little Gerda, grandmother, and all whom he had
left at his home.

"Now you will have no more kisses," said she, "or else I should kiss you
to death!"

Kay looked at her. She was very beautiful; a more clever, or a more
lovely countenance he could not fancy to himself; and she no longer
appeared of ice as before, when she sat outside the window, and beckoned
to him; in his eyes she was perfect, he did not fear her at all, and
told her that he could calculate in his head and with fractions, even;
that he knew the number of square miles there were in the different
countries, and how many inhabitants they contained; and she smiled while
he spoke. It then seemed to him as if what he knew was not enough, and
he looked upwards in the large huge empty space above him, and on she
flew with him; flew high over the black clouds, while the storm moaned
and whistled as though it were singing some old tune. On they flew
over woods and lakes, over seas, and many lands; and beneath them the
chilling storm rushed fast, the wolves howled, the snow crackled; above
them flew large screaming crows, but higher up appeared the moon, quite
large and bright; and it was on it that Kay gazed during the long long
winter's night; while by day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen.

THIRD STORY. Of the Flower-Garden At the Old Woman's Who Understood
Witchcraft

But what became of little Gerda when Kay did not return? Where could he
be? Nobody knew; nobody could give any intelligence. All the boys knew
was, that they had seen him tie his sledge to another large and splendid
one, which drove down the street and out of the town. Nobody knew
where he was; many sad tears were shed, and little Gerda wept long and
bitterly; at last she said he must be dead; that he had been drowned in
the river which flowed close to the town. Oh! those were very long and
dismal winter evenings!

At last spring came, with its warm sunshine.

"Kay is dead and gone!" said little Gerda.

"That I don't believe," said the Sunshine.

"Kay is dead and gone!" said she to the Swallows.

"That I don't believe," said they: and at last little Gerda did not
think so any longer either.

"I'll put on my red shoes," said she, one morning; "Kay has never seen
them, and then I'll go down to the river and ask there."

It was quite early; she kissed her old grandmother, who was still
asleep, put on her red shoes, and went alone to the river.

"Is it true that you have taken m