cried the little girl; and then, whenhe saw how frightened she was, he tore off another rose, and jumpedthrough his own window away from little Gerda.
  When she afterwards brought out the picture book, he said, "It wasonly fit for babies in long clothes," and when grandmother told anystories, he would interrupt her with "but;" or, when he could manageit, he would get behind her chair, put on a pair of spectacles, andimitate her very cleverly, to make people laugh. By-and-by he began tomimic the speech and gait of persons in the street. All that waspeculiar or disagreeable in a person he would imitate directly, andpeople said, "That boy will be very clever; he has a remarkablegenius." But it was the piece of glass in his eye, and the coldness inhis heart, that made him act like this. He would even tease littleGerda, who loved him with all her heart. His games, too, were quitedifferent; they were not so childish. One winter's day, when itsnowed, he brought out a burning-glass, then he held out the tail ofhis blue coat, and let the snow-flakes fall upon it. "Look in thisglass, Gerda," said he; and she saw how every flake of snow wasmagnified, and looked like a beautiful flower or a glittering star."Is it not clever?" said Kay, "and much more interesting thanlooking at real flowers. There is not a single fault in it, and thesnow-flakes are quite perfect till they begin to melt."
  Soon after Kay made his appearance in large thick gloves, and withhis sledge at his back. He called up stairs to Gerda, "I've got toleave to go into the great square, where the other boys play andride." And away he went.
  In the great square, the boldest among the boys would often tietheir sledges to the country people's carts, and go with them a goodway. This was capital. But while they were all amusing themselves, andKay with them, a great sledge came by; it was painted white, and in itsat some one wrapped in a rough white fur, and wearing a white cap.The sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay fastened his ownlittle sledge to it, so that when it went away, he followed with it.It went faster and faster right through the next street, and thenthe person who drove turned round and nodded pleasantly to Kay, justas if they were acquainted with each other, but whenever Kay wished toloosen his little sledge the driver nodded again, so Kay sat still,and they drove out through the town gate. Then the snow began tofall so heavily that the little boy could not see a hand's breadthbefore him, but still they drove on; then he suddenly loosened thecord so that the large sled might go on without him, but it was ofno use, his little carriage held fast, and away they went like thewind. Then he called out loudly, but nobody heard him, while thesnow beat upon him, and the sledge flew onwards. Every now and then itgave a jump as if it were going over hedges and ditches. The boy wasfrightened, and tried to say a prayer, but he could remember nothingbut the multiplication table.
  The snow-flakes became larger and larger, till they appearedlike great white chickens. All at once they sprang on one side, thegreat sledge stopped, and the person who had driven it rose up. Thefur and the cap, which were made entirely of snow, fell off, and hesaw a lady, tall and white, it was the Snow Queen.
  "We have driven well," said she, "but why do you tremble? here,creep into my warm fur." Then she seated him beside her in the sledge,and as she wrapped the fur round him he felt as if he were sinkinginto a snow drift.
  "Are you still cold," she asked, as she kissed him on theforehead. The kiss was colder than ice; it went quite through to hisheart, which was already almost a lump of ice; he felt as if he weregoing to die, but only for a moment; he soon seemed quite wellagain, and did not notice the cold around him.
  "My sledge!