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Once upon a time a
magician made a magic mirror. In this mirror, a kind face became wicked, a look of hate
was reflected as a look of love. One day, however, the mirror broke, and if a sliver of
glass from the mirror entered someone's eye, that person's soul became evil, if another
pierced a heart, that heart grew hard and cold as ice. In a big town two children, called
Karl and Gerda were very close friends, and even the sweet pea that grew on Karl's window
sill spread across the street to entwine with Gerda's little rose bush. One evening Karl
was watching the snow drift down, when he noticed a white flake slowly turn into a
beautiful ice maiden. Karl was startled to hear the ice maiden speak his name, and he was
not to know he had set eyes on the Snow Queen. Winter passed, and one spring afternoon, as
Karl and Gerda pored over a book, the little boy told her: "I feel a pain in my
heart! And something's pricking my eye!" " Don t worry, said Gerda comfortingly.
"I can't see anything!" But, alas, splinters from the shattered mirror had
pierced the little boy. Now in the grip of the evil spell, he snapped: "You're so
ugly!" And ripping two roses from her bush, he ran off. From that day on, Karl turned
into a very nasty boy, and nobody could understand what had happened to him to cause such
a change. Only Gerda still loved him, though all she got in return were insults and spite.
Winter came round again, though earlier than usual, and bringing far more snow than anyone
could remember. One day, just after going outdoors to play in the snow, Karl saw the
beautiful maiden he had seen that night, coming towards him wrapped in a white fur coat.
She stood in front of him and told him to tie his sledge to her own, drawn by a white
horse. Then they sped away. Suddenly, the great sledge soared into the sky and through the
clouds. Stretched out on his own little sledge, Karl didn't dare move a muscle for fear of
falling into space. At last, they came to a halt on an immense white plain, dotted with
lots of sparkling frozen lakes. "Come into my arms," said the Snow Queen,
opening her soft fur coat. "Come and keep warm!" Karl allowed himself to be
hugged by the unknown maiden and a chill ran up his spine as two icy lips touched his
forehead. The Snow Queen kissed him again, and in an instant, the little boy forgot all
about Gerda and his past life, as he fell into a deep sleep. In the meantime, Gerda was
anxiously searching for Karl, but no one had seen him. Finally, she went down to the
river. "Great river," she said, "please tell me if you've seen Karl or if
you've carried him away! I'll give you these, if you do!" And she threw her shoes
into the river. But the current paid no heed and just swept them back to the bank. Not far
away stood an old boat, and Gerda climbed into it. As she drifted with the current, she
pleaded: "Great river, silently flowing and knowing all things about men's lives,
take me to Karl." At dusk, she stopped by a river bank carpeted with all kinds of
flowers. After resting she went into the forest, and though she did not know how she would
ever find her friend, a mysterious voice inside her told her to be brave. After wandering
far and wide, she stopped, tired and hungry. A crow flapped out from a hollow tree.
"If you're looking for Karl," it said, "I know where he is! I saw him with
the Snow Queen on her sledge in the sky!" "And where is her kingdom?" Gerda
asked the crow. "In Lapland, where all is icy cold. That reindeer over there might
take you! " Gerda ran over to the big reindeer, threw her arms around its neck and,
laying her cheek against its soft muzzle, said: "Please help me to find my
friend!" The reindeer's kindly eyes told her that he would, and she climbed onto its
back. They traveled till they came to the frozen tundra, lit by the fiery glow of the
Northern Lights. "Karl! Karl! Where are you?" shouted Gerda as loudly as she
could. When, at last, she found the little boy, Karl did not recognize her. Gerda threw
her arms round him, and teardrops dripped onto his chest and heart. This broke the evil
spell. Karl woke from his long sleep, and when he set eyes on Gerda, he too began to cry.
The second cold splinter of mirror vanished. They had found each other again at last,
thanks to Gerda's love, and the reindeer galloped them home. The two plants on the window
sills started to blossom again and to twine, a sign of their everlasting friendship. |
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