it was in the dreary world!

FOURTH STORY. The Prince and Princess

Gerda was obliged to rest herself again, when, exactly opposite to her, a large Raven came hopping over the white snow. He had long been looking at Gerda and shaking his head; and now he said, \"Caw! Caw!\" Good day! Good day! He could not say it better; but he felt a sympathy for the little girl, and asked her where she was going all alone. The word \"alone\" Gerda understood quite well, and felt how much was expressed by it; so she told the Raven her whole history, and asked if he had not seen Kay.

The Raven nodded very gravely, and said, \"It may be--it may be!\"

\"What, do you really think so?\" cried the little girl; and she nearly squeezed the Raven to death, so much did she kiss him.

\"Gently, gently,\" said the Raven. \"I think I know; I think that it may be little Kay. But now he has forgotten you for the Princess.\" \"Does he live with a Princess?\" asked Gerda.

\"Yes--listen,\" said the Raven; \"but it will be difficult for me to speak your language. If you understand the Raven language I can tell you better.\" \"No, I have not learnt it,\" said Gerda; \"but my grandmother understands it, and she can speak gibberish too. I wish I had learnt it.\"

\"No matter,\" said the Raven; \"I will tell you as well as I can; however, it will be bad enough.\" And then he told all he knew.

\"In the kingdom where we now are there lives a Princess, who is extraordinarily clever; for she has read all the newspapers in the whole world, and has forgotten them again--so clever is she. She was lately, it is said, sitting on her throne--which is not very amusing after all--when she began humming an old tune, and it was just, 'Oh, why should I not be married?' 'That song is not without its meaning,' said she, and so then she was

determined to marry; but she would have a husband who knew how to give an answer when he was spoken to--not one who looked only as if he were a great personage, for that is so tiresome. She then had all the ladies of the court drummed together; and when they heard her intention, all were very pleased, and said, 'We are very glad to hear it; it is the very thing we were thinking of.' You may believe every word I say,\" said the Raven; \"for I have a tame sweetheart that hops about in the palace quite free, and it was she who told me all this.

\"The newspapers appeared forthwith with a border of hearts and the initials of the Princess; and therein you might read that every good-looking young man was

at liberty to come to the palace and speak to the Princess; and he who spoke

in such wise as showed he felt himself at home there, that one the Princess would choose for her husband.

\"Yes, Yes,\" said the Raven, \"you may believe it; it is as true as I am sitting here. People came in crowds; there was a crush and a hurry, but no one was successful either on the first or second day. They could all talk well enough when they were out in the street; but as soon as they came inside the palace gates, and saw the guard richly dressed in silver, and the lackeys in gold on the staircase, and the large illuminated saloons, then they were abashed; and when they stood before the throne on which the Princess was sitting, all they could do was to repeat the last word they had uttered, and to hear it again did not interest her very much. It was just as if the people within were under a charm, and had fallen into a trance till they came out again into the street; for then--oh, then--they could chatter enough. There was a whole row of them standing from the town-gates to the palace. I was there myself to look,\" said the Raven. \"They grew hungry and thirsty; but from the palace they got nothing whatever, not even a glass of water. Some of the cleverest, it is true, had taken bread and butter with them: but none shared it with his neighbor, for each thought, 'Let him look hungry, and then the Princess won't have him.'\"

\"But Kay--little Kay,\" said Gerda, \"when did he come? Was he among the number?\"

\"Patience, patience; we are just come to him. It was on the third day when a little personage without horse or equipage, came marching right boldly up to the palace; his eyes shone like yours, he had beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very shabby.\"

\"That was Kay,\" cried Gerda, with a voice of delight. \"Oh, now I've found him!\" and she clapped her hands for joy.

\"He had a little knapsack at his back,\" said the Raven.

\"No, that was certainly his sledge,\" said Gerda; \"for when he went away he took his sledge with him.\"

\"That may be,\" said the Raven; \"I did not examine him so minutely; but I know from my tame sweetheart, that when he came into the court-yard of the palace, and saw the body-guard in silver, the lackeys on the staircase, he was not the least abashed; he nodded, and said to them, 'It must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs; for my part, I shall go in.' The saloons were gleaming with lustres--privy councillors and excellencies were walking about barefooted, and

wore gold keys; it was enough to make any one feel uncomfortable. His boots creaked, too, so loudly, but still he was not at all afraid.\"

\"That's Kay for certain,\" said Gerda. \"I know he had on new boots; I have heard them creaking in grandmama's room.\"

\"Yes, they creaked,\" said the Raven. \"And on he went boldly up to the Princess, who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinning-wheel. All the ladies of the court, with their attendants and attendants' attendants, and all the cavaliers, with their gentlemen and gentlemen's gentlemen, stood round; and the nearer they stood to the door, the prouder they looked. It was hardly possible to look at the gentleman's gentleman, so very haughtily did he stand in the doorway.\"

\"It must have been terrible,\" said little Gerda. \"And did Kay get the Princess?\"

\"Were I not a Raven, I should have taken the Princess myself, although I am promised. It is said he spoke as well as I speak when I talk Raven language; this I learned from my tame sweetheart. He was bold and nicely behaved; he had

not come to woo the Princess, but only to hear her wisdom. She pleased him, and he pleased her.\"

\"Yes, yes; for certain that was Kay,\" said Gerda. \"He was so clever; he could reckon fractions in his head. Oh, won't you take me to the palace?\"

\"That is very easily said,\" answered the Raven. \"But how are we to manage it? I'll speak to my tame sweetheart about it: she must advise us; for so much I must tell you, such a little girl as you are will never get permission to enter.\"

\"Oh, yes I shall,\" said Gerda; \"when Kay hears that I am here, he will come out directly to fetch me.\"

\"Wait for me here on these steps,\" said the Raven. He moved his head backwards

and forwards and flew away.

The evening was closing in when the Raven returned. \"Caw--caw!\" said he. \"She sends you her compliments; and here is a roll for you. She took it out of the kitchen, where there is bread enough. You are hungry, no doubt. It is not possible for you to enter the palace, for you are barefooted: the guards in silver, and the lackeys in gold, would not allow it; but do not cry, you shall come in still. My sweetheart knows a little back stair that leads to the bedchamber, and she knows where she can get the key of it.\"

And they went into the garden in the large avenue, where one leaf was falling after the other; and when the lights in the palace had all gradually disappeared, the Raven led little Gerda to the back door, which stood half open.

Oh, how Gerda's heart beat with anxiety and longing! It was just as if she had been about to do something wrong; and yet she only wanted to know if little Kay was there. Yes, he must be there. She called to mind his intelligent eyes, and his long hair, so vividly, she could quite see him as he used to laugh when they were sitting under the roses at home. \"He will, no doubt, be glad to see you--to hear what a long way you have come for his sake; to know how unhappy all at home were when he did not come back.\" Oh, what a fright and a joy it was!

They were now on the stairs. A single lamp was burning there; and on the floor stood the tame Raven, turning her head on every side and looking at Gerda, who

bowed as her grandmother had taught her to do.

\"My intended has told me so much good of you, my dear young lady,\" said the tame Raven. \"Your tale is very affecting. If you will take the lamp, I will go before. We will go straight on, for we shall meet no one.\"

\"I think there is somebody just behind us,\" said Gerda; and something rushed past: it was like shadowy figures on the wall; horses with flowing manes and thin legs, huntsmen, ladies and gentlemen on horseback.

\"They are only dreams,\" said the Raven. \"They come to fetch the thoughts of the high personages to the chase; 'tis well, for now you can observe them in bed all the better. But let me find, when you enjoy honor and distinction, that you possess a grateful heart.\"

\"Tut! That's not worth talking about,\" said the Raven of the woods. They now entered the first saloon, which was of rose-colored satin, with artificial flowers on the wall. Here the dreams were rushing past, but they hastened by so quickly that Gerda could not see the high personages. One hall was more magnificent than the other; one might indeed well be abashed; and at last they came into the bedchamber. The ceiling of the room resembled a large palm-tree with leaves of glass, of costly glass; and in the middle, from a thick golden stem, hung two beds, each of which resembled a lily. One was white, and in this lay the Princess; the other was red, and it was here that Gerda was to look for little Kay. She bent back one of the red leaves, and saw a brown neck. Oh! that was Kay! She called him quite loud by name, held the

lamp towards him--the dreams rushed back again into the chamber--he awoke, turned his head, and--it was not little Kay!

The Prince was only like him about the neck; but he was young and handsome. And out of the white lily leaves the Princess peeped, too, and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda cried, and told her her whole history, and all that the Ravens had done for her.

\"Poor little thing!\" said the Prince and the Princess. They praised the Ravens very much, and told them they were not at all angry with them, but they were not to do so again. However, they should have a reward. \"Will you fly about here at liberty,\" asked the Princess; \"or would you like to have a fixed appointment as court ravens, with all the broken bits from the kitchen?\" And both the Ravens nodded, and begged for a fixed appointment; for they thought of their old age, and said, \"It is a good thing to have a provision for our old days.\"

And the Prince got up and let Gerda sleep in his bed, and more than this he could not do. She folded her little hands and thought, \"How good men and animals are!\" and she then fell asleep and slept soundly. All the dreams flew in again, and they now looked like the angels; they drew a little sledge, in which little Kay sat and nodded his head; but the whole was only a dream, and therefore it all vanished as soon as she awoke.

The next day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet. They offered to let her stay at the palace, and lead a happy life; but she begged to have a little carriage with a horse in front, and for a small pair of

shoes; then, she said, she would again go forth in the wide world and look for Kay.

Shoes and a muff were given her; she was, too, dressed very nicely; and when she was about to set off, a new carriage stopped before the door. It was of pure gold, and the arms of the Prince and Princess shone like a star upon it; the coachman, the footmen, and the outriders, for outriders were there, too, all wore golden crowns. The Prince and the Princess assisted her into the carriage themselves, and wished her all success. The Raven of the woods, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles. He sat beside Gerda, for he could not bear riding backwards; the other Raven stood in the doorway, and flapped her wings; she could not accompany Gerda, because she suffered from headache since she had had a fixed appointment and ate so much. The carriage was lined inside with sugar-plums, and in the seats were fruits and gingerbread.

\"Farewell! Farewell!\" cried Prince and Princess; and Gerda wept, and the Raven wept. Thus passed the first miles; and then the Raven bade her farewell, and this was the most painful separation of all. He flew into a tree, and beat his black wings as long as he could see the carriage, that shone from afar like a sunbeam.

FIFTH STORY. The Little Robber Maiden

They drove through the dark wood; but the carriage shone like a torch, and it dazzled the eyes of the robbers, so that they could not bear to look at it. \"'Tis gold! 'Tis gold!\" they cried; and they rushed forward, seized the

horses, knocked down the little postilion, the coachman, and the servants, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

\"How plump, how beautiful she is! She must have been fed on nut-kernels,\" said the old female robber, who had a long, scrubby beard, and bushy eyebrows that hung down over her eyes. \"She is as good as a fatted lamb! How nice she will be!\" And then she drew out a knife, the blade of which shone so that it was quite dreadful to behold.

\"Oh!\" cried the woman at the same moment. She had been bitten in the ear by her own little daughter, who hung at her back; and who was so wild and unmanageable, that it was quite amusing to see her. \"You naughty child!\" said the mother: and now she had not time to kill Gerda.

\"She shall play with me,\" said the little robber child. \"She shall give me her muff, and her pretty frock; she shall sleep in my bed!\" And then she gave her mother another bite, so that she jumped, and ran round with the pain; and the Robbers laughed, and said, \"Look, how she is dancing with the little one!\" \"I will go into the carriage,\" said the little robber maiden; and she would have her will, for she was very spoiled and very headstrong. She and Gerda got in; and then away they drove over the stumps of felled trees, deeper and deeper into the woods. The little robber maiden was as tall as Gerda, but stronger, broader-shouldered, and of dark complexion; her eyes were quite black; they looked almost melancholy. She embraced little Gerda, and said, \"They shall not kill you as long as I am not displeased with you. You are, doubtless, a Princess?\"

\"No,\" said little Gerda; who then related all that had happened to her, and how much she cared about little Kay.

The little robber maiden looked at her with a serious air, nodded her head slightly, and said, \"They shall not kill you, even if I am angry with you:

then I will do it myself\"; and she dried Gerda's eyes, and put both her hands in the handsome muff, which was so soft and warm.

At length the carriage stopped. They were in the midst of the court-yard of a robber's castle. It was full of cracks from top to bottom; and out of the openings magpies and rooks were flying; and the great bull-dogs, each of which looked as if he could swallow a man, jumped up, but they did not bark, for that was forbidden.

In the midst of the large, old, smoking hall burnt a great fire on the stone floor. The smoke disappeared under the stones, and had to seek its own egress. In an immense caldron soup was boiling; and rabbits and hares were being roasted on a spit.

\"You shall sleep with me to-night, with all my animals,\" said the little robber maiden. They had something to eat and drink; and then went into a corner, where straw and carpets were lying. Beside them, on laths and perches, sat nearly a hundred pigeons, all asleep, seemingly; but yet they moved a little when the robber maiden came. \"They are all mine,\" said she, at the same time seizing one that was next to her by the legs and shaking it so that its wings fluttered. \"Kiss it,\" cried the little girl, and flung the pigeon in Gerda's face. \"Up there is the rabble of the wood,\" continued she, pointing to several laths which were fastened before a hole high up in the wall; \"that's the rabble; they would all fly away immediately, if they were not well

fastened in. And here is my dear old Bac\"; and she laid hold of the horns of a reindeer, that had a bright copper ring round its neck, and was tethered to the spot. \"We are obliged to lock this fellow in too, or he would make his escape. Every evening I tickle his neck with my sharp knife; he is so frightened at it!\" and the little girl drew forth a long knife, from a crack in the wall, and let it glide over the Reindeer's neck. The poor animal kicked; the girl laughed, and pulled Gerda into bed with her.

\"Do you intend to keep your knife while you sleep?\" asked Gerda; looking at it rather fearfully.

\"I always sleep with the knife,\" said the little robber maiden. \"There is no knowing what may happen. But tell me now, once more, all about little Kay; and why you have started off in the wide world alone.\" And Gerda related all, from the very beginning: the Wood-pigeons cooed above in their cage, and the others slept. The little robber maiden wound her arm round Gerda's neck, held the knife in the other hand, and snored so loud that everybody could hear her; but Gerda could not close her eyes, for she did not know whether she was to live

or die. The robbers sat round the fire, sang and drank; and the old female robber jumped about so, that it was quite dreadful for Gerda to see her. Then the Wood-pigeons said, \"Coo! Coo! We have seen little Kay! A white hen carries his sledge; he himself sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, who passed here, down just over the wood, as we lay in our nest. She blew upon us young ones; and all died except we two. Coo! Coo!\"

\"What is that you say up there?\" cried little Gerda. \"Where did the Snow Queen go to? Do you know anything about it?\"

\"She is no doubt gone to Lapland; for there is always snow and ice there. Only ask the Reindeer, who is tethered there.\"

\"Ice and snow is there! There it is, glorious and beautiful!\" said the

Reindeer. \"One can spring about in the large shining valleys! The Snow Queen has her summer-tent there; but her fixed abode is high up towards the North Pole, on the Island called Spitzbergen.\" \"Oh, Kay! Poor little Kay!\" sighed Gerda.

\"Do you choose to be quiet?\" said the robber maiden. \"If you don't, I shall make you.\"

In the morning Gerda told her all that the Wood-pigeons had said; and the little maiden looked very serious, but she nodded her head, and said, \"That's no matter--that's no matter. Do you know where Lapland lies!\" she asked of the Reindeer.

\"Who should know better than I?\" said the animal; and his eyes rolled in his head. \"I was born and bred there--there I leapt about on the fields of snow.\" \"Listen,\" said the robber maiden to Gerda. \"You see that the men are gone; but my mother is still here, and will remain. However, towards morning she takes a draught out of the large flask, and then she sleeps a little: then I will do something for you.\" She now jumped out of bed, flew to her mother; with her arms round her neck, and pulling her by the beard, said, \"Good morrow, my own sweet nanny-goat of a mother.\" And her mother took hold of her

nose, and pinched it till it was red and blue; but this was all done out of pure love.

When the mother had taken a sup at her flask, and was having a nap, the little robber maiden went to the Reindeer, and said, \"I should very much like to give you still many a tickling with the sharp knife, for then you are so amusing; however, I will untether you, and help you out, so that you may go back to Lapland. But you must make good use of your legs; and take this little girl

for me to the palace of the Snow Queen, where her playfellow is. You have heard, I suppose, all she said; for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening.\"

The Reindeer gave a bound for joy. The robber maiden lifted up little Gerda, and took the precaution to bind her fast on the Reindeer's back; she even gave her a small cushion to sit on. \"Here are your worsted leggins, for it will be cold; but the muff I shall keep for myself, for it is so very pretty. But I do not wish you to be cold. Here is a pair of lined gloves of my mother's; they just reach up to your elbow. On with them! Now you look about the hands just like my ugly old mother!\" And Gerda wept for joy.

\"I can't bear to see you fretting,\" said the little robber maiden. \"This is just the time when you ought to look pleased. Here are two loaves and a ham for you, so that you won't starve.\" The bread and the meat were fastened to the Reindeer's back; the little maiden opened the door, called in all the dogs, and then with her knife cut the rope that fastened the animal, and said to him, \"Now, off with you; but take good care of the little girl!\"

And Gerda stretched out her hands with the large wadded gloves towards the robber maiden, and said, \"Farewell!\" and the Reindeer flew on over bush and bramble through the great wood, over moor and heath, as fast as he could go. \"Ddsa! Ddsa!\" was heard in the sky. It was just as if somebody was sneezing. \"These are my old northern-lights,\" said the Reindeer, \"look how they gleam!\" And on he now sped still quicker--day and night on he went: the loaves were consumed, and the ham too; and now they were in Lapland.

SIXTH STORY. The Lapland Woman and the Finland Woman

Suddenly they stopped before a little house, which looked very miserable. The roof reached to the ground; and the door was so low, that the family were obliged to creep upon their stomachs when they went in or out. Nobody was at home except an old Lapland woman, who was dressing fish by the light of an oil lamp. And the Reindeer told her the whole of Gerda's history, but first of all his own; for that seemed to him of much greater importance. Gerda was so chilled that she could not speak.

\"Poor thing,\" said the Lapland woman, \"you have far to run still. You have more than a hundred miles to go before you get to Finland; there the Snow Queen has her country-house, and burns blue lights every evening. I will give you a few words from me, which I will write on a dried haberdine, for paper I

have none; this you can take with you to the Finland woman, and she will be able to give you more information than I can.\"

When Gerda had warmed herself, and had eaten and drunk, the Lapland woman wrote a few words on a dried haberdine, begged Gerda to take care of them, put her on the Reindeer, bound her fast, and away sprang the animal. \"Ddsa! Ddsa!\" was again heard in the air; the most charming blue lights burned the whole night in the sky, and at last they came to Finland. They knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman; for as to a door, she had none.

There was such a heat inside that the Finland woman herself went about almost naked. She was diminutive and dirty. She immediately loosened little Gerda's clothes, pulled off her thick gloves and boots; for otherwise the heat would have been too great--and after laying a piece of ice on the Reindeer's head, read what was written on the fish-skin. She read it three times: she then knew it by heart; so she put the fish into the cupboard--for it might very well be eaten, and she never threw anything away.

Then the Reindeer related his own story first, and afterwards that of little Gerda; and the Finland woman winked her eyes, but said nothing.

\"You are so clever,\" said the Reindeer; \"you can, I know, twist all the winds of the world together in a knot. If the seaman loosens one knot, then he has a good wind; if a second, then it blows pretty stiffly; if he undoes the third and fourth, then it rages so that the forests are upturned. Will you give the little maiden a potion, that she may possess the strength of twelve men, and vanquish the Snow Queen?\"

\"The strength of twelve men!\" said the Finland woman. \"Much good that would be!\" Then she went to a cupboard, and drew out a large skin rolled up. When she had unrolled it, strange characters were to be seen written thereon; and the Finland woman read at such a rate that the perspiration trickled down her forehead.

But the Reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked so

imploringly with tearful eyes at the Finland woman, that she winked, and drew the Reindeer aside into a corner, where they whispered together, while the animal got some fresh ice put on his head.

\"'Tis true little Kay is at the Snow Queen's, and finds everything there quite to his taste; and he thinks it the very best place in the world; but the reason of that is, he has a splinter of glass in his eye, and in his heart. These must be got out first; otherwise he will never go back to mankind, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.\"

\"But can you give little Gerda nothing to take which will endue her with power over the whole?\"

\"I can give her no more power than what she has already. Don't you see how great it is? Don't you see how men and animals are forced to serve her; how well she gets through the world barefooted? She must not hear of her power from us; that power lies in her heart, because she is a sweet and innocent child! If she cannot get to the Snow Queen by herself, and rid little Kay of the glass, we cannot help her. Two miles hence the garden of the Snow Queen begins; thither you may carry the little girl. Set her down by the large bush with red berries, standing in the snow; don't stay talking, but hasten back as fast as possible.\" And now the Finland woman placed little Gerda on the Reindeer's back, and off he ran with all imaginable speed.

\"Oh! I have not got my boots! I have not brought my gloves!\" cried little Gerda. She remarked she was without them from the cutting frost; but the Reindeer dared not stand still; on he ran till he came to the great bush with the red berries, and there he set Gerda down, kissed her mouth, while large bright tears flowed from the animal's eyes, and then back he went as fast as possible. There stood poor Gerda now, without shoes or gloves, in the very middle of dreadful icy Finland.

She ran on as fast as she could. There then came a whole regiment of snow-flakes, but they did not fall from above, and they were quite bright and shining from the Aurora Borealis. The flakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came the larger they grew. Gerda well remembered how large and strange the snow-flakes appeared when she once saw them through a magnifying-glass; but now they were large and terrific in another

manner--they were all alive. They were the outposts of the Snow Queen. They had the most wondrous shapes; some looked like large ugly porcupines; others like snakes knotted together, with their heads sticking out; and others, again, like small fat bears, with the hair standing on end: all were of dazzling whiteness--all were living snow-flakes.

Little Gerda repeated the Lord's Prayer. The cold was so intense that she could see her own breath, which came like smoke out of her mouth. It grew thicker and thicker, and took the form of little angels, that grew more and more when they touched the earth. All had helms on their heads, and lances and shields in their hands; they increased in numbers; and when Gerda had finished the Lord's Prayer, she was surrounded by a whole legion. They thrust at the horrid snow-flakes with their spears, so that they flew into a thousand

pieces; and little Gerda walked on bravely and in security. The angels patted her hands and feet; and then she felt the cold less, and went on quickly towards the palace of the Snow Queen.

But now we shall see how Kay fared. He never thought of Gerda, and least of all that she was standing before the palace.

SEVENTH STORY. What Took Place in the Palace of the Snow Queen, and what Happened Afterward

The walls of the palace were of driving snow, and the windows and doors of cutting winds. There were more than a hundred halls there, according as the snow was driven by the winds. The largest was many miles in extent; all were lighted up by the powerful Aurora Borealis, and all were so large, so empty, so icy cold, and so resplendent! Mirth never reigned there; there was never even a little bear-ball, with the storm for music, while the polar bears went on their hind legs and showed off their steps. Never a little tea-party of white young lady foxes; vast, cold, and empty were the halls of the Snow Queen. The northern-lights shone with such precision that one could tell exactly when they were at their highest or lowest degree of brightness. In the middle of the empty, endless hall of snow, was a frozen lake; it was cracked in a thousand pieces, but each piece was so like the other, that it seemed the work of a cunning artificer. In the middle of this lake sat the Snow Queen when she was at home; and then she said she was sitting in the Mirror of Understanding, and that this was the only one and the best thing in the world. Little Kay was quite blue, yes nearly black with cold; but he did not observe it, for she had kissed away all feeling of cold from his body, and his heart was a lump of ice. He was dragging along some pointed flat pieces of ice, which he laid together in all possible ways, for he wanted to make something with them; just as we have little flat pieces of wood to make geometrical figures with, called the Chinese Puzzle. Kay made all sorts of figures, the most complicated, for it was an ice-puzzle for the understanding. In his eyes the figures were extraordinarily beautiful, and of the utmost importance; for the bit of glass which was in his eye caused this. He found whole figures which represented a written word; but he never could manage to represent just the word he wanted--that word was \"eternity\"; and the Snow Queen had said, \"If