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Theydrovethroughthedarkwood;butthecarriageshonelikeatorch,anditdazzledtheeyesoftherobbers,sothattheycouldnotbeartolookatit.
"'Tisgold!'Tisgold!"theycried;andtheyrushedforward,seizedthehorses,knockeddownthelittlepostilion,thecoachman,andtheservants,andpulledlittleGerdaoutofthecarriage.
"Howplump,howbeautifulsheis!Shemusthavebeenfedonnut–kernels,"saidtheoldfemalerobber,whohadalong,scrubbybeard,andbushyeyebrowsthathungdownoverhereyes."Sheisasgoodasafattedlamb!Howniceshewillbe!"
Andthenshedrewoutaknife,thebladeofwhichshonesothatitwasquitedreadfultobehold.
"Oh!"criedthewomanatthesamemoment.
Shehadbeenbittenintheearbyherownlittledaughter,whohungatherback;andwhowassowildandunmanageable,thatitwasquiteamusingtoseeher."Younaughtychild!"
saidthemother:andnowshehadnottimetokillGerda.
"Sheshallplaywithme,"saidthelittlerobberchild.
"Sheshallgivemehermuff,andherprettyfrock;sheshallsleepinmybed!"
Andthenshegavehermotheranotherbite,sothatshejumped,andranroundwiththepain;andtheRobberslaughed,andsaid,"Look,howsheisdancingwiththelittleone!"
"Iwillgointothecarriage,"saidthelittlerobbermaiden;andshewouldhaveherwill,forshewasveryspoiledandveryheadstrong.
SheandGerdagotin;andthenawaytheydroveoverthestumpsoffelledtrees,deeperanddeeperintothewoods.
ThelittlerobbermaidenwasastallasGerda,butstronger,broader–shouldered,andofdarkcomplexion;hereyeswerequiteblack;theylookedalmostmelancholy.
SheembracedlittleGerda,andsaid,"TheyshallnotkillyouaslongasIamnotdispleasedwithyou.Youare,doubtless,aPrincess?"
"No,"saidlittleGerda;whothenrelatedallthathadhappenedtoher,andhowmuchshecaredaboutlittleKay.
Thelittlerobbermaidenlookedatherwithaseriousair,noddedherheadslightly,andsaid,"Theyshallnotkillyou,evenifIamangrywithyou:thenIwilldoitmyself";andshedriedGerda'seyes,andputbothherhandsinthehandsomemuff,whichwassosoftandwarm.
Atlengththecarriagestopped.Theywereinthemidstofthecourt–yardofarobber'scastle.
Itwasfullofcracksfromtoptobottom;andoutoftheopeningsmagpiesandrookswereflying;andthegreatbull–dogs,eachofwhichlookedasifhecouldswallowaman,jumpedup,buttheydidnotbark,forthatwasforbidden.
Inthemidstofthelarge,old,smokinghallburntagreatfireonthestonefloor.
Thesmokedisappearedunderthestones,andhadtoseekitsownegress.
Inanimmensecaldronsoupwasboiling;andrabbitsandhareswerebeingroastedonaspit.
"Youshallsleepwithmeto–night,withallmyanimals,"saidthelittlerobbermaiden.
Theyhadsomethingtoeatanddrink;andthenwentintoacorner,wherestrawandcarpetswerelying.
Besidethem,onlathsandperches,satnearlyahundredpigeons,allasleep,seemingly;butyettheymovedalittlewhentherobbermaidencame.
"Theyareallmine,"saidshe,atthesametimeseizingonethatwasnexttoherbythelegsandshakingitsothatitswingsfluttered.
"Kissit,"criedthelittlegirl,andflungthepigeoninGerda'sface.
"Upthereistherabbleofthewood,continuedshe,pointingtoseverallathswhichwerefastenedbeforeaholehighupinthewall;"that'stherabble;theywouldallflyawayimmediately,iftheywerenotwellfastenedin.
AndhereismydearoldBac";andshelaidholdofthehornsofareindeer,thathadabrightcopperringrounditsneck,andwastetheredtothespot.
"Weareobligedtolockthisfellowintoo,orhewouldmakehisescape.
EveryeveningIticklehisneckwithmysharpknife;heissofrightenedatit!"
andthelittlegirldrewforthalongknife,fromacrackinthewall,andletitglideovertheReindeer'sneck.
Thepooranimalkicked;thegirllaughed,andpulledGerdaintobedwithher.
"Doyouintendtokeepyourknifewhileyousleep?"askedGerda;lookingatitratherfearfully.
"Ialwayssleepwiththeknife,"saidthelittlerobbermaiden."Thereisnoknowingwhatmayhappen.
Buttellmenow,oncemore,allaboutlittleKay;andwhyyouhavestartedoffinthewideworldalone."
AndGerdarelatedall,fromtheverybeginning:theWood–pigeonscooedaboveintheircage,andtheothersslept.
ThelittlerobbermaidenwoundherarmroundGerda'sneck,heldtheknifeintheotherhand,andsnoredsoloudthateverybodycouldhearher;butGerdacouldnotclosehereyes,forshedidnotknowwhethershewastoliveordie.
Therobberssatroundthefire,sanganddrank;andtheoldfemalerobberjumpedaboutso,thatitwasquitedreadfulforGerdatoseeher.
ThentheWood–pigeonssaid,"Coo!CoolWehaveseenlittleKay!
Awhitehencarrieshissledge;hehimselfsatinthecarriageoftheSnowQueen,whopassedhere,downjustoverthewood,aswelayinournest.
Sheblewuponusyoungones;andalldiedexceptwetwo.Coo!Coo!"
"Whatisthatyousayupthere?"criedlittleGerda."WheredidtheSnowQueengoto?Doyouknowanythingaboutit?"
"SheisnodoubtgonetoLapland;forthereisalwayssnowandicethere.OnlyasktheReindeer,whoistetheredthere."
"Iceandsnowisthere!Thereitis,gloriousandbeautiful!"saidtheReindeer.
"Onecanspringaboutinthelargeshiningvalleys!
TheSnowQueenhashersummer–tentthere;butherfixedabodeishighuptowardstheNorthPole,ontheIslandcalledSpitzbergen."
"Oh,Kay!PoorlittleKay!"sighedGerda.
"Doyouchoosetobequiet?"saidtherobbermaiden."Ifyoudon't,Ishallmakeyou."
InthemorningGerdatoldherallthattheWood–pigeonshadsaid;andthelittlemaidenlookedveryserious,butshenoddedherhead,andsaid,"That'snomatter–that'snomatter.DoyouknowwhereLaplandlies!"sheaskedoftheReindeer.
"WhoshouldknowbetterthanI?"saidtheanimal;andhiseyesrolledinhishead."Iwasbornandbredthere—thereIleaptaboutonthefieldsofsnow.
"Listen,"saidtherobbermaidentoGerda.
"Youseethatthemenaregone;butmymotherisstillhere,andwillremain.
However,towardsmorningshetakesadraughtoutofthelargeflask,andthenshesleepsalittle:thenIwilldosomethingforyou."
Shenowjumpedoutofbed,flewtohermother;withherarmsroundherneck,andpullingherbythebeard,said,"Goodmorrow,myownsweetnanny–goatofamother."
Andhermothertookholdofhernose,andpinchedittillitwasredandblue;butthiswasalldoneoutofpurelove.
Whenthemotherhadtakenasupatherflask,andwashavinganap,thelittlerobbermaidenwenttotheReindeer,andsaid,"Ishouldverymuchliketogiveyoustillmanyaticklingwiththesharpknife,forthenyouaresoamusing;however,Iwilluntetheryou,andhelpyouout,sothatyoumaygobacktoLapland.
Butyoumustmakegooduseofyourlegs;andtakethislittlegirlformetothepalaceoftheSnowQueen,whereherplayfellowis.
Youhaveheard,Isuppose,allshesaid;forshespokeloudenough,andyouwerelistening."
TheReindeergaveaboundforjoy.TherobbermaidenlifteduplittleGerda,andtooktheprecautiontobindherfastontheReindeer'sback;sheevengaveherasmallcushiontositon.
"Hereareyourworstedleggins,foritwillbecold;butthemuffIshallkeepformyself,foritissoverypretty.ButIdonotwishyoutobecold.
Hereisapairoflinedglovesofmymother's;theyjustreachuptoyourelbow.Onwiththem!
Nowyoulookaboutthehandsjustlikemyuglyoldmother!"
AndGerdaweptforjoy.
"Ican'tbeartoseeyoufretting,"saidthelittlerobbermaiden.
"Thisisjustthetimewhenyououghttolookpleased.
Herearetwoloavesandahamforyou,sothatyouwon'tstarve."
ThebreadandthemeatwerefastenedtotheReindeer'sback;thelittlemaidenopenedthedoor,calledinallthedogs,andthenwithherknifecuttheropethatfastenedtheanimal,andsaidtohim,"Now,offwithyou;buttakegoodcareofthelittlegirl!"
AndGerdastretchedoutherhandswiththelargewaddedglovestowardstherobbermaiden,andsaid,"Farewell!"
andtheReindeerflewonoverbushandbramblethroughthegreatwood,overmoorandheath,asfastashecouldgo.
"Ddsa!Ddsa!"washeardinthesky.Itwasjustasifsomebodywassneezing.
"Thesearemyoldnorthern–lights,"saidtheReindeer,"lookhowtheygleam!
Andonhenowspedstillquicker—dayandnightonhewent:theloaveswereconsumed,andthehamtoo;andnowtheywereinLapland.
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