itisaninnocentwish,andinnocentwishesaresuretobefulfilled.imustgointhereandleanagainsther,evenifihavetobreakthewindow."
"youmustnevergointhere,"saidtheyard-dog,"forifyouapproachthestove,you'llmeltaway,away."
"imightaswellgo,"saidthesnowman,"forithinkiambreakingupasitis."
duringthewholedaythesnowmanstoodlookinginthroughthewindow,andinthetwilighthourtheroombecamestillmoreinviting,forfromthestovecameagentleglow,notlikethesunorthemoon;no,onlythebrightlightwhichgleamsfromastovewhenithasbeenwellfed.whenthedoorofthestovewasopened,theflamesdartedoutofitsmouth;thisiscustomarywithallstoves.thelightoftheflamesfelldirectlyonthefaceandbreastofthesnowmanwitharuddygleam."icanendureitnolonger,"saidhe;"howbeautifulitlookswhenitstretchesoutitstongue?"
thenightwaslong,butdidnotappearsotothesnowman,whostoodthereenjoyinghisownreflections,andcracklingwiththethemorning,thewindow-panesofthehousekeeper'sroomwerecoveredwithice.theywerethemostbeautifulice-flowersanysnowmancoulddesire,buttheyconcealedthestove.thesewindow-paneswouldnotthaw,andhecouldseenothingofthestove,whichhepicturedtohimself,asifithadbeenalovelyhumanbeing.thesnowcrackledandthewindwhistledaroundhim;itwasjustthekindoffrostyweatherasnowmanmightthoroughlyenjoy.buthedidnotenjoyit;how,indeed,couldheenjoyanythingwhenhewas"stovesick?"
"thatisterriblediseaseforasnowman,"saidtheyard-dog;"ihavesufferedfromitmyself,butigotoverit.away,away,"hebarkedandthenheadded,"theweatherisgoingtochange."andtheweatherdidchange;itbegantothaw.asthewarmthincreased,thesnowmandecreased.hesaidnothingandmadenocomplaint,whichisasuresign.onemorninghebroke,andsunkdownaltogether;and,behold,wherehehadstood,somethinglikeabroomstickremainedstickingupintheground.itwasthepoleroundwhichtheboyshadbuilthimup."ah,nowiunderstandwhyhehadsuchagreatlongingforthestove,"saidtheyard-dog."why,there'stheshovelthatisusedforcleaningoutthestove,fastenedtothepole."thesnowmanhadastovescraperinhisbody;thatwaswhatmovedhimso."butit'sallovernow.away,away."andsoonthewinterpassed."away,away,"barkedthehoarseyard-dog.butthegirlsinthehousesang,
"comefromyourfragranthome,greenthyme;
stretchyoursoftbranches,willow-tree;
themonthsarebringingthesweetspring-time,
whenthelarkintheskysingsjoyfully.
comegentlesun,whilethecuckoosings,
andi'llmockhisnoteinmywanderings."
andnobodythoughtanymoreofthesnowman.
theend.
1872
fairytalesofhanschristianandersen
thesnowqueen
insevenstories
byhanschristianandersen
storythefirst
whichdescribesalooking-glassandthebrokenfragments.
youmustattendtothecommencementofthisstory,forwhenwegettotheendweshallknowmorethanwedonowaboutaverywickedhobgoblin;hewasoneoftheveryworst,forhewasarealday,whenhewasinamerrymood,hemadealooking-glasswhichhadthepowerofmakingeverythinggoodorbeautifulthatwasreflectedinitalmostshrinktonothing,whileeverythingthatwasworthlessandbadlookedincreasedinsizeandworsethanever.themostlovelylandscapesappearedlikeboiledspinach,andthepeoplebecamehideous,andlookedasiftheystoodontheirheadsandhadnobodies.theircountenancesweresodistortedthatnoonecouldrecognizethem,andevenonefreckleonthefaceappearedtospreadoverthewholeofthenoseandmouth.thedemonsaidthiswasveryamusing.whenagoodorpiousthoughtpassedthroughthemindofanyoneitwasmisrepresentedintheglass;andthenhowthedemonlaughedathiscunninginvention.allwhowenttothedemon'sschool-forhekeptaschool-talkedeverywhereofthewonderstheyhadseen,anddeclaredthatpeoplecouldnow,forthefirsttime,seewhattheworldandmankindwerereallylike.theycarriedtheglassabouteverywhere,tillatlasttherewasnotalandnorapeoplewhohadnotbeenlookedatthroughthisdistortedmirror.theywantedeventoflywithituptoheaventoseetheangels,butthehighertheyflewthemoreslipperytheglassbecame,andtheycouldscarcelyholdit,tillatlastitslippedfromtheirhands,felltotheearth,andwasbrokenintomillionsofpieces.butnowthelooking-glasscausedmoreunhappinessthanever,forsomeofthefragmentswerenotsolargeasagrainofsand,andtheyflewabouttheworldintoeverycountry.whenoneofthesetinyatomsflewintoaperson'seye,itstuckthereunknowntohim,andfromthatmomenthesaweverythingthroughadistortedmedium,orcouldseeonlytheworstsideofwhathelookedat,foreventhesmallestfragmentretainedthesamepowerwhichhadbelongedtothewholemirror.somefewpersonsevengotafragmentofthelooking-glassintheirhearts,andthiswasveryterrible,fortheirheartsbecamecoldlikealumpofice.afewofthepiecesweresolargethattheycouldbeusedaswindow-panes;itwouldhavebeenasadthingtolookatourfriendsthroughthem.otherpiecesweremadeintospectacles;thiswasdreadfulforthosewhoworethem,fortheycouldseenothingeitherrightlyorjustly.atallthisthewickeddemonlaughedtillhissidesshook-ittickledhimsotoseethemischiefhehaddone.therewerestillanumberoftheselittlefragmentsofglassfloatingaboutintheair,andnowyoushallhearwhathappenedwithoneofthem.
secondstory
alittleboyandalittlegirl
inalargetown,fullofhousesandpeople,thereisnotroomforeverybodytohaveevenalittlegarden,thereforetheyareobligedtobesatisfiedwithafewflowersinflower-pots.inoneoftheselargetownslivedtwopoorchildrenwhohadagardensomethinglargerandbetterthanafewflower-pots.theywerenotbrotherandsister,buttheylovedeachotheralmostasmuchasiftheyhadbeen.theirparentslivedoppositetoeachotherintwogarrets,wheretheroofsofneighboringhousesprojectedouttowardseachotherandthewater-piperanbetweenthem.ineachhousewasalittlewindow,sothatanyonecouldstepacrossthegutterfromonewindowtotheother.theparentsofthesechildrenhadeachalargewoodenboxinwhichtheycultivatedkitchenherbsfortheirownuse,andalittlerose-bushineachbox,whichgrewsplendidly.nowafterawhiletheparentsdecidedtoplacethesetwoboxesacrossthewater-pipe,sothattheyreachedfromonewindowtotheotherandlookedliketwobanksofflowers.sweet-peasdroopedovertheboxes,andtherose-bushesshotforthlongbranches,whichweretrainedroundthewindowsandclusteredtogetheralmostlikeatriumphalarchofleavesandflowers.theboxeswereveryhigh,andthechildrenknewtheymustnotclimbuponthem,withoutpermission,buttheywereoften,however,allowedtostepouttogetherandsitupontheirlittlestoolsundertherose-bushes,orplayquietly.inwinterallthispleasurecametoanend,forthewindowsweresometimesquitefrozenover.butthentheywouldwarmcopperpenniesonthestove,andholdthewarmpenniesagainstthefrozenpane;therewouldbeverysoonalittleroundholethroughwhichtheycouldpeep,andthesoftbrighteyesofthelittleboyandgirlwouldbeamthroughtheholeateachwindowastheylookedateachother.theirnameswerekayandsummertheycouldbetogetherwithonejumpfromthewindow,butinwintertheyhadtogoupanddownthelongstaircase,andoutthroughthesnowbeforetheycouldmeet.
"seetherearethewhitebeesswarming,"saidkay'soldgrandmotheronedaywhenitwassnowing.
"havetheyaqueenbee?"