安徒生童话-第213章

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shethought　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　theroses；　and　looked　at　the　bright　sunshine；　and　spoke　to　it　as　if　theChrist…child　were　there。　Those　were　splendid　summer　days。　Howbeautiful　and　fresh　it　was　out　among　the　rose…bushes；　which　seemedas　if　they　would　never　leave　off　blooming。　One　day　Kay　and　Gerda　satlooking　at　a　book　full　of　pictures　of　animals　and　birds；　and　then　justas　the　clock　in　the　church　tower　struck　twelve；　Kay　said；　〃Oh；something　has　struck　my　heart！〃　and　soon　after；　〃There　is　something　inmy　eye。〃

The　little　girl　put　her　arm　round　his　neck；　and　looked　into　hiseye；　but　she　could　see　nothing。

〃I　think　it　is　gone；〃　he　said。　But　it　was　not　gone；　it　was　oneof　those　bits　of　the　looking…glass…　that　magic　mirror；　of　which　wehave　spoken…　the　ugly　glass　which　made　everything　great　and　goodappear　small　and　ugly；　while　all　that　was　wicked　and　bad　became　morevisible；　and　every　little　fault　could　be　plainly　seen。　Poor　little　Kayhad　also　received　a　small　grain　in　his　heart；　which　very　quicklyturned　to　a　lump　of　ice。　He　felt　no　more　pain；　but　the　glass　was　therestill。　〃Why　do　you　cry？〃　said　he　at　last；　〃it　makes　you　look　ugly。There　is　nothing　the　matter　with　me　now。　Oh；　see！〃　he　criedsuddenly；　〃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　tworoses。

〃Kay；　what　are　you　doing？〃　cried　the　little　girl；　and　then；　whenhe　saw　how　frightened　she　was；　he　tore　off　another　rose；　and　jumpedthrough　his　own　window　away　from　little　Gerda。

When　she　afterwards　brought　out　the　picture　book；　he　said；　〃It　wasonly　fit　for　babies　in　long　clothes；〃　and　when　grandmother　told　anystories；　he　would　interrupt　her　with　〃but；〃　or；　when　he　could　manageit；　he　would　get　behind　her　chair；　put　on　a　pair　of　spectacles；　andimitate　her　very　cleverly；　to　make　people　laugh。　By…and…by　he　began　tomimic　the　speech　and　gait　of　persons　in　the　street。　All　that　waspeculiar　or　disagreeable　in　a　person　he　would　imitate　directly；　andpeople　said；　〃That　boy　will　be　very　clever；　he　has　a　remarkablegenius。〃　But　it　was　the　piece　of　glass　in　his　eye；　and　the　coldness　inhis　heart；　that　made　him　act　like　this。　He　would　even　tease　littleGerda；　who　loved　him　with　all　her　heart。　His　games；　too；　were　quitedifferent；　they　were　not　so　childish。　One　winter's　day；　when　itsnowed；　he　brought　out　a　burning…glass；　then　he　held　out　the　tail　ofhis　blue　coat；　and　let　the　snow…flakes　fall　upon　it。　〃Look　in　thisglass；　Gerda；〃　said　he；　and　she　saw　how　every　flake　of　snow　wasmagnified；　and　looked　like　a　beautiful　flower　or　a　glittering　star。〃Is　it　not　clever？〃　said　Kay；　〃and　much　more　interesting　thanlooking　at　real　flowers。　There　is　not　a　single　fault　in　it；　and　thesnow…flakes　are　quite　perfect　till　they　begin　to　melt。〃

Soon　after　Kay　made　his　appearance　in　large　thick　gloves；　and　withhis　sledge　at　his　back。　He　called　up　stairs　to　Gerda；　〃I've　got　toleave　to　go　into　the　great　square；　where　the　other　boys　play　andride。〃　And　away　he　went。

In　the　great　square；　the　boldest　among　the　boys　would　often　tietheir　sledges　to　the　country　people's　carts；　and　go　with　them　a　goodway。　This　was　capital。　But　while　they　were　all　amusing　themselves；　andKay　with　them；　a　great　sledge　came　by；　it　was　painted　white；　and　in　itsat　some　one　wrapped　in　a　rough　white　fur；　and　wearing　a　white　cap。The　sledge　drove　twice　round　the　square；　and　Kay　fastened　his　ownlittle　sledge　to　it；　so　that　when　it　went　away；　he　followed　with　it。It　went　faster　and　faster　right　through　the　next　street；　and　thenthe　person　who　drove　turned　round　and　nodded　pleasantly　to　Kay；　justas　if　they　were　acquainted　with　each　other；　but　whenever　Kay　wished　toloosen　his　little　sledge　the　driver　nodded　again；　so　Kay　sat　still；and　they　drove　out　through　the　town　gate。　Then　the　snow　began　tofall　so　heavily　that　the　little　boy　could　not　see　a　hand's　breadthbefore　him；　but　still　they　drove　on；　then　he　suddenly　loosened　thecord　so　that　the　large　sled　might　go　on　without　him；　but　it　was　ofno　use；　his　little　carriage　held　fast；　and　away　they　went　like　thewind。　Then　he　called　out　loudly；　but　nobody　heard　him；　while　thesnow　beat　upon　him；　and　the　sledge　flew　onwards。　Every　now　and　then　itgave　a　jump　as　if　it　were　going　over　hedges　and　ditches。　The　boy　wasfrightened；　and　tried　to　say　a　prayer；　but　he　could　remember　nothingbut　the　multiplication　table。

The　snow…flakes　became　larger　and　larger；　till　they　appearedlike　great　white　chickens。　All　at　once　they　sprang　on　one　side；　thegreat　sledge　stopped；　and　the　person　who　had　driven　it　rose　up。　Thefur　and　the　cap；　which　were　made　entirely　of　snow；　fell　off；　and　hesaw　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　sinkinginto　a　snow　drift。

〃Are　you　still　cold；〃　she　asked；　as　she　kissed　him　on　theforehead。　The　kiss　was　colder　than　ice；　it　went　quite　through　to　hisheart；　which　was　already　almost　a　lump　of　ice；　he　felt　as　if　he　weregoing　to　die；　but　only　for　a　moment；　he　soon　seemed　quite　wellagain；　and　did　not　notice　the　cold　around　him。

〃My　sledge！　don't　forget　my　sledge；〃　was　his　first　thought；　andthen　he　looked　and　saw　that　it　was　bound　fast　to　one　of　the　whitechickens；　which　flew　behind　him　with　the　sledge　at　its　back。　TheSnow　Queen　kissed　little　Kay　again；　and　by　this　time　he　hadforgotten　little　Gerda；　his　grandmother；　and　all　at　home。

〃Now　you　must　have　no　more　kisses；〃　she　said；　〃or　I　should　kissyou　to　death。〃

Kay　looked　at　her；　and　saw　that　she　was　so　beautiful；　he　could　notimagine　a　more　lovely　and　intelligent　face；　she　did　not　now　seem　to　bemade　of　ice；　as　when　he　had　seen　her　through　his　window；　and　she　hadnodded　to　him。　In　his　eyes　she　was　perfect；　and　she　did　not　feel　atall　afraid。　He　told　her　he　could　do　mental　arithmetic；　as　far　asfractions；　and　that　he　knew　the　number　of　square　miles　and　thenumber　of　inhabitants　in　the　country。　And　she　always　smiled　so　that　hethought　he　did　not　know　enough　yet；　and　she　looked　round　the　vastexpanse　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　roaredthe　wild　wind；　the　wolves　howled　and　the　snow　crackled；　over　them　flewthe　black　screaming　crows；　and　above　all　shone　the　moon；　clear　andbright；…　and　so　Kay　passed　through　the　long　winter's　night；　and　by　dayhe　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　beeof　him；　no　one　knew；　nor　could　any　one　give　the　slightest　information；excepting　the　boys；　who　said　that　he　had　tied　his　sledge　to　anothervery　large　one；　which　had　driven　through　the　street；　and　out　at　thetown　gate。　Nobody　knew　where　it　went；　many　tears　were　shed　for　him；and　little　Gerda　w