白雪皇后

　　“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.