, are you still warm? Are you still warm, little love?'

And the poor girl was so stiff and numb that she could just gasp, 'Still
warm, O King!'

Now her gentle, courteous words and her uncomplaining ways touched
King Frost, and he had pity on her, and he wrapped her up in furs, and
covered her with blankets, and he fetched a great box, in which were
beautiful jewels and a rich robe embroidered in gold and silver. And she
put it on, and looked more lovely than ever, and King Frost stepped with
her into his sledge, with six white horses.

In the meantime the wicked step-mother was waiting at home for news of
the girl's death, and preparing pancakes for the funeral feast. And she
said to her husband: 'Old man, you had better go out into the fields and
find your daughter's body and bury her.' Just as the old man was leaving
the house the little dog under the table began to bark, saying:

'YOUR daughter shall live to be your delight;
HER daughter shall die this very night.'

'Hold your tongue, you foolish beast!' scolded the woman. 'There's a
pancake for you, but you must say:

"HER daughter shall have much silver and gold;
HIS daughter is frozen quite stiff and cold."'

But the doggie ate up the pancake and barked, saying:

'His daughter shall wear a crown on her head;
Her daughter shall die unwooed, unwed.'

Then the old woman tried to coax the doggie with more pancakes and
to terrify it with blows, but he barked on, always repeating the same
words. And suddenly the door creaked and flew open, and a great heavy
chest was pushed in, and behind it came the step-daughter, radiant and
beautiful, in a dress all glittering with silver and gold. For a moment
the step-mother's eyes were dazzled. Then she called to her husband:
'Old man, yoke the horses at once into the sledge, and take my daughter
to the same field and leave her on the same spot exactly; 'and so the
old man took the girl and left her beneath the same tree where he had
parted from his daughter. In a few minutes King Frost came past, and,
looking at the girl, he said:

'Are you warm, maiden?'

'What a blind old fool you must be to ask such a question!' she answered
angrily. 'Can't you see that my hands and feet are nearly frozen?'

Then King Frost sprang to and fro in front of her, questioning her, and
getting only rude, rough words in reply, till at last he got very angry,
and cracked his fingers, and gnashed his te