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4th story. The prince and princess.
Gerta was obliged to rest herself again, when,exactly opposite to her, a large raven came
hopping over the white snow. He had long beenlooking at Gerta and shaking his head, and now he
said, カー!カー! Good day! Good day! He could not sayit better, but he felt a sympathy for the
little girl, and asked her where she was going allalone. The word alone Gerta understood quite well,
and felt how much was expressed by it, so she toldthe raven her whole history, and asked if he
had not seen カー. The raven nodded very gravely,and said, It may be, it may be.
What, do you really think so? cried the littlegirl, and she nearly squeezed the raven to death,
so much did she kiss him. Gently, gently, said theraven. I think I know, I think that it may be
little カー. But now he has forgotten you for theprincess. Does he live with a princess? asked
Gerta. Yes, listen, said the raven, but it will bedifficult for me to speak your language.
If you understand the raven language I can tellyou better. No, I have not learned it, said Gerta,
but my grandmother understands it, and she canspeak gibberish too. I wish I had learned it.
No matter, said the raven, I will tell you as wellas I can, however, it will be bad enough.
And then he told all he knew. In the kingdom wherewe now are there lives a princess,
who is extraordinarily clever, for she has readall the newspapers in the whole world,
and has forgotten them again, so clever is she.She was lately, it is said, sitting on her throne,
which is not very amusing after all, when shebegan humming an old tune, and it was just,
Oh why should I not be married? That song is notwithout its meaning, said she, and so then
she was determined to marry, but she would have ahusband who knew how to give an answer when he
was spoken to, not one who looked only as if hewere a great personage, for that is so tiresome.
She then had all the ladies of the court drumtogether, and when they heard her intention,
all were very pleased, and said, We are very gladto hear it, it is the very thing we were
thinking of. You may believe every word I say,said the raven, for I have a tame sweetheart
that hops about in the palace quite free, and itwas she who told me all this. The newspapers
appeared forthwith with a border of hearts and theinitials of the princess, and therein you
might read that every good-looking young man wasat liberty to come to the palace and speak to the
princess, and he who spoke in such wise as showedhe felt himself at home there, that one the
princess would choose for her husband. Yes, yes,said the raven, you may believe it, it is as true
as I am sitting here. People came in crowds, therewas a crush and a hurry, but no one was successful
either on the first or second day. They could alltalk well enough when they were out in the street,
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but as soon as they came inside the palace gates,and saw the guard richly dressed in silver,
and the lackeys in gold on the staircase, and thelarge illuminated saloons,
then they were abashed, and when they stood beforethe throne on which the princess was sitting,
all they could do was to repeat the last word theyhad uttered, and to hear it again did not
interest her very much. It was just as if thepeople within were under a charm, and had fallen
into a trance till they came out again into thestreet, for then, oh, then, they could chatter
enough. There was a whole row of them standingfrom the town gates to the palace. I was there
myself to look," said the raven. They grew hungryand thirsty, but from the palace they got
nothing whatever, not even a glass of water. Someof the cleverest, it is true, had taken bread and
butter with them, but none shared it with hisneighbour, for each thought, let him look hungry,
and then the princess won't have him. But K,little K, said Gerda, when did he come?
Was he among the number? Patience, patience, weare just come to him.
It was on the third day when a little personagewithout horse or equipage,
K marching right boldly up to the palace, his eyesshone like yours, he had beautiful long hair,
but his clothes were very shabby. That was K,cried Gerda, with a voice of delight.
Oh, now I found him! And she clapped her hands forjoy. He had a little knapsack at his back,
said the raven. No, that was certainly his sledge,said Gerda, for when he went away he took
his sledge with him. That may be, said the raven,I did not examine him so minutely,
but I know from my tame sweetheart, that when hecame into the courtyard of the palace,
and saw the bodyguard in silver, the lackeys onthe staircase, he was not the least abashed,
he nodded, and said to them, it must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs, for my part,
I shall go in. The saloons were gleaming with lustres, privy counsellors and excellencies
were walking about barefooted, and wore gold keys,it was enough to make any one feel
uncomfortable. His boots creaked, too, so loudly,but still he was not at all afraid.
That's K for certain, said Gerda. I know he had onnew boots, I have heard them creaking
in grandmama's room. Yes, they creaked, said theraven. And on he went boldly up to the princess,
who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinningwheel. All the ladies of the court,
with their attendants and attendants' attendants,and all the cavaliers, with their gentlemen and
gentlemen's gentlemen, stood round, and the nearerthey stood to the door, the prouder they
looked. It was hardly possible to look at thegentlemen's gentlemen, so very haughtily did
he stand in the doorway. It must have beenterrible, said little Gerda. And did K get
the princess? Were I not a raven, I should havetaken the princess myself, although I am promised.
It is said he spoke as well as I speak when I talkraven language, this I learned from my tame
sweetheart. He was bold and nicely behaved, he hadnot come to woo the princess, but only to hear
her wisdom. She pleased him, and he pleased her.Yes, yes, for certain that was K, said Gerda.
He was so clever, he could reckon fractions in hishead. Oh, you take me to the palace.
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That is very easily said, answered the raven. Buthow are we to manage it? I'll speak to my tame
sweetheart about it, she must advise us, for somuch I must tell you, such a little girl as you
are will never get permission to enter. Oh, yes Ishall, said Gerda, when K hears that I am here,
he will come out directly to fetch me. Wait for mehere on these steps, said the raven.
He moved his head backwards and forwards and flewaway.
The evening was closing in when the ravenreturned. K, K, said he. She sends you her
compliments, and here is a roll for you. She tookit out of the kitchen, where there is bread
enough. You are hungry, no doubt. It is notpossible for you to enter the palace, for you
are barefooted, the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold, would not allow it, but do not
cry you shall come in still. My sweetheart knows alittle back stair that leads to the bedchamber,
and she knows where she can get the key of it. Andthey went into the garden in the large avenue,
where one leaf was falling after the other, andwhen the lights in the palace had all
gradually disappeared, the raven led little Gerdato the back door, which stood half open.
Oh, Gerda's heart beat with anxiety and longing.It was just as if she had been about to do
something wrong, and yet she only wanted to knowif little K was there. Yes, he must be there.
She called to mind his intelligent eyes, and hislong hair, so vividly, she could quite see him as
he used to laugh when they were sitting under theroses at home. He will, no doubt, be glad to see
you, to hear what a long way you have come for hissake, to know how unhappy all at home were when
he did not come back. Oh, what a fright and a joyit was. They were now on the stairs. A single
lamp was burning there, and on the floor stood thetame raven, turning her head on every side and
looking at Gerda, who bowed as her grandmother hadtaught her to do.
My intended has told me so much good of you, mydear young lady, said the tame raven.
Your tale is very affecting. If you will take thelamp, I will go before. We will go straight on,
for we shall meet no one. I think there issomebody just behind us, said Gerda,
and something rushed past, it was like shadowyfigures on the wall, horses with flowing manes
and thin legs, huntsmen, ladies and gentlemen onhorseback. They are only dreams, said the
raven. They come to fetch the thoughts of the highpersonages to the chase, tis well, for now
you can observe them in bed all the better. Butlet me find, when you enjoy honour anddistinction,
that you possess a grateful heart. Tut! that's notworth talking about, said the raven of the
woods. They now entered the first saloon, whichwas of rose-coloured satin, with artificialflowers
on the wall. Here the dreams were rushing past,but they hastened by so quickly that Gerda could
not see the high personages. One hall was moremagnificent than the other, one might indeed well
be abashed, and at last they came into the bedchamber. The ceiling of the room resembled
a large palm-tree with leaves of glass, of costlyglass, and in the middle, from a thick
golden stem, hung two beds, each of which resembled a lily. One was white, and in this lay
the princess, the other was red, and it was herethat Gerda was to look for little K.
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She bent back one of the red leaves, and saw abrown neck. Oh! that was K. She called him quite
loud by name, held the lamp towards him, thedreams rushed back again into the chamber,
he awoke, turned his head, and—it was not littleK. The prince was only like him about the neck,
but he was young and handsome. And out of thewhite lily leaves the princess peeped, too,
and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerdacried, and told her her whole history,
and all that the ravens had done for her.
Poor little thing, said the prince and theprincess. They praised the ravens very much,
and told them they were not at all angry withthem, but they were not to do so again.
However, they should have a reward. Will you flyabout here at liberty, asked the princess,
or would you like to have a fixed appointment ascourt ravens, with all the broken bits from
the kitchen? And both the ravens nodded, andbegged for a fixed appointment, for they thought
of their old age, and said, it is a good thing tohave a provision for our old days.
And the prince got up and let Gerda sleep in hisbed, and more than this he could not do.
She folded her little hands and thought, how goodmen and animals are. And she then fell asleep
and slept soundly. All the dreams flew in again,and they now looked like the angels,
they drew a little sledge, in which little K satand nodded his head.
But the whole was only a dream, and therefore itall vanished as soon as she awoke.
The next day she was dressed from head to foot insilk and velvet. They offered to let her stay
at the palace, and lead a happy life, but shebegged to have a little carriage with a horse in
front, and for a small pair of shoes, then, shesaid, she would again go forth in the wide world
and look for K. Shoes and a muff were given her,she was, too, dressed very nicely, and when she
was about to set off, a new carriage stoppedbefore the door. It was of pure gold, and the
arms of the prince and princess shone like a starupon it, the coachman, the footman, and the
outriders, for outriders were there, too, all woregolden crowns. The prince and the princess
assisted her into the carriage themselves, andwished her all success. The raven of the woods,
who was now married, accompanied her for the firstthree miles. He sat beside Gerda, for he could not
bear riding backwards, the other raven stood inthe doorway, and flapped her wings, she could not
accompany Gerda, because she suffered fromheadaches since she had had a fixed appointment
and ate so much. The carriage was lined insidewith sugar-plums, and in the seats were fruits and
gingerbread. Farewell! Farewell, cried prince andprincess, and Gerda wept, and the raven wept.
Thus passed the first miles, and then the raven bade her farewell, and this was the most painful
separation of all. He flew into a tree, and beathis black wings as long as he could see thecarriage,
that shone from afar like a sunbeam.
Fifth Story. The Little Robber Maiden.
They drove through the dark wood, but the carriageshone like a torch, and it dazzled the
robbers, so that they could not bear to look atit. Tis gold! Tis gold! They cried, and they
rushed forward, seized the horses, knocked downthe little postilion, the coachman, and theservants,
and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage. Howplump, how beautiful she is! She must have
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been fed on nut kernels, said the old female robber, who had a long, scrubby beard, and bushy
eyebrows that hung down over her eyes. She is asgood as a fatted lamb. How nice she will be!
And then she drew out a knife, the blade of whichshone so that it was quite dreadful to
behold. Oh, cried the woman at the same moment.She had been bitten in the ear by her own little
daughter, who hung at her back, and who was sowild and unmanageable, that it was quite
amusing to see her. You naughty child, said themother, and now she had not time to kill Gerda.
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