ette, who was as charming as
the early spring; the spring that makes the birds sing, that will
bring the summer time and the wedding day.

"How can they sit there and hang over each other," exclaimed the
parlour-cat, "I am really tired of their eternal mewing!"

IX.

THE ICE-MAIDEN.

The early spring time had unfolded the green leaves of the walnut and
chestnut trees; they were remarkably luxuriant from the bridge of St.
Maurice to the banks of the lake of Geneva.

The Rhone, which rushes forth from its source, has under the green
glacier the palace of the Ice-Maiden. She is carried by it and the
sharp wind to the elevated snow-fields, where she extends herself on
her damp cushions in the brilliant sunshine. There she sits and gazes,
with far-seeing sight, upon the valley where mortals busily move about
like so many ants.

"Beings endowed with mental powers, as the children of the Sun, call
you," said the Ice-Maiden--"ye are worms! _One_ snow-ball rolled and
you and your houses and towns are crushed and swept away!" She raised
her proud head still higher and looked with death-beaming eyes far
around and below her. From the valley resounded a rumbling, a blasting
of rocks, men were making railways and tunnels. "They are playing like
moles," said she, "they excavate passages, and a noise is made like
the firing of a gun. When I transpose _my_ castles, it roars louder
than the rolling of the thunder!"

A smoke arose from the valley and moved along like a floating veil,
like a waving plume; it was the locomotive which led the train over
the newly built railroad--this crooked snake, whose limbs are formed
of cars upon cars. It shot along with the speed of an arrow.

"They are playing the masters with their mental powers," said the
Ice-Maiden, "but the powers of nature are the ruling ones!" and she
laughed and her laugh was echoed in the valley.

"Now an avalanche is rolling!" said the men below.

Still more loudly sang the children of the Sun; they sang of the
"thoughts" of men which fetter the sea to the yoke, cut down mountains
and fill up valleys; of human thoughts which rule the powers of
nature. At this moment, a company of travellers crossed the snow-field
where the Maiden sat; they had bound themselves firmly together with
ropes, in order to form a large body on the smooth ice-field by the
deep abyss.

"Worms!" said she, "as if you were lords of creation!" She turned from
them and looked mocking