They could all speak quite well when they were in the street; but as soon as they came inside the palace door, and saw the guards in silver, and upstairs the footmen in gold, and the great hall all lighted up, then their wits left them! When they stood in front of the throne where the princess was sitting, then they could not think of anything to say except to repeat the last word she had spoken, and she did not much care to hear that again. It seemed as if they were walking in their sleep until they came out into the street again, when they could speak once more. There was a row stretching from the gate of the town up to the castle."
"They were hungry and thirsty, but in the palace they did not even get a glass of water. A few of the cleverest had brought some slices of bread and butter with them, but they did not share them with their neighbour; “If he looks hungry, the princess will not take him!” They thought."
"But what about Kay?" Gerda asked. "When did he come? Was he in the crowd?"
"Wait a bit; we are coming to him! On the third day a little figure came without horse or carriage and walked jauntily up to the palace. His eyes shone as yours do; he had lovely curling hair, but quite poor clothes."
"That was Kay!" Cried Gerda with delight. "Oh, then I have found him!" And she clapped her hands.
"He had a little bundle on his back," said the crow.
"No, it must have been his skates, for he went away with his skates!"
"Very likely," said the crow, "I did not see for certain. But I know this from my sweetheart, that when he came to the palace door and saw the royal guards in silver, and on the stairs the footmen in gold, he was not the least bit put out. He nodded to them, saying, “It must be rather dull standing on the stairs; I would rather go inside! The halls blazed with lights; councillors and ambassadors were walking about in noiseless shoes carrying gold dishes. It was enough to make one nervous! His boots creaked dreadfully loud, but he was not frightened."
"That must be Kay!" Gerda said. "I know he had new boots on; I have heard them creaking in his grandmother’s room!"
"They did creak, certainly!" Said the crow. "And, not one bit afraid, up he went to the princess, who was sitting on a large pearl as round as a spinning wheel. All the ladies-in-waiting were standing around, each with their attendants, and the lords-in-waiting with their attendants. The nearer they stood to the door the prouder they were."
"It must have been dreadful!" Said little Gerda. "And Kay did win the princess?"
"I heard from my tame sweetheart that he was merry and quick-witted; he had not come to woo, he said, but to listen to the princess’ wisdom. The end of it was that they fell in love with each other."
"Oh, yes; that was Kay!" Said Gerda. "He was so clever; he could do sums with fractions. Oh, do lead me to the palace!"
"That’s easily said," answered the crow, "but how are we to manage that? I must talk it over with my tame sweetheart. She may be able to advise us, for I must tell you that a little girl like you could never get permission to enter it."
"Yes, I will get it!" Said Gerda. "When Kay hears that I am there he will come out at once and fetch me!"
"Wait for me by the railings," said the crow, and he nodded his head and flew away.
It was late in the evening when he came back.
"Caw, caw!" He said, "I am to give you her love, and here is a little roll for you. She took it out of the kitchen; there’s plenty there, and you must be hungry. You cannot come into the palace. The guards in silver and the footmen in gold would not allow it. But don’t cry! You shall get in all right. My sweetheart knows a little back-stairs which leads to the sleeping room, and she knows where to find the key."
They went into the garden, and when the lights in the palace were put out one after the other, the crow led Gerda to a backdoor.
Oh, how Gerda’s heart beat with anxiety and longing! It seemed as if she were going to do something wrong, but she only wanted to know if it were little Kay. Yes, it must be he! She remembered so well his clever eyes, his curly hair. She could see him smiling as he did when they were at home under the rose trees! He would be so pleased to see her, and to hear how they all were at home.
Now they were on the stairs; a little lamp was burning, and on the landing stood the tame crow. She put her head on one side and looked at Gerda, who bowed as her grandmother had taught her.
"My betrothed has told me many nice things about you, my dear young lady," she said. "Will you take the lamp while I go in front? We'll go this way so as to meet no one."
Through beautiful rooms they came to the sleeping room. In the middle of it, hung on a thick rod of gold, were two beds - shaped like lilies; one all white, in which lay the princess, and the other red, in which Gerda hoped to find Kay. She pushed aside the curtain, and saw a brown neck. Oh, it was Kay! She called his name out loud, holding the lamp towards him.
He woke up, turned his head and... It was not Kay!
It was only his neck that was like Kay’s, but he was young and handsome. The princess sat up in her lily bed and asked who was there. Then Gerda cried, and told her story and all that the crows had done.
"You poor child!" Said the prince and princess. They praised the crows, and said that they were not angry with them, but that they must not do it again. Now they should have a reward.
"Would you like to fly away free?" Said the princess. "Or will you have a permanent place as court crows with what you can get in the kitchen?" Both crows bowed and asked for a permanent appointment, for they thought of their old age. They put Gerda to bed, and she folded her hands, thinking as she fell asleep, "How good people and animals are to me!"
The next day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and satin. They wanted her to stay on in the palace, but she begged for a little carriage and a horse, and a pair of shoes so that she might go out again into the world to look for Kay.
They gave her a muff as well as some shoes; she was warmly dressed, and when she was ready, there in front of the door stood a coach of pure gold, with a coachman, footmen and postilions with gold crowns on. The prince and princess helped her into the carriage and wished her good luck.
The wild crow who was now married drove with her for the first three miles; the other crow could not come because she had a bad headache.
"Goodbye, goodbye!" Called the prince and princess; and little Gerda cried, and the crow cried.
When he said goodbye, he flew on to a tree and waved with his black wings as long as the carriage, which shone like the sun, was in sight. They came at last to a dark wood, but the coach lit it up like a torch. When the robbers saw it, they rushed out, exclaiming, "Gold! Gold!"
They seized the horses, killed the coachman, footmen and postilions, and dragged Gerda out of the carriage. "She is plump and tender! I will eat her!" Said the old robber-queen, and she drew her long knife, which glittered horribly.
"You shall not kill her!" Cried her little daughter. "She shall play with me. She shall give me her muff and her beautiful dress, and she shall sleep in my bed."
The little robber girl was as big as Gerda; but was stronger, broader, with dark hair and black eyes. She threw her arms around Gerda and said, "They shall not kill you, so long as you are not naughty. Aren’t you a princess?"
"No," said Gerda, and she told all that had happened to her, and how dearly she loved little Kay. The robber girl looked at her very seriously, and nodded her head, saying, "They shall not kill you, even if you are naughty, for then I will kill you myself!" She dried Gerda’s eyes, and stuck both her hands in the beautiful warm muff.
The little robber girl took Gerda to a corner of the robbers’ camp where she slept. All around were more than a hundred wood pigeons which seemed to be asleep, but they moved a little when the two girls came up
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