askedgerda,lookingatitingreatfright.

"ialwayssleepwiththeknifebyme,"saidtherobber-girl."nooneknowswhatmayhappen.butnowtellmeagainallaboutlittlekay,andwhyyouwentoutintotheworld."

thengerdarepeatedherstoryoveragain,whilethewood-pigeonsinthecageoverhercooed,andtheotherpigeonsslept.thelittlerobber-girlputonearmacrossgerda'sneck,andheldtheknifeintheother,andwassoonfastasleepandsnoring.butgerdacouldnotclosehereyesatall;sheknewnotwhethershewastoliveordie.therobberssatroundthefire,singinganddrinking,andtheoldwomanstumbledabout.itwasaterriblesightforalittlegirltowitness.

thenthewood-pigeonssaid,"coo,coo;wehaveseenlittlewhitefowlcarriedhissledge,andhesatinthecarriageofthesnowqueen,whichdrovethroughthewoodwhilewewerelyinginournest.sheblewuponus,andalltheyoungonesdiedexceptingustwo.coo,coo."

"whatareyousayingupthere?"criedgerda."wherewasthesnowqueengoing?doyouknowanythingaboutit?"

"shewasmostlikelytravellingtolapland,wherethereisalwayssnowandice.askthereindeerthatisfasteneduptherewitharope."

"yes,thereisalwayssnowandice,"saidthereindeer;"anditisagloriousplace;youcanleapandrunaboutfreelyonthesparklingiceplains.thesnowqueenhashersummertentthere,butherstrongcastleisatthenorthpole,onanislandcalledspitzbergen."

"oh,kay,littlekay!"sighedgerda.

"liestill,"saidtherobber-girl,"orishallrunmyknifeintoyourbody."

inthemorninggerdatoldherallthatthewood-pigeonshadsaid;andthelittlerobber-girllookedquiteserious,andnoddedherhead,andsaid,"thatisalltalk,thatisalltalk.doyouknowwherelaplandis?"sheaskedthereindeer.

"whoshouldknowbetterthanido?"saidtheanimal,whilehiseyessparkled."iwasbornandbroughtupthere,andusedtorunaboutthesnow-coveredplains."

"nowlisten,"saidtherobber-girl;"allourmenaregoneaway,-onlymotherishere,andhereshewillstay;butatnoonshealwaysdrinksoutofagreatbottle,andafterwardssleepsforalittlewhile;andthen,i'lldosomethingforyou."thenshejumpedoutofbed,claspedhermotherroundtheneck,andpulledherbythebeard,crying,"myownlittlenannygoat,goodmorning."thenhermotherfillipedhernosetillitwasquitered;yetshediditallforlove.

whenthemotherhaddrunkoutofthebottle,andwasgonetosleep,thelittlerobber-maidenwenttothereindeer,andsaid,"ishouldlikeverymuchtotickleyourneckafewtimesmorewithmyknife,foritmakesyoulooksofunny;butnevermind,-iwilluntieyourcord,andsetyoufree,sothatyoumayrunawaytolapland;butyoumustmakegooduseofyourlegs,andcarrythislittlemaidentothecastleofthesnowqueen,whereherplay-fellowis.youhaveheardwhatshetoldme,forshespokeloudenough,andyouwerelistening."

thenthereindeerjumpedforjoy;andthelittlerobber-girlliftedgerdaonhisback,andhadtheforethoughttotieheron,andeventogiveherherownlittlecushiontositon.

"hereareyourfurbootsforyou,"saidshe;"foritwillbeverycold;butimustkeepthemuff;itissopretty.however,youshallnotbefrozenforthewantofit;herearemymother'slargewarmmittens;theywillreachuptoyourelbows.letmeputthemre,nowyourhandslookjustlikemymother's."

butgerdaweptforjoy.

"idon'tliketoseeyoufret,"saidthelittlerobber-girl;"yououghttolookquitehappynow;andherearetwoloavesandaham,sothatyouneednotstarve."thesewerefastenedonthereindeer,andthenthelittlerobber-maidenopenedthedoor,coaxedinallthegreatdogs,andthencutthestringwithwhichthereindeerwasfastened,withhersharpknife,andsaid,"nowrun,butmindyoutakegoodcareofthelittlegirl."andthengerdastretchedoutherhand,withthegreatmittenonit,towardsthelittlerobber-girl,andsaid,"farewell,"andawayflewthereindeer,overstumpsandstones,throughthegreatforest,overmarshesandplains,asquicklyashecould.thewolveshowled,andtheravensscreamed;whileupintheskyquiveredredlightslikeflamesoffire."therearemyoldnorthernlights,"saidthereindeer;"seehowtheyflash."andheranondayandnightstillfasterandfaster,buttheloavesandthehamwerealleatenbythetimetheyreachedlapland.

sixthstory

thelaplandwomanand

thefinlandwoman

theystoppedatalittlehut;itwasverymeanlooking;theroofslopednearlydowntotheground,andthedoorwassolowthatthefamilyhadtocreepinontheirhandsandknees,whentheywentinandout.therewasnooneathomebutanoldlaplandwoman,whowascookingfishbythelightofatrain-oillamp.thereindeertoldherallaboutgerda'sstory,afterhavingfirsttoldhisown,whichseemedtohimthemostimportant,butgerdawassopinchedwiththecoldthatshecouldnotspeak."oh,youpoorthings,"saidthelaplandwoman,"youhavealongwaytogoyet.youmusttravelmorethanahundredmilesfarther,tofinland.thesnowqueenlivestherenow,andsheburnsbengallightseveryevening.iwillwriteafewwordsonadriedstock-fish,forihavenopaper,andyoucantakeitfrommetothefinlandwomanwholivesthere;shecangiveyoubetterinformationthanican."sowhengerdawaswarmed,andhadtakensomethingtoeatanddrink,thewomanwroteafewwordsonthedriedfish,andtoldgerdatotakegreatcareofit.thenshetiedheragainonthereindeer,andhesetoffatfullspeed.flash,flash,wentthebeautifulbluenorthernlightsintheairthewholenightlong.andatlengththeyreachedfinland,andknockedatthechimneyofthefinlandwoman'shut,forithadnodoorabovetheground.theycreptin,butitwassoterriblyhotinsidethatthatwomanworescarcelyanyclothes;shewassmallandverydirtylooking.sheloosenedlittlegerda'sdress,andtookoffthefurbootsandthemittens,orgerdawouldhavebeenunabletobeartheheat;andthensheplacedapieceoficeonthereindeer'shead,andreadwhatwaswrittenonthedriedfish.aftershehadreaditthreetimes,sheknewitbyheart,soshepoppedthefishintothesoupsaucepan,assheknewitwasgoodtoeat,andsheneverwastedanything.thereindeertoldhisownstoryfirst,andthenlittlegerda's,andthefinlandertwinkledwithherclevereyes,butshesaidnothing."youaresoclever,"saidthereindeer;"iknowyoucantieallthewindsoftheworldwithapieceoftwine.ifasailoruntiesoneknot,hehasafairwind;whenheuntiesthesecond,itblowshard;butifthethirdandfourthareloosened,thencomesastorm,whichwillrootupwholeforests.cannotyougivethislittlemaidensomethingwhichwillmakeherasstrongastwelvemen,toovercomethesnowqueen?"