THE SNOW QUEEN

THE SNOW QUEEN,标签：剑桥少儿英语故事,少儿英语小故事,http://www.xuehuiba.com

    "Farewell！ Farewell！" cried Prince and Princess； 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 beat his black wings as long as he could see the carriage， that shone from afar like a sunbeam.

    FIFTH STORY. The Little Robber Maiden

    They drove through the dark wood； but the carriage shone like a torch， and it dazzled the eyes of the robbers， so that they could not bear to look at it.

    "'Tis gold！ 'Tis gold！" they cried； and they rushed forward， seized the horses， knocked down the little postilion， the coachman， and the servants， and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

    "How plump， how beautiful she is！ She must have 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 as good as a fatted lamb！ How nice she will be！" And then she drew out a knife， the blade of which shone 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 so wild and unmanageable， that it was quite amusing to see her. "You naughty child！" said the mother： and now she had not time to kill Gerda.

    "She shall play with me，" said the little robber child. "She shall give me her muff， and her pretty frock； she shall sleep in my bed！" And then she gave her mother another bite， so that she jumped， and ran round with the pain； and the Robbers laughed， and said， "Look， how she is dancing with the little one！"

    "I will go into the carriage，" said the little robber maiden； and she would have her will， for she was very spoiled and very headstrong. She and Gerda got in； and then away they drove over the stumps of felled trees， deeper and deeper into the woods. The little robber maiden was as tall as Gerda， but stronger， broader-shouldered， and of dark complexion； her eyes were quite black； they looked almost melancholy. She embraced little Gerda， and said， "They shall not kill you as long as I am not displeased with you. You are， doubtless， a Princess？"

    "No，" said little Gerda； who then related all that had happened to her， and how much she cared about little Kay.

    The little robber maiden looked at her with a serious air， nodded her head slightly， and said， "They shall not kill you， even if I am angry with you： then I will do it myself"； and she dried Gerda's eyes， and put both her hands in the handsome muff， which was so soft and warm.

    At length the carriage stopped. They were in the midst of the court-yard of a robber's castle. It was full of cracks from top to bottom； and out of the openings magpies and rooks were flying； and the great bull-dogs， each of which looked as if he could swallow a man， jumped up， but they did not bark， for that was forbidden.

    In the midst of the large， old， smoking hall burnt a great fire on the stone floor. The smoke disappeared under the stones， and had to seek its own egress. In an immense caldron soup was boiling； and rabbits and hares were being roasted on a spit.

    "You shall sleep with me to-night， with all my animals，" said the little robber maiden. They had something to eat and drink； and then went into a corner， where straw and carpets were lying. Beside them， on laths and perches， sat nearly a hundred pigeons， all asleep， seemingly； but yet they moved a little when the robber maiden came. "They are all mine，" said she， at the same time seizing one that was next to her by the legs and shaking it so that its wings fluttered. "Kiss it，" cried the little girl， and flung the pigeon in Gerda's face. "Up there is the rabble of the wood， continued she， pointing to several laths which were fastened before a hole high up in the wall； "that's the rabble； they would all fly away immediately， if they were not well fastened in. And here is my dear old Bac"； and she laid hold of the horns of a reindeer， that had a bright copper ring round its neck， and was tethered to the spot. "We are obliged to lock this fellow in too， or he would make his escape. Every evening I tickle his neck with my sharp knife； he is so frightened at it！" and the little girl drew forth a long knife， from a crack in the wall， and let it glide over the Reindeer's neck. The poor animal kicked； the girl laughed， and pulled Gerda into bed with her.

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