Title of the work: The Snow Queen
Genre: story
Year of writing: 1844
Main characters: Gerda, Kai- teenagers named brother and sister, The Snow Queen.
After reading summary fairy tales "Snow Queen" for reader's diary you will not only be in wonderful world fairy tales, but also learn what qualities help in achieving the goal.
Plot
An evil troll lived in the world, who saw the whole world in a magic mirror that distorted everything good and beautiful. Once this mirror broke, and the fragments scattered around the world and fell into the eyes and hearts of people. And from this people became angry and cold. One of the fragments hit Kai in the eye, he stopped loving Gerda and his grandmother, he wanted a new beautiful life, and the Snow Queen took him to his chambers to make him his successor.
Gerda went to the rescue of her brother, on the way she had to meet many trials and difficulties, but also many good people, who were excited about her story, and they were happy to help the brave girl. She endured everything and found Kai in the Far North in the ice palace and with her love she was able to melt his heart and return the boy to people.
Conclusion (my opinion)
If a person sets a goal and boldly goes to it, then nothing can stop him. Gerda was faithful and devoted, even when she saw that Kai had changed and became cruel and rude, she did not turn away from him, but tried with all her might to help. As a result, her unselfish love helped Kai to become his former self again and find love and friendship.
Since all the necessary admiration was expressed by previous reviewers, I’ll focus, perhaps, on the analysis of this immortal masterpiece in order to peel off the varnish applied by countless enthusiastic lickers of The Snow Queen with the rough language of analytics.
I must say right away that the fairy tale exists in two versions - in an abbreviated version and in full, and the abridged version is available not only in Soviet publications, but also, say, in German and English versions beginning of the twentieth century.
I (forgive my involuntary confession) read this fairy tale in early childhood, in the Soviet abridged version, illustrated by Konashevich, and fell in love with this text for life... two-volume edition with the design of the Traugoths, and was wildly disappointed. Right! All charm was completely destroyed.
The abbreviated version told about a girl who, for the love of a boy, challenged the whole universe - and won because she was faithful and loved. But the "author's" version showed that the girl did not challenge the whole world at all, but, like a weak-willed puppet, like an enchanted zombie, she went where the singing angels of the Lord God (that is, the author of the fairy tale himself) led her, and all the heroism of the girl consisted in the fact that she did not grumble when she found herself in terrible situations: trusting in a good god, she endured and praised the god, waiting for the angels to lead her further ... Ugh! Sweet preaching of conformism!
I understand that there are a huge number of supporters of the author's version, but such an approach to Gerda's story seems to me simply obscene. Those editors, unknown to me, who cleaned out the fairy tale of angels and other quasi-religious pornography, turned a second-rate text into a real literary masterpiece.
Well, if we turn to analytics, then Andersen's predilection for barefoot arouses some interest: Gerda remains barefoot (throwing her new (!) Shoes into the river) almost at the beginning of the tale. The same sexual fetish of barefoot runs like a red thread in other tales of the esteemed Andersen - in "The Little Mermaid", and in "Wild Swans" and in "The Daughter of the Bog King" and in many other texts, barefoot girls are praised (and their barefoot is constantly emphasized), but with the shod girls in The Red Shoes and The Girl Who Stepped on Bread, Andersen cracks down with a completely inadequate ferocity that raises doubts about his mental usefulness.
Another interesting point - according to the plot, the girl is looking for the boy, and not vice versa, as it should be according to tradition. In addition, the relationship between a girl and a boy is emphatically asexual. Andersen stubbornly, throughout the tale, insists that this is not “a girl looking for her boy”, but “a sister looking for a brother”, and only in the last lines of the tale she gives up, reluctantly admitting that Gerda and Kai are a couple in love. Andersen's persistence in pushing through an illogical motivation for the action, which noticeably weakens the plot tension (after all, the Snow Queen, who kidnapped the boy, kidnapped him obviously with erotic intentions - like Zeus kidnapped Ganymede - and thus acted as a rival of the girl Gerda), does not lend itself to decent explanations. Here is a real breakthrough into the text of the author's subconscious desires. It turns out that Andersen most definitely does not want Gerda to be in love with Kai, and Kai with Gerda.
Why? Here it is worth recalling the homosexuality of Andersen, who would like to describe how a boy is looking for a boy, but he understood that such a tale would not cause enthusiasm among readers. But looking for the kidnapped girl... Fi! Therefore, the “stolen treasure” remained a boy, and the hero, who went out in search, Andersen had a sex change. And, since the girls were not particularly interested in him, he gave Gerda a dream of angels who should protect this weak silly girl from dangers and lead to the goal. Plus, he weakened the plot by illogically removing the girl's love for the boy (jealous of Gerda for Kai, not wanting to share his imaginary boy with some girl there).
In general, it can take a long time to analyze and disassemble the details (one Mysterious Rose Garden, later echoed in Aubrey Beardsley's graphics, is worth something!), but this will turn out to be a whole monograph. After all, "The Snow Queen" is a very complex text. The fact that it is imperfect and partly pathological only enhances its charm and desire to unravel the mysteries of one of the most esoteric texts in Europe. literature XIX century.
Score: 8
Unlike Andersen's fairy tale "The Nightingale", the plot of "The Snow Queen" seemed to be known to me inside and out. I read it many times as a child, and the Soviet cartoon based on this fairy tale was one of my terribly favorite ones.
But, when the youngest son demanded to tell another fairy tale, I, being a conscientious parent, decided to re-read The Snow Queen, or rather, re-listen. And I was simply amazed at the high quality of the text of this fairy tale! First, it's an absolutely wonderful language. Andersen does not just sketch the world with a dotted line, he carefully draws it, sparing no colors! Second, it's an interesting story. Thirdly, this tale of his teaches, without moralizing, gradually. It teaches that there are more good people than bad people, that you should never lose hope, that if you are strong in spirit and do not lose hope, then a miracle will definitely happen in your life.
Wonderful fairy tale!
Score: 10
What is characteristic of Andersen? In his fairy tales, the Christian principle of non-resistance to evil by violence is quite consistently carried out. This principle itself, despite its vulnerability from the point of view of everyday logic, contains a gigantic moral charge. After all, violence, in the name of whatever it is committed, as a rule leads again to evil. And if violence can be avoided, then we get good in its purest form, and not with fists, as they are now used to saying.
And little Gerda - she endures suffering and hardship, performs actions that require considerable courage and patience from her, and with her sincerity, kindness and ability to self-sacrifice wins supporters and friends for herself. And in the end, all the power of the majestic Snow Queen turns out to be powerless before the love and courage of a small hot heart. Because it is impossible to defeat Love when it goes hand in hand with Truth.
Score: 10
She loved to reread the tale of the Snow Queen. Two bushes - white and pink - grew in Gerda and Kai's little room. So I live the dream of growing rose bushes. Secondly, the feeling of mysticism in winter remains forever. When a blizzard is outside the window, the glass is covered with frost, it gets dark early. Just about, it seems, she will look in the window. Cruel and cold, unforgiving of reckless glances and touches. This is how we have it in the Urals in winter: you won’t relax in the cold.
Gerda's adventures are a whole journey through countries, climates, people. And in the garden with beautiful flowers there was a girl, and in the cold land among the Finns, even among the robbers. She was friends with animals. I was looking for harmony with everyone, and therefore I received help. But the hardest fight at the end of the road is with Cold and Heartlessness itself. And only love can resist them. No matter what. Therefore, thirdly, from childhood I learned that in any situation you need to remain in good and warm relations. Even parting with a very dear person, kiss for good memory. And the kiss will do the trick. Sooner or later the heart will melt.
Score: 9
Exquisite, unobtrusive parable. Almost religious (although... why "almost"?) - but without tedious sermons. Evil trolls who made a distorted mirror (very realistic detail: say about a book or a movie that they are good - a team of trolls will come;)) and present them with boiled spinach! .. By the way: I still remember the old book from my childhood , in paperback, shabby, but what wonderful - warm, truly intimate - there were illustrations! A kind troll storyteller, puffing on his pipe, smiles at the reader from the very first page (yes, yes, I know that there is no good troll in a fairy tale. But is it really impossible to imagine, for a second? If there are scoundrel trolls, then why not be at least one good one? .. I think Andersen would only be happy with such an illustrator's notion).
And Gerda in the book was so sweet at home, comfortably and very homely dressed, in her striped stockings (according to the text, she did not spare herself, she decided to go around half the world barefoot - but Gerda, who was depicted by the artist Rashchektaeva, is a much more practical nature! For p- romantic "quest" does not forget about their own safety ... As you can see, the topic of frostbitten legs can not be disclosed at all; only suitable illustrations are needed)))
As for the angels... why not? “These were the advance detachments of the Snow Queen’s troops. Their appearance was outlandish: some resembled large ugly hedgehogs, others - tangles of snakes, others - fat bear cubs with tousled hair; but they were all sparkling white, all living snowflakes. Gerda began to read "Our Father", and the cold was such that her breath immediately turned into a thick fog. This fog thickened and thickened, and suddenly little bright angels began to stand out from it, which, touching the ground, grew into large formidable angels with helmets on their heads; they were all armed with shields and spears. There were more and more angels, and when Gerda finished reading the prayer, she was surrounded by a whole legion.
Without angels, Gerda simply cannot survive. She is so kind that - it goes without saying - pious (I mean piety in good sense, not ...) By the way, barefoot in the snow - this is here: not the "theme of death" (and even more so not "fetishYzm" - what kind of terrible word is this, Mlyn ?!) Here, rather, the emphasis is on the fact that she is a passion-bearer, sacrifices herself, which returns Kai's love. The interpretation of Vadim Korostylev (they say that Kai needs an “icy Gerda”, but does not care about the usual one) is also interesting, but Andersen wrote about something else.
As for the Snow Queen herself, old Hans turned out to be even more impressive than Gerda. Despite all the courage and stamina of the heroine, GlavZlo (at least in childhood) is remembered more. The queen is both beautiful and terrible. Everything came together in her - the image of a beautiful, strict, but selfish Mother (who loves herself more than a child - and, in fact, loves herself in a child too). The image of an imperious and creepy Wife, at times still pretending to be capable of affection. The image of the ideal (let's say it straight) Beloved - as Pushkin had it on a similar occasion: "tender without rapture, bashfully cold ... You can hardly answer my delight, not heeding anything ..." Yes, - this is the best of women, which only romantic literature has known! .. (However, I'm afraid, and literature in general. Well, who, pray tell, realist writers can oppose to such a majestic, beautiful and formidable image? Lasochka from Clamcy? Or maybe Sonechka from the attic? .. Ridiculous, sir).
So now I hope you understand why I love this story so much. Half of my wonderful childhood memories are connected with her. I don't think I have one...
Note-bene: An interesting detail. In the Polish translation, Kai is trying to make a word out of ice floes
Spoiler (plot reveal) (click on it to see)
However, it fails. Probably, the translator lied - but, frankly, it turned out to be more serious, and deeper, and more convincing than Anna Ganzen's. eight-)
Score: 10
A wonderful story by the unsurpassed Danish master storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, which tells about the great power of love, about the amazing devotion of the human heart, and about the fact that true love and friendship of people can melt any ice, overcome any evil and accomplish any, even, it would seem, the most incredible miracle :superkiss::hb:.
Rating: no
Very gentle and one of the most memorable works from such a distant, but such a wonderful Childhood.
Through this work, you will learn the essence of the balance between good and evil, hardness and softness, composure and good nature. Through this book, you see everything bad and everything good in yourself, you learn to recognize one thing and put aside another, less important thing. the main idea, which was endured by me and carried through many years after the first reading - everything is worthy of Life, everything is worthy of love. Probably, this is the genius of the author - to make the reader believe in the beauty of a person and his strength, which can help him cope with all obstacles.
Score: 10
In the girl Gerda, all the love is concentrated, which, in principle, the human soul is capable of. No wonder the old Finn said about Gerda: “Stronger than she is, I can’t make her. Don't you see how great her power is? Don't you see that both people and animals serve her? After all, she walked around half the world barefoot! This is the most accurate description that can be given to the heroine of a fairy tale. Kai... I don't even know what to say about him. Of course, the shards of the magic mirror hit his heart and eyesight. But was his heart so hot that a shard and the kiss of the Snow Queen could cool it? I think no. Another most notable character is the Little Robber - a mischievous, unhappy, but not evil child. Three characters - three different characters, three lives, three ways to communicate with the world. Very thin psychological reception- unobtrusive comparison. A brilliant story, in a word.
Score: 8
Snowdrifts - like a row of white chairs.
Is the plain life or theater?
Or a stage that will be illuminated by the moon?
And the fairy tale begins with a dream.
A barefoot girl walks along it,
To melt the ice on Kai's heart.
And the song of Gerda is pouring in a singsong voice
Above the wild land of snow queens.
aurora lights
Their curtain will be lowered to the ground.
And wind overture quiet ringing
The distant horizon will bring us closer,
Where a fairy tale walks the earth...
And someone's friendship will warm my life.
Score: 9
The perception of Andersen's fairy tales changes greatly with age. At eight years old, you perceive Kai and Gerda as eight-year-olds, at twelve - as twelve-year-olds. You get older and you see - they also got older. And in early childhood, I was generally sure that this was a brother and sister. The Snow Queen as a child, it seems like some kind of monster. Then you begin to understand that she is just unhappy. Rather, her cold from loneliness than loneliness from the cold. And Kai once seemed almost as much a hero as Gerda. And now you look - well, what a nonentity. Does he deserve a girl like Gerda? Shards of the mirror hit many of us, almost all of us. We are holding on. But despite the fact that the perception has changed, the children's view, perhaps, is still more correct. Rather, both are correct.
Score: 10
The Snow Queen is a popular fairy tale about true friendship and the fact that no obstacles are terrible for a person with a loving heart. This is a story about a little girl with great willpower, who had to endure many trials in order to save her friend.
Summary of "The Snow Queen" for the reader's diary
Name: The Snow Queen
Number of pages: 72. G. H. Andersen. "The Snow Queen. Publishing house "Rech". year 2013
Genre: Story
Year of writing: 1844
main characters
Gerda is a kind, honest, devoted girl with a big loving heart.
Kai is the named brother of Gerda, at first cheerful and kind, but then callous and evil.
The Snow Queen- a powerful sorceress, very beautiful, but soulless.
The old woman in the garden is a kind sorceress who has become attached to Gerda.
Prince and Princess- young spouses who helped Gerda.
Little Robber- a harsh, but kind and fair girl.
Lapland and Finca- old wise women.
Plot
One day, an evil troll decided to make a magic mirror that distorts reality for fun. But his disciples accidentally broke the mirror, which shattered into thousands of pieces all over the world. One of these fragments hit the eye and heart of a boy named Kai. He was always kind and cheerful, but the magic mirror did its dirty deed, and the boy turned into a capricious, evil mocker. By his behavior, Kai greatly upset Gerda, with whom he had previously been very friendly.
Once Kai, sledding, clung to the sleigh of a beautiful stranger. She was the Snow Queen. She kissed the boy and went with him to the palace.
After the sudden disappearance of Kai, Gerda cried for a long time, and with the advent of spring, she went in search of him. He got into the boat and sailed along the river, which carried her to a beautiful cozy house, whose mistress was a kind old sorceress. She fell in love with Gerda very much, and did not want to let her go. However, even despite the magic of the old woman, the girl went on in search of Kai.
From the wise raven, Gerda learned about the Princess and the Prince, in whose description she recognized Kai. The girl hurried to the palace, but was disappointed - the prince was not her dear brother. Upon learning of Gerda's ordeals, the Princess took pity on her and presented her with a carriage and a beautiful dress with a fur coat.
Gerda set off again, but soon she was attacked by robbers. The chieftain's daughter, the Little Robber, did not allow the girl, whom she brought to her lair, to be killed. The Little Robber lived with a Reindeer, who told Gerda that Kaya had been taken away by the Snow Queen. The little robber decided to let her captive go in search of her brother, ordering the Reindeer to take her to Lapland.
The reindeer took Gerda to Lapland, where a Lapland woman and a Finnish woman lived. The old women helped the girl find her way to the Snow Queen's castle. Gerda managed to get through the army of huge snowflakes to the royal chambers, where she saw Kai. The boy sat in the middle of a huge hall and laid out the word "Eternity" from the pieces of ice.
At first he did not recognize Gerda, and only when the girl began to cry and her hot tears melted the ice that fell into the boy's heart and eyes, did he recognize his girlfriend. Kai and Gerda, with the help of their friends, got home safely and were never separated again.
Retelling plan
- Troll Magic Mirror.
- Shards of the mirror hit Kai's heart and eye.
- Kai is taken by the Snow Queen.
- Gerda goes in search.
- Encounter with an old sorceress.
- The Princess and the Prince help Gerda.
- Robber attack.
- The little robber girl and the reindeer.
- Help Lapland and Finns.
- Palace of the Snow Queen.
- Tears of Gerda.
- Homecoming.
the main idea
Nothing can interfere with a person with a good soul, a loving heart and pure thoughts.
What does it teach
The tale teaches that there are no barriers to love, and even the most powerful spell is powerless in front of a loving human heart. Teaches fidelity, devotion, perseverance in achieving the goal.
Review
The story is very good and instructive. Thanks to her, it becomes clear that the most important vital value is love and friendship.
Proverbs
- The heart is not a stone.
- The hardest road is the one you don't know.
- To firmly believe means to win.
What did you like
I really liked that Gerda turned out to be so faithful friend. She endured so many trials, but did not break, did not turn off the path and pulled out her named brother from the tenacious hands of the Snow Queen.
Fairy tale test
Rating of the reader's diary
Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 118.
story one,
which tells about the mirror and its fragments
Let's start! When we reach the end of our history, we will know more than we do now. So, once upon a time there was a troll, an evil, evil, real devil. Once he was in a particularly good mood: he made such a mirror in which everything good and beautiful was reduced further, and everything bad and ugly bulged out, became even more disgusting. The most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach in it, and the best of people looked like freaks, or it seemed as if they were standing upside down, but they had no bellies at all! Faces were distorted in such a way that it was impossible to recognize, and if anyone had a freckle, then be calm - it spread both on the nose and on the lips. And if a good thought appeared in a person, it was reflected in the mirror with such an antics that the troll rolled with laughter, rejoicing at his cunning invention.
The students of the troll - and he had his own school - told everyone that a miracle had happened: now only, they said, you can see the whole world and people in their true light. They ran everywhere with a mirror, and soon there was not a single country, not a single person left. which would not be reflected in it in a distorted form.
Finally, they wanted to reach the sky. The higher they climbed, the more distorted the mirror was, so that they could hardly hold it in their hands. But now they flew very high, when suddenly the mirror was so twisted from grimaces that it escaped from their hands, flew to the ground and broke into millions, billions of fragments, and therefore even more troubles occurred. Some fragments, the size of a grain of sand, scattered across the wide world, fell into people's eyes, and so they remained there. And a person with such a shard in his eye began to see everything upside down or to notice only the bad in every thing - after all, each shard retained the property of the entire mirror. For some people, the fragments hit right in the heart, and this was the worst of all: the heart was made like a piece of ice. There were large ones among the fragments - they were inserted into window frames, and it was not worth looking at your good friends through these windows. Finally, there were also such fragments that went into glasses, and it was bad if such glasses were put on in order to see better and judge things correctly.
The evil troll was bursting with laughter - this idea amused him so much. And many more fragments flew around the world. Let's hear about them!
Story two
boy and girl
In a big city, where there are so many houses and people that not everyone has enough space even for a small garden, and therefore most of the inhabitants have to be content with indoor flowers in pots, there lived two poor children, and their garden was a little larger than a flower pot. They were not brother and sister, but they loved each other like brother and sister.
Their parents lived in closets under the roof in two neighboring houses. The roofs of the houses converged, and a gutter stretched between them. It was here that attic windows from each house looked at each other. One had only to step over the gutter, and one could get from one window to another.
My parents each had a large wooden box. they had herbs for spices, and little rose bushes, one in each box, growing luxuriantly. It occurred to the parents to put these boxes across the gutter, so that from one window to the other stretched like two flower beds. Peas descended from the boxes like green garlands, rose bushes peered through the windows and intertwined branches. Parents allowed the boy and girl to visit each other on the roof and sit on a bench under roses. How wonderful they played here!
And in winter, these joys ended. The windows often completely froze, but the children heated copper coins on the stove, applied them to the frozen glass, and immediately a wonderful round hole thawed, and a cheerful, affectionate eye looked out into it - each looked out of his window, a boy and a girl, Kai and Gerda. In the summer they could find themselves visiting each other with one jump, and in the winter they had to first go down many, many steps down, and then go up the same amount. There was snow in the yard.
It's white bees swarming! said the old grandmother.
Do they also have a queen? the boy asked. He knew real bees had one.
There is! Grandma answered. - Snowflakes surround her in a dense swarm, but she is larger than all of them and never sits down on the ground, always rushes in a black cloud. Often at night she flies through the city streets and looks into the windows, which is why they are covered with frosty patterns, like flowers.
Seen, seen! - the children said and believed that all this was the absolute truth.
Can't the Snow Queen enter here? the girl asked.
Just let him try! - answered the boy. - I'll put it on a warm stove, so it will melt.
But the grandmother stroked his head and started talking about something else.
In the evening, when Kai was at home and almost completely undressed, about to go to bed, he climbed onto a chair by the window and looked into the circle that had thawed on the window pane. Snowflakes fluttered outside the window. One of them, a larger one, fell on the edge of a flower box and began to grow, grow, until at last it turned into a woman wrapped in the thinnest white tulle, woven, it seemed. from millions of snow stars. She was so lovely and tender, but made of ice, of dazzling sparkling ice, and yet alive! Her eyes shone like two clear stars, but there was neither warmth nor peace in them. She nodded to the boy and beckoned him with her hand. Kai got scared and jumped off the chair. And something like a big bird flashed past the window.
The next day it was clear to frosty, but then a thaw came, and then spring came. The sun shone, the greenery peeped through, the swallows built their nests. The windows were opened, and the children could again sit in their garden in the gutter above all the floors.
The roses were in full bloom that summer. Children sang, holding hands, kissed roses and rejoiced in the sun. Oh, what a wonderful summer it was, how good it was under the rose bushes, which seemed to bloom and bloom forever!
Once Kai and Gerda were sitting and looking at a book with pictures - animals and birds. The big clock tower struck five.
Ay! Kai suddenly screamed. - I was stabbed right in the heart, and something got into my eye!
The girl wrapped her arm around his neck, he blinked frequently, but there seemed to be nothing in his eye.
It must have jumped out,” he said. But it wasn't. These were just fragments of that devilish mirror, which we spoke about at the beginning.
Poor Kai! Now his heart should have become like a piece of ice. The pain is gone, but the fragments remain.
What are you crying about? he asked Gerda. - It doesn't hurt at all! Fu, you are ugly! he suddenly shouted. - There is a worm sharpening that rose. And she's completely crooked. What ugly roses! No better than boxes in which they stick out.
And he kicked the box with his foot and plucked both roses.
Kai, what are you doing! shouted Gerda, and he, seeing her fright, plucked another rose and ran away from dear little Gerda through his window.
If Gerda now brings him a book with pictures, he will say that these pictures are good only for babies: if the old grandmother tells something, she will find fault with her words. And then it will even come to the point that he will begin to mimic her walk, put on her glasses, speak in her voice. It came out very similar, and people laughed. Soon Kai learned to imitate all the neighbors. He was very good at showing off all their oddities and shortcomings, and people said:
Amazingly talented kid! And the reason for everything was the fragments that hit him in the eye and in the heart. That is why he even mimicked dear little Gerda, and yet she loved him with all her heart.
And his amusements have now become completely different, so sophisticated. Once in the winter, when it was snowing, he came with a large magnifying glass and put the hem of his blue jacket under the snow.
Look through the glass, Gerda, he said. Each snowflake seemed much larger under the glass than it actually was, and looked like a magnificent flower or a ten-pointed star. It was so beautiful!
See how cleverly done! Kai said. - Much more interesting than real flowers! And what precision! Not a single wrong line! Ah, if only they had not melted!
A little later, Kai appeared in big mittens, with a sled behind his back, shouted in Gerda's very ear: “I was allowed to ride on a large area with other boys!” - And running.
There were a lot of children on the square. Those who were bolder tied their sledges to peasant sledges and rolled far, far away. It was kind of fun. In the midst of the fun, a large sleigh, painted white, appeared on the square. In them sat someone wrapped in a white fur coat and in the same hat. The sleigh circled the square twice. Kai quickly tied his sled to them and rolled. The big sleigh sped away faster, then turned off the square into an alley. The man sitting in them turned around and nodded affably to Kai, as if he were an acquaintance. Kai several times tried to untie his sled, but the man in the fur coat kept nodding to him, and he continued to follow him.
So they got out of the city gates. The snow suddenly fell in flakes, and it became dark, even if you gouged out your eye. The boy hurriedly let go of the rope, which caught on a large sledge, but his sledge seemed to stick to it and continued to rush along in a whirlwind. Kai screamed loudly - no one heard him. The snow was falling, the sleds raced, diving into snowdrifts, jumping over hedges and ditches. Kai was trembling.
The snowflakes kept growing and finally turned into big white chickens. Suddenly they scattered to the sides, the big sledge stopped, and the man sitting in it stood up. It was a tall, slender, dazzling white woman - the Snow Queen; and her fur coat and hat were made of snow.
Nice ride! - she said. - But you are completely cold - climb into my fur coat!
She put the boy in the sleigh, wrapped him in her bearskin coat. Kai sank into a snowdrift.
Are you still cold? she asked and kissed him on the forehead.
Wu! kiss her was colder than ice, he pierced through it and reached the very heart, and it was already half ice. It seemed to Kai that a little more - and he would die ... But only for a minute, and then, on the contrary, he felt so good that he even completely stopped feeling chilly.
My sled! Don't forget my sled! he said.
The sled was tied on the back of one of the white chickens, and she flew with them after the big sled. The Snow Queen kissed Kai again, and he forgot Gerda, and his grandmother, and all the household.
I won't kiss you again, she said. - I'll kiss you to death.
Kai looked at her. How good she was! He could not imagine a smarter and prettier face. Now she doesn't. seemed to him icy, as on that occasion when she sat outside the window and nodded to him.
He was not at all afraid of her and told her that he knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions, he knew how many square miles and inhabitants each country, and she only smiled in response. And then it seemed to him that in fact he knew very little.
At the same moment, the Snow Queen soared with him onto a black cloud. The storm howled and groaned as if singing old songs; they flew over forests and lakes, over seas and land; cold winds blew under them, wolves howled, snow sparkled, black crows flew with a cry, and above them shone a large clear moon. Kai looked at him all the long, long winter night, and during the day he fell asleep at the feet of the Snow Queen.
Story three
Flower garden of a woman who knew how to conjure
And what happened to Gerda when Kai did not return? Where did he go? No one knew this, no one could give an answer.
The boys said only that they saw him tying his sledge to a large magnificent sledge, which then turned into an alley and drove out of the city gates.
Many tears were shed over him, Gerda wept bitterly and for a long time. Finally they decided that Kai had died, drowned in the river that flowed outside the city. The dark winter days dragged on for a long time.
But then spring came, the sun came out.
Kai is dead and will never come back! Gerda said.
I do not believe! Sunlight answered.
He died and will never return! she repeated to the swallows.
We don't believe! they answered.
In the end, Gerda herself stopped believing it.
I'll put on my new red shoes (Kai has never seen them before), - she said one morning, - and I'll go and ask about him by the river.
It was still very early. She kissed her sleeping grandmother, put on her red shoes and ran all alone out of town, straight to the river.
Is it true that you took my sworn brother? asked Gerda. - I'll give you my red shoes if you return it to me!
And it seemed to the girl that the waves somehow strangely nod to her. Then she took off her red shoes - the most precious thing she had - and threw them into the river. But they fell near the shore, and the waves immediately carried them back - as if the river did not want to take her jewel from the girl, because she could not return Kai to her. The girl, thinking that she had not thrown her shoes far enough, climbed into the boat, which was rocking in the reeds, stood on the very edge of the stern and again threw her shoes into the water. The boat was not tied and from its push moved away from the shore. The girl wanted to jump ashore as soon as possible, but while she was making her way from stern to bow, the boat had already completely sailed away and was quickly rushing downstream.
Gerda was terribly frightened and began to cry and scream, but no one except the sparrows heard her. The sparrows, on the other hand, could not transfer her to land, and only flew after her along the coast and chirped, as if wishing to console her:
“Maybe the river is taking me to Kai?” - thought Gerda, cheered up, got to her feet and admired the beautiful green shores for a long, long time.
But then she sailed to a large cherry orchard, in which a house huddled under a thatched roof, with red and blue panes in the windows. Two wooden soldiers stood at the door and saluted all who passed by. Gerda screamed at them - she mistook them for the living - but they, of course, did not answer her. So she swam even closer to them, the boat approached almost to the very shore, and the girl screamed even louder. An old, old woman came out of the house with a stick, in a big straw hat painted with wonderful flowers.
Oh, you poor child! - said the old woman. - And how did you get on such a big fast river and climbed so far?
With these words, the old woman entered the water, hooked the boat with a stick, pulled it to the shore and landed Gerda.
Gerda was glad, dear, that she finally found herself on land, although she was afraid of an unfamiliar old woman.
Well, let's go, but tell me who you are and how you got here, - said the old woman.
Gerda began to tell her about everything, and the old woman shook her head and repeated: “Hm! Hm!” When the girl had finished, she asked the old woman if she had seen Kai. She replied that he had not yet passed here, but, surely, he would pass, so there was nothing to grieve about yet, let Gerda better taste the cherries and admire the flowers that grow in the garden: they are more beautiful than in any picture book, and that’s it. know how to tell stories. Then the old woman took Gerda by the hand, took her to her house and locked the door with a key.
The windows were high from the floor and all of multi-colored - red, blue and yellow - glass; from this the room itself was illuminated by some amazing iridescent light. There was a basket of wonderful cherries on the table, and Gerda could eat as many of them as she liked. And while she ate, the old woman combed her hair with a golden comb. Her hair curled in curls and a golden glow surrounded the sweet, friendly, round, like a rose, face of a girl.
For a long time I wanted to have such a cute little girl! - said the old woman. - You'll see how well we live with you!
And she continued to comb the girl's curls, and the longer she combed, the more Gerda forgot her named brother Kai - the old woman knew how to conjure. Only she was not an evil sorceress and conjured only occasionally, for her own pleasure; now she really wanted to keep Gerda. And so she went into the garden, touched with a stick all the rose bushes, and as they stood in full bloom, they all went deep into the ground, and there was no trace of them. The old woman was afraid that Gerda, at the sight of these roses, would remember her own, and then Kaya and run away from her.
Then the old woman took Gerda to the flower garden. Oh, what a fragrance there was, what beauty: a variety of flowers, and for every season! In all the world there would be no picture book more colorful, more beautiful than this flower garden. Gerda jumped for joy and played among the flowers until the sun went down behind the tall cherry trees. Then they put her in a wonderful bed with red silk feather beds stuffed with blue violets. The girl fell asleep, and she had dreams that only a queen sees on her wedding day.
The next day, Gerda was again allowed to play in the wonderful flower garden in the sun. So many days passed. Gerda now knew every flower in the garden, but no matter how many there were, it still seemed to her that something was missing, but which one? And once she sat and looked at the old woman's straw hat, painted with flowers, and the most beautiful of them was a rose - the old woman forgot to erase it when she sent the living roses underground. That's what distraction means!
How! Are there any roses here? - said Gerda, and immediately ran into the garden, looking for them, looking, but she did not find them.
Then the girl sank to the ground and wept. Warm tears fell just on the spot where one of the rose bushes used to stand, and as soon as they moistened the ground, the bush instantly grew out of it, as blooming as before.
Gerda wrapped her arms around him, began to kiss the roses and remembered those wonderful roses that bloomed at her house, and at the same time about Kai.
How I lingered! - said the girl. - I have to look for Kai! .. You don't know where he is? she asked the roses. - Is it true that he died and will not return again?
He didn't die! roses answered. - After all, we were underground, where all the dead lie, but Kai was not among them.
Thank you! - said Gerda and went to other flowers, looked into their cups and asked: - Do you know where Kai is?
But each flower basked in the sun and thought only of its own fairy tale or story. Gerda heard a lot of them, but not a single one said a word about Kai.
Then Gerda went to a dandelion shining in the brilliant green grass.
You little bright sun! Gerda told him. - Tell me, do you know where I can look for my named brother?
Dandelion shone even brighter and looked at the girl. What song did he sing to her? Alas! And in this song not a word was said about Kai!
It was the first spring day, the sun was warm and shone so welcomingly on the small courtyard. Its rays glided over the white wall of the neighboring house, and near the very wall peeped the first yellow flower, it sparkled in the sun, like gold. An old grandmother came out to sit in the yard. Here her granddaughter, a poor servant, came from among the guests and kissed the old woman. A girl's kiss is more precious than gold - it comes straight from the heart. Gold on her lips, gold in her heart, gold in the sky in the morning! That's all! Dandelion said.
My poor grandmother! Gerda sighed. - It's true, she misses me and grieves, as she grieved for Kai. But I'll be back soon and bring it with me. There is nothing more to ask the flowers - you won’t get any sense from them, they know what they say! And she ran to the end of the garden.
The door was locked, but Gerda shook the rusty bolt for so long that it gave way, the door opened, and the girl, barefooted, began to run along the road. She looked back three times, but no one pursued her.
Finally she got tired, sat down on a stone and looked around: the summer had already passed, it was late autumn in the yard. Only in the wonderful garden of the old woman, where the sun always shone and flowers of all seasons bloomed, this was not noticeable.
God! How I lingered! After all, autumn is in the yard! There is no time for rest! - said Gerda, and again set off on her way.
Oh, how her poor tired legs ached! How cold and damp it was around! The long leaves on the willows were completely yellowed, the mist settled on them in large drops and flowed down to the ground; the leaves fell off like that. Only one blackthorn stood all covered with astringent, tart berries. How gray and dreary the whole world seemed!
Story four
Prince and Princess
Gerda had to sit down again to rest. A large raven was hopping in the snow right in front of her. He looked at the girl for a long time, nodding his head to her, and finally said:
Kar-kar! Hello!
He could not speak more humanly, but he wished the girl well and asked her where she was wandering in the wide world alone. What is “alone”, Gerda knew very well, she experienced it herself. Having told the raven all her life, the girl asked if he had seen Kai.
Raven shook his head thoughtfully and said:
May be! May be!
How? Truth? - the girl exclaimed and almost strangled the raven - she kissed him so hard.
Be quiet, be quiet! - said the raven. - I think it was your Kai. But now he must have forgotten you and his princess!
Does he live with the princess? asked Gerda.
Now listen, said the raven. “But it’s terribly difficult for me to speak your language. Now, if you understood like a crow, I would tell you about everything much better.
No, they didn’t teach me that,” Gerda said. - What a pity!
Well, nothing, - said the raven. I'll tell you what I can, even if it's bad. And he told everything he knew.
In the kingdom where you and I are, there is a princess who is so clever that it is impossible to say! I read all the newspapers in the world and forgot everything I read in them - what a clever girl! One day she sits on the throne - and there's not much fun in it, as people say - and sings a song: "Why shouldn't I get married?" “But indeed!” - she thought, and she wanted to get married. But for her husband, she wanted to choose a man who could answer when spoken to, and not one who could only put on airs - it's so boring! And now, with a drumbeat, all the ladies of the court are summoned, and the will of the princess is announced to them. They were all so happy! “That's what we like! - they say. “We’ve been thinking about this ourselves recently!” All this is true! - added the raven. - I have a bride at court - a tame crow, from her I know all this.
The next day all the newspapers came out with a border of hearts and with the monograms of the princess. It was announced in the newspapers that every young man of good appearance could come to the palace and talk with the princess; the one who will behave at ease, as at home, and will be more eloquent than everyone else, the princess will choose as her husband. Yes Yes! repeated the raven. - All this is as true as the fact that I am sitting here in front of you. The people poured into the palace in droves, there was a crush and crush, but all to no avail either on the first or on the second day. On the street, all the suitors speak perfectly, but as soon as they step over the palace threshold, see the guards in silver and footmen in gold and enter the huge, light-filled halls, they are dumbfounded. They will approach the throne where the princess sits, and repeat her own words after her, but she did not need it at all. Well, it was as if they had spoiled them, drugged them with dope! And they will go out the gate - they will again find the gift of words. From the very gates to the doors stretched a long, long tail of suitors. I have been there and seen it.
Well, what about Kai, Kai? asked Gerda. - When did he come? And he came to marry?
Wait! Wait! Here we have come to it! On the third day, a little man appeared, not in a carriage, not on horseback, but simply on foot, and straight to the palace. Eyes shine like yours, hair is long, only poorly dressed.
- "This is Kai!" - Gerda was delighted. - I found him! - And she clapped her hands.
Behind him was a knapsack, - continued the raven.
No, it must have been his sled! Gerda said. - He left home with a sled.
It may very well be! - said the raven. - I didn't look too hard. So, my fiancee told how he entered the palace gates and saw the guards in silver, and along the entire staircase the footmen in gold, he was not at all embarrassed, he only nodded his head and said: “It must be boring to stand here on the stairs, I’ll go in “I’d rather go to the rooms!” And all the halls are filled with light. The Privy Councilors and their Excellencies are walking about without boots, carrying golden dishes - there is nowhere more solemn! His boots creak terribly, but he doesn't care.
It must be Kai! exclaimed Gerda. - I know he was wearing new boots. I myself heard how they creaked when he came to his grandmother.
Yes, they did creak in order, - continued the raven. - But he boldly approached the princess. She was sitting on a pearl the size of a spinning wheel, and all around stood court ladies with their maids and maids of maids and gentlemen with servants and servants of servants, and those again had servants. The closer someone stood to the door, the higher his nose turned up. It was impossible even to look at the servant of the servant, serving the servant and standing in the very doorway, without trembling - he was so important!
That's fear! Gerda said. - Did Kai still marry the princess?
If I weren't a raven, I would marry her myself, even though I'm engaged. He struck up a conversation with the princess and spoke no worse than I did in crow - so at least my tame bride told me. He behaved very freely and sweetly and declared that he had come not to woo, but only to listen to the intelligent speeches of the princess. Well, he liked her, and she liked him too.
Yes, it's Kai! Gerda said. - He's so smart! He knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions! Oh, take me to the palace!
Easy to say, - answered the raven, - difficult to do. Wait, I'll talk to my fiancee, she'll come up with something and advise us. Do you think that they will let you into the palace right like that? Why, they don't let girls like that in!
They'll let me in! Gerda said. - When Kai hears that I'm here, he will immediately come running after me.
Wait for me here at the grate, - said the raven, shook his head and flew away.
He returned quite late in the evening and croaked:
Kar, Kar! My bride sends you a thousand bows and this loaf. She stole it in the kitchen - there are a lot of them, and you must be hungry! .. Well, you won’t get into the palace: you’re barefoot - the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold will never let you through. But don't cry, you'll still get there. My fiancee knows how to get into the princess's bedroom from the back door and where to get the key.
And so they entered the garden, went along the long avenues, where autumn leaves fell one after another, and when the lights in the palace went out, the raven led the girl through the half-open door.
Oh, how Gerda's heart beat with fear and impatience! It was as if she was going to do something bad, and she only wanted to know if her Kai was here! Yes, yes, he is right here! Gerda so vividly imagined his intelligent eyes, long hair, and how he smiled at her when they used to sit side by side under the rose bushes. And how happy he will be now when he sees her, hears what a long journey she decided on for him, learns how all the household grieved for him! Oh, she was just beside herself with fear and joy!
But here they are on the landing of the stairs. A lamp burned on the closet, and a tame crow sat on the floor and looked around. Gerda sat down and bowed, as her grandmother taught.
My fiancé told me so many good things about you, young lady! said the tame crow. - And your life is also very touching! Would you like to take a lamp, and I will go ahead. We will take the straight road, we will meet no one here.
But it seems to me that someone is following us, ”said Gerda, and at the same moment some shadows rushed past her with a slight noise: horses with waving manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback.
These are dreams! said the tame crow. “They come here so that the thoughts of high people are carried away to hunt. So much the better for us, it will be more convenient to consider the sleeping ones.
Then they entered the first room, where the walls were upholstered in pink satin woven with flowers. Dreams flashed past the girl again, but so quickly that she did not have time to see the riders. One room was more magnificent than the other, so there was something to be confused about. Finally they reached the bedroom. The ceiling looked like the top of a huge palm tree with precious crystal leaves; from the middle of it descended a thick golden stalk, on which hung two beds in the form of lilies. One was white, the princess slept in it, the other was red, and Gerda hoped to find Kai in it. The girl slightly bent one of the red petals and saw a dark blond nape. It's Kai! She called him by name loudly and held the lamp close to his face. Dreams rushed away with noise; the prince woke up and turned his head... Ah, it wasn't Kai!
The prince looked like him only from the back of his head, but he was just as young and handsome. A princess looked out of a white lily and asked what happened. Gerda wept and told her whole story, mentioning also what the ravens had done for her.
Oh you poor thing! - said the prince and princess, praised the ravens, announced that they were not at all angry with them - only let them not do this in the future - and even wanted to reward them.
Do you want to be free birds? the princess asked. - Or do you want to take the position of court ravens, fully supported from kitchen leftovers?
Raven and crow bowed and asked for positions at court. They thought of old age and said:
It's good to have a sure piece of bread in old age!
The prince got up and gave his bed to Gerda - there was nothing more he could do for her yet. And she folded her hands and thought: “How kind all people and animals are!” She closed her eyes and fell asleep sweetly. The dreams again flew into the bedroom, but now they were carrying Kai on a small sleigh, who was nodding his head to Gerda. Alas, it was all just a dream and disappeared as soon as the girl woke up.
The next day she was dressed from head to toe in silk and velvet and allowed to remain in the palace as long as she wished.
The girl could live and live happily ever after, but stayed only a few days and began to ask for a cart with a horse and a pair of shoes - she again wanted to start looking for her named brother in the wide world.
They gave her shoes, and a muff, and a wonderful dress, and when she said goodbye to everyone, a carriage made of pure gold drove up to the gate, with the coats of arms of the prince and princess shining like stars: the coachman, footmen, postilions - they gave her postilions too - small golden crowns flaunted on their heads.
The prince and princess themselves put Gerda into the carriage and wished her a happy journey.
The forest raven, who had already managed to get married, accompanied the girl for the first three miles and sat in the carriage next to her - he could not ride, sitting with his back to the horses. A tame crow sat on the gate and flapped its wings. She did not go to see Gerda off because she had suffered from headaches ever since she got a position at court and ate too much. The carriage was chock-full of sugar pretzels, and the box under the seat was full of fruit and gingerbread.
Goodbye! Goodbye! the prince and princess shouted.
Gerda began to cry, and so did the crow. Three miles later the raven said goodbye to the girl. It was a hard parting! The raven flew up into a tree and flapped its black wings until the carriage, shining like the sun, disappeared from view.
Story five
Little Robber
Here Gerda entered the dark forest in which the robbers lived; the carriage burned like a fever, it cut the eyes of the robbers, and they simply could not bear it.
Gold! Gold! they shouted, seizing the horses by the bridle, killed the little postilions, the coachman and the servants, and pulled Gerda out of the carriage.
Look how nice, fat! Nuts fed! - said the old robber woman with a long stiff beard and shaggy, hanging eyebrows. - Fatty, what is your lamb! Well, what will it taste like?
And she pulled out a sharp, shining knife. Horrible!
Ay! she suddenly cried out: she was bitten on the ear by her own daughter, who was sitting behind her and was so unbridled and self-willed that it was simply a pleasure. - Oh, you mean girl! - screamed the mother, but did not have time to kill Gerda.
She will play with me,” said the little robber. “She will give me her muff, her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.
And the girl again bit her mother so that she jumped and spun on the spot. The robbers laughed.
Look how he dances with his girl!
I want a carriage! - the little robber screamed and insisted on her own - she was terribly spoiled and stubborn.
They got into the carriage with Gerda and rushed over the stumps and bumps into the thicket of the forest.
The little robber was as tall as Gerdu, but stronger, broader in the shoulders and much darker. Her eyes were completely black, but somehow sad. She hugged Gerda and said:
They won't kill you until I get angry with you. Are you a princess?
No, - the girl answered and told what she had to experience and how she loves Kai.
The little robber looked at her seriously, nodded slightly, and said:
They won't kill you even if I get angry with you - I'd rather kill you myself!
And she wiped away Gerda's tears, and then hid both her hands in her pretty soft warm muff.
Here the carriage stopped: they drove into the courtyard of the robber's castle.
He was covered in huge cracks; crows and crows flew out of them. Huge bulldogs jumped out from somewhere, it seemed that each of them could not swallow a person, but they only jumped high and did not even bark - it was forbidden. A fire was burning in the middle of a huge hall with dilapidated, soot-covered walls and a stone floor. The smoke rose to the ceiling and had to find its own way out. Over the fire, soup was boiling in a huge cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on skewers.
You will sleep with me right here, near my little menagerie,” said the little robber girl to Gerda.
The girls were fed and watered, and they went to their corner, where straw was laid out, covered with carpets. More than a hundred pigeons sat on poles higher up. They all seemed to be asleep, but when the girls approached, they stirred slightly.
All mine! - said the little robber girl, grabbed one dove by the legs and shook it so that it beat its wings. - Kiss him! she shouted and poked the dove in Gerda's face. “And here the forest rogues are sitting,” she continued, pointing to two pigeons sitting in a small recess in the wall, behind a wooden lattice. “These two are woodland crooks. They must be kept locked up, otherwise they will fly away quickly! And here is my dear old man! - And the girl pulled the horns of a reindeer tied to the wall in a shiny copper collar. - He, too, must be kept on a leash, otherwise he will run away! Every evening I tickle him under the neck with my sharp knife - he's scared to death of it.
With these words, the little robber pulled out a long knife from a crevice in the wall and ran it along the deer's neck. The poor animal bucked, and the girl laughed and dragged Gerda to the bed.
Are you sleeping with a knife? Gerda asked her.
Always! - answered the little robber. - You never know what can happen! Well, tell me again about Kai and how you set out to wander the wide world.
Gerda told. Caged wood pigeons cooed softly; the other pigeons were already asleep. The little robber wrapped one arm around Gerda's neck - she had a knife in the other - and began to snore, but Gerda could not close her eyes, not knowing whether they would kill her or let her live. Suddenly the wood pigeons cooed:
Kurr! Kurr! We saw Kai! A white hen carried his sled on her back, and he sat in the Snow Queen's sleigh. They flew over the forest when we chicks were still in the nest. She breathed on us, and everyone died except for the two of us. Kurr! Kurr!
What are you talking about! exclaimed Gerda. Where did the Snow Queen go? Do you know?
Probably to Lapland - after all, there is eternal snow and ice. Ask the reindeer what is leashed here.
Yes, there is eternal snow and ice. Wonder how good! - said the reindeer. - There you jump at will on the huge sparkling plains. The Snow Queen's summer tent is spread there, and her permanent palaces are at the North Pole, on the island of Svalbard.
Oh Kai, my dear Kai! Gerda sighed.
Lie still, said the little robber. - I'll stab you with a knife!
In the morning Gerda told her what she had heard from wood pigeons. The little robber girl looked seriously at Gerda, nodded her head and said:
Well, so be it!.. Do you know where Lapland is? she then asked the reindeer.
Who knows if not me! - answered the deer, and his eyes sparkled. - There I was born and raised, there I jumped on the snowy plains.
So listen, - said the little robber girl to Gerda. - You see, all of us are gone, there is only one mother at home;
after a while she will take a sip from a large bottle and take a nap, then I will do something for you.
And so the old woman took a sip from her bottle and began to snore, and the little robber went up to the reindeer and said:
We could still make fun of you for a long time! You're too hilarious to be tickled with a sharp knife. Well, so be it! I will untie you and set you free. You can run to your Lapland, but in return you must take this girl to the Snow Queen's palace - there is her named brother. Surely you heard what she said? She spoke loudly, and you always have ears on top of your head.
The reindeer jumped for joy. And the little robber put Gerda on him, tied her tightly for fidelity, and even slipped a soft pillow under her to make it more comfortable for her to sit.
So be it, - she said then, - take back your fur boots - it will be cold! And I'll leave the clutch for myself, it hurts good. But I won’t let you freeze: here are my mother’s huge mittens, they will reach you to the very elbows. Put your hands in them! Well, now you have hands like my ugly mother.
Gerda wept for joy.
I can't stand it when they whine! - said the little robber. Now you should be happy. Here's two more loaves and a ham for you so you don't have to go hungry.
Both were tied to a deer. Then the little robber opened the door, lured the dogs into the house, cut the rope with which the deer was tied with her sharp knife, and said to him:
Well, live! Yes, look at the girl. Gerda held out both hands to the little robber in huge mittens and said goodbye to her. The reindeer set off at full speed through the stumps and bumps through the forest, through the swamps and steppes. Wolves howled, crows croaked.
Oh you poor fellows! said the Laplander. - You still have a long way to go! You'll have to walk a hundred odd miles before you get to Finland, where the Snow Queen lives in her country house and lights blue sparklers every evening. I will write a few words on dried cod - I have no paper - and you will carry the message to the Finnish woman who lives in those places and will be able to teach you what to do better than I can.
When Gerda warmed up, ate and drank, the Laplander wrote a few words on dried cod, ordered Gerda to take good care of her, then tied the girl to the back of a deer, and he rushed off again.
Phew! Phew! - was heard again from the sky, and it began to throw out columns of wonderful blue flame. So the deer ran with Gerda to Finland and knocked on the Finnish chimney - she didn’t even have doors.
Well, the heat was in her home! The Finn herself, a short fat woman, went about half-naked. She quickly pulled off Gerda's dress, mittens and boots, otherwise the girl would be hot, put a piece of ice on the reindeer's head and then began to read what was written on the dried cod.
She read everything from word to word three times, until she memorized it, and then she put the cod into the cauldron - after all, the fish was good for food, and nothing was wasted with the Finn.
You are such a wise woman... - said the deer. “Won’t you make a drink for the girl that would give her the strength of twelve heroes?” Then she would have defeated the Snow Queen!
The strength of twelve heroes! Finn said. - Is there a lot of good in that!
With these words, she took a large leather scroll from the shelf and unfolded it: it was covered all over with some amazing writing.
The deer again began to ask for Gerda, and Gerda herself looked at the Finn with such pleading eyes full of tears that she blinked again, took the deer aside and, changing the ice on his head, whispered:
Kai is indeed with the Snow Queen, but he is quite pleased and thinks that he cannot be better anywhere. The reason for everything is the fragments of the mirror that sit in his heart and in his eye. They must be removed, otherwise the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.
Can't you give Gerda something that will make her stronger than everyone else?
Stronger than it is, I can't make it. Don't you see how great her power is? Don't you see that both people and animals serve her? After all, she walked around half the world barefoot! It is not for us to borrow her strength, her strength is in her heart, in the fact that she is an innocent sweet child. If she herself cannot penetrate into the halls of the Snow Queen and extract a shard from Kai's heart, then we will not help her even more! Two miles from here begins the Snow Queen's garden. Take the girl there, let her down by a large bush sprinkled with red berries, and, without delay, come back.
With these words, the Finnish girl put Gerda on the back of a deer, and he rushed to run as fast as he could.
Hey, I'm without warm boots! Hey, I'm not wearing gloves! cried Gerda, finding herself in the cold.
But the deer did not dare to stop until he reached a bush with red berries. Then he let the girl down, kissed her on the lips, and large, shining tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he shot back like an arrow.
The poor girl was left alone in the bitter cold, without shoes, without mittens.
She ran forward as fast as she could. A whole regiment of snow flakes rushed towards her, but they did not fall from the sky - the sky was completely clear, and the northern lights were blazing in it - no, they ran along the ground straight at Gerda and became larger and larger.
Gerda remembered the big beautiful flakes under the magnifying glass, but these were much bigger, scarier and all alive.
Some resembled large ugly hedgehogs, others - hundred-headed snakes, others - fat bear cubs with tousled hair. But they all sparkled with the same whiteness, they were all living snowflakes.
However, Gerda boldly walked on and on and finally reached the halls of the Snow Queen.
Let's see what happened to Kai at that time. He did not think about Gerda, and least of all about the fact that she was so close to him.
Story Seven
What happened in the halls of the Snow Queen and what happened next
The walls of the halls were blizzards, the windows and doors were violent winds. More than a hundred halls stretched here one after the other as a blizzard swept them. All of them were illuminated by the northern lights, and the largest one stretched for many, many miles. How cold, how deserted it was in those white, brightly shining halls! Fun never came here. Bear balls have never been held here with dances to the music of the storm, at which polar bears could distinguish themselves by grace and the ability to walk on their hind legs; games of cards with quarrels and fights were never drawn up, little white chanterelle gossips did not converge for a conversation over a cup of coffee.
Cold, deserted, grandiose! The northern lights flashed and burned so regularly that it was possible to calculate exactly at what minute the light would increase and at what time it would fade. In the middle of the largest deserted snow hall was a frozen lake. The ice cracked on it into a thousand pieces, so identical and regular that it seemed like some kind of trick. In the middle of the lake sat the Snow Queen when she was at home, saying that she was sitting on the mirror of the mind; in her opinion, it was the only and best mirror in the world.
Kai turned completely blue, almost turned black from the cold, but did not notice this - the kisses of the Snow Queen made him insensitive to the cold, and his very heart was like a piece of ice. Kai fiddled with flat, pointed ice floes, laying them in all sorts of frets. After all, there is such a game - folding figures from wooden planks - which is called the Chinese puzzle. So Kai also folded various intricate figures, only from ice floes, and this was called an icy mind game. In his eyes, these figures were a marvel of art, and folding them was an occupation of paramount importance. This was due to the fact that a fragment of a magic mirror sat in his eye.
He also put together such figures from which whole words were obtained, but he could not put together what he especially wanted - the word “eternity”. The Snow Queen said to him: "If you add this word, you will be your own master, and I will give you all the world and a pair of new skates." But he couldn't put it down.
Now I will fly to warmer climes,” said the Snow Queen. - I'll look into the black cauldrons.
So she called the craters of the fire-breathing mountains - Etna and Vesuvius.
I'll whiten them a little. It's good for lemons and grapes.
She flew away, and Kai was left alone in the boundless deserted hall, looking at the ice floes and thinking, thinking, so that his head was cracking. He sat there, so pale, motionless, as if lifeless. You might think he was completely cold.
At this time, Gerda entered the huge gate, which was the violent winds. And before her the winds subsided, as if asleep. She entered a huge deserted ice hall and saw Kai. She immediately recognized him, threw herself on his neck, hugged him tightly and exclaimed:
Kai, my dear Kai! Finally I found you!
But he sat still the same motionless and cold. And then Gerda wept; her hot tears fell on his chest, penetrated into his heart, melted the ice crust, melted the shard. Kai looked at Gerda and suddenly burst into tears and cried so hard that the shard flowed out of his eye along with his tears. Then he recognized Gerda and was delighted:
And he clung tightly to Gerda. And she laughed and cried with joy. And it was so wonderful that even the ice floes began to dance, and when they got tired, they lay down and made up the very word that the Snow Queen asked Kai to compose. Having folded it, he could become his own master, and even receive from her a gift of the whole world and a pair of new skates.
Gerda kissed Kai on both cheeks, and they again blushed like roses; kissed his eyes, and they shone; kissed his hands and feet, and he again became vigorous and healthy.
The Snow Queen could come back anytime - his vacation card lay there, written in glittering ice letters.
Kai and Gerda left the ice halls hand in hand. They walked and talked about their grandmother, about the roses that bloomed in their garden, and before them the violent winds subsided, the sun peeped through. And when they reached the bush with red berries, the reindeer was already waiting for them.
Kai and Gerda went first to the Finn, warmed up with her and found out the way home, and then to the Lapland. She sewed them a new dress, repaired her sleigh and went to see them off.
Gerda and Kai told her about everything.
Well, that's the end of the story! - said the young robber, shook hands with them and promised to visit them if she ever came to them in the city.
Then she went on her way, and Kai and Gerda went on theirs.
They walked, and spring flowers bloomed on their way, the grass turned green. Then the bells rang out, and they recognized the bell towers of their hometown. They climbed the familiar stairs and entered the room, where everything was the same as before: the clock said “tick-tock”, the hands moved along the dial. But, passing through the low door, they noticed that they had become quite adults. Blooming rose bushes peered through the open window from the roof; right there were their highchairs. Kai and Gerda each sat on their own, took each other's hands, and the cold desert splendor of the halls of the Snow Queen was forgotten like a heavy dream.
So they sat side by side, both already adults, but children in heart and soul, and it was summer outside, a warm, fertile summer.
"Library of the School of the Seven Dwarfs" - these are the best works of classical and modern domestic and foreign children's literature. The books include the complete classical texts of the works. Gorgeous colorful illustrations are made by the best artists. An important advantage of the series is a clear age targeting: for each year of a child's life, works are offered that are accessible, interesting and useful to the baby. In this book, young readers will find their favorite fairy tale, The Snow Queen.
Annotation to the publication: February 2010 (Azbuka publishing house, ISBN 978-5-9985-0608-6)
The largest classic of Danish literature, Hans Christian Andersen, was the author of novels, dramas, poems, travel essays - and wrote fifty volumes in his seventy years of life. A "serious" author, at first he did not even suspect that fairy tales would make his name world famous and loved. In the words of the Norwegian writer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Andersen's first fairy tales, although they were short, "the size of a nut, but concealed a whole world in themselves." “It was creativity in two floors, to put it in Andersen's way: ...
The largest classic of Danish literature, Hans Christian Andersen, was the author of novels, dramas, poems, travel essays - and wrote fifty volumes in his seventy years of life. A "serious" author, at first he did not even suspect that fairy tales would make his name world famous and loved. In the words of the Norwegian writer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Andersen's first fairy tales, although they were short, "the size of a nut, but concealed a whole world in themselves." “It was a work of two floors, to put it in Andersen's way: he retained the language and the fabulous environment, but the ideas behind them were intended for the father and mother, who listened with the children” (Bo Grönbek, Danish Andersenologist).
This collection includes both Andersen's most famous fairy tales (for example, "Thumbelina", "Swineherd", "The Ugly Duckling"), as well as less well-known ones: "Airplane Chest", "Angel", "The Story of a Mother" and others.
Annotation to the publication: May 2005 (Oberton Publishing House, ISBN 5-37-487102-1)
For illustrations for "The Little Mermaid" and "The Snow Queen", artist Boris Diodorov received the Grand Prize from the hands of the Danish Princess Alexandra International Competition Andersen...
For everyone who loves to read, and for those who are just learning, the Oberton publishing house has prepared an amazing gift for children and adults - a book that you can also listen to.
Kai, Gerda and the Little Robber are young actors next to the recognized masters of the stage and screen, People's Artists of Russia Boris Plotnikov and Alina Pokrovskaya.
For illustrations for "The Little Mermaid" and "The Snow Queen", the artist Boris Diodorov received the Grand Prize of the International Andersen Competition in Odense from the hands of the Danish Princess Alexandra.
The comfort of a home and majestic ice halls, the spring of life and eternal cold, a frozen heart and devoted love that knows no barriers - the music of the Oberton group recreates the magical world of Andersen's Snow Queen.
Annotation to the publication: November 2003 (publishing house "A-BA-BA-GALAMAGA")
The AZBUKA publishing house together with the Kyiv publishing house ABABAGALAMAGA present to the attention of young readers and their parents a book-gift - "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen with drawings by the famous Ukrainian artist Vladislav Yerko.
This authentic work of art comes out in Russia for the first time.
Vladislav Yerko is a well-known Kyiv artist who designed the books of Carlos Castaneda and Paulo Coelho. In 2002, he was recognized as the "Man of the Book" as the best artist
Annotation to the publication: September 2004 (Makhaon publishing house, ISBN 5-18-000550-7)
The books included in the educational series "The Sun" are intended for children of different age groups: from 2 to 3, from 3 to 4, from 4 to 5 years, etc. Especially for such children, a large and easy-to-read font was selected, and all words were stressed. Children will learn not only to read, but also to count, develop their memory and attention, and get acquainted with the best examples of literature for children.
Annotation to the publication: June 2005 (Drofa-Plus publishing house, ISBN 5-9555-0733-7)
The Snow Queen is one of the most popular fairy tales of the great Danish storyteller H. K. Andersen. This is a fairy tale about a brave, brave girl Gerda, who went on a long journey to find her friend Kai, who was bewitched by the Snow Queen. The brightly illustrated book is intended for children of primary school age.
Annotation to the publication: September 2008 (Onyx Publishing House, ISBN 978-5-488-02057-3)
The Snow Queen is probably the most beloved children's fairy tale of all time. In Soviet times, it was subjected to severe censorship in order to hide the deeply Christian meaning of this work.
This edition publishes the full text of the tale in a wonderful translation by Anna Ganzen with magnificent illustrations by Leonid Zolotarev.
Annotation to the publication: February 2003 (Onyx Publishing House, ISBN 5-249-00235-8)
The tales of the famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) are known and loved by readers of all ages around the world. This collection includes both well-known fairy tales for the youngest children - "Thumbelina", "The Princess and the Pea", "Ole Lukoye" and others, as well as less well-known, addressed to older readers.
Annotation to the publication: April 2006 (publishing house "Lada", ISBN 5-94832-171-1)
This book is a real gift for a fairy tale lover. In it you can read a bright and very instructive tale of the great H.K. Andersen's "The Snow Queen" about the bewitched boy Kai and the strong, loving, brave girl Gerda, who, having gone through many trials, will be able to warm the ice fragment of Kai's dear heart.
Annotation to the publication: August 2009 (publishing house "AST / Astrel", ISBN 978-5-17-056559-7)