The Snow Queen

"I must go and powder my black kettles!" (This was what she called Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius.) "It does the lemons and grapes good."

Off she flew, and Kay sat alone in the great hall trying to do his puzzle. He sat so still that you would have thought he was frozen.

Then it happened that little Gerda stepped into the hall. The biting cold winds became quiet as if they had fallen asleep when she appeared in the great, empty, freezing hall.

She caught sight of Kay; she recognised him, and ran and put her arms round his neck, crying, "Kay! Dear little Kay! I have found you at last!"

But he sat quite still and cold. Then Gerda wept hot tears which fell on his neck which thawed his heart and swept away the bit of the looking glass. He looked at her and then he burst into tears. He cried so much that the glass splinter swam out of his eye; then he knew her, and cried out, "Gerda! Dear little Gerda! Where have you been so long? Where have I been?" And he looked round him.

"How cold it is here! How wide and empty!" He threw himself on Gerda, and she laughed and wept for joy. It was such a happy time that the pieces of ice even danced round them for joy, and when they were tired and lay down again they formed themselves into the letters that the Snow Queen had said he must spell in order to become his own master and have the whole world and a new pair of skates.

Gerda kissed his cheeks and they grew rosy; she kissed his eyes and they sparkled like hers, she kissed his hands and feet and he became warm and glowing. The Snow Queen might come home now; his release – the word ‘Love’ – stood written in sparkling ice.

They took each other’s hands and wandered out of the great palace; they talked about the grandmother and the roses on the leads, wherever they came the winds hushed and the sun came out. When they reached the bush with red berries there stood the reindeer waiting for them.

He carried Kay and Gerda first to the Finland woman, who warmed them in her hot room and gave them advice for their journey home.

Then they went to the Lapland woman, who gave them new clothes and mended their sleigh. The reindeer ran with them until they came to the green fields fresh with the spring green. Here he said goodbye.

They came to the forest, which was bursting into bud, and out of it came a splendid horse which Gerda knew; it was the one which had drawn the gold coach ridden by a young girl with a red cap on and pistols in her belt. It was the little robber girl who was tired of being at home and wanted to go out into the world. She and Gerda knew each other at once.

"You are a nice fellow!" She said to Kay. "I should like to know if you deserve to be run all over the world!"

Gerda patted her cheeks and asked after the prince and princess. "They are travelling about," said the robber girl.

"And the crow?" Gerda asked.

"Oh, the crow is dead!" Answered the robber girl. "His tame sweetheart is a widow and hops about with a bit of black crape around her leg. She makes a great fuss, but that’s all nonsense. But tell me what happened to you, and how you caught him."

Kay and Gerda told her all. "Dear, dear!" Said the robber girl, shook both their hands, and promised that if she came to their town she would come and see them. Then she rode on.

Gerda and Kay went home hand in hand. There they found the grandmother and everything just as it had been, but when they went through the doorway they found they were grown up.

There were the roses on the leads; it was summer, warm, glorious summer.