The Snow Queen

Around them whistled the cold wind, the wolves howled, and the snow hissed; over them flew the black shrieking crows. High up the moon shone large and bright, and thus Kay passed the long winter night. In the day he slept at the Snow Queen’s feet.

What happened to little Gerda when Kay did not come back? What had become of him? Nobody knew. The other boys told how they had seen him fasten his sledge on to a large one which had driven out of the town gate.

Gerda cried a great deal. The winter was long and dark to her. Then the spring came with warm sunshine. "I will go and look for Kay," said Gerda.

So she went down to the river and got into a little boat that was there. Presently the stream began to carry it away.

"Perhaps the river will take me to Kay," thought Gerda. She glided down, past trees and fields, until she came to a large cherry garden, in which stood a little house with strange red and blue windows and a straw roof. Before the door stood two wooden soldiers, who were shouldering arms.

Gerda called to them, but they naturally did not answer. The river carried the boat on to the land.

Gerda called out still louder, and there came out of the house a very old woman. She leaned upon a crutch, and she wore a large sunhat which was painted with the most beautiful flowers.

"You poor little girl!" Said the old woman. Then she stepped into the water, brought the boat in close with her crutch, and lifted little Gerda out.

"Now come and tell me who you are, and how you came here," she said. Gerda told her everything, and asked her if she had seen Kay. She said he had not passed that way yet, but he would soon come. She also told Gerda not to be sad, and that she should stay with her and take of the cherry trees and flowers, which were better than any picture book, as they could each tell a story.

She then took Gerda’s hand and led her into the little house and shut the door. The windows were very high, and the panes were red, blue, and yellow, so that the light came through in curious colours. On the table were the most delicious cherries, and the old woman let Gerda eat as many as she liked, while she combed her hair with a golden comb as she ate.

Her beautiful sunny hair rippled and shone around her dear little face, which was so soft and sweet. "I have always longed to have a dear little girl just like you, and you shall see how happy we will be together."

As she combed Gerda’s hair, Gerda thought less and less about Kay; for the old woman was a witch, but not a wicked witch, for she only enchanted now and then to amuse herself, and she did want to keep little Gerda very much. So she went into the garden and waved her stick over all the rose bushes and blossoms and all. They sank down into the black earth, and no one could see where they had been. The old woman was afraid that if Gerda saw the roses she would begin to think about her own, and then would remember Kay and run away.

She led Gerda out into the garden. How glorious it was, and what lovely scents filled the air! All the flowers you can think of blossomed there all the year round. Gerda jumped for joy and played there until the sun set behind the tall cherry trees, and then she slept in a beautiful bed with red silk pillows filled with violets, and she slept soundly and dreamed as a queen does on her wedding day.

The next day she played again with the flowers in the warm sunshine, and so many days passed by. Gerda knew every flower, but although there were so many, it seemed to her as if one were not there, though she could not remember which.

She was looking one day at the old woman’s sun hat which had the painted flowers on it, and there she saw a rose. The witch had forgotten to make that vanish when she had made the other roses disappear under the earth. It was so difficult to think of everything.

"Why, there are no roses here!" Gerda cried, and she hunted amongst all the flowers, but not one was to be found. Then she sat down and cried, but her tears fell just on the spot where a rose bush had sunk, and when her warm tears watered the earth, the bush came up in full bloom just as it had been before. Gerda kissed the roses and thought of the lovely roses at home, and with them came the thought of little Kay.

"Oh, what have I been doing!" Said the little girl. "I wanted to look for Kay." She ran to the end of the garden. The gate was shut, but she pushed against the rusty lock so that it came open.

She ran out with her little bare feet. No one came after her. At last she could not run any longer, and she sat down on a large stone. When she looked around she saw that the summer was over; it was late autumn. It had not changed in the beautiful garden, where were sunshine and flowers all the year round.

"Oh, dear, how late I have made myself!" Gerda said. "It’s autumn already! I cannot rest!" She sprang up to run on.

Oh, how tired and sore her little feet grew, and it became colder and colder. She had to rest again, and there on the snow in front of her was a large crow.

It had been looking at her for some time, and it nodded its head and said, "Caw! Caw! Good day." Then it asked the little girl why she was alone in the world. She told the crow her story, and asked if he had seen Kay. The crow nodded very thoughtfully and said, "It might be! It might be!"

"What! Do you think you have?" Cried the little girl, and she almost squeezed the crow to death as she kissed him.

"Gently, gently!" Said the crow. "I think – I know I think... It might be little Kay, but now he has forgotten you for the princess!"

"Does he live with a princess?" Gerda asked.

"Yes, listen," said the crow; then he told her all he knew.

"In the kingdom, in which we are now sitting, lives a princess who is dreadfully clever. She has read all the newspapers in the world and has forgotten them again. She is as clever as that. The other day she came to the throne, and that is not so pleasant as people think. Then she began to say, “Why should I not marry?” But she wanted a husband who could answer when he was spoken to, not one who would stand up stiffly and look respectable – that would be too dull. When she told all the court ladies, they were delighted. You can believe every word I say," said the crow, "I have a tame sweetheart in the palace, and she tells me everything."

Of course his sweetheart was a crow.

"The newspapers came out next morning with a border of hearts round it, and the princess’ monogram on it, and inside you could read that every good looking young man might come into the palace and speak to the princess, and whoever should speak loud enough to be heard would be well fed and looked after, and the one who spoke best should become the princess’ husband. Indeed," said the crow, "you can quite believe me. It is as true as that I am sitting here... Young men came in streams, and there was such a crowding and a mixing together! But nothing came of it on the first, nor on the second day