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安徒生童話故事第29篇：白雪皇后The Snow Queen
引導(dǎo)語：安徒生的童話故事，大家必不陌生了，下面是小編收集的白雪皇后的中英文版本的，歡迎大家閱讀!
第一個故事 關(guān)于一面鏡子和它的碎片
請注意!現(xiàn)在我們要開始講了。當(dāng)我們聽到這故事的結(jié)尾的時候，我們就會知道比現(xiàn)在還要多的事情，因為他是一個很壞的小鬼。他是一個最壞的家伙，因為他是魔鬼。有一天他非常高興，因為他制造出了一面鏡子。這鏡子有一個特點：那就是，一切好的和美的東西，在里面一照，就縮作一團，變成烏有;但是，一些沒有價值和丑陋的東西都會顯得突出，而且看起來比原形還要糟。最美麗的風(fēng)景在這鏡子里就會像煮爛了的菠菜;最好的人不是現(xiàn)出使人憎惡的樣子，就是頭朝下，腳朝上，沒有身軀，面孔變形，認不出來。如果你有一個雀斑，你不用懷疑，它可以擴大到蓋滿你的鼻子和嘴。
魔鬼說：這真夠有趣。當(dāng)一個虔誠和善良的思想在一個人的心里出現(xiàn)的時候，它就在這鏡子里表現(xiàn)為一個露齒的怪笑。于是魔鬼對于他這巧妙的發(fā)明就發(fā)出得意的笑聲來。那些進過魔鬼學(xué)校的人——因為他開辦一個學(xué)�！叩侥睦锞托麄鞯侥睦�，說是現(xiàn)在有一個什么奇跡發(fā)生了。他們說，人們第一次可以看到世界和人類的本來面目。他們拿著這面鏡子到處亂跑，弄得沒有一個國家或民族沒有在里面被歪曲過�，F(xiàn)在他們居然想飛到天上去，去譏笑一下安琪兒或“我們的上帝”。這鏡子和他們越飛得高，它就越露出些怪笑。他們幾乎拿不住它。他們越飛越高，飛近上帝和安琪兒;于是鏡子和它的怪笑開始可怕地抖起來，弄得它從他們的手中落到地上，跌成幾億，幾千億以及無數(shù)的碎片。這樣，鏡子就做出比以前還要更不幸的事情來，因為有許多碎片比沙粒還要小。它們在世界上亂飛，只要飛到人們的眼睛里去，便貼在那兒不動。這些人看起什么東西來都不對頭，或者只看到事物的壞的一面，因為每塊小小的碎片仍然具有整個鏡子的魔力。有的人甚至心里都藏有這樣一塊碎片，結(jié)果不幸得很，這顆心就變成了冰塊。
有些碎片很大，足夠做窗子上的玻璃，不過要透過這樣的玻璃去看自己的朋友卻不恰當(dāng)。有些碎片被做成了眼鏡。如果人們想戴上這樣的眼鏡去正確地看東西或公正地判斷事物，那也是不對頭的。這會引起魔鬼大笑，把肚子都笑痛了，因為他對這樣的事情感到很痛快。不過外邊還有幾塊碎片在空中亂飛�，F(xiàn)在我們聽聽吧!
第二個故事 一個小男孩和一個小女孩
在一個大城市里，房子和居民是那么多，空間是那么少，人們連一個小花園都沒有。結(jié)果大多數(shù)的人只好滿足于花盆里種的幾朵花了。這兒住著兩個窮苦的孩子，他們有一個比花盆略為大一點的花園。他們并不是兄妹，不過彼此非常親愛，就好像兄妹一樣。他們各人的父母住在面對面的兩個閣樓里。兩家的屋頂差不多要碰到一起;兩個屋檐下面有一個水筧;每間屋子都開著一個小窗。人們只要越過水筧就可以從這個窗子鉆到那個窗子里去。
兩家的父母各有一個大匣子，里面長著一棵小玫瑰和他們所需用的菜蔬。兩個匣子里的玫瑰都長得非常好看。現(xiàn)在這兩對父母把匣子橫放在水筧上，匣子的兩端幾乎抵著兩邊的窗子，好像兩道開滿了花的堤岸。豌豆藤懸在匣子上，玫瑰伸出長長的枝子。它們在窗子上盤著，又互相纏繞著，幾乎像一個綠葉和花朵織成的凱旋門。因為匣子放得很高，孩子們都知道他們不能隨便爬到上面去，不過有時他們得到許可爬上去，兩人走到一起，在玫瑰花下坐在小凳子上。他們可以在這兒玩?zhèn)�痛快。
這種消遣到冬天就完了。窗子上常常結(jié)滿了冰。可是這時他們就在爐子上熱一個銅板，把它貼在窗玻璃上，溶出一個小小的、圓圓的窺孔來!每個窗子的窺孔后面有一個美麗的、溫和的眼珠在偷望。這就是那個小男孩和那個小女孩。男孩的名字叫加伊;女孩叫格爾達。
在夏天，他們只需一跳就可以來到一起;不過在冬天，得先走下一大段梯子，然后又爬上一大段梯子。外面在飛著雪花。
“那是白色的蜜蜂在集合。”年老的祖母說。
“它們也有一個蜂后嗎?”那個小男孩子問。因為他知道，真正的蜜蜂群中都有一個蜂后。
“是的，它們有一個!”祖母說，“凡是蜜蜂最密集的地方，她就會飛來的。她是最大的一個蜜蜂。她從來不在這世界上安安靜靜地活著;她一會兒就飛到濃密的蜂群中去了。她常常在冬夜飛過城市的街道，朝窗子里面望。窗子上結(jié)著奇奇怪怪的冰塊，好像開著花朵似的。”
“是的，這個我已經(jīng)看到過!”兩個孩子齊聲說。他們知道這是真的。
“雪后能走進這兒來嗎?”小女孩子問。
“只要你讓她進來，”男孩子說，“我就要請她坐在溫暖的爐子上，那么她就會融化成水了�！�
不過老祖母把他的頭發(fā)理了一下，又講些別的故事。
晚間，當(dāng)小小的加伊在家里、衣服脫了一半的時候，他就爬到窗旁的椅子上去，從那個小窺孔朝外望。有好幾片雪花在外面徐徐地落下來，它們中間最大的一片落在花匣子的邊上。這朵雪花越長越大，最后變成了一個女人。她披著最細的、像無數(shù)顆星星一樣的雪花織成的白紗。她非常美麗和嬌嫩，不過她是冰塊——發(fā)著亮光的、閃耀著的冰塊——所形成的。然而她是有生命的：她的眼睛發(fā)著光，像兩顆明亮的星星;不過她的眼睛里沒有和平，也沒有安靜。她對著加伊點頭和招手。這個小男孩害怕起來。他跳下椅子，覺得窗子外面好像有一只巨鳥在飛過去似的。
第二天下了一場寒霜……接著就是解凍……春天到來了。太陽照耀著，綠芽冒出來，燕子筑起巢，窗子開了，小孩子們又高高地坐在樓頂水筧上的小花園里。
玫瑰花在這個夏天開得真是分外美麗!小女孩念熟了一首圣詩，那里就提到玫瑰花。談起玫瑰花，她就不禁想起了自己的花兒。于是她就對小男孩子唱出這首圣詩，同時他也唱起來：
山谷里玫瑰花長得豐茂，
那兒我們遇見圣嬰耶穌。
這兩個小家伙手挽著手，吻著玫瑰花，望著上帝的光耀的太陽，對它講話，好像圣嬰耶穌就在那兒似的。這是多么晴朗的夏天啊!在外面，在那些玫瑰花叢之間，一切是多么美麗啊——這些玫瑰花好像永遠開不盡似的!
加伊和格爾達坐著看繪有鳥兒和動物的畫冊。這時那個大教堂塔上的鐘恰恰敲了五下。于是加伊說：
“啊!有件東西刺著我的心!有件東西落進我的眼睛里去了!”
小女孩摟著他的脖子。他眨著眼睛。不，他什么東西也沒有看見。
“我想沒有什么了!”他說。但事實并不是這樣。落下來的正是從那個鏡子上裂下來的一塊玻璃碎片。我們還記得很清楚，那是一面魔鏡，一塊丑惡的玻璃。它把所有偉大和善良的東西都照得藐小和可憎，但是卻把所有鄙俗和罪惡的東西映得突出，同時把每一件東西的缺點弄得大家注意起來�？蓱z的小加伊的心里也粘上了這么一塊碎片，而他的心也就立刻變得像冰塊。他并不感到不愉快，但碎片卻藏在他的心里。
“你為什么要哭呢?”他問�！斑@把你的樣子弄得真難看!我一點也不喜歡這個樣子。呸!”他忽然叫了一聲：“那朵玫瑰花被蟲吃掉了!你看，這一朵也長歪了!它們的確是一些丑玫瑰!它們真像栽著它們的那個匣子!”
于是他把這匣子狠狠地踢了一腳，把那兩棵玫瑰花全拔掉了。
“加伊，你在干嘛?”小女孩叫起來。
他一看到她驚惶的樣子，馬上又拔掉了另一棵玫瑰。于是他跳進他的窗子里去，讓溫柔的小格爾達待在外邊。
當(dāng)她后來拿著畫冊跟著走進來的時候，他說這本書只配給吃奶的小孩子看。當(dāng)祖母在講故事的時候，他總是插進去一個“但是……”，當(dāng)他一有機會的時候，就偷偷地跟在她的后面，戴著一副老花鏡，學(xué)著她的模樣講話：他學(xué)得很巧妙，弄得大家都對他笑起來。不久他就學(xué)會了模仿街上行人的談話和走路。凡是人們身上的古怪和丑惡的東西，加伊都會模仿。大家都說：“這個孩子，他的頭腦一定很特別!”然而這全是因為他眼睛里藏著一塊玻璃碎片，心里也藏著一塊玻璃碎片的緣故。他甚至于還譏笑起小小的格爾達來——這位全心全意愛他的格爾達。
他的游戲顯然跟以前有些不同了，他玩得比以前聰明得多。在一個冬天的日子里，當(dāng)雪花正在飛舞的時候，他拿著一面放大鏡走出來，提起他的藍色上衣的下擺，讓雪花落到它上面。
“格爾達，你來看看這面鏡子吧!”他說。
每一片雪花被放大了，像一朵美麗的花兒，或一顆有六個尖角的星星。這真是非常美妙。
“你看，這是多么巧妙啊!”加伊說，“這比真正的花兒要有趣得多：它里面一點毛病也沒有——只要它們不融解，是非常整齊的�！�
不一會兒，加伊戴著厚手套，背著一個雪橇走過來。他對著格爾達的耳朵叫著說：“我匣子得到了許可到廣場那兒去——許多別的孩子都在那兒玩耍�！庇谑撬妥吡�。
在廣場上，那些最大膽的孩子常常把他們的雪橇系在鄉(xiāng)下人的馬車后邊，然后坐在雪橇上跑好長一段路。他們跑得非常高興。當(dāng)他們正在玩耍的時候，有一架大雪橇滑過來了。它漆得雪白，上面坐著一個人，身穿厚毛的白皮袍，頭戴厚毛的白帽子。這雪橇繞著廣場滑了兩圈。于是加伊連忙把自己的雪橇系在它上面，跟著它一起滑。它越滑越快，一直滑到鄰近的一條街上去。滑著雪橇的那人掉過頭來，和善地對加伊點了點頭。他們好像是彼此認識似的。每一次當(dāng)加伊想解開自己的小雪橇的時候，這個人就又跟他點點頭;于是加伊就又坐下來了。這么著，他們一直滑出城門。這時雪花在密密地下著，這孩子伸手不見五指，然而他還是在向前滑。他現(xiàn)在急速地松開繩子，想從那個大雪橇擺脫開來。但是一點用也沒有，他的小雪橇系得很牢。它們像風(fēng)一樣向前滑。這時他大聲地叫起來，但是誰也不理他。雪花在飛著，雪橇也在飛著。它們不時向上一跳，好像在飛過籬笆和溝渠似的。他非常害怕起來。他想念念禱告，不過他只記得起那張乘法表。
雪越下越大了。最后雪花看起來像巨大的白雞。那架大雪橇忽然向旁邊一跳，停住了;那個滑雪橇的人站起來。這人的皮衣和帽子完全是雪花做成的。這原來是個女子，長得又高又苗條，全身閃著白光。她就是白雪皇后。
“我們滑行得很好，”她說，“不過你在凍得發(fā)抖吧?鉆進我的皮衣里來吧�！�
她把他抱進她的雪橇，讓他坐在她的身邊，她還用自己的皮衣把他裹好。他好像是墜到雪堆里去了似的。
“你還感到冷嗎?”她問，把他的前額吻了一下。
啊!這一吻比冰塊還要冷!它一直透進他那一半已經(jīng)成了冰塊的心里——他覺得自己好像快要死了。不過這種感覺沒有持續(xù)多久、便馬上覺得舒服起來。他也不再覺得周圍的寒冷了。
“我的雪橇!不要忘記我的雪橇!”
這是他所想到的第一件事情。它已經(jīng)被牢牢地系在一只白雞上了，而這只肉雞正背著雪橇在他們后面飛。白雪皇后又把加伊吻了一下。從此他完全忘記了小小的格爾達、祖母和家里所有的人。
“你現(xiàn)在再也不需要什么吻了，”她說，“因為如果你再要的話，我會把你吻死的�！�
加伊望著她。她是那么美麗，他再也想象不出比這更漂亮和聰明的面孔。跟以前她坐在窗子外邊對他招手時的那副樣兒不同，她現(xiàn)在一點也不像是雪做的。在他的眼睛里，她是完美無缺的;他現(xiàn)在一點也不感到害怕。他告訴她，說他會算心算，連分數(shù)都算得出來;他知道國家的整個面積和居民。她只是微笑著。這時他似乎覺得，自己所知道的東西還不太多。他抬頭向廣闊的天空望;她帶著他一起飛到烏云上面去。暴風(fēng)在吹著，呼嘯著，好像在唱著古老的歌兒。他們飛過樹林和湖泊，飛過大海和陸地;在他們的下邊，寒風(fēng)在怒號，豺狼在呼嘯，雪花在發(fā)出閃光。上空飛著一群尖叫的烏鴉。但更上面亮著一輪明朗的月亮，加伊在這整個漫長的冬夜里一直望著它。天亮的時候他在雪后的腳下睡著了。
第三個故事 一個會變魔術(shù)的女人的花園
當(dāng)加伊沒有回來的時候，小小的格爾達的心情是怎樣的呢?他到什么地方去了呢?誰也不知道，誰也沒有帶來什么消息。有些男孩子告訴她說，他們看到他把雪橇系到一個漂亮的大雪橇上，開上街道，滑出了城門。誰也不知道他在什么地方。許多人流過眼淚，小小的格爾達哭得特別久，特別傷心。后來大家認為他死了——落到流過城邊的那條河里淹死了。啊，那是多么黑暗和漫長的冬天日子啊!
現(xiàn)在春天帶著溫暖的太陽光來了。
“加伊死了，不見了!”小小的格爾達說。
“我不相信!”太陽光說。
“他死了，不見了!”她對燕子說。
“我不相信!”它們回答說。最后，小格爾達自己也不相信了。
“我將穿起我的那雙新紅鞋，”她有一天早晨說，“那雙加伊從來沒有看到過的鞋。然后我就到河邊去尋找他!”
這時天還很早。她把還在睡覺的老祖母吻了一下，于是便穿上她的那雙紅鞋，單獨走出城外，到河邊去。
“你真的把我親愛的玩伴帶走了嗎?如果你把他還給我，我就把這雙紅鞋送給你!”
她似乎覺得波浪在對她奇怪地點著頭。于是她脫下她最心愛的東西——紅鞋。她把這雙鞋拋到河里去�？墒撬鼈兟涞秒x岸很近，浪花又把它們打回岸上，送還給她。這條河似乎不愿意接受她這件心愛的東西，因為它沒有把她親愛的加伊奪走。不過她以為她把這雙鞋拋得不夠遠。因此就鉆進停在蘆葦中的一只船里去。她走到船的另一端，把這雙鞋扔出去。但是這船沒有系牢，她一動就把船弄得從岸邊漂走了。她一發(fā)現(xiàn)這情形，就想趕快離開船，但是在她還沒有到達另一端以前，船已經(jīng)離開岸有一亞倫①遠了。它漂得比以前更快。
小小的格爾達非常害怕，開始大哭起來�？墒浅寺槿敢酝�，誰也聽不見她;而麻雀并不能把她送回到陸地上來。不過它們沿著河岸飛，唱著歌，好像是要安慰她似的：“我們在這兒呀!我們在這兒呀!”這船順流而下。小小的格爾達腳上只穿著襪子，坐著不動。她的一雙小紅鞋在她后面浮著。但是它們漂不到船邊來，因為船走得很快。
兩岸是非常美麗的。岸上有美麗的花兒和古樹，有放著牛羊的山坡，可是卻沒有一個人。
“可能這條河會把我送到小加伊那兒去吧�！备駹栠_想。
這樣她的心情就好轉(zhuǎn)了一點。她站起來，把兩邊美麗的綠色的河岸看了好久。不久她就來到了一個很大的櫻桃園。這里面有一座小小的房子，它有一些奇怪的藍窗子和紅窗子，還有茅草扎的屋頂，外面還站著兩個木頭兵：他們向所有乘船路過的人敬禮。
格爾達喊他們，因為她以為他們是真正的兵士。他們當(dāng)然是不會回答的。她來到了他們的近旁，河已經(jīng)把船漂到岸邊了。
格爾達更大聲地喊起來。這時有一個很老很老的女人拄著拐杖走出來了：她戴著一頂大草帽，上面繪著許多美麗的花朵。
“你這個可憐的小寶貝!”老女人說，“你怎么會在這個浪濤滾滾的河上，漂到這么遠的地方來呢?”
于是這老太婆就走下水來，用拐杖把船鉤住，把它拖到岸旁，把小小的格爾達抱下來。
格爾達很高興，現(xiàn)在又回到陸地上來了，不過她有點害怕這位陌生的老太婆。
“來吧，告訴我你是誰?你怎樣到這兒來的吧。”她說，格爾達把什么都告訴她了。老太婆搖搖頭，說：“哼!哼!”當(dāng)格爾達把一切講完了，問她有沒有看到過小加伊的時候，老太婆就說他還沒有來過，不過他一定會來的，格爾達不要太傷心，她可以嘗嘗櫻桃，看看花兒，它們比任何畫冊上畫的都好，因為它們個個都能講一個故事。于是她牽著格爾達的手，把她帶到小屋子里去，把門鎖起來。
窗子開得很高;玻璃都涂上了紅色、藍色和黃色。日光很奇妙地射進來，照出許多不同的顏色。桌上放著許多最好吃的櫻桃。格爾達盡量地大吃一通，因為她可以多吃一點，沒有關(guān)系。當(dāng)她正在吃的時候，老太婆就用一把金梳子替她梳頭發(fā)。她的頭發(fā)髦成了長串的、美麗的黃圈圈，在她和善的小面孔上懸下來，像盛開的玫瑰花。
“我老早就希望有一個像你這樣可愛的小女孩，”老太婆說，“現(xiàn)在你看吧，我們兩人會怎樣在一起幸福地生活!”
當(dāng)老太婆梳著她的頭發(fā)的時候，她就漸漸忘記了她的玩伴加伊，因為這個老太婆會使魔術(shù)，不過她不是一個惡毒的巫婆罷了。她只是為了自己的消遣而耍一點小幻術(shù)，同時她想把小小的格爾達留下來。因此她現(xiàn)在走到花園里去，用她的拐杖指著所有的玫瑰花。雖然這些花開得很美麗，但是不一會兒就都沉到黑地底下去了：誰也說不出，它們原來究竟是在什么地方。老太婆很害怕：假如格爾達看見了玫瑰花，她就會想起自己的花，因此也就記起小小的加伊，結(jié)果必定會跑走。
她現(xiàn)在把格爾達領(lǐng)到花園里去。嗨!這里面是多么香，多么美啊!這里盛開著人們能夠想象得到的花兒和每季的花兒：任何畫冊也沒有這樣多彩，這樣美麗。格爾達快樂得跳起來。她一直玩到太陽在高高的櫻桃樹后面落下去為止。于是她到一個美麗的床上去睡;鴨絨被是紅綢子做的，里面還有藍色的紫羅蘭。她在這兒睡著了，做了一些奇異的夢，像一個皇后在新婚的那天一樣。
第二天她又可以在溫暖的太陽光中和花兒一起玩耍——這樣過了好幾天，格爾達認識了每一種花�；ǖ姆N類雖然多，她似乎還覺得缺少一種，不過究竟是哪一種，她可不知道。有一天她坐著呆呆地看老太婆草帽上繪著的花兒：它們之中最美麗的一種是一朵玫瑰花。當(dāng)老太婆把所有玫瑰花藏到地底下去的時候，她忘記把帽子上的這朵去掉。不過一個人如果不留神，結(jié)果總會是這樣。
“怎么，這兒沒有玫瑰花嗎?”格爾達說。
于是她跳到花畦中間去，找了又找，但是她一朵也找不到。這時她就坐在地上哭起來：她的熱淚恰恰落到一棵玫瑰花沉下去的地方。當(dāng)熱淚把土潤濕了以后，這棵玫瑰就立刻冒出來，開著茂盛的花，正如它墜入土里時那樣。格爾達擁抱著它，吻了玫瑰花朵，于是她便想起了家里的那些美麗的玫瑰花，同時也想起了小小的加伊。
“啊，我耽誤了多少時間啊!”小姑娘說。“我要去找小小的加伊!你們知道他在什么地方嗎?”她問那些玫瑰花�！澳銈冎浪懒藳]有?”
“他沒有死!”玫瑰花朵說�！拔覀冊�(jīng)在地里呆了一個時候，所有的死人都在那里。不過加伊并不在那里!”
“謝謝你們!”小小的格爾達說。于是她走到別的花朵面前去，朝它們的花萼里面看，并且問：“你們知道小小的加伊在什么地方嗎!”
不過每朵花都在曬太陽，夢著自己的故事或童話。這些故事或童話格爾達聽了許多許多，但是沒有哪朵花知道關(guān)于加伊的任何消息。
卷丹花講了些什么呢?
你聽到過鼓聲“冬——冬”嗎?它老是只有兩個音調(diào)：冬——冬!請聽婦女們的哀歌吧!請聽祭司們的呼喚吧!印度的寡婦穿著紅長袍，立在火葬堆上。火焰朝她和她死去了的丈夫身體燎上來。不過這個印度寡婦在想著站在她周圍的那群人中的一位活著的人：這個人的眼睛燒得比火焰還要灼熱，他眼睛里的火穿進她的心，比這快要把她的身體燒成灰燼的火焰還要灼熱。心中的火焰會在火葬堆上的火焰里死去嗎?
“這個我完全不懂!”小小的格爾達說。
“這就是我要講的童話。”卷丹花說。
牽牛花講了些什么呢?
在一條狹窄的山路上隱隱出現(xiàn)一幢古老的城堡。它古老的紅墻上生滿了密密的常春藤。葉子一片接著一片地向陽臺上爬。陽臺上站著一位美麗的姑娘。她在欄桿上彎下腰來，向路上看了一眼。任何玫瑰花枝上的花朵都沒有她那樣鮮艷。任何在風(fēng)中吹著的蘋果花都沒有她那樣輕盈。她美麗的綢衣服發(fā)出清脆的沙沙聲!
“他還沒有來嗎?”
“你的意思是指加伊嗎?”小小的格爾達問。
“我只是講我的童話——我的夢呀!”牽�；ɑ卮鹫f。
雪球花講了些什么呢?
有一塊長木板吊在樹間的繩子上。這是一個秋千。兩個漂亮的小姑娘，穿著雪一樣白的衣服，戴著飄有長條綠絲帶的帽子，正坐在這上面打秋千。她們的哥哥站在秋千上，用手臂挽著繩子來穩(wěn)住自己，因為他一只手托著一個小碟子，另一只手拿著一根泥煙嘴。他在吹肥皂泡。秋千飛起來了，五光十色的美麗的肥皂泡也飛起來了。最后的一個肥皂泡還掛在煙嘴上，在風(fēng)中搖擺。秋千在飛著;一只像肥皂泡一樣輕的小黑狗用后腿站起來，也想爬到秋千上面來。秋千繼續(xù)在飛，小狗滾下來，叫著，生著氣。大家都笑它，肥皂泡也就破裂了。一塊飛舞的秋千板和一個破裂的泡沫——這就是我的歌!
“你所講的這個故事可能是很動聽的，不過你講得那么凄慘，而且你沒有提到小小的加伊�！�
風(fēng)信子講了些什么呢?
從前有三個美麗的、透明的、嬌滴滴的姊妹。第一位穿著紅衣服，第二位穿著藍衣服，第三位穿著白衣服。她們在明朗的月光中，手挽著手在一個靜寂的湖邊跳舞。她們并不是山妖。她們是人間的女兒�？諝庵谐錆M了甜蜜的香氣!這幾位姑娘在樹林里消逝了。于是香氣變得更濃厚。三口棺材——里面躺著這三位美麗的姑娘——從樹叢中飄到湖上來。螢火蟲在它們上面飛，像些小小的飛燈一樣。這些跳舞的姑娘們在睡覺呢，還是死去了。花的香氣說她們死了，同時暮鐘也在發(fā)出哀悼的聲音!
“你們使我感到怪難過的，”小小的格爾達說，“你們發(fā)出這樣強烈的香氣，我不禁要想起那幾位死去了的姑娘。嗨，小小的加伊真的死了嗎?玫瑰花曾經(jīng)到地底下去看過，它們說沒有�！�
“叮!當(dāng)!”風(fēng)信子的鈴敲起來了。“我們不是為小小的加伊而敲——我們不認識他!我們只是唱著我們的歌——我們所知道的唯一的歌�！�
格爾達走到金鳳花那兒去。這花在閃光的綠葉中微笑。
“你是一輪光耀的小太陽，”格爾達說�！罢埜嬖V我，假如你知道的話，我在什么地方可以找到我的玩伴?”
金鳳花放射出美麗的光彩，又把格爾達望了一眼。金鳳花會唱出一支什么歌呢?這歌跟加伊沒有什么關(guān)系。
在一個小院落里，我們上帝的太陽在春天的第一天暖洋洋地照著。它的光線在鄰人屋子的白墻上滑行著。在這近旁，第一朵黃花開出來了，在溫暖的陽光里像金子一樣發(fā)亮。老祖母坐在門外的椅子上，她的孫女——一個很美麗的可憐的小姑娘——正回到家里來作短時間的拜望。她吻著祖母。這個幸福的吻里藏有金子，心里的金子。嘴唇是金子，全身是金子，這個早晨的時刻也是金子。這個呀!這就是我的故事!
金鳳花說。
“我可憐的老祖母!”格爾達嘆了一口氣說。“是的，她一定在想念著我，在為我擔(dān)心，正如她在為小小的加伊擔(dān)心一樣。不過我馬上就要回家去了，帶著加伊一道回家去。探問這些花兒一點用處也沒有。它們只知道唱自己的歌，一點消息也不能告訴我!”于是她把她的小罩衫扎起來，為的是可以跑得快一點�？墒钱�(dāng)她在水仙花上跳過去的時候，花絆住了她的腿。她停下來瞧瞧這棵長長的花，問道：“也許你知道一點消息吧?”
于是她向這花兒彎下腰來。這花兒講了些什么呢?
我能看見我自己!我能看見我自己!我的天!我的天!我是多么香啊!在那個小小的頂樓里面立著一位半裸著的小小舞蹈家：她一會兒用一條腿站著，一會兒用兩條腿站著。她的腳跟在整個世界上跳。她不過是一個幻象罷了。她把水從一個茶壺里倒到她的一塊布上——這是她的緊身上衣——愛清潔是一個好習(xí)慣!她的白袍子掛在一個釘子上。它也是在茶壺里洗過、在屋頂上曬干的：她穿上這衣服，同時在頸項上圍一條橙子色的頭巾，把這衣服襯得更白了。她的腿蹺起來了。你看她用一條腿站著的那副神氣。我能看見我自己!我能看見我自己!
“這一點也不使我感興趣!”格爾達說。“這對我一點意義也沒有!”于是她跑到花園的盡頭去。門是鎖上了。不過她把那生了銹的鎖扭了一下，這鎖便松了，門也自動開了。于是小小的格爾達打著一雙赤腳跑到外面來。她回頭看了三次，沒有任何人在追她。最后她跑不動了，便在一塊大石頭上坐下來。當(dāng)她向周圍一看的時候，夏天已經(jīng)過去了——已是晚秋時節(jié)。在那個美麗的花園里，人們注意不到這件事情——那兒永遠有太陽光，永遠有四季的花。
“咳!我耽誤了多少光陰啊!”小小的格爾達說�！斑@已是秋天了!我不能再休息了!”于是她立起身來繼續(xù)向前走。哦!她的一雙小腳是多么酸痛和疲累啊!周圍是一片寒冷和陰郁的景色。柳樹的葉子已經(jīng)黃了，霧在它們上面變成水滴下來。葉子在簌簌地往下掉。只有山楂結(jié)著果實，酸得使牙齒都要脫落。啊!這個茫茫的世界，是多么灰色和凄涼啊!
�、俚湹拈L度名，等于0.627米。
第四個故事 王子和公主
格爾達又不得不休息一下。在她坐著的那塊地方的對面，一只大烏鴉在雪地上跳過去了。烏鴉已經(jīng)坐了很久，呆望著她，轉(zhuǎn)動著頭�，F(xiàn)在它說：“呱!呱!日安!日安!”這是它能夠發(fā)出的唯一的聲音，對于這個小姑娘它是懷有好感的。它問她單獨在這個茫茫的大世界里想要到什么地方去。格爾達深深地體會到“單獨”這個字的意義。她把她的全部生活和遭遇都告訴了烏鴉，同時問它有沒有看到過加伊。
烏鴉若有所思地點點頭，同時說：
“可能看到過!可能看到過!”
“怎么，你真的看到過嗎?”小姑娘叫起來，幾乎把烏鴉摟得悶死了——她是這樣熱烈地吻它。
“輕一點!輕一點!”烏鴉說�！拔蚁嘈拍强赡芫褪切⌒〉募右�!不過他因為那位公主就把你忘掉了!”
“他是跟一位公主住在一起嗎?”格爾達問。
“是的，請聽吧!”烏鴉說，“不過要講你的那種語言，對于我是太難了。如果你能聽懂烏鴉的語言，那么我可以講得更清楚了!”
“不成，我沒有學(xué)過!”格爾達說，“不過我的祖母懂得，也能夠講這種語言。我只希望我也學(xué)過。”
“這倒沒有什么關(guān)系!”烏鴉說，“我盡量把話講得清楚好了，但是可能越講越糊涂�！�
于是烏鴉把它所知道的事情都講了出來。
“在我們現(xiàn)在所在的這個王國里，有一位非常聰明的公主。她讀過世界上所有的報紙，然后又把它們忘得精光，因為她是那么聰明。最近她坐上了王位——據(jù)說這并不怎么有趣——這時她哼出一支歌，而這歌只有這么一句：‘為什么我現(xiàn)在不結(jié)婚呢?’她說：‘是的，這句話里有道理�！虼怂芟虢Y(jié)婚。不過她所希望的丈夫是：當(dāng)人們和他講話時，他必須能答話，不僅是站在那兒，只是好看而已——因為這是怪討厭的。于是她把侍女都召進來：當(dāng)她們知道了她的用意的時候，她們都非常高興�！脴O了!’她們說：‘前不久我們也有這個意見�！埬阆嘈�，我對你講的每一個字都是真的!”烏鴉說�！拔矣幸晃缓荞Z服的愛人，她可以在宮里自由來往，因此她把所有的事情都告訴我了�！�
當(dāng)然所謂“愛人”也無非是一個烏鴉，因為烏鴉只會找類似的東西——那永遠是一個烏鴉。
“所有的報紙立即出版，報紙的邊上印著雞心和公主的名字的頭一個字母，作為裝飾。人們可以讀到：每個漂亮的年輕人可以自由到宮里來和公主談話，而談話的人如果能叫人覺得他是毫無拘束、對答如流的話，公主就要選他為丈夫!是的，是的!”烏鴉說，“請你相信我。我的話實實在在，沒有半句虛假。年輕人成群結(jié)隊地到來。當(dāng)他們來到街上的時候，什么話都會講;不過他們一起進宮殿的門、看到穿銀色制服的門警、看到臺階上站著穿金色制服的仆人和光耀奪目的大廳的時候，他們什么話也說不出來，只能重復(fù)地念著公主所說出的話的最后一個字——而她并不要再聽自己的話。好像這些人的肚皮里都塞滿了鼻煙、已經(jīng)昏睡過去了似的。只有當(dāng)他們回到街上來了以后，才能講話。這些人從城門那兒一直站到宮門口，排成了一長隊。我自己曾經(jīng)去親眼看過一次!”烏鴉說�！八麄冏兊糜逐囉挚�，不過到了宮殿里，他們連一杯溫水也得不到。最聰明的幾個人隨身帶了一點抹了黃油的面包，不過他們并不分給旁邊的人吃，因為他們覺得，‘還是讓這家伙現(xiàn)出一個餓鬼的樣子吧，公主不會要他的!’”
“可是加伊，小小的加伊呢?”格爾達問，“他什么時候來呢?他會不會在他們中間呢?”
“等著!等著!我們馬上就要談到他了!到了第三天才有一位小小的人物到來。他沒有騎馬，也沒有乘車子。他高高興興地大步走進宮里來。他的眼睛像你的一樣，射出光彩。他的頭發(fā)是又長又細，不過他的衣服是很寒磣的!”
“那正是加伊!”格爾達高興地說，“哦，我總算是找到他了!”于是她拍起手來。
“他的背上背著一個小行囊!”烏鴉說。
“不，那一定是他的雪橇了!”格爾達說，“因為他是帶著雪橇去的�！�
“也可能是!”烏鴉說，“因為我沒有仔細去瞧它!不過我聽我那位馴服的愛人說起，當(dāng)他走進宮殿的門、看到穿銀色制服的守衛(wèi)和臺階上穿金色制服的仆人的時候，他一點也不感到慌張。他點點頭，對他們說：‘站在這些臺階上一定是一件很膩煩的工作——我倒是寧愿走進去的!’大廳的燭光照耀得如同白晝。樞密顧問官和大臣們托著金盤子，打著赤腳走來走去。這叫人起一種莊嚴的感覺!他的靴子發(fā)出吱格吱格的響聲，但是他卻一點也不害怕!”
“這一定就是加伊!”格爾達說�！拔抑浪┲浑p新靴子;我親耳聽到它們在祖母的房間里發(fā)出吱格吱格的響聲�！�
“是的，它們的確發(fā)出響聲!”烏鴉說，“他勇敢地一直走到公主面前，她是坐在紡車那么大的一顆珍珠上的。所有的侍女和她們的丫環(huán)以及丫環(huán)的丫環(huán)，所有的侍臣和他們的仆人以及仆人的仆人——每人還有一個小廝——都在四周站著。他們站得離門口越近，就越顯出一副了不起的神氣!這些仆人的仆人的小廝——他老是穿著制服——幾乎叫人不敢看他，因為他站在門口的樣子非常驕傲!”
“這一定可怕得很!”小小的格爾達說，“但是加伊得到了公主嗎?”
“假如我不是一個烏鴉的話，我也可以得到她的，雖然我已經(jīng)訂過婚。他像我講烏鴉話時一樣會講話——這是我從我馴服的愛人那兒聽來的。他既勇敢，又能討人喜歡。他并不是來向公主求婚，而是專來聽聽公主的智慧的，他看中了她;她也看中了他。”
“是的，那一定就是加伊!”格爾達說�！八悄敲绰斆�，他可以算心算，一直算到分數(shù)。哦!你能帶我到宮里去一趟嗎?”
“這事說來容易!”烏鴉說�！安贿^我們怎樣實行呢?讓我先跟我那個馴服的愛人商量一下吧。她可能給我們一點忠告。我要告訴你一點——像你這樣小的女孩子，一般是不會得到許可走進里面去的。”
“會的，我得到許可的!”格爾達說�！爱�(dāng)加伊知道我來了的時候，他馬上就會走出來，請我進去的�！�
“請在門欄那兒等著我吧�！睘貘f說，于是它扭了扭頭就飛去了。
當(dāng)烏鴉回來的時候，天已經(jīng)黑了很久。
“呱!呱!”它說，“我代表我的愛人向你問候。這是我?guī)Ыo你的一小片面包。這是她從廚房里拿出來的。那兒面包多的是。你現(xiàn)在一定很餓了!……你想到宮里去是不可能的，因為你是打著赤腳的。那些穿著銀色制服的警衛(wèi)和穿著金色制服的仆人們不會讓你進去的。不過請你不要哭;你還是可以進去的。我的愛人知道通到睡房的一個小后樓梯，同時她也知道可以在什么地方弄到鑰匙!”
于是他們走到花園里去，在一條寬闊的林蔭路上走。這兒樹葉在簌簌地落下來。當(dāng)宮殿里的燈光一個接著一個地熄滅了以后，烏鴉就把小小的格爾達帶到后門那兒去。這門是半掩著的。
咳!格爾達又怕又急的心跳得多么厲害啊!她仿佛覺得她在做一件壞事似的;然而她所希望知道的只不過是小小的加伊而已。是的，那一定是他。她在生動地回憶著他那對聰明的眼睛和長長的頭發(fā)。她可以想象得到他在怎樣微笑——他在家里坐在玫瑰花樹下時的那種微笑。他一定很高興看到她的;聽到她走了那么多的路程來找他;聽到家里的人為他的離去而感到多么難過。啊，這既使人害怕，又使人高興。
他們現(xiàn)在上了樓梯。食櫥上點著一盞小燈;在屋子的中央，立著那只馴服的烏鴉。它把頭掉向四周，望著格爾達。她依照她祖母教給她的那個樣子，行了屈膝禮①。
“我的小姑娘，我的未婚夫把你講得非常好，”馴服的烏鴉說，“你的身世——我們可以這么講——是非常感動人的!請你把燈拿起來好嗎?我可以在你前面帶路。我們可以一直向前走，因為我們不會碰到任何人的�！�
“我覺得好像有人在后面跟著我似的�！备駹栠_說，因為有件什么東西在她身邊滑過去了;它好像是墻上的影子，瘦腿的、飛躍的紅鬃馬，年輕的獵人和騎在馬上的紳士和太太們。
“這些事物不過是一個夢罷了!”烏鴉說。“它們到來，為的是要把這些貴人的思想帶出去游獵一番。這是一件很好的事情，因為這樣你就可以在他們睡覺的時候多看他們一會兒�？墒俏蚁Ｍ�，當(dāng)你將來得到榮華富貴的時候，請你不要忘了我!”
“這當(dāng)然不成問題!”樹林里的那只烏鴉說。
他們現(xiàn)在走進第一個大廳。墻上掛著許多繡著花的粉紅色的緞子。在這兒，夢在他們身邊跑過去了，但是跑得那么快，格爾達來不及察看這些要人。第二個大廳總比第一個大廳漂亮。是的，一個人會看得腦袋發(fā)昏!最后他們來到了臥室。在這兒，天花板就像生有玻璃——很貴重的玻璃——葉子的棕櫚樹冠。在屋子的中央有兩張睡床懸在一根粗大的金桿子上，而且每一張床像一朵百合花。一張的顏色是白的，這里面睡著公主;另一張是紅的，格爾達希望在這里面找到小小的加伊。她把一片紅花瓣分開，于是她就看到一個棕色的脖子。哦，這就是加伊!她大聲地喊出他的名字，同時把燈拿到他面前來。夢又騎在馬上沖進房間里來了，他醒轉(zhuǎn)來，掉過頭，然而——他卻不是小小的加伊!
這位王子只是脖子跟他的相似。不過他是年輕和美貌的。公主從百合花的床上向外窺看，同時問誰在這兒。小小的格爾達哭起來，把全部故事和烏鴉給她的幫助都告訴了她。
“可憐的孩子!”王子和公主說。
他們稱贊了烏鴉一番，同時說他們并不生它們的氣，不過它們可不能常做這類的事兒。雖然如此，它們?nèi)匀粦?yīng)該得到一件獎賞。
“你們愿意自由地飛出去呢，”公主問，“還是愿意作為宮里的烏鴉而獲得一個固定的位置、享受能吃廚房里剩飯的權(quán)利呢?”
兩只烏鴉鞠了一躬，要求有一個固定的位置，因為它們想到它們的老年。它們說：“老了的時候能夠得到一些供給總是一件好事，正如俗語所說的一樣�！�
王子爬下床來，讓格爾達睡在他的床上——他只能夠做到這一點。她的小手十指交叉著，想道：“人和動物是多么善良的東西啊!”于是她閉起眼睛，幸福地睡著了。所有的夢又飛進來了;這一次它們是像安琪兒一樣。它們拖著一個小雪橇，加伊坐在上面點著頭。這一切只不過是個夢罷了。她一醒來，這些夢就不見了。
第二天她全身穿上了絲綢和天鵝絨的衣服。有人向她提議，請她在宮里住下來，享受快樂的時光。不過她只要求得到一輛馬拉的小車，和一雙小靴子。這樣她就可以又開到外面去，去尋找加伊。
她不僅得到一雙靴子，還得到一個暖手筒，并且穿著一身干凈整齊的衣服。當(dāng)她要離去的時候，一輛純金做成的車子就停在門外等她。王子和公主的徽記在那上面亮得像一顆明星。車夫、侍者和騎手——因為還有騎手——都穿著繡有金王冠的衣服。王子和公主親自扶她上車，同時祝她一路平安。那只樹林里的烏鴉——它現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)結(jié)了婚——陪送她走了開頭三丹麥里②的路程。它坐在格爾達的身旁，因為叫它背對著馬坐著，它可受不了。另外那只烏鴉站在門口，拍著翅膀。她不能跟他們同行，因為她有點頭痛，而這頭痛是因為她獲得了那個固定職位后吃得太多了才有的。車子四壁填滿了甜餅干，座位里墊滿了姜汁餅干和水果。
“再會吧!再會吧!”王子和公主喊著，小小的格爾達哭起來，烏鴉也哭起來。他們這樣一起走了開頭幾丹麥里路，于是烏鴉也說了聲再會——這要算最難過的一次別離。烏鴉飛到一棵樹上，拍著黑翅膀，一直到它看不見馬車為止——這車子閃耀得像明亮的太陽。
①這是北歐的一種禮節(jié)，行這禮的時候，彎一下左腿的膝蓋，點一點頭�，F(xiàn)在北歐(特別是瑞典)的小學(xué)生在街上遇見老師時仍然行這種禮。
�、谝坏溊锎蠹s等于我國計算單位的十五里。
第五個故事 小強盜女孩
他們坐著車子走過濃密的樹林。不過車子光耀得像一個火把，把一些強盜的眼睛都弄得昏眩起來，他們再也忍耐不住了。
“那是金子!那是金子!”他們大聲說。他們沖上前來，攔住那些馬匹，打死那些騎手、車夫和仆人，最后把格爾達從車上拖下來。
“她長得很胖……她長得很美……她是吃胡桃核長大的!”老女強盜說。她的胡子長得又長又硬，她的蓬松的眉毛把眼睛都蓋住了。
“她像一個肥胖的小羔羊!哪，好吃得很!”
于是她抽出一把明晃晃的刀子——刀子閃耀得怕人。
“哎喲!”老女人同時大叫了一聲，因為她的親生女兒爬在她的背上，把她的耳朵咬了一口;她是一個頑皮和野蠻的孩子，喜歡尋這種開心�！澳氵@個搗蛋的孩子!”媽媽說，這樣她就沒有時間來殺掉格爾達了。
“我要她跟我一道玩耍!”小強盜女孩說。“她得把她的暖手筒和美麗的衣服給我，和我在床上一道睡!”
于是這孩子又咬了她一口，弄得老女強盜又跳起來，打著旋轉(zhuǎn);別的強盜都笑起來，同時說：
“瞧，她和她的小鬼跳得多好!”
“我要坐進那個車子里去!”小強盜女孩說。
她要怎樣就怎樣，因為她是一個很放肆和固執(zhí)的孩子。她和格爾達坐在車子里，在樹樁和荊棘上面馳過去，一直跑到森林里。小強盜女孩和格爾達是同樣歲數(shù)，不過她的身體更強壯，肩膀更寬。她的皮膚是棕色的，眼睛很黑，幾乎顯出陰郁的樣子。她把小小的格爾達攔腰抱住，說：
“只要我不生你的氣，他們就不能殺你。我想你是一位公主吧?”
“不是�！毙⌒〉母駹栠_說。于是她把自己所遭遇到的事情，和她怎樣喜歡小小的加伊，都對她講了。
小強盜女孩嚴肅地看了她一眼，輕輕地點了點頭，同時說：
“就是我生了你的氣，他們也不能殺你，因為那時我就會親自動手的�！�
于是她揩干了格爾達的眼淚，把她的雙手放進那又柔和、又溫暖的暖手筒里。
現(xiàn)在馬車終于停下來了。她們走進強盜宮殿的院子里來。這宮殿從頂?shù)降囟疾紳M了裂痕。大渡鳥和烏鴉從敞著的洞口飛出來，大哈叭狗——每只好像能吞掉一個人似的——跳得很高，不過它們并不叫，因為這是不準(zhǔn)許的。
在一個古老的、煙熏的大房間里，有一堆火在石鋪的地上熊熊地燃著。煙在天花板下面打旋轉(zhuǎn)，想要找一個出路冒出去。有一大罐子湯正在沸騰著，有許多家兔和野兔在鐵桿上烤著。
“今晚你跟我和我的小動物一起睡�！毙姳I女孩說。
她們吃了一些東西，也喝了一些東西，然后走到鋪了稻草和地毯的一個墻角里去。這兒有一百多只鴿子棲在板條上和棲木上。它們都快要睡著了。不過當(dāng)兩個女孩子來到的時候，它們就把頭掉過來看了一眼。
“這些東西都是屬于我的，”小強盜女孩說。于是她馬上抓住手邊的一只，提著它的雙腿搖了幾搖，直到弄得它亂拍起翅膀來�！拔撬幌掳�!”她大聲說，同時在格爾達的臉上打了一巴掌，“那兒坐著幾個林中的混蛋，”她繼續(xù)說，指著墻上用木條攔著的一個洞口�！斑@兩個東西都是林中的混蛋。如果你不把它們關(guān)好，它們馬上就飛走了�，F(xiàn)在請看我的老愛人‘叭’吧�！彼ブ恢获Z鹿的角，把它拖出來。它是套著的;頸項上戴著一個光亮的銅圈�！拔覀兊冒阉卫蔚靥鬃�，否則它就逃掉了。每天晚上我用一把尖刀子在它脖子上搔搔癢——它非常害怕這一手�！�
這小女孩子于是從墻縫里抽出一把長刀，放在馴鹿的脖子上滑了幾下。這只可憐的動物彈著腿子。小強盜女孩大笑了一通，把格爾達拖進床里去。
“當(dāng)你睡覺的時候，你也把這刀子放在身邊嗎?”格爾達問，同時驚恐地看著這把刀子。
“我總是和我的刀子一起睡覺的!”小強盜女孩回答說，“因為誰也不知道會有什么意外發(fā)生呀。不過現(xiàn)在請你把關(guān)于加伊的事情，以及你為什么跑到這個大世界里來的緣故，再告訴我一遍吧�！�
格爾達又從頭講了一遍。斑鳩在上面的籠子里咕咕地叫，同時別的斑鳩就都睡去了。小強盜女孩用一只手摟著格爾達的脖子，另一只手拿著刀子，也睡去了——人們可以聽見這些動作。不過格爾達無論如何也合不上眼睛——她不知道她要活著，還是死去。
強盜們圍著火坐著，一面唱歌，一面喝酒。那個強盜老女人就翻著跟頭。一個小女孩子看到這情景真要感到害怕。
于是那些斑鳩就說：“咕!咕!我們看見小小的加伊。一只白母雞背著他的雪橇：他坐在白雪皇后的車子里。當(dāng)我們待在巢里的時候，車子低低地在樹林上飛過去。她在我們的小斑鳩身上吹了一口氣：除了我們倆以外，大家都死了。咕!咕!”
“你們在上面講些什么?”格爾達問，“白雪皇后旅行到什么地方去了?你們知道嗎?”
“她大概是到拉普蘭①去了，因為那兒整年都是冰雪。你去問問用繩子套著的那只馴鹿吧。”
“那兒有冰有雪，那兒壯麗輝煌!”馴鹿說，“那兒，人們可以在亮晶晶的山谷里自由地跳躍!那兒，白雪皇后架起她夏天的帳篷，不過她經(jīng)常住的宮殿是在北極附近一個叫做斯匹次卑爾根②的島上�！�
“啊，加伊，小小的加伊!”格爾達嘆著氣。
“你得靜靜地躺著，”小強盜女孩說，“否則我就要把刀子刺進你的肚皮里去!”
第二天早晨，格爾達把斑鳩說的話都告訴了她。小強盜女孩的樣子非常嚴肅，不過她點點頭，說：
“不要緊!不要緊!你知道拉普蘭在什么地方嗎?”她問馴鹿。
“誰能比我還知道得更清楚呢?”馴鹿說，它的一雙眼睛在腦袋上轉(zhuǎn)動著�！拔沂窃谀莾撼錾谀莾洪L大的。我在那兒的雪地上跳躍過�！�
“聽著!”小強盜女孩對格爾達說�！澳阋溃何覀兊哪腥硕甲吡恕Ｖ挥袐寢屵�留下，她將在這兒待下去。不過將近中午的時候，她將從那個大瓶里喝點東西，于是她就要打一個盹兒，那時我再來幫你的忙吧!”
她從床上跳下來，摟著她媽媽的脖子，拉拉她的胡子，于是說：
“早安，我的親愛的老母山羊。”
她的媽媽在她的鼻子上敲了幾下，敲得她發(fā)紅和發(fā)青——不過這完全是從真正的母愛出發(fā)的。
媽媽從瓶子里喝了點什么東西以后，就睡過去了。小強盜女孩走到馴鹿那兒，說：
“我倒很想用尖刀再捅你幾下，因為這樣你的樣子才滑稽。不過沒有關(guān)系，我將解開你的繩子把你放出去，好使你能跑到拉普蘭去。不過你得好好地使用你的這雙腿，把這個小小的女孩子帶到白雪皇后的宮殿里去——她的玩伴就在那兒。你已經(jīng)聽到過她對我講的話，因為她的聲音講得很大，而且你也在偷聽!”
馴鹿快樂得高高跳起來。小強盜女孩把小小的格爾達抱到它的背上，而且很謹慎地把她系牢，甚至還給了她一個小墊子作為座位。
“沒有關(guān)系，”她說，“你穿上你的皮靴好了，因為天氣變冷了。不過我要把這個暖手筒留下，因為它很可愛!但是你仍然不會感到冷的。這是我母親的一副大手套，可以一直套到你的胳膊肘子上。套上去吧!你的一雙手現(xiàn)在真像我那位丑媽媽的手了。”
格爾達快樂得哭起來。
“你流出一大灘眼淚，我看不慣!”小強盜女孩說�！艾F(xiàn)在你應(yīng)該顯得很快樂才是。你把這兩塊面包和一塊火腿拿去吧，免得挨餓�！�
這些東西都被系在馴鹿的背上。小強盜女孩把門打開，把一些大狗都哄進屋子里去。于是她用刀子把繩子割斷，并且對馴鹿說：
“你跑吧!不過請你好好地照料這個小女孩子!”
格爾達把她戴著大手套的一雙手伸向小強盜女孩，說了聲：“再會!”于是馴鹿就在樹樁和灌木上飛奔起來，穿過樹林，越過沼澤地和大草原，盡快地奔馳。豺狼在呼嘯，烏鴉在呱呱地叫�！皣u!噓!”這是空中發(fā)出的聲音。天空好像燃燒起來了似的。
“那是我親愛的老北極光!”馴鹿說，“瞧，它是多么亮!”于是它跑得更快，日夜不停地跑。
面包吃完了，火腿也吃完了，這時他們到達了拉普蘭。
①拉普蘭(Lapand)是瑞典、挪威和芬蘭北部的一塊地方，非常寒冷。
�、谒蛊ゴ伪盃柛�(Spiyzbergen)是北冰洋上的一個群島，屬于挪威。
第六個故事 拉普蘭女人和芬蘭女人
他們在一個小屋子面前停下來。這屋子是非常簡陋的;它的屋頂?shù)偷脦缀踅佑|到地面;它的門是那么矮，當(dāng)家里的人要走出走進的時候，就得伏在地上爬。屋子里除了一個老太婆以外，什么人也沒有，她現(xiàn)在在一盞油燈上煎魚。馴鹿把格爾達的全部經(jīng)歷都講了，不過它先講自己的，因為它覺得它的最重要。格爾達凍得一點力氣也沒有，連一句話也講不出來了。
“唉，你們這些可憐的東西!”拉普蘭女人說，“你們要跑的路還長得很呢!你們還要跑三百多丹麥里路，才能到達芬馬克①，因為白雪皇后在那兒的鄉(xiāng)下休假。她每天晚上放起藍色的焰火②。我將在一條干鱈魚上寫幾個字，因為我沒有紙，你們可以把它帶到一個芬蘭的老太婆那兒去——她會告訴你更多的消息�！�
當(dāng)格爾達暖了一陣、吃了和喝了一些東西以后，拉普蘭女人就在一條干鱈魚上寫下幾個字，并且告訴格爾達好好拿著它，然后把她系在馴鹿的背上，這鹿立刻就跳走了，“呼!呼!”它在高空中說。最美麗的、蔚藍色的北極光，一整夜不停地在閃耀著。
這樣他們到了芬馬克，他們在那個芬蘭女人的煙囪上敲著，因為她連一個門也沒有。
屋子里的熱氣很大，芬蘭女人幾乎是一絲不掛地住在那兒。她的身材很小，而且很臟。她馬上把格爾達的衣服解開，把她的大手套和靴子脫下，否則格爾達就會感到太熱了。她在馴鹿的頭上放了一塊冰，然后讀了寫在鱈魚上的字——她一連讀了三遍。當(dāng)她把這些字都記熟了以后，就把這魚扔進一個湯罐里去煮，因為它是可以吃的，而且她又是一個從來不浪費任何東西的人。
馴鹿先講了自己的故事，然后又講了小小格爾達的故事，芬蘭女人眨著她聰明的眼睛，一句話也不說。
“你是很聰明的，”馴鹿說，“我知道你能用一根縫線把世界上所有的風(fēng)都縫在一起。如果船長解開一個結(jié)，他就可以有好的風(fēng);如果他松開第二個結(jié)，那么風(fēng)就吹得更厲害;不過當(dāng)他解開第三個和第四個結(jié)的時候，那就會有一陣可以把樹林吹倒的暴風(fēng)雨。你能不能給這小女孩一點東西喝，使她能有12個人那么大的力量來制服白雪皇后呢?”
“12個人那么大的力量!”芬蘭女人說，“這太管用了!”
她走到櫥格子那兒，抱下一大捆皮，把這捆皮打開。它上面寫著許多奇怪的字母。芬蘭女人讀著，一直讀到額上滴下汗珠。
不過馴鹿又替小小的格爾達非常殷切地懇求了一番，格爾達本人也用充滿了淚珠的、祈求的目光望著這芬蘭女人。女人也開始眨著眼睛，把馴鹿?fàn)康揭粋�墻角邊去，一面在它背上放一塊新鮮的冰，一面說：
“小小的加伊當(dāng)然是住在白雪皇后那兒的。他在那兒覺得什么東西都合乎他的胃口和想法。他以為那兒就是世界上最美的地方。不過這是因為他的心里有一塊鏡子的碎片、他的眼里有一顆鏡子的碎粒的緣故。必須先把它們?nèi)〕鰜�，不然他將永遠不能成為人了。但是白雪皇后會盡一切力量來留住他的!”
“不過你能不能給小小的格爾達一件什么東西，使她能有力量克服一切困難呢?”
“我不能給她比她現(xiàn)在所有的力量更大的力量：你沒有看出這力量是怎樣大嗎?你沒有看出人和動物是怎樣為她服務(wù)嗎?你沒有看出她打著一雙赤腳在這世界上跑了多少路嗎?她不需要從我們這兒知道她自己的力量。她的力量就在她的心里;她是一個天真可愛的孩子——這就是她的力量。如果她自己不能到白雪皇后那兒，把玻璃碎片從小小的加伊身上取出來，那么我們也沒有辦法幫助她!白雪皇后的花園就從那個離開這兒兩丹麥里路的地方開始。你可以把這小姑娘帶到那兒去：把她放在雪地上一個生滿了紅花漿果的大灌木林旁邊。不要呆在那兒閑聊，抓緊時間回到這兒來!”
于是芬蘭女人就把格爾達抱到馴鹿的背上。它盡快地飛跑。
“哎呀，我沒有穿上靴子!沒有戴上大手套!”小小的格爾達叫著。
她馬上就感到刺人的寒冷;不過馴鹿不敢停下來：它一口氣跑到生滿了紅漿果的那個灌木林旁邊。它把格爾達放下來，在她的嘴上吻了一下，于是大顆亮晶晶的眼淚就流到了臉上來。它盡快地又跑回去了�？蓱z的格爾達站在那兒，在那可怕的、寒冷的芬馬克，沒有穿鞋子，也沒有戴大手套。
她拼命地向前跑。一股雪花卷過來了。它不是從天上落下來的，因為天上非常晴朗，而且還射出北極光。雪花是沿著地面卷來的。它越逼得近，就越變得龐大。格爾達記起，從前她透過熱玻璃朝外望的時候，雪花是多么大，多么美麗啊。不過在這兒它們顯得非常龐大和可怕——它們是有生命的。它們是白雪皇后的前哨兵，而且是奇形怪狀的。有的樣子像丑陋的大刺猬;有的像許多伸出頭、糾成一團的蛇;有的像毛發(fā)直立的小胖熊。它們?nèi)际前椎冒l(fā)亮的、有生命的雪花。
小小的格爾達念著《主禱文》。天氣是那么寒冷，她可以看到自己呼出的氣像煙霧似的從嘴里冒出來。呼出的氣越來越濃，形成了明亮的小安琪兒。當(dāng)他們一接觸到地面時，就越變越大。他們都戴著頭盔，拿著矛和盾。他們的數(shù)目在增大。當(dāng)格爾達念完了禱告以后，她周圍就出現(xiàn)了一個很大的兵團。這些兵士用長矛刺著這些可怕的雪花，把這些雪花打成無數(shù)碎片。于是小小的格爾達就又穩(wěn)步地、勇敢地向前進。安琪兒撫摸著她的手和腳，于是她就不那么感到寒冷了。她匆忙地向白雪皇后的宮殿前進。
不過現(xiàn)在我們要先看看加伊是在做些什么。他一點也沒有想到小小的格爾達，更想不到她是站在宮殿的門口。
�、俜荫R克(Finnmark)是挪威最北部的一個縣，也是歐洲最北部的一個地區(qū)，極為寒冷。
�、谥副睒O光。
第七個故事 白雪皇后宮殿里發(fā)生的事情和結(jié)果
宮殿的墻是由積雪筑成的，刺骨的寒風(fēng)就是它的窗和門。這里面有一百多間房子，全是雪花吹到一起形成的。它們之中最大的房間有幾丹麥里路長。強烈的北極光把它們照亮;它們是非常大、非�？�、非常寒冷和非常光亮。這兒從來沒有過什么快樂，甚至小熊的舞會也沒有。事實上，暴風(fēng)雪很可能在這兒奏起一點音樂，讓北極熊用后腿站著邁邁步子，表演表演它們出色的姿態(tài)。它們連打打嘴和敲敲腳掌的小玩意兒都沒有。年輕的白狐貍姑娘們也從來沒有開過任何小茶話會。
白雪皇后的大廳里是空洞的、廣闊的和寒冷的。北極光照得那么準(zhǔn)確，你可以算出它在什么時候最高，什么時候最低。在這個空洞的、沒有邊際的雪廳中央有一個結(jié)冰的湖——它裂成了一千塊碎片;不過每一片跟其他的小片的形狀完全一樣，所以這就像一套很完美的藝術(shù)品。當(dāng)白雪皇后在家的時候，她就坐在這湖的中央。她自己說她是坐在理智的鏡子里，而且這是唯一的、世上最好的鏡子。
小小的加伊凍得發(fā)青——的確，幾乎是凍得發(fā)黑，不過他不覺得，因為白雪皇后把他身上的寒顫都吻掉了。他的心簡直像一塊冰塊。他正在搬弄著幾塊平整而尖利的冰，把它們拼來拼去，想拼成一件什么東西。這正好像我們想用幾塊木片拼成圖案一樣——就是所謂中國玩具②。加伊也在拼圖案——最復(fù)雜的圖案。
這叫做理智的冰塊游戲。在他的眼中，這些圖案是最了不起的、也是非常重要的東西;這完全是因為他眼睛里的那塊鏡子碎片在作怪的緣故。他把這些圖案擺出來，組成一個字——不過怎么也組不成他所希望的那個字——“永恒”。于是白雪皇后就說：
“如果你能拼出這個圖案的話，那么你就是你自己的主人了。我將給你整個世界和一雙新冰鞋，作為禮物�！�
可是他拼不出來。
“現(xiàn)在我急于要飛到溫暖的國度里去!”白雪皇后說，“我要去看看那些黑罐子!”她所指的是那些火山，也就是我們所謂的埃特納火山和維蘇威火山①�！拔覍⑹顾鼈冏兊冒滓稽c!有這個需要;這對于葡萄和檸檬是有好處的�！�
于是白雪皇后就飛走了。加伊單獨坐在那有幾丹麥里路長的、又大又空的冰殿里，呆望著他的那些冰塊。他墜入深思，幾乎把頭都想破了。他直挺挺地坐著，一動也不動，人們可能以為他是凍死了。
這時小小的格爾達恰巧走進大門，到宮殿里來了。這兒的風(fēng)很銳利，不過當(dāng)她念完了晚禱后，風(fēng)兒就靜下來了，好像睡去了似的。她走進了這個寬廣、空洞、寒冷的屋子，看到了加伊。她馬上就把他認出來了。她倒在他身上，擁抱著他，緊緊地摟著他，同時叫出聲來：
“加伊，親愛的小加伊!我總算找到你了!”
不過他坐著一動也不動，直挺挺的，很冷淡。于是小格爾達流出許多熱淚。眼淚流到他的胸膛上，滲進他的心里，把那里面的雪塊融化了，把那里面的一小塊鏡子的碎片也分解了。他望著她，她唱出一首圣詩：
山谷里玫瑰花長得豐茂，
那兒我們遇見圣嬰耶穌。
這時加伊大哭起來。他哭得厲害，連眼睛中的鏡子粉末也流出來了。現(xiàn)在他認得出她，所以他快樂地叫著：
“格爾達，親愛的格爾達!你到什么地方去了這么久?我也到什么地方去了?”他向周圍望了一眼。“這兒是多么寒冷啊!這兒是多么廣闊和空洞啊!”
他緊抱著格爾達。她快樂得一時哭，一時笑。他們是那么高興，連周圍的冰塊都快樂得跳起舞來。當(dāng)他們因為疲乏而躺下來的時候，兩人就恰恰形成一個字的圖案——白雪皇后曾經(jīng)說過，如果他能拼出這個圖案，他就成為他自己的主人，同時她也將給他整個世界和一雙新冰靴。
格爾達吻著他的雙頰：雙頰像開放的花;她吻著他的雙眼：雙眼像她自己的一樣發(fā)亮;她吻著他的手和腳，于是他又變得健康和活潑起來。白雪皇后這時盡可以回到家里來，但是他的解放的字據(jù)已經(jīng)亮晶晶地印在冰塊上。
他們手挽著手，走出了這座巨大的冰宮。他們談起了祖母，談起了屋頂上的玫瑰花。他們到什么地方，風(fēng)就停息了，同時太陽就露出了面。當(dāng)他們來到那個紅色漿果的灌木林的時候，馴鹿正在那兒等著他們。它還帶來了另外一只小母鹿。母鹿的乳房鼓得滿滿的，所以她給這兩個小孩子溫暖的奶吃，同時吻著他們的嘴。它們把加伊和格爾達先送到芬蘭女人那兒去。他們在她溫暖的房間里暖了一陣子，并且得到一些關(guān)于回家的路程的指示。然后他們就到拉普蘭女人那兒去。這女人已經(jīng)為他們做好了新衣服，而且把她的雪橇也修好了。
馴鹿和小母鹿在他們旁邊連蹦帶跳地走著，一直陪送他們到達邊境。這兒早春的植物已經(jīng)冒出綠芽來了。他們和這兩只馴鹿和拉普蘭女人告了別。“再會吧!”大家都說。初春的小鳥開始喃喃地唱著歌;樹林蓋滿了一層綠色的嫩芽。有一匹漂亮的馬兒從樹林里跑出來。格爾達認識它，因為它就是從前拉著金馬車的那匹馬。一個年輕的姑娘騎著它。她頭上戴著一頂發(fā)亮的紅帽子，她還帶著槍。這就是那個小強盜女孩。她在家里呆得膩了，想要先到北方去一趟;如果她不喜歡那地方的話，再到別的地方去。她馬上就認出了格爾達;格爾達也認出了她。她們見了面非常高興。
“你真是一個可愛的流浪漢!”她對小小的加伊說�！拔业挂獑枂枺阒挡恢档米屢粋�人趕到天邊去找你?”
不過格爾達摸著她的臉，問起那位王子和那位公主。
“他們都旅行到外國去了!”小強盜女孩說。
“可是那只烏鴉呢?”小格爾達問。
“嗯，那只烏鴉已經(jīng)死了，”小強盜女孩回答說，“那只馴服的愛人便成了一個寡婦，它的腿上還帶著一條黑絨!它傷心得很，不過這完全沒有一點意義!現(xiàn)在請把你的經(jīng)過告訴我，你怎樣找到他的?”
格爾達和加伊兩個人都把經(jīng)過講出來了。
“嘶——唏——嗤!”小強盜女孩說。于是她握著他們兩人的手，同時答應(yīng)說，如果她走過他們的城市，她一定會來拜訪他們的。然后她就騎著馬奔向茫茫的大世界里去了。格爾達和加伊手挽著手走。他們在路上所見到的是一個青枝綠葉、開滿了花朵的美麗的春天。教堂的鐘聲響起來了，他們認出了那些教堂的尖塔和他們所住的那個大城市。他們走進城，一直走到祖母家的門口;他們爬上樓梯，走進房間——這兒一切東西都在原來的地方?jīng)]有動。那個大鐘在“滴答——滴答”地走，上面的針也在轉(zhuǎn)動。不過當(dāng)他們一走出門的時候，他們就發(fā)現(xiàn)自己已經(jīng)長成大人了。水筧上的玫瑰花正在敞開的窗子面前盛開。這兒有好幾張小孩坐的椅子。加伊和格爾達各自坐在自己的椅子上，互相握著手。他們像做了一場大夢一樣，已經(jīng)把白雪皇后那兒的寒冷和空洞的壯觀全忘掉了。祖母坐在上帝的明朗的太陽光中，高聲地念著《圣經(jīng)》：“除非你成為一個孩子，你決計進入不了上帝的國度!”③
加伊和格爾達面對面地互相望著，立刻懂得了那首圣詩的意義——
山谷里玫瑰花長得豐茂，
那兒我們遇見圣嬰耶穌。
他們兩人坐在那兒，已經(jīng)是成人了，但同時也是孩子——在心里還是孩子。這時正是夏天，暖和的、愉快的夏天。
①中國玩具，指七巧板、九連環(huán)等玩具。這里指的是七巧板。
�、诎Ｌ丶{火山(Etna)是意大利的西西里島上的一座火山，主要噴火口海拔3323米。維蘇威火山(Vesuvius)是意大利那不勒斯灣東邊的一座火山，海拔1280米。兩山的山坡上均種植葡萄及果樹。
�、邸妒ソ�(jīng)·新約全書·馬可福音》第十章第十五節(jié)是這樣說的：“我實在告訴你們，凡要承受神國的，若不像小孩子，斷不能進去�！�
白雪皇后英文版：
The Snow Queen
Story the First,
Which Describes a Looking-Glass and the Broken Fragments.
YOU must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now about a very wicked hobgoblin; he was one of the very worst, for he was a real demon.
One day, when he was in a merry mood, he made a looking-glass which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever. The most lovely landscapes appeared like boiled spinach, and the people became hideous, and looked as if they stood on their heads and had no bodies. Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth. The demon said this was very amusing. When a good or pious thought passed through the mind of any one it was misrepresented in the glass; and then how the demon laughed at his cunning invention. All who went to the demon’s school—for he kept a school—talked everywhere of the wonders they had seen, and declared that people could now, for the first time, see what the world and mankind were really like. They carried the glass about everywhere, till at last there was not a land nor a people who had not been looked at through this distorted mirror. They wanted even to fly with it up to heaven to see the angels, but the higher they flew the more slippery the glass became, and they could scarcely hold it, till at last it slipped from their hands, fell to the earth, and was broken into millions of pieces. But now the looking-glass caused more unhappiness than ever, for some of the fragments were not so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about the world into every country. When one of these tiny atoms flew into a person’s eye, it stuck there unknown to him, and from that moment he saw everything through a distorted medium, or could see only the worst side of what he looked at, for even the smallest fragment retained the same power which had belonged to the whole mirror. Some few persons even got a fragment of the looking-glass in their hearts, and this was very terrible, for their hearts became cold like a lump of ice. A few of the pieces were so large that they could be used as window-panes; it would have been a sad thing to look at our friends through them. Other pieces were made into spectacles; this was dreadful for those who wore them, for they could see nothing either rightly or justly. At all this the wicked demon laughed till his sides shook—it tickled him so to see the mischief he had done. There were still a number of these little fragments of glass floating about in the air, and now you shall hear what happened with one of them.
Second Story:
A Little Boy and a Little Girl
IN a large town, full of houses and people, there is not room for everybody to have even a little garden, therefore they are obliged to be satisfied with a few flowers in flower-pots. In one of these large towns lived two poor children who had a garden something larger and better than a few flower-pots. They were not brother and sister, but they loved each other almost as much as if they had been. Their parents lived opposite to each other in two garrets, where the roofs of neighboring houses projected out towards each other and the water-pipe ran between them. In each house was a
little window, so that any one could step across the gutter from one window to the other. The parents of these children had each a large wooden box in which they cultivated kitchen herbs for their own use, and a little rose-bush in each box, which grew splendidly. Now after a while the parents decided to place these two boxes across the water-pipe, so that they reached from one window to the other and looked like two banks of flowers. Sweet-peas drooped over the boxes, and the rose-bushes shot forth long branches, which were trained round the windows and clustered together almost like a triumphal arch of leaves and flowers. The boxes were very high, and the children knew they must not climb upon them, without permission, but they were often, however, allowed to step out together and sit upon their little stools under the rose-bushes, or play quietly. In winter all this pleasure came to an end, for the windows were sometimes quite frozen over. But then they would warm copper pennies on the stove, and hold the warm pennies against the frozen pane; there would be very soon a little round hole through which they could peep, and the soft bright eyes of the little boy and girl would beam through the hole at each window as they looked at each other. Their names were Kay and Gerda. In summer they could be together with one jump from the window, but in winter they had to go up and down the long staircase, and out through the snow before they could meet.
“See there are the white bees swarming,” said Kay’s old grandmother one day when it was snowing.
“Have they a queen bee?” asked the little boy, for he knew that the real bees had a queen.
“To be sure they have,” said the grandmother. “She is flying there where the swarm is thickest. She is the largest of them all, and never remains on the earth, but flies up to the dark clouds. Often at midnight she flies through the streets of the town, and looks in at the windows, then the ice freezes on the panes into wonderful shapes, that look like flowers and castles.”
“Yes, I have seen them,” said both the children, and they knew it must be true.
“Can the Snow Queen come in here?” asked the little girl.
“Only let her come,” said the boy, “I’ll set her on the stove and then she’ll melt.”
Then the grandmother smoothed his hair and told him some more tales. One evening, when little Kay was at home, half undressed, he climbed on a chair by the window and peeped out through the little hole. A few flakes of snow were falling, and one of them, rather larger than the rest, alighted on the edge of one of the flower boxes. This snow-flake grew larger and larger, till at last it became the figure of a woman, dressed in garments of white gauze, which looked like millions of starry snow-flakes linked together. She was fair and beautiful, but made of ice—shining and glittering ice. Still she was alive and her eyes sparkled like bright stars, but there was neither peace nor rest in their glance. She nodded towards the window and waved her hand. The little boy was frightened and sprang from the chair; at the same moment it seemed as if a large bird flew by the window. On the following day there was a clear frost, and very soon came the spring. The sun shone; the young green leaves burst forth; the swallows built their nests; windows were opened, and the children sat once more in the garden on the roof, high above all the other rooms. How beautiful the roses blossomed this summer. The little girl had learnt a hymn in which roses were spoken of, and then she thought of their own roses, and she sang the hymn to the little boy, and he sang too:—
“Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.”
Then the little ones held each other by the hand, and kissed the roses, and looked at the bright sunshine, and spoke to it as if the Christ-child were there. Those were splendid summer days. How beautiful and fresh it was out among the rose-bushes, which seemed as if they would never leave off blooming. One day Kay and Gerda sat looking at a book full of pictures of animals and birds, and then just as the clock in the church tower struck twelve, Kay said, “Oh, something has struck my heart!” and soon after, “There is something in my eye.”
The little girl put her arm round his neck, and looked into his eye, but she could see nothing.
“I think it is gone,” he said. But it was not gone; it was one of those bits of the looking-glass—that magic mirror, of which we have spoken—the ugly glass which made everything great and good appear small and ugly, while all that was wicked and bad became more visible, and every little fault could be plainly seen. Poor little Kay had also received a small grain in his heart, which very quickly turned to a lump of ice. He felt no more pain, but the glass was there still. “Why do you cry?” said he at last; “it makes you look ugly. There is nothing the matter with me now. Oh, see!” he cried suddenly, “that rose is worm-eaten, and this one is quite crooked. After all they are ugly roses, just like the box in which they stand,” and then he kicked the boxes with his foot, and pulled off the two roses.
“Kay, what are you doing?” cried the little girl; and then, when he saw how frightened she was, he tore off another rose, and jumped through his own window away from little Gerda.
When she afterwards brought out the picture book, he said, “It was only fit for babies in long clothes,” and when grandmother told any stories, he would interrupt her with “but;” or, when he could manage it, he would get behind her chair, put on a pair of spectacles, and imitate her very cleverly, to make people laugh. By-and-by he began to mimic the speech and gait of persons in the street. All that was peculiar or disagreeable in a person he would imitate directly, and people said, “That boy will be very clever; he has a remarkable genius.” But it was the piece of glass in his eye, and the coldness in his heart, that made him act like this. He would even tease little Gerda, who loved him with all her heart. His games, too, were quite different; they were not so childish. One winter’s day, when it snowed, he brought out a burning-glass, then he held out the tail of his blue coat, and let the snow-flakes fall upon it. “Look in this glass, Gerda,” said he; and she saw how every flake of snow was magnified, and looked like a beautiful flower or a glittering star. “Is it not clever?” said Kay, “and much more interesting than looking at real flowers. There is not a single fault in it, and the snow-flakes are quite perfect till they begin to melt.”
Soon after Kay made his appearance in large thick gloves, and with his sledge at his back. He called up stairs to Gerda, “I’ve got to leave to go into the great square, where the other boys play and ride.” And away he went.
In the great square, the boldest among the boys would often tie their sledges to the country people’s carts, and go with them a good way. This was capital. But while they were all amusing themselves, and Kay with them, a great sledge came by; it was painted white, and in it sat some one wrapped in a rough white fur, and wearing a white cap. The sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay fastened his own little sledge to it, so that when it went away, he followed with it. It went faster and faster right through the next street, and then the person who drove turned round and nodded pleasantly to Kay, just as if they were acquainted with each other, but whenever Kay wished to loosen his little sledge the driver nodded again, so Kay sat still, and they drove out through the town gate. Then the snow began to fall so heavily that the little boy could not see a hand’s breadth before him, but still they drove on; then he suddenly loosened the cord so that the large sled might go on without him, but it was of no use, his little carriage held fast, and away they went like the wind. Then he called out loudly, but nobody heard him, while the snow beat upon him, and the sledge flew onwards. Every now and then it gave a jump as if it were going over hedges and ditches. The boy was frightened, and tried to say a prayer, but he could remember nothing but the multiplication table.
The snow-flakes became larger and larger, till they appeared like great white chickens. All at once they sprang on one side, the great sledge stopped, and the person who had driven it rose up. The fur and the cap, which were made entirely of snow, fell off, and he saw a lady, tall and white, it was the Snow Queen.
“We have driven well,” said she, “but why do you tremble? here, creep into my warm fur.” Then she seated him beside her in the sledge, and as she wrapped the fur round him he felt as if he were sinking into a snow drift.
“Are you still cold,” she asked, as she kissed him on the forehead. The kiss was colder than ice; it went quite through to his heart, which was already almost a lump of ice; he felt as if he were going to die, but only for a moment; he soon seemed quite well again, and did not notice the cold around him.
“My sledge! don’t forget my sledge,” was his first thought, and then he looked and saw that it was bound fast to one of the white chickens, which flew behind him with the sledge at its back. The Snow Queen kissed little Kay again, and by this time he had forgotten little Gerda, his grandmother, and all at home.
“Now you must have no more kisses,” she said, “or I should kiss you to death.”
Kay looked at her, and saw that she was so beautiful, he could not imagine a more lovely and intelligent face; she did not now seem to be made of ice, as when he had seen her through his window, and she had nodded to him. In his eyes she was perfect, and she did not feel at all afraid. He told her he could do mental arithmetic, as far as fractions, and that he knew the number of square miles and the number of inhabitants in the country. And she always smiled so that he thought he did not know enough yet, and she looked round the vast expanse as she flew higher and higher with him upon a black cloud, while the storm blew and howled as if it were singing old songs. They flew over woods and lakes, over sea and land; below them roared the wild wind; the wolves howled and the snow crackled; over them flew the black screaming crows, and above all shone the moon, clear and bright,—and so Kay passed through the long winter’s night, and by day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen.
Third Story:
The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Could Conjure
BUT how fared little Gerda during Kay’s absence? What had become of him, no one knew, nor could any one give the slightest information, excepting the boys, who said that he had tied his sledge to another very large one, which had driven through the street, and out at the town gate. Nobody knew where it went; many tears were shed for him, and little Gerda wept bitterly for a long time. She said she knew he must be dead; that he was drowned in the river which flowed close by the school. Oh, indeed those long winter days were very dreary. But at last spring came, with warm sunshine. “Kay is dead and gone,” said little Gerda.
“I don’t believe it,” said the sunshine.
“He is dead and gone,” she said to the sparrows.
“We don’t believe it,” they replied; and at last little Gerda began to doubt it herself. “I will put on my new red shoes,” she said one morning, “those that Kay has never seen, and then I will go down to the river, and ask for him.” It was quite early when she kissed her old grandmother, who was still asleep; then she put on her red shoes, and went quite alone out of the town gates toward the river. “Is it true that you have taken my little playmate away from me?” said she to the river. “I will give you my red shoes if you will give him back to me.” And it seemed as if the waves nodded to her in a strange manner. Then she took off her red shoes, which she liked better than anything else, and threw them both into the river, but they fell near the bank, and the little waves carried them back to the land, just as if the river would not take from her what she loved best, because they could not give her back little Kay.
But she thought the shoes had not been thrown out far enough. Then she crept into a boat that lay among the reeds, and threw the shoes again from the farther end of the boat into the water, but it was not fastened. And her movement sent it gliding away from the land. When she saw this she hastened to reach the end of the boat, but before she could so it was more than a yard from the bank, and drifting away faster than ever. Then little Gerda was very much frightened, and began to cry, but no one heard her except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land, but they flew along by the shore, and sang, as if to comfort her, “Here we are! Here we are!” The boat floated with the stream; little Gerda sat quite still with only her stockings on her feet; the red shoes floated after her, but she could not reach them because the boat kept so much in advance. The banks on each side of the river were very pretty. There were beautiful flowers, old trees, sloping fields, in which cows and sheep were grazing, but not a man to be seen. Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kay, thought Gerda, and then she became more cheerful, and raised her head, and looked at the beautiful green banks; and so the boat sailed on for hours. At length she came to a large cherry orchard, in which stood a small red house with strange red and blue windows. It had also a thatched roof, and outside were two wooden soldiers, that presented arms to her as she sailed past. Gerda called out to them, for she thought they were alive, but of course they did not answer; and as the boat drifted nearer to the shore, she saw what they really were. Then Gerda called still louder, and there came a very old woman out of the house, leaning on a crutch. She wore a large hat to shade her from the sun, and on it were painted all sorts of pretty flowers. “You poor little child,” said the old woman, “how did you manage to come all this distance into the wide world on such a rapid rolling stream?” And then the old woman walked in the water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to land, and lifted Gerda out. And Gerda was glad to feel herself on dry ground, although she was rather afraid of the strange old woman. “Come and tell me who you are,” said she, “and how came you here.”
Then Gerda told her everything, while the old woman shook her head, and said, “Hem-hem;” and when she had finished, Gerda asked if she had not seen little Kay, and the old woman told her he had not passed by that way, but he very likely would come. So she told Gerda not to be sorrowful, but to taste the cherries and look at the flowers; they were better than any picture-book, for each of them could tell a story. Then she took Gerda by the hand and led her into the little house, and the old woman closed the door. The windows were very high, and as the panes were red, blue, and yellow, the daylight shone through them in all sorts of singular colors. On the table stood beautiful cherries, and Gerda had permission to eat as many as she would. While she was eating them the old woman combed out her long flaxen ringlets with a golden comb, and the glossy curls hung down on each side of the little round pleasant face, which looked fresh and blooming as a rose. “I have long been wishing for a dear little maiden like you,” said the old woman, “and now you must stay with me, and see how happily we shall live together.” And while she went on combing little Gerda’s hair, she thought less and less about her adopted brother Kay, for the old woman could conjure, although she was not a wicked witch; she conjured only a little for her own amusement, and now, because she wanted to keep Gerda. Therefore she went into the garden, and stretched out her crutch towards all the rose-trees, beautiful though they were; and they immediately sunk into the dark earth, so that no one could tell where they had once stood. The old woman was afraid that if little Gerda saw roses she would think of those at home, and then remember little Kay, and run away. Then she took Gerda into the flower-garden. How fragrant and beautiful it was! Every flower that could be thought of for every season of the year was here in full bloom; no picture-book could have more beautiful colors. Gerda jumped for joy, and played till the sun went down behind the tall cherry-trees; then she slept in an elegant bed with red silk pillows, embroidered with colored violets; and then she dreamed as pleasantly as a queen on her wedding day. The next day, and for many days after, Gerda played with the flowers in the warm sunshine. She knew every flower, and yet, although there were so many of them, it seemed as if one were missing, but which it was she could not tell. One day, however, as she sat looking at the old woman’s hat with the painted flowers on it, she saw that the prettiest of them all was a rose. The old woman had forgotten to take it from her hat when she made all the roses sink into the earth. But it is difficult to keep the thoughts together in everything; one little mistake upsets all our arrangements.
“What, are there no roses here?” cried Gerda; and she ran out into the garden, and examined all the beds, and searched and searched. There was not one to be found. Then she sat down and wept, and her tears fell just on the place where one of the rose-trees had sunk down. The warm tears moistened the earth, and the rose-tree sprouted up at once, as blooming as when it had sunk; and Gerda embraced it and kissed the roses, and thought of the beautiful roses at home, and, with them, of little Kay.
“Oh, how I have been detained!” said the little maiden, “I wanted to seek for little Kay. Do you know where he is?” she asked the roses; “do you think he is dead?”
And the roses answered, “No, he is not dead. We have been in the ground where all the dead lie; but Kay is not there.”
“Thank you,” said little Gerda, and then she went to the other flowers, and looked into their little cups, and asked, “Do you know where little Kay is?” But each flower, as it stood in the sunshine, dreamed only of its own little fairy tale of history. Not one knew anything of Kay. Gerda heard many stories from the flowers, as she asked them one after another about him.
And what, said the tiger-lily? “Hark, do you hear the drum?— ‘turn, turn,’—there are only two notes, always, ‘turn, turn.’ Listen to the women’s song of mourning! Hear the cry of the priest! In her long red robe stands the Hindoo widow by the funeral pile. The flames rise around her as she places herself on the dead body of her husband; but the Hindoo woman is thinking of the living one in that circle; of him, her son, who lighted those flames. Those shining eyes trouble her heart more painfully than the flames which will soon consume her body to ashes. Can the fire of the heart be extinguished in the flames of the funeral pile?”
“I don’t understand that at all,” said little Gerda.
“That is my story,” said the tiger-lily.
What, says the convolvulus? “Near yonder narrow road stands an old knight’s castle; thick ivy creeps over the old ruined walls, leaf over leaf, even to the balcony, in which stands a beautiful maiden. She bends over the balustrades, and looks up the road. No rose on its stem is fresher than she; no apple-blossom, wafted by the wind, floats more lightly than she moves. Her rich silk rustles as she bends over and exclaims, ‘Will he not come?’
“Is it Kay you mean?” asked Gerda.
“I am only speaking of a story of my dream,” replied the flower.
What, said the little snow-drop? “Between two trees a rope is hanging; there is a piece of board upon it; it is a swing. Two pretty little girls, in dresses white as snow, and with long green ribbons fluttering from their hats, are sitting upon it swinging. Their brother who is taller than they are, stands in the swing; he has one arm round the rope, to steady himself; in one hand he holds a little bowl, and in the other a clay pipe; he is blowing bubbles. As the swing goes on, the bubbles fly upward, reflecting the most beautiful varying colors. The last still hangs from the bowl of the pipe, and sways in the wind. On goes the swing; and then a little black dog comes running up. He is almost as light as the bubble, and he raises himself on his hind legs, and wants to be taken into the swing; but it does not stop, and the dog falls; then he barks and gets angry. The children stoop towards him, and the bubble bursts. A swinging plank, a light sparkling foam picture,—that is my story.”
“It may be all very pretty what you are telling me,” said little Gerda, “but you speak so mournfully, and you do not mention little Kay at all.”
What do the hyacinths say? “There were three beautiful sisters, fair and delicate. The dress of one was red, of the second blue, and of the third pure white. Hand in hand they danced in the bright moonlight, by the calm lake; but they were human beings, not fairy elves. The sweet fragrance attracted them, and they disappeared in the wood; here the fragrance became stronger. Three coffins, in which lay the three beautiful maidens, glided from the thickest part of the forest across the lake. The fire-flies flew lightly over them, like little floating torches. Do the dancing maidens sleep, or are they dead? The scent of the flower says that they are corpses. The evening bell tolls their knell.”
“You make me quite sorrowful,” said little Gerda; “your perfume is so strong, you make me think of the dead maidens. Ah! is little Kay really dead then? The roses have been in the earth, and they say no.”
“Cling, clang,” tolled the hyacinth bells. “We are not tolling for little Kay; we do not know him. We sing our song, the only one we know.”
Then Gerda went to the buttercups that were glittering amongst the bright green leaves.
“You are little bright suns,” said Gerda; “tell me if you know where I can find my play-fellow.”
And the buttercups sparkled gayly, and looked again at Gerda. What song could the buttercups sing? It was not about Kay.
“The bright warm sun shone on a little court, on the first warm day of spring. His bright beams rested on the white walls of the neighboring house; and close by bloomed the first yellow flower of the season, glittering like gold in the sun’s warm ray. An old woman sat in her arm chair at the house door, and her granddaughter, a poor and pretty servant-maid came to see her for a short visit. When she kissed her grandmother there was gold everywhere: the gold of the heart in that holy kiss; it was a golden morning; there was gold in the beaming sunlight, gold in the leaves of the lowly flower, and on the lips of the maiden. There, that is my story,” said the buttercup.
“My poor old grandmother!” sighed Gerda; “she is longing to see me, and grieving for me as she did for little Kay; but I shall soon go home now, and take little Kay with me. It is no use asking the flowers; they know only their own songs, and can give me no information.”
And then she tucked up her little dress, that she might run faster, but the narcissus caught her by the leg as she was jumping over it; so she stopped and looked at the tall yellow flower, and said, “Perhaps you may know something.”
Then she stooped down quite close to the flower, and listened; and what did he say?
“I can see myself, I can see myself,” said the narcissus. “Oh, how sweet is my perfume! Up in a little room with a bow window, stands a little dancing girl, half undressed; she stands sometimes on one leg, and sometimes on both, and looks as if she would tread the whole world under her feet. She is nothing but a delusion. She is pouring water out of a tea-pot on a piece of stuff which she holds in her hand; it is her bodice. ‘Cleanliness is a good thing,’ she says. Her white dress hangs on a peg; it has also been washed in the tea-pot, and dried on the roof. She puts it on, and ties a saffron-colored handkerchief round her neck, which makes the dress look whiter. See how she stretches out her legs, as if she were showing off on a stem. I can see myself, I can see myself.”
“What do I care for all that,” said Gerda, “you need not tell me such stuff.” And then she ran to the other end of the garden. The door was fastened, but she pressed against the rusty latch, and it gave way. The door sprang open, and little Gerda ran out with bare feet into the wide world. She looked back three times, but no one seemed to be following her. At last she could run no longer, so she sat down to rest on a great stone, and when she looked round she saw that the summer was over, and autumn very far advanced. She had known nothing of this in the beautiful garden, where the sun shone and the flowers grew all the year round.
“Oh, how I have wasted my time?” said little Gerda; “it is autumn. I must not rest any longer,” and she rose up to go on. But her little feet were wounded and sore, and everything around her looked so cold and bleak. The long willow-leaves were quite yellow. The dew-drops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees, the sloe-thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour, and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared!
Fourth Story:
The Prince and Princess
GERDA was obliged to rest again, and just opposite the place where she sat, she saw a great crow come hopping across the snow toward her. He stood looking at her for some time, and then he wagged his head and said, “Caw, caw; good-day, good-day.” He pronounced the words as plainly as he could, because he meant to be kind to the little girl; and then he asked her where she was going all alone in the wide world.
The word alone Gerda understood very well, and knew how much it expressed. So then she told the crow the whole story of her life and adventures, and asked him if he had seen little Kay.
The crow nodded his head very gravely, and said, “Perhaps I have—it may be.”
“No! Do you think you have?” cried little Gerda, and she kissed the crow, and hugged him almost to death with joy.
“Gently, gently,” said the crow. “I believe I know. I think it may be little Kay; but he has certainly forgotten you by this time for the princess.”
“Does he live with a princess?” asked Gerda.
“Yes, listen,” replied the crow, “but it is so difficult to speak your language. If you understand the crows’ language1 then I can explain it better. Do you?”
“No, I have never learnt it,” said Gerda, “but my grandmother understands it, and used to speak it to me. I wish I had learnt it.”
“It does not matter,” answered the crow; “I will explain as well as I can, although it will be very badly done;” and he told her what he had heard. “In this kingdom where we now are,” said he, “there lives a princess, who is so wonderfully clever that she has read all the newspapers in the world, and forgotten them too, although she is so clever. A short time ago, as she was sitting on her throne, which people say is not such an agreeable seat as is often supposed, she began to sing a song which commences in these words:
‘Why should I not be married?’
‘Why not indeed?’ said she, and so she determined to marry if she could find a husband who knew what to say when he was spoken to, and not one who could only look grand, for that was so tiresome. Then she assembled all her court ladies together at the beat of the drum, and when they heard of her intentions they were very much pleased. ‘We are so glad to hear it,’ said they, ‘we were talking about it ourselves the other day.’ You may believe that every word I tell you is true,” said the crow, “for I have a tame sweetheart who goes freely about the palace, and she told me all this.”
Of course his sweetheart was a crow, for “birds of a feather flock together,” and one crow always chooses another crow.
“Newspapers were published immediately, with a border of hearts, and the initials of the princess among them. They gave notice that every young man who was handsome was free to visit the castle and speak with the princess; and those who could reply loud enough to be heard when spoken to, were to make themselves quite at home at the palace; but the one who spoke best would be chosen as a husband for the princess. Yes, yes, you may believe me, it is all as true as I sit here,” said the crow. “The people came in crowds. There was a great deal of crushing and running about, but no one succeeded either on the first or second day. They could all speak very well while they were outside in the streets, but when they entered the palace gates, and saw the guards in silver uniforms, and the footmen in their golden livery on the staircase, and the great halls lighted up, they became quite confused. And when they stood before the throne on which the princess sat, they could do nothing but repeat the last words she had said; and she had no particular wish to hear her own words over again. It was just as if they had all taken something to make them sleepy while they were in the palace, for they did not recover themselves nor speak till they got back again into the street. There was quite a long line of them reaching from the town-gate to the palace. I went myself to see them,” said the crow. “They were hungry and thirsty, for at the palace they did not get even a glass of water. Some of the wisest had taken a few slices of bread and butter with them, but they did not share it with their neighbors; they thought if they went in to the princess looking hungry, there would be a better chance for themselves.”
“But Kay! tell me about little Kay!” said Gerda, “was he amongst the crowd?”
“Stop a bit, we are just coming to him. It was on the third day, there came marching cheerfully along to the palace a little personage, without horses or carriage, his eyes sparkling like yours; he had beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very poor.”
“That was Kay!” said Gerda joyfully. “Oh, then I have found him;” and she clapped her hands.
“He had a little knapsack on his back,” added the crow.
“No, it must have been his sledge,” said Gerda; “for he went away with it.”
“It may have been so,” said the crow; “I did not look at it very closely. But I know from my tame sweetheart that he passed through the palace gates, saw the guards in their silver uniform, and the servants in their liveries of gold on the stairs, but he was not in the least embarrassed. ‘It must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs,’ he said. ‘I prefer to go in.’ The rooms were blazing with light. Councillors and ambassadors walked about with bare feet, carrying golden vessels; it was enough to make any one feel serious. His boots creaked loudly as he walked, and yet he was not at all uneasy.”
“It must be Kay,” said Gerda, “I know he had new boots on, I have heard them creak in grandmother’s room.”
“They really did creak,” said the crow, “yet he went boldly up to the princess herself, who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinning wheel, and all the ladies of the court were present with their maids, and all the cavaliers with their servants; and each of the maids had another maid to wait upon her, and the cavaliers’ servants had their own servants, as well as a page each. They all stood in circles round the princess, and the nearer they stood to the door, the prouder they looked. The servants’ pages, who always wore slippers, could hardly be looked at, they held themselves up so proudly by the door.”
“It must be quite awful,” said little Gerda, “but did Kay win the princess?”
“If I had not been a crow,” said he, “I would have married her myself, although I am engaged. He spoke just as well as I do, when I speak the crows’ language, so I heard from my tame sweetheart. He was quite free and agreeable and said he had not come to woo the princess, but to hear her wisdom; and he was as pleased with her as she was with him.”
“Oh, certainly that was Kay,” said Gerda, “he was so clever; he could work mental arithmetic and fractions. Oh, will you take me to the palace?”
“It is very easy to ask that,” replied the crow, “but how are we to manage it? However, I will speak about it to my tame sweetheart, and ask her advice; for I must tell you it will be very difficult to gain permission for a little girl like you to enter the palace.”
“Oh, yes; but I shall gain permission easily,” said Gerda, “for when Kay hears that I am here, he will come out and fetch me in immediately.”
“Wait for me here by the palings,” said the crow, wagging his head as he flew away.
It was late in the evening before the crow returned. “Caw, caw,” he said, “she sends you greeting, and here is a little roll which she took from the kitchen for you; there is plenty of bread there, and she thinks you must be hungry. It is not possible for you to enter the palace by the front entrance. The guards in silver uniform and the servants in gold livery would not allow it. But do not cry, we will manage to get you in; my sweetheart knows a little back-staircase that leads to the sleeping apartments, and she knows where to find the key.”
Then they went into the garden through the great avenue, where the leaves were falling one after another, and they could see the light in the palace being put out in the same manner. And the crow led little Gerda to the back door, which stood ajar. Oh! how little Gerda’s heart beat with anxiety and longing; it was just as if she were going to do something wrong, and yet she only wanted to know where little Kay was. “It must be he,” she thought, “with those clear eyes, and that long hair.” She could fancy she saw him smiling at her, as he used to at home, when they sat among the roses. He would certainly be glad to see her, and to hear what a long distance she had come for his sake, and to know how sorry they had been at home because he did not come back. Oh what joy and yet fear she felt! They were now on the stairs, and in a small closet at the top a lamp was burning. In the middle of the floor stood the tame crow, turning her head from side to side, and gazing at Gerda, who curtseyed as her grandmother had taught her to do.
“My betrothed has spoken so very highly of you, my little lady,” said the tame crow, “your life-history, Vita, as it may be called, is very touching. If you will take the lamp I will walk before you. We will go straight along this way, then we shall meet no one.”
“It seems to me as if somebody were behind us,” said Gerda, as something rushed by her like a shadow on the wall, and then horses with flying manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback, glided by her, like shadows on the wall.
“They are only dreams,” said the crow, “they are coming to fetch the thoughts of the great people out hunting.”
“All the better, for we shall be able to look at them in their beds more safely. I hope that when you rise to honor and favor, you will show a grateful heart.”
“You may be quite sure of that,” said the crow from the forest.
They now came into the first hall, the walls of which were hung with rose-colored satin, embroidered with artificial flowers. Here the dreams again flitted by them but so quickly that Gerda could not distinguish the royal persons. Each hall appeared more splendid than the last, it was enought to bewilder any one. At length they reached a bedroom. The ceiling was like a great palm-tree, with glass leaves of the most costly crystal, and over the centre of the floor two beds, each resembling a lily, hung from a stem of gold. One, in which the princess lay, was white, the other was red; and in this
Gerda had to seek for little Kay. She pushed one of the red leaves aside, and saw a little brown neck. Oh, that must be Kay! She called his name out quite loud, and held the lamp over him. The dreams rushed back into the room on horseback. He woke, and turned his head round, it was not little Kay! The prince was only like him in the neck, still he was young and pretty. Then the princess peeped out of her white-lily bed, and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda wept and told her story, and all that the crows had done to help her.
“You poor child,” said the prince and princess; then they praised the crows, and said they were not angry for what they had done, but that it must not happen again, and this time they should be rewarded.
“Would you like to have your freedom?” asked the princess, “or would you prefer to be raised to the position of court crows, with all that is left in the kitchen for yourselves?”
Then both the crows bowed, and begged to have a fixed appointment, for they thought of their old age, and said it would be so comfortable to feel that they had provision for their old days, as they called it. And then the prince got out of his bed, and gave it up to Gerda,—he could do no more; and she lay down. She folded her little hands, and thought, “How good everyone is to me, men and animals too;” then she closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep. All the dreams came flying back again to her, and they looked like angels, and one of them drew a little sledge, on which sat Kay, and nodded to her. But all this was only a dream, and vanished as soon as she awoke.
The following day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet, and they invited her to stay at the palace for a few days, and enjoy herself, but she only begged for a pair of boots, and a little carriage, and a horse to draw it, so that she might go into the wide world to seek for Kay. And she obtained, not only boots, but also a muff, and she was neatly dressed; and when she was ready to go, there, at the door, she found a coach made of pure gold, with the coat-of-arms of the prince and princess shining upon it like a star, and the coachman, footman, and outriders all wearing golden crowns on their heads. The prince and princess themselves helped her into the coach, and wished her success. The forest crow, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles; he sat by Gerda’s side, as he could not bear riding backwards. The tame crow stood in the door-way flapping her wings. She could not go with them, because she had been suffering from headache ever since the new appointment, no doubt from eating too much. The coach was well stored with sweet cakes, and under the seat were fruit and gingerbread nuts. “Farewell, farewell,” cried the prince and princess, and little Gerda wept, and the crow wept; and then, after a few miles, the crow also said “Farewell,” and this was the saddest parting. However, he flew to a tree, and stood flapping his black wings as long as he could see the coach, which glittered in the bright sunshine.
Fifth Story:
Little Robber-Girl
THE coach drove on through a thick forest, where it lighted up the way like a torch, and dazzled the eyes of some robbers, who could not bear to let it pass them unmolested.
“It is gold! it is gold!” cried they, rushing forward, and seizing the horses. Then they struck the little jockeys, the coachman, and the footman dead, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.
“She is fat and pretty, and she has been fed with the kernels of nuts,” said the old robber-woman, who had a long beard and eyebrows that hung over her eyes. “She is as good as a little lamb; how
nice she will taste!” and as she said this, she drew forth a shining knife, that glittered horribly. “Oh!” screamed the old woman the same moment; for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear. She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly thing, and had not time to kill Gerda.
“She shall play with me,” said the little robber-girl; “she shall give me her muff and her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.” And then she bit her mother again, and made her spring in the air, and jump about; and all the robbers laughed, and said, “See how she is dancing with her young cub.”
“I will have a ride in the coach,” said the little robber-girl; and she would have her own way; for she was so self-willed and obstinate.
She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little robber-girl was about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had broader shoulders and a darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and she had a mournful look. She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,—
“They shall not kill you as long as you don’t make us vexed with you. I suppose you are a princess.”
“No,” said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how fond she was of little Kay.
The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly, and said, “They sha’nt kill you, even if I do get angry with you; for I will do it myself.” And then she wiped Gerda’s eyes, and stuck her own hands in the beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.
The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber’s castle, the walls of which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were not allowed to bark. In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was burning on the stone floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up to the ceiling, and found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.
“You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night,” said the robber-girl, after they had had something to eat and drink. So she took Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets were laid down. Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved slightly when the two little girls came near them. “These all belong to me,” said the robber-girl; and she seized the nearest to her, held it by the feet, and shook it till it flapped its wings. “Kiss it,” cried she, flapping it in Gerda’s face. “There sit the wood-pigeons,” continued she, pointing to a number of laths and a cage which had been fixed into the walls, near one of the openings. “Both rascals would fly away directly, if they were not closely locked up. And here is my old sweetheart ‘Ba;’” and she dragged out a reindeer by the horn; he wore a bright copper ring round his neck, and was tied up. “We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away from us also. I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife, which frightens him very much.” And then the robber-girl drew a long knife from a chink in the wall, and let it slide gently over the reindeer’s neck. The poor animal began to kick, and the little robber-girl laughed, and pulled down Gerda into bed with her.
“Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep?” asked Gerda, looking at it in great fright.
“I always sleep with the knife by me,” said the robber-girl. “No one knows what may happen. But now tell me again all about little Kay, and why you went out into the world.”
Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept. The little robber-girl put one arm across Gerda’s neck, and held the knife in the other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. But Gerda could not close her eyes at all; she knew not whether she was to live or die. The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the old woman stumbled about. It was a terrible sight for a little girl to witness.
Then the wood-pigeons said, “Coo, coo; we have seen little Kay. A white fowl carried his sledge, and he sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, which drove through the wood while we were lying in our nest. She blew upon us, and all the young ones died excepting us two. Coo, coo.”
“What are you saying up there?” cried Gerda. “Where was the Snow Queen going? Do you know anything about it?”
“She was most likely travelling to Lapland, where there is always snow and ice. Ask the reindeer that is fastened up there with a rope.”
“Yes, there is always snow and ice,” said the reindeer; “and it is a glorious place; you can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains. The Snow Queen has her summer tent there, but her strong castle is at the North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.”
“Oh, Kay, little Kay!” sighed Gerda.
“Lie still,” said the robber-girl, “or I shall run my knife into your body.”
In the morning Gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said; and the little robber-girl looked quite serious, and nodded her head, and said, “That is all talk, that is all talk. Do you know where Lapland is?” she asked the reindeer.
“Who should know better than I do?” said the animal, while his eyes sparkled. “I was born and brought up there, and used to run about the snow-covered plains.”
“Now listen,” said the robber-girl; “all our men are gone away,— only mother is here, and here she will stay; but at noon she always drinks out of a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while; and then, I’ll do something for you.” Then she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round the neck, and pulled her by the beard, crying, “My own little nanny goat, good morning.” Then her mother filliped her nose till it was quite red; yet she did it all for love.
When the mother had drunk out of the bottle, and was gone to sleep, the little robber-maiden went to the reindeer, and said, “I should like very much to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look so funny; but never mind,—I will untie your cord, and set you free, so that you may run away to Lapland; but you must make good use of your legs, and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen, where her play-fellow is. You have heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening.”
Then the reindeer jumped for joy; and the little robber-girl lifted Gerda on his back, and had the forethought to tie her on, and even to give her her own little cushion to sit on.
“Here are your fur boots for you,” said she; “for it will be very cold; but I must keep the muff; it is so pretty. However, you shall not be frozen for the want of it; here are my mother’s large warm mittens; they will reach up to your elbows. Let me put them on. There, now your hands look just like my mother’s.”
But Gerda wept for joy.
“I don’t like to see you fret,” said the little robber-girl; “you ought to look quite happy now; and here are two loaves and a ham, so that you need not starve.” These were fastened on the reindeer, and then the little robber-maiden opened the door, coaxed in all the great dogs, and then cut the string with which the reindeer was fastened, with her sharp knife, and said, “Now run, but mind you take good care of the little girl.” And then Gerda stretched out her hand, with the great mitten on it, towards the little robber-girl, and said, “Farewell,” and away flew the reindeer, over stumps and stones, through the great forest, over marshes and plains, as quickly as he could. The wolves howled, and the ravens screamed; while up in the sky quivered red lights like flames of fire. “There are my old northern lights,” said the reindeer; “see how they flash.” And he ran on day and night still faster and faster, but the loaves and the ham were all eaten by the time they reached Lapland.
Sixth Story:
The Lapland Woman and the Finland Woman
THEY stopped at a little hut; it was very mean looking; the roof sloped nearly down to the ground, and the door was so low that the family had to creep in on their hands and knees, when they went in and out. There was no one at home but an old Lapland woman, who was cooking fish by the light of a train-oil lamp. The reindeer told her all about Gerda’s story, after having first told his own, which seemed to him the most important, but Gerda was so pinched with the cold that she could not speak. “Oh, you
poor things,” said the Lapland woman, “you have a long way to go yet. You must travel more than a hundred miles farther, to Finland. The Snow Queen lives there now, and she burns Bengal lights every evening. I will write a few words on a dried stock-fish, for I have no paper, and you can take it from me to the Finland woman who lives there; she can give you better information than I can.” So when Gerda was warmed, and had taken something to eat and drink, the woman wrote a few words on the dried fish, and told Gerda to take great care of it. Then she tied her again on the reindeer, and he set off at full speed. Flash, flash, went the beautiful blue northern lights in the air the whole night long. And at length they reached Finland, and knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman’s hut, for it had no door above the ground. They crept in, but it was so terribly hot inside that that woman wore scarcely any clothes; she was small and very dirty looking. She loosened little Gerda’s dress, and took off the fur boots and the mittens, or Gerda would have been unable to bear the heat; and then she placed a piece of ice on the reindeer’s head, and read what was written on the dried fish. After she had read it three times, she knew it by heart, so she popped the fish into the soup saucepan, as she knew it was good to eat, and she never wasted anything. The reindeer told his own story first, and then little Gerda’s, and the Finlander twinkled with her clever eyes, but she said nothing. “You are so clever,” said the reindeer; “I know you can tie all the winds of the world with a piece of twine. If a sailor unties one knot, he has a fair wind; when he unties the second, it blows hard; but if the third and fourth are loosened, then comes a storm, which will root up whole forests. Cannot you give this little maiden something which will make her as strong as twelve men, to overcome the Snow Queen?”
“The Power of twelve men!” said the Finland woman; “that would be of very little use.” But she went to a shelf and took down and unrolled a large skin, on which were inscribed wonderful characters, and she read till the perspiration ran down from her forehead. But the reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked at the Finland woman with such beseeching tearful eyes, that her own eyes began to twinkle again; so she drew the reindeer into a corner, and whispered to him while she laid a fresh piece of ice on his head, “Little Kay is really with the Snow Queen, but he finds everything there so much to his taste and his liking, that he believes it is the finest place in the world; but this is because he has a piece of broken glass in his heart, and a little piece of glass in his eye. These must be taken out, or he will never be a human being again, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.”
“But can you not give little Gerda something to help her to conquer this power?”
“I can give her no greater power than she has already,” said the woman; “don’t you see how strong that is? How men and animals are obliged to serve her, and how well she has got through the world, barefooted as she is. She cannot receive any power from me greater than she now has, which consists in her own purity and innocence of heart. If she cannot herself obtain access to the Snow Queen, and remove the glass fragments from little Kay, we can do nothing to help her. Two miles from here the Snow Queen’s garden begins; you can carry the little girl so far, and set her down by the large bush which stands in the snow, covered with red berries. Do not stay gossiping, but come back here as quickly as you can.” Then the Finland woman lifted little Gerda upon the reindeer, and he ran away with her as quickly as he could.
“Oh, I have forgotten my boots and my mittens,” cried little Gerda, as soon as she felt the cutting cold, but the reindeer dared not stop, so he ran on till he reached the bush with the red berries; here he set Gerda down, and he kissed her, and the great bright tears trickled over the animal’s cheeks; then he left her and ran back as fast as he could.
There stood poor Gerda, without shoes, without gloves, in the midst of cold, dreary, ice-bound Finland. She ran forwards as quickly as she could, when a whole regiment of snow-flakes came round her; they did not, however, fall from the sky, which was quite clear and glittering with the northern lights. The snow-flakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came to her, the larger they appeared. Gerda remembered how large and beautiful they looked through the burning-glass. But these were really larger, and much more terrible, for they were alive, and were the guards of the Snow Queen, and had the strangest shapes. Some were like great porcupines, others like twisted serpents with their heads stretching out, and some few were like little fat bears with their hair bristled; but all were dazzlingly white, and all were living snow-flakes. Then little Gerda repeated the Lord’s Prayer, and the cold was so great that she could see her own breath come out of her mouth like steam as she uttered the words. The steam appeared to increase, as she continued her prayer, till it took the shape of little angels who grew larger the moment they touched the earth. They all wore helmets on their heads, and carried spears and shields. Their number continued to increase more and more; and by the time Gerda had finished her prayers, a whole legion stood round her. They thrust their spears into the terrible snow-flakes, so that they shivered into a hundred pieces, and little Gerda could go forward with courage and safety. The angels stroked her hands and feet, so that she felt the cold less, and she hastened on to the Snow Queen’s castle.
But now we must see what Kay is doing. In truth he thought not of little Gerda, and never supposed she could be standing in the front of the palace.
Seventh Story:
Of the Palace of the Snow Queen and What Happened There At Last
THE walls of the palace were formed of drifted snow, and the windows and doors of the cutting winds. There were more than a hundred rooms in it, all as if they had been formed with snow blown together. The largest of them extended for several miles; they were all lighted up by the vivid light of the aurora, and they were so large and empty, so icy cold and glittering! There were no amusements here, not even a little bear’s ball, when the storm might have been the music, and the bears could have danced on their hind legs, and shown their good manners. There were no pleasant games of snap-dragon, or touch, or even a gossip over the tea-table, for the young-lady foxes. Empty, vast, and cold were the halls of the Snow Queen. The
flickering flame of the northern lights could be plainly seen, whether they rose high or low in the heavens, from every part of the castle. In the midst of its empty, endless hall of snow was a frozen lake, broken on its surface into a thousand forms; each piece resembled another, from being in itself perfect as a work of art, and in the centre of this lake sat the Snow Queen, when she was at home. She called the lake “The Mirror of Reason,” and said that it was the best, and indeed the only one in the world.
Little Kay was quite blue with cold, indeed almost black, but he did not feel it; for the Snow Queen had kissed away the icy shiverings, and his heart was already a lump of ice. He dragged some sharp, flat pieces of ice to and fro, and placed them together in all kinds of positions, as if he wished to make something out of them; just as we try to form various figures with little tablets of wood which we call “a Chinese puzzle.” Kay’s fingers were very artistic; it was the icy game of reason at which he played, and in his eyes the figures were very remarkable, and of the highest importance; this opinion was owing to the piece of glass still sticking in his eye. He composed many complete figures, forming different words, but there was one word he never could manage to form, although he wished it very much. It was the word “Eternity.” The Snow Queen had said to him, “When you can find out this, you shall be your own master, and I will give you the whole world and a new pair of skates.” But he could not accomplish it.
“Now I must hasten away to warmer countries,” said the Snow Queen. “I will go and look into the black craters of the tops of the burning mountains, Etna and Vesuvius, as they are called,—I shall make them look white, which will be good for them, and for the lemons and the grapes.” And away flew the Snow Queen, leaving little Kay quite alone in the great hall which was so many miles in length; so he sat and looked at his pieces of ice, and was thinking so deeply, and sat so still, that any one might have supposed he was frozen.
Just at this moment it happened that little Gerda came through the great door of the castle. Cutting winds were raging around her, but she offered up a prayer and the winds sank down as if they were going to sleep; and she went on till she came to the large empty hall, and caught sight of Kay; she knew him directly; she flew to him and threw her arms round his neck, and held him fast, while she exclaimed, “Kay, dear little Kay, I have found you at last.”
But he sat quite still, stiff and cold.
Then little Gerda wept hot tears, which fell on his breast, and penetrated into his heart, and thawed the lump of ice, and washed away the little piece of glass which had stuck there. Then he looked at her, and she sang—
“Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.”
Then Kay burst into tears, and he wept so that the splinter of glass swam out of his eye. Then he recognized Gerda, and said, joyfully, “Gerda, dear little Gerda, where have you been all this time, and where have I been?” And he looked all around him, and said, “How cold it is, and how large and empty it all looks,” and he clung to Gerda, and she laughed and wept for joy. It was so pleasing to see them that the pieces of ice even danced about; and when they were tired and went to lie down, they formed themselves into the letters of the word which the Snow Queen had said he must find out before he could be his own master, and have the whole world and a pair of new skates. Then Gerda kissed his cheeks, and they became blooming; and she kissed his eyes, and they shone like her own; she kissed his hands and his feet, and then he became quite healthy and cheerful. The Snow Queen might come home now when she pleased, for there stood his certainty of freedom, in the word she wanted, written in shining letters of ice.
Then they took each other by the hand, and went forth from the great palace of ice. They spoke of the grandmother, and of the roses on the roof, and as they went on the winds were at rest, and the sun burst forth. When they arrived at the bush with red berries, there stood the reindeer waiting for them, and he had brought another young reindeer with him, whose udders were full, and the children drank her warm milk and kissed her on the mouth. Then they carried Kay and Gerda first to the Finland woman, where they warmed themselves thoroughly in the hot room, and she gave them directions about their journey home. Next they went to the Lapland woman, who had made some new clothes for them, and put their sleighs in order. Both the reindeer ran by their side, and followed them as far as the boundaries of the country, where the first green leaves were budding. And here they took leave of the two reindeer and the Lapland woman, and all said—Farewell. Then the birds began to twter, and the forest too was full of green young leaves; and out of it came a beautiful horse, which Gerda remembered, for it was one which had drawn the golden coach. A young girl was riding upon it, with a shining red cap on her head, and pistols in her belt. It was the little robber-maiden, who had got tired of staying at home; she was going first to the north, and if that did not suit her, she meant to try some other part of the world. She knew Gerda directly, and Gerda remembered her: it was a joyful meeting.
“You are a fine fellow to go gadding about in this way,” said she to little Kay, “I should like to know whether you deserve that any one should go to the end of the world to find you.”
But Gerda patted her cheeks, and asked after the prince and princess.
“They are gone to foreign countries,” said the robber-girl.
“And the crow?” asked Gerda.
“Oh, the crow is dead,” she replied; “his tame sweetheart is now a widow, and wears a bit of black worsted round her leg. She mourns very pitifully, but it is all stuff. But now tell me how you managed to get him back.”
Then Gerda and Kay told her all about it.
“Snip, snap, snare! it’s all right at last,” said the robber-girl.
Then she took both their hands, and promised that if ever she should pass through the town, she would call and pay them a visit. And then she rode away into the wide world. But Gerda and Kay went hand-in-hand towards home; and as they advanced, spring appeared more lovely with its green verdure and its beautiful flowers. Very soon they recognized the large town where they lived, and the tall steeples of the churches, in which the sweet bells were ringing a merry peal as they entered it, and found their way to their grandmother’s door. They went upstairs into the little room, where all looked just as it used to do. The old clock was going “tick, tick,” and
the hands pointed to the time of day, but as they passed through the door into the room they perceived that they were both grown up, and become a man and woman. The roses out on the roof were in full bloom, and peeped in at the window; and there stood the little chairs, on which they had sat when children; and Kay and Gerda seated themselves each on their own chair, and held each other by the hand, while the cold empty grandeur of the Snow Queen’s palace vanished from their memories like a painful dream. The grandmother sat in God’s bright sunshine, and she read aloud from the Bible, “Except ye become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God.” And Kay and Gerda looked into each other’s eyes, and all at once understood the words of the old song,
“Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.”
And they both sat there, grown up, yet children at heart; and it was summer,—warm, beautiful summer.
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