ere quite black; they looked almost melancholy. She embraced
little Gerda, and said, "They shall not kill you as long as I am not
displeased with you. You are, doubtless, a Princess?"

"No," said little Gerda; who then related all that had happened to her,
and how much she cared about little Kay.

The little robber maiden looked at her with a serious air, nodded her
head slightly, and said, "They shall not kill you, even if I am angry
with you: then I will do it myself"; and she dried Gerda's eyes, and put
both her hands in the handsome muff, which was so soft and warm.

At length the carriage stopped. They were in the midst of the court-yard
of a robber's castle. It was full of cracks from top to bottom; and out
of the openings magpies and rooks were flying; and the great bull-dogs,
each of which looked as if he could swallow a man, jumped up, but they
did not bark, for that was forbidden.

In the midst of the large, old, smoking hall burnt a great fire on the
stone floor. The smoke disappeared under the stones, and had to seek
its own egress. In an immense caldron soup was boiling; and rabbits and
hares were being roasted on a spit.

"You shall sleep with me to-night, with all my animals," said the little
robber maiden. They had something to eat and drink; and then went into
a corner, where straw and carpets were lying. Beside them, on laths and
perches, sat nearly a hundred pigeons, all asleep, seemingly; but yet
they moved a little when the robber maiden came. "They are all mine,"
said she, at the same time seizing one that was next to her by the legs
and shaking it so that its wings fluttered. "Kiss it," cried the little
girl, and flung the pigeon in Gerda's face. "Up there is the rabble of
the wood," continued she, pointing to several laths which were fastened
before a hole high up in the wall; "that's the rabble; they would all
fly away immediately, if they were not well fastened in. And here is my
dear old Bac"; and she laid hold of the horns of a reindeer, that had a
bright copper ring round its neck, and was tethered to the spot. "We are
obliged to lock this fellow in too, or he would make his escape. Every
evening I tickle his neck with my sharp knife; he is so frightened at
it!" and the little girl drew forth a long knife, from a crack in the
wall, and let it glide over the Reindeer's neck. The poor animal kicked;
the girl laughed, and pulled Gerda into bed with her.

"Do you intend to keep your knife w