ran, until she could run no longer. Then she sat down on a big stone
to rest.

"Why, it must be autumn," she said sorrowfully, as she looked around.
And little Gerda felt sorry that she had stayed so long in the magic
garden, where it was always summer.

"Why have I not been seeking little Kay?" she asked herself, and she
jumped up and trudged along, on and on, out into the great wide world.

* * *

At last the cold white winter came again, and still little Gerda was
wandering alone through the wide world, for she had not found little
Kay.

"Caw, caw," said a big raven that hopped on the stone in front of her.
"Caw, caw."

"Have you seen little Kay?" asked Gerda, and she told the bird her sad
story.

"It may have been Kay," said the raven, "I cannot tell. But if it was,
he will have forgotten you now that he lives with the princess."

"Does he live with a princess?" asked Gerda.

"Yes, he does. If you care to listen, I will tell you how it came about.
In this kingdom lives a princess so clever that she has read all the
newspapers in the world, and forgotten them again. Last winter she made
up her mind to marry. Her husband, she said, must speak well. He must
know the proper thing to say, and say it prettily. Otherwise she would
not marry. I assure you what I say is perfectly true, for I have a tame
sweetheart who lives at court, and she told me the whole story.

"One day it was published in the newspapers that any handsome young man
might go to the palace to speak to the princess. The one who spoke most
prettily and answered most wisely should be chosen as her husband. What
a stir there was! Young men flocked to the palace in crowds, chattering
as they came. But when they saw the great staircase, and the soldiers
in their silver uniform, and the grand ladies in velvet and lace, they
could only talk in whispers. And when they were led before the beautiful
princess, who was seated on a pearl as big as a spinning-wheel, they
were silent. She spoke to them, but they could think of nothing to say,
so they repeated her last words over and over again. The princess did
not like that, and she----"

"But Kay, little Kay, did he come?" interrupted Gerda.

"You are in too great a hurry," said the raven; "I am just coming to
that. On the third day came a boy with sparkling eyes and golden hair,
but his clothes were shabby. He----"

"Oh, that would be Kay. Dear, dear Kay, I have found him at last.