tellmeaboutlittlekay!"saidgerda,"washeamongstthecrowd?"

"stopabit,wearejustcomingtohim.itwasonthethirdday,therecamemarchingcheerfullyalongtothepalacealittlepersonage,withouthorsesorcarriage,hiseyessparklinglikeyours;hehadbeautifullonghair,buthisclotheswereverypoor."

"thatwaskay!"saidgerdajoyfully."oh,thenihavefoundhim;"andsheclappedherhands.

"hehadalittleknapsackonhisback,"addedthecrow.

"no,itmusthavebeenhissledge,"saidgerda;"forhewentawaywithit."

"itmayhavebeenso,"saidthecrow;"ididnotlookatitveryclosely.butiknowfrommytamesweetheartthathepassedthroughthepalacegates,sawtheguardsintheirsilveruniform,andtheservantsintheirliveriesofgoldonthestairs,buthewasnotintheleastembarrassed.'itmustbeverytiresometostandonthestairs,'hesaid.'iprefertogoin."theroomswereblazingwithuncillorsandambassadorswalkedaboutwithbarefeet,carryinggoldenvessels;itwasenoughtomakeanyonefeelserious.hisbootscreakedloudlyashewalked,andyethewasnotatalluneasy."

"itmustbekay,"saidgerda,"iknowhehadnewbootson,ihaveheardthemcreakingrandmother'sroom."

"theyreallydidcreak,"saidthecrow,"yethewentboldlyuptotheprincessherself,whowassittingonapearlaslargeasaspinningwheel,andalltheladiesofthecourtwerepresentwiththeirmaids,andallthecavalierswiththeirservants;andeachofthemaidshadanothermaidtowaituponher,andthecavaliers'servantshadtheirownservants,aswellasapageeach.theyallstoodincirclesroundtheprincess,andthenearertheystoodtothedoor,theproudertheylooked.theservants'pages,whoalwaysworeslippers,couldhardlybelookedat,theyheldthemselvesupsoproudlybythedoor."

"itmustbequiteawful,"saidlittlegerda,"butdidkaywintheprincess?"

"ifihadnotbeenacrow,"saidhe,"iwouldhavemarriedhermyself,althoughiamengaged.hespokejustaswellasido,whenispeakthecrows'language,soiheardfrommytamesweetheart.hewasquitefreeandagreeableandsaidhehadnotcometowootheprincess,buttohearherwisdom;andhewasaspleasedwithherasshewaswithhim."

"oh,certainlythatwaskay,"saidgerda,"hewassoclever;hecouldworkmentalarithmeticandfractions.oh,willyoutakemetothepalace?"

"itisveryeasytoaskthat,"repliedthecrow,"buthowarewetomanageit?however,iwillspeakaboutittomytamesweetheart,andaskheradvice;forimusttellyouitwillbeverydifficulttogainpermissionforalittlegirllikeyoutoenterthepalace."

"oh,yes;butishallgainpermissioneasily,"saidgerda,"forwhenkayhearsthatiamhere,hewillcomeoutandfetchmeinimmediately."

"waitformeherebythepalings,"saidthecrow,wagginghisheadasheflewaway.

itwaslateintheeveningbeforethecrowreturned."caw,caw,"hesaid,shesendsyougreeting,andhereisalittlerollwhichshetookfromthekitchenforyou;thereisplentyofbreadthere,andshethinksyoumustbehungry.itisnotpossibleforyoutoenterthepalacebythefrontentrance.theguardsinsilveruniformandtheservantsingoldliverywouldnotallowit.butdonotcry,wewillmanagetogetyouin;mysweetheartknowsalittleback-staircasethatleadstothesleepingapartments,andsheknowswheretofindthekey."

thentheywentintothegardenthroughthegreatavenue,wheretheleaveswerefallingoneafteranother,andtheycouldseethelightinthepalacebeingputoutinthesamemanner.andthecrowledlittlegerdatothebackdoor,whichstoodajar.oh!