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?"