Stories from Hans Andersen | Page 4

in
them; they are perfect, if only they would not melt.'
Shortly after, he appeared in his thick gloves, with his sledge on his
back. He shouted right into Gerda's ear, 'I have got leave to drive in the
big square where the other boys play!' and away he went.
In the big square the bolder boys used to tie their little sledges to the
farm carts and go a long way in this fashion. They had no end of fun
over it. Just in the middle of their games a big sledge came along; it
was painted white, and the occupant wore a white fur coat and cap. The
sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay quickly tied his sledge on
behind. Then off they went, faster, and faster, into the next street. The
driver turned round and nodded to Kay in the most friendly way, just as
if they knew each other. Every time Kay wanted to loose his sledge the
person nodded again, and Kay stayed where he was, and they drove
right out through the town gates. Then the snow began to fall so heavily
that the little boy could not see a hand before him as they rushed along.
He undid the cords and tried to get away from the big sledge, but it was
no use, his little sledge stuck fast, and on they rushed, faster than the
wind. He shouted aloud, but nobody heard him, and the sledge tore on
through the snow-drifts. Every now and then it gave a bound, as if they
were jumping over hedges and ditches. He was very frightened, and he
wanted to say his prayers, but he could only remember the
multiplication tables.
The snow-flakes grew bigger and bigger, till at last they looked like big
white chickens. All at once they sprang on one side, the big sledge
stopped and the person who drove got up, coat and cap smothered in
snow. It was a tall and upright lady all shining white, the Snow Queen
herself.

'We have come along at a good pace,' she said; 'but it's cold enough to
kill one; creep inside my bearskin coat.'
She took him into the sledge by her, wrapped him in her furs, and he
felt as if he were sinking into a snowdrift.
'Are you still cold?' she asked, and she kissed him on the forehead. Ugh!
it was colder than ice, it went to his very heart, which was already more
than half ice; he felt as if he were dying, but only for a moment, and
then it seemed to have done him good; he no longer felt the cold.
'My sledge! don't forget my sledge!' He only remembered it now; it was
tied to one of the white chickens which flew along behind them. The
Snow Queen kissed Kay again, and then he forgot all about little Gerda,
Grandmother, and all the others at home.
'Now I mustn't kiss you any more,' she said, 'or I should kiss you to
death!'
Kay looked at her, she was so pretty; a cleverer, more beautiful face
could hardly be imagined. She did not seem to be made of ice now, as
she was outside the window when she waved her hand to him. In his
eyes she was quite perfect, and he was not a bit afraid of her; he told
her that he could do mental arithmetic, as far as fractions, and that he
knew the number of square miles and the number of inhabitants of the
country. She always smiled at him, and he then thought that he surely
did not know enough, and he looked up into the wide expanse of
heaven, into which they rose higher and higher as she flew with him on
a dark cloud, while the storm surged around them, the wind ringing in
their ears like well-known old songs.
They flew over woods and lakes, over oceans and islands; the cold
wind whistled down below them, the wolves howled, the black crows
flew screaming over the sparkling snow, but up above, the moon shone
bright and clear--and Kay looked at it all the long, long winter nights;
in the day he slept at the Snow Queen's feet.
STORY THREE

THE GARDEN OF THE WOMAN LEARNED IN MAGIC
[Illustration: Then an old, old woman came out of the house; she was
leaning upon a big, hooked stick, and she wore a big sun hat, which
was covered with beautiful painted flowers.]
But how was little Gerda getting on all this long time since Kay left her?
Where could he be? Nobody knew, nobody could say anything about
him. All that the other boys knew was, that they had seen him tie his
little sledge to a splendid big one which