therewerenoamusementshere,notevenalittlebear'sball,whenthestormmighthavebeenthemusic,andthebearscouldhavedancedontheirhindlegs,andshowntheirgoodmanners.therewerenopleasantgamesofsnap-dragon,ortouch,orevenagossipoverthetea-table,fortheyoung-ladyfoxes.empty,vast,andcoldwerethehallsofthesnowqueen.theflickeringflameofthenorthernlightscouldbeplainlyseen,whethertheyrosehighorlowintheheavens,fromeverypartofthecastle.inthemidstofitsempty,endlesshallofsnowwasafrozenlake,brokenonitssurfaceintoathousandforms;eachpieceresembledanother,frombeinginitselfperfectasaworkofart,andinthecentreofthislakesatthesnowqueen,whenshewasathome.shecalledthelake"themirrorofreason,"andsaidthatitwasthebest,andindeedtheonlyoneintheworld.

littlekaywasquitebluewithcold,indeedalmostblack,buthedidnotfeelit;forthesnowqueenhadkissedawaytheicyshiverings,andhisheartwasalreadyalumpofice.hedraggedsomesharp,flatpiecesoficetoandfro,andplacedthemtogetherinallkindsofpositions,asifhewishedtomakesomethingoutofthem;justaswetrytoformvariousfigureswithlittletabletsofwoodwhichwecall"achinesepuzzle."kay'sfingerswereveryartistic;itwastheicygameofreasonatwhichheplayed,andinhiseyesthefigureswereveryremarkable,andofthehighestimportance;thisopinionwasowingtothepieceofglassstillstickinginhiscomposedmanycompletefigures,formingdifferentwords,buttherewasonewordhenevercouldmanagetoform,althoughhewisheditverymuch.itwastheword"eternity."thesnowqueenhadsaidtohim,"whenyoucanfindoutthis,youshallbeyourownmaster,andiwillgiveyouthewholeworldandanewpairofskates."buthecouldnotaccomplishit.

"nowimusthastenawaytowarmercountries,"saidthesnowqueen."iwillgoandlookintotheblackcratersofthetopsoftheburningmountains,etnaandvesuvius,astheyarecalled,-ishallmakethemlookwhite,whichwillbegoodforthem,andforthelemonsandthegrapes."andawayflewthesnowqueen,leavinglittlekayquitealoneinthegreathallwhichwassomanymilesinlength;sohesatandlookedathispiecesofice,andwasthinkingsodeeply,andsatsostill,thatanyonemighthavesupposedhewasfrozen.

justatthismomentithappenedthatlittlegerdacamethroughthegreatdoorofthecastle.cuttingwindswereragingaroundher,butsheofferedupaprayerandthewindssankdownasiftheyweregoingtosleep;andshewentontillshecametothelargeemptyhall,andcaughtsightofkay;sheknewhimdirectly;sheflewtohimandthrewherarmsroundhisneck,andheldhimfast,whilesheexclaimed,"kay,dearlittlekay,ihavefoundyouatlast."

buthesatquitestill,stiffandcold.

thenlittlegerdawepthottears,whichfellonhisbreast,andpenetratedintohisheart,andthawedthelumpofice,andwashedawaythelittlepieceofglasswhichhadstuckthere.thenhelookedather,andshesang-

"rosesbloomandceasetobe,

butweshallthechrist-childsee."

thenkayburstintotears,andheweptsothatthesplinterofglassswamoutofhiseye.thenherecognizedgerda,andsaid,joyfully,"gerda,dearlittlegerda,wherehaveyoubeenallthistime,andwherehaveibeen?"andhelookedallaroundhim,andsaid,"howcolditis,andhowlargeandemptyitalllooks,"andheclungtogerda,andshelaughedandweptforjoy.itwassopleasingtoseethemthatthepiecesoficeevendancedabout;andwhentheyweretiredandwenttoliedown,theyformedthemselvesintothelettersofthewordwhichthesnowqueenhadsaidhemustfindoutbeforehecouldbehisownmaster,andhavethewholeworldandapairofnewskates.thengerdakissedhischeeks,andtheybecameblooming;andshekissedhiseyes,andtheyshonelikeherown;shekissedhishandsandhisfeet,andthenhebecamequitehealthyandcheerful.thesnowqueenmightcomehomenowwhenshepleased,fortherestoodhiscertaintyoffreedom,inthewordshewanted,writteninshininglettersofice.

thentheytookeachotherbythehand,andwentforthfromthegreatpalaceofice.theyspokeofthegrandmother,andoftherosesontheroof,andastheywentonthewindswereatrest,andthesunburstforth.whentheyarrivedatthebushwithredberries,therestoodthereindeerwaitingforthem,andhehadbroughtanotheryoungreindeerwithhim,whoseudderswerefull,andthechildrendrankherwarmmilkandkissedheronthemouth.thentheycarriedkayandgerdafirsttothefinlandwoman,wheretheywarmedthemselvesthoroughlyinthehotroom,andshegavethemdirectionsabouttheirjourneyhome.nexttheywenttothelaplandwoman,whohadmadesomenewclothesforthem,andputtheirsleighsinorder.boththereindeerranbytheirside,andfollowedthemasfarastheboundariesofthecountry,wherethefirstgreenleaveswerebudding.andheretheytookleaveofthetworeindeerandthelaplandwoman,andallsaid-farewell.thenthebirdsbegantotwitter,andtheforesttoowasfullofgreenyoungleaves;andoutofitcameabeautifulhorse,whichgerdaremembered,foritwasonewhichhaddrawnthegoldencoach.ayounggirlwasridinguponit,withashiningredcaponherhead,andpistolsinherbelt.itwasthelittlerobber-maiden,whohadgottiredofstayingathome;shewasgoingfirsttothenorth,andifthatdidnotsuither,shemeanttotrysomeotherpartoftheworld.sheknewgerdadirectly,andgerdarememberedher:itwasajoyfulmeeting.

"youareafinefellowtogogaddingaboutinthisway,"saidshetolittlekay,"ishouldliketoknowwhetheryoudeservethatanyoneshouldgototheendoftheworldtofindyou."

butgerdapattedhercheeks,andaskedaftertheprinceandprincess.

"theyaregonetoforeigncountries,"saidtherobber-girl.

"andthecrow?"