the Princess; and you could read in them that every
good-looking young man was free to come to the palace and speak to the
Princess; and he who spoke in such wise as showed he felt himself at
home there, and talked best, that one the Princess would choose for
her husband.

"Yes--yes," said the Crow, "you may believe it; it is as true as I am
sitting here. People came in crowds; there was a crush and a hurry, but
no one had good luck either on the first or second day. They could all
talk well enough when they were out in the street; but as soon as they
came inside the palace gates, and saw the guard richly dressed in
silver, and the lackeys in gold, on the staircase, and the large lighted
halls, then they were dumb; and when they stood before the throne on
which the Princess was sitting, all they could do was to repeat the last
word she had said, and she didn't care to hear that again. It was just
as if the people within were under a charm, and had fallen into a trance
till they came out again into the street; for then--oh, then they could
chatter enough. There was a whole row of them from the town gates to the
palace. I was there myself to look on," said the Crow. "They grew hungry
and thirsty; but from the palace they got not so much as a glass of
water. Some of the cleverest, it is true, had taken bread and butter
with them; but none shared it with his neighbor, for each thought, 'Let
him look hungry, and then the Princess won't have him.'"

"But Kay--little Kay," asked Gerda, "when did he come? Was he among the
number?"

"Give me time! give me time! we are coming to him. It was on the third
day, when a little personage, without horse or carriage, came marching
right boldly up to the palace; his eyes shone like yours, he had
beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very shabby."

"That was Kay," cried Gerda, with a voice of delight. "Oh, now I've
found him!" and she clapped her hands.

"He had a little knapsack at his back," said the Crow.

"No, that was certainly his sled," said Gerda; "for he went away with
his sled."

"That may be," said the Crow; "I did not see him close to; but I know
from my tame sweetheart that when he came into the courtyard of the
palace, and saw the body-guard in silver, and the lackeys on the
staircase in gold, he was not in the least cast down; he nodded and said
to them, 'It must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs; for my part,
I shall go in.' The halls were bright with lig