nter they came to a big wood
they determined to stay there till spring. The Fire-son built himself
a hut where he always kept up a huge fire, while his sister with very
few clothes on stayed outside night and day. Now it happened one day
that the King of the land held a hunt in this wood, and saw the
Snow-daughter wandering about in the open air. He wondered very much
who the beautiful girl clad in such garments could be, and he stopped
and spoke to her. He soon learnt that she could not stand heat, and
that her brother could not endure cold. The King was so charmed by the
Snow-daughter, that he asked her to be his wife. The girl consented,
and the wedding was held with much state. The King had a huge house of
ice made for his wife underground, so that even in summer it did not
melt. But for his brother-in-law he had a house built with huge ovens
all round it, that were kept heated all day and night. The Fire-son
was delighted, but the perpetual heat in which he lived made his body
so hot, that it was dangerous to go too close to him.
One day the King gave a great feast, and asked his brother-in-law
among the other guests. The Fire-son did not appear till everyone had
assembled, and when he did, everyone fled outside to the open air, so
intense was the heat he gave forth. Then the King was very angry and
said, 'If I had known what a lot of trouble you would have been, I
would never have taken you into my house.' Then the Fire-son replied
with a laugh, 'Don't be angry, dear brother! I love heat and my sister
loves cold--come here and let me embrace you, and then I'll go home at
once.' And before the King had time to reply, the Fire-son seized him
in a tight embrace. The King screamed aloud in agony, and when his
wife, the Snow-daughter, who had taken refuge from her brother in the
next room, hurried to him, the King lay dead on the ground burnt to a
cinder. When the Snow-daughter saw this she turned on her brother and
flew at him. Then a fight began, the like of which had never been seen
on earth. When the people, attracted by the noise, hurried to the
spot, they saw the Snow-daughter melting into water and the Fire-son
burn to a cinder. And so ended the unhappy brother and sister.
_THE STORY OF KING FROST_[26]
There was once upon a time a peasant-woman who had a daughter and a
step-daughter. The daughter had her own way in everything, and
whatever she did was right in her mother's eyes; but the poor
step-d
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