English
Thewallsofthepalacewereofdrivingsnow,andthewindowsanddoorsofcuttingwinds.
Thereweremorethanahundredhallsthere,accordingasthesnowwasdrivenbythewinds.
Thelargestwasmanymilesinextent;allwerelightedupbythepowerfulAuroraBorealis,andallweresolarge,soempty,soicycold,andsoresplendent!
Mirthneverreignedthere;therewasneverevenalittlebear–ball,withthestormformusic,whilethepolarbearswentontheirhindlegsandshowedofftheirsteps.
Neveralittletea–partyofwhiteyoungladyfoxes;vast,cold,andemptywerethehallsoftheSnowQueen.
Thenorthern–lightsshonewithsuchprecisionthatonecouldtellexactlywhentheywereattheirhighestorlowestdegreeofbrightness.
Inthemiddleoftheempty,endlesshallofsnow,wasafrozenlake;itwascrackedinathousandpieces,buteachpiecewassoliketheother,thatitseemedtheworkofacunningartificer.
InthemiddleofthislakesattheSnowQueenwhenshewasathome;andthenshesaidshewassittingintheMirrorofUnderstanding,andthatthiswastheonlyoneandthebestthingintheworld.
LittleKaywasquiteblue,yesnearlyblackwithcold;buthedidnotobserveit,forshehadkissedawayallfeelingofcoldfromhisbody,andhisheartwasalumpofice.
Hewasdraggingalongsomepointedflatpiecesofice,whichhelaidtogetherinallpossibleways,forhewantedtomakesomethingwiththem;justaswehavelittleflatpiecesofwoodtomakegeometricalfigureswith,calledtheChinesePuzzle.
Kaymadeallsortsoffigures,themostcomplicated,foritwasanice–puzzlefortheunderstanding.
Inhiseyesthefigureswereextraordinarilybeautiful,andoftheutmostimportance;forthebitofglasswhichwasinhiseyecausedthis.
Hefoundwholefigureswhichrepresentedawrittenword;buthenevercouldmanagetorepresentjustthewordhewanted—thatwordwas"eternity";andtheSnowQueenhadsaid,"Ifyoucandiscoverthatfigure,youshallbeyourownmaster,andIwillmakeyouapresentofthewholeworldandapairofnewskates."Buthecouldnotfinditout.
"amgoingnowtowarmlands,"saidtheSnowQueen.
"Imusthavealookdownintotheblackcaldrons."
ItwasthevolcanoesVesuviusandEtnathatshemeant.
"Iwilljustgivethemacoatingofwhite,forthatisasitoughttobe;besides,itisgoodfortheorangesandthegrapes."
Andthenawaysheflew,andKaysatquitealoneintheemptyhallsoficethatweremileslong,andlookedattheblocksofice,andthoughtandthoughttillhisskullwasalmostcracked.
Therehesatquitebenumbedandmotionless;onewouldhaveimaginedhewasfrozentodeath.
SuddenlylittleGerdasteppedthroughthegreatportalintothepalace.
Thegatewasformedofcuttingwinds;butGerdarepeatedhereveningprayer,andthewindswerelaidasthoughtheyslept;andthelittlemaidenenteredthevast,empty,coldhalls.
ThereshebeheldKay:sherecognisedhim,flewtoembracehim,andcriedout,herarmsfirmlyholdinghimthewhile,"Kay,sweetlittleKay!HaveIthenfoundyouatlast?"
Buthesatquitestill,benumbedandcold.
ThenlittleGerdashedburningtears;andtheyfellonhisbosom,theypenetratedtohisheart,theythawedthelumpsofice,andconsumedthesplintersofthelooking–glass;helookedather,andshesangthehymn:
"Theroseinthevalleyisbloomingsosweet,Andangelsdescendtherethechildrentogreet."
HereuponKayburstintotears;heweptsomuchthatthesplinterrolledoutofhiseye,andherecognisedher,andshouted,"Gerda,sweetlittleGerda!Wherehaveyoubeensolong?AndwherehaveIbeen?"Helookedroundhim."Howcolditishere!"saidhe."Howemptyandcold!"
AndheheldfastbyGerda,wholaughedandweptforjoy.
Itwassobeautiful,thateventheblocksoficedancedaboutforjoy;andwhentheyweretiredandlaidthemselvesdown,theyformedexactlytheletterswhichtheSnowQueenhadtoldhimtofindout;sonowhewashisownmaster,andhewouldhavethewholeworldandapairofnewskatesintothebargain.
Gerdakissedhischeeks,andtheygrewquiteblooming;shekissedhiseyes,andtheyshonelikeherown;shekissedhishandsandfeet,andhewasagainwellandmerry.
TheSnowQueenmightcomebackassoonassheliked;therestoodhisdischargewritteninresplendentmassesofice.
Theytookeachotherbythehand,andwanderedforthoutofthelargehall;theytalkedoftheiroldgrandmother,andoftherosesupontheroof;andwherevertheywent,thewindsceasedraging,andthesunburstforth.
Andwhentheyreachedthebushwiththeredberries,theyfoundtheReindeerwaitingforthem.
Hehadbroughtanother,ayoungone,withhim,whoseudderwasfilledwithmilk,whichhegavetothelittleones,andkissedtheirlips.
TheythencarriedKayandGerda—firsttotheFinlandwoman,wheretheywarmedthemselvesinthewarmroom,andlearnedwhattheyweretodoontheirjourneyhome;andtheywenttotheLaplandwoman,whomadesomenewclothesforthemandrepairedtheirsledges.
TheReindeerandtheyounghindleapedalongbesidethem,andaccompaniedthemtotheboundaryofthecountry.
Herethefirstvegetationpeepedforth;hereKayandGerdatookleaveoftheLaplandwoman."Farewell!Farewell!"theyallsaid.
Andthefirstgreenbudsappeared,thefirstlittlebirdsbegantochirrup;andoutofthewoodcame,ridingonamagnificenthorse,whichGerdaknew(itwasoneoftheleadersinthegoldencarriage),ayoungdamselwithabright–redcaponherhead,andarmedwithpistols.
Itwasthelittlerobbermaiden,who,tiredofbeingathome,haddeterminedtomakeajourneytothenorth;andafterwardsinanotherdirection,ifthatdidnotpleaseher.
SherecognisedGerdaimmediately,andGerdaknewhertoo.Itwasajoyfulmeeting.
"Youareafinefellowfortrampingabout,"saidshetolittleKay;"Ishouldliketoknow,faith,ifyoudeservethatoneshouldrunfromoneendoftheworldtotheotherforyoursake?"
ButGerdapattedhercheeks,andinquiredforthePrinceandPrincess.
"Theyaregoneabroad,"saidtheother.
"ButtheRaven?"askedlittleGerda.
"Oh!TheRavenisdead,"sheanswered.
"Histamesweetheartisawidow,andwearsabitofblackworstedroundherleg;shelamentsmostpiteously,butit'sallmeretalkandstuff!
Nowtellmewhatyou'vebeendoingandhowyoumanagedtocatchhim."
AndGerdaandKaybothtoldtheirstory.
And"Schnipp–schnapp–schnurre–basselurre,"saidtherobbermaiden;andshetookthehandsofeach,andpromisedthatifsheshouldsomedaypassthroughthetownwheretheylived,shewouldcomeandvisitthem;andthenawaysherode.
KayandGerdatookeachother'shand:itwaslovelyspringweather,withabundanceofflowersandofverdure.
Thechurch–bellsrang,andthechildrenrecognisedthehightowers,andthelargetown;itwasthatinwhichtheydwelt.
Theyenteredandhasteneduptotheirgrandmother'sroom,whereeverythingwasstandingasformerly.Theclocksaid"tick!tack!"
andthefingermovedround;butastheyentered,theyremarkedthattheywerenowgrownup.
Therosesontheleadshungbloominginattheopenwindow;therestoodthelittlechildren'schairs,andKayandGerdasatdownonthem,holdingeachotherbythehand;theybothhadforgottenthecoldemptysplendoroftheSnowQueen,asthoughithadbeenadream.
Thegrandmothersatinthebrightsunshine,andreadaloudfromtheBible:"Unlessyebecomeaslittlechildren,yecannotenterthekingdomofheaven."
AndKayandGerdalookedineachother'seyes,andallatoncetheyunderstoodtheoldhymn:
"Theroseinthevalleyisbloomingsosweet,Andangelsdescendtherethechildrentogreet."
Theresatthetwogrown–uppersons;grown–up,andyetchildren;childrenatleastinheart;anditwassummer–time;summer,glorioussummer!
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