THE SNOW QUEEN IN SEVEN STORIES [11]
forth a shining knife,
that glittered horribly. "Oh!" screamed the old woman the same moment;
for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear.
She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly
thing, and had not time to kill Gerda.
"She shall play with me," said the little robber-girl; "she
shall give me her muff and her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my
bed." And then she bit her mother again, and made her spring in the
air, and jump about; and all the robbers laughed, and said, "See how
she is dancing with her young cub."
"I will have a ride in the coach," said the little robber-girl;
and she would have her own way; for she was so self-willed and
obstinate.
She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over
stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little
robber-girl was about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had
broader shoulders and a darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and
she had a mournful look. She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and
said,-
"They shall not kill you as long as you don't make us vexed with
you. I suppose you are a princess."
"No," said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how
fond she was of little Kay.
The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly,
and said, "They sha'nt kill you, even if I do get angry with you;
for I will do it myself." And then she wiped Gerda's eyes, and stuck
her own hands in the beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.
The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber's castle, the walls
of which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and
out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which
looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were
not allowed to bark. In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was
burning on the stone floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up
to the ceiling, and found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in
a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.
"You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night," said
the robber-girl, after they had had something to eat and drink. So she
took Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets
were laid down. Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a
hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved
slightly when the two little girls came near them. "These all belong
to me," said the robber-girl; and she seized the nearest to her,
held it by the feet, and shook it till it flapped its wings. "Kiss
it," cried she, flapping it in Gerda's face. "There sit the
wood-pigeons," continued she, pointing to a number of laths and a cage
which had been fixed into the walls, near one of the openings. "Both
rascals would fly away directly, if they were not closely locked up.
And here is my old sweetheart 'Ba;' and she dragged out a reindeer
by the horn; he wore a bright copper ring round his neck, and was tied
up. "We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away
from us also. I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife,
which frightens him very much." And then the robber-girl drew a long
knife from a chink in the wall, and let it slide gently over the
reindeer's neck. The poor animal began to kick, and the little
robber-girl laughed, and pulled down Gerda into bed with her.
"Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep?" asked
Gerda, looking at it in great fright.
"I always sleep with the knife by me," said the robber-girl. "No
one knows what may happen. But now tell me again all about little Kay,
and why you went out into the world."
Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons
in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept. The little
robber-girl put one arm across Gerda's neck, and held the knife in the
other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. But
that glittered horribly. "Oh!" screamed the old woman the same moment;
for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear.
She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly
thing, and had not time to kill Gerda.
"She shall play with me," said the little robber-girl; "she
shall give me her muff and her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my
bed." And then she bit her mother again, and made her spring in the
air, and jump about; and all the robbers laughed, and said, "See how
she is dancing with her young cub."
"I will have a ride in the coach," said the little robber-girl;
and she would have her own way; for she was so self-willed and
obstinate.
She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over
stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little
robber-girl was about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had
broader shoulders and a darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and
she had a mournful look. She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and
said,-
"They shall not kill you as long as you don't make us vexed with
you. I suppose you are a princess."
"No," said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how
fond she was of little Kay.
The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly,
and said, "They sha'nt kill you, even if I do get angry with you;
for I will do it myself." And then she wiped Gerda's eyes, and stuck
her own hands in the beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.
The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber's castle, the walls
of which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and
out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which
looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were
not allowed to bark. In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was
burning on the stone floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up
to the ceiling, and found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in
a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.
"You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night," said
the robber-girl, after they had had something to eat and drink. So she
took Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets
were laid down. Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a
hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved
slightly when the two little girls came near them. "These all belong
to me," said the robber-girl; and she seized the nearest to her,
held it by the feet, and shook it till it flapped its wings. "Kiss
it," cried she, flapping it in Gerda's face. "There sit the
wood-pigeons," continued she, pointing to a number of laths and a cage
which had been fixed into the walls, near one of the openings. "Both
rascals would fly away directly, if they were not closely locked up.
And here is my old sweetheart 'Ba;' and she dragged out a reindeer
by the horn; he wore a bright copper ring round his neck, and was tied
up. "We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away
from us also. I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife,
which frightens him very much." And then the robber-girl drew a long
knife from a chink in the wall, and let it slide gently over the
reindeer's neck. The poor animal began to kick, and the little
robber-girl laughed, and pulled down Gerda into bed with her.
"Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep?" asked
Gerda, looking at it in great fright.
"I always sleep with the knife by me," said the robber-girl. "No
one knows what may happen. But now tell me again all about little Kay,
and why you went out into the world."
Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons
in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept. The little
robber-girl put one arm across Gerda's neck, and held the knife in the
other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. But