Han vilde vist blive glad ved at see hende, høre hvilken lang Vei, hun havde gaaet for hans Skyld, vide, hvor bedrøvet de Alle hjemme havde været, da han ikke kom igjen.

He would certainly be glad to see her, and to hear what a long distance she had come for his sake, and to know how sorry they had been at home because he did not come back.

O, det var en Frygt og en Glæde.

Oh what joy and yet fear she felt!

Nu vare de paa Trappen; der brændte en lille Lampe paa et Skab; midt paa Gulvet stod den tamme Krage og dreiede Hovedet til alle Sider og betragtede Gerda, der neiede, som Bedstemoder have lært hende.

They were now on the stairs, and in a small closet at the top a lamp was burning. In the middle of the floor stood the tame crow, turning her head from side to side, and gazing at Gerda, who curtseyed as her grandmother had taught her to do.

»Min Forlovede har talt saa smukt om dem, min lille Frøken,« sagde den tamme Krage, »deres Vita, som man kalder det, er ogsaa meget rørende! — Vil de tage Lampen, saa skal jeg gaae foran. Vi gaae her den lige Vei, for der træffe vi Ingen!«

“My betrothed has spoken so very highly of you, my little lady,” said the tame crow, “your life-history, Vita, as it may be called, is very touching. If you will take the lamp I will walk before you. We will go straight along this way, then we shall meet no one.”

»Jeg synes her kommer Nogen lige bag efter!« sagde Gerda, og det susede forbi hende; det var ligesom Skygger hen ad Væggen, Heste med flagrende Manker og tynde Been, Jægerdrenge, Herrer og Damer til Hest.

“It seems to me as if somebody were behind us,” said Gerda, as something rushed by her like a shadow on the wall, and then horses with flying manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback, glided by her, like shadows on the wall.

»Det er kun Drømmene!« sagde Kragen, »de komme og hente det høie Herskabs Tanker til Jagt, godt er det, saa kan De bedre betragte dem i Sengen. Men lad mig see, kommer De til Ære og Værdighed, at De da viser et taknemmeligt Hjerte!«

“They are only dreams,” said the crow, “they are coming to fetch the thoughts of the great people out hunting.” “All the better, for we shall be able to look at them in their beds more safely. I hope that when you rise to honor and favor, you will show a grateful heart.”

»Det er jo ikke noget at snakke om!« sagde Kragen fra Skoven.

“You may be quite sure of that,” said the crow from the forest.

Nu kom de ind i den første Sal, den var af rosenrødt Atlask med kunstige Blomster opad Væggen; her susede dem allerede Drømmene forbi, men de foer saa hurtigt, at Gerda ikke fik seet det høie Herskab.

They now came into the first hall, the walls of which were hung with rose-colored satin, embroidered with artificial flowers. Here the dreams again flitted by them but so quickly that Gerda could not distinguish the royal persons.

Den ene Sal blev prægtigere end den anden; jo man kunde nok blive forbløffet, og nu vare de i Sovkammeret.

Each hall appeared more splendid than the last, it was enought to bewilder any one. At length they reached a bedroom.

Loftet herinde lignede en stor Palme med Blade af Glas, kostbart Glas, og midt paa Gulvet hang i en tyk Stilk af Guld to Senge, der hver saae ud som Lillier:

The ceiling was like a great palm-tree, with glass leaves of the most costly crystal, and over the centre of the floor two beds, each resembling a lily, hung from a stem of gold.

den ene var hvid, i den laae Prindsessen; den anden var rød, og i den var det at Gerda skulde søge lille Kay; hun bøiede eet af de røde Blade tilside og da saae hun en bruun Nakke. — O, det var Kay! —

One, in which the princess lay, was white, the other was red; and in this Gerda had to seek for little Kay. She pushed one of the red leaves aside, and saw a little brown neck. Oh, that must be Kay!

Hun raabte ganske høit hans Navn, holdt Lampen hen til ham — Drømmene susede til Hest ind i Stuen igjen — han vaagnede, dreiede Hovedet og — — det var ikke den lille Kay.

She called his name out quite loud, and held the lamp over him. The dreams rushed back into the room on horseback. He woke, and turned his head round, it was not little Kay!

Prindsen lignede ham kun paa Nakken, men ung og smuk var han. Og fra den hvide Lillie-Seng tittede Prindsessen ud, og spurgte hvad det var. Da græd den lille Gerda og fortalte hele sin Historie og Alt, hvad Kragerne havde gjort for hende.

The prince was only like him in the neck, still he was young and pretty. Then the princess peeped out of her white-lily bed, and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda wept and told her story, and all that the crows had done to help her.

»Din lille Stakkel!« sagde Prindsen og Prindsessen, og de roste Kragerne og sagde, at de vare slet ikke vrede paa dem, men de skulde dog ikke gjøre det oftere. Imidlertid skulde de have en Belønning.

“You poor child,” said the prince and princess; then they praised the crows, and said they were not angry for what they had done, but that it must not happen again, and this time they should be rewarded.

»Ville I flyve frit?« spurgte Prindsessen, »eller ville I have fast Ansættelse som Hofkrager med Alt, hvad der falder af i Kjøkkenet?«

“Would you like to have your freedom?” asked the princess, “or would you prefer to be raised to the position of court crows, with all that is left in the kitchen for yourselves?”

Og begge Kragerne neiede og bade om fast Ansættelse; for de tænkte paa deres Alderdom og sagde, »det var saa godt at have noget for den gamle Mand,« som de kalde det.

Then both the crows bowed, and begged to have a fixed appointment, for they thought of their old age, and said it would be so comfortable to feel that they had provision for their old days, as they called it.

Og Prindsen stod op af sin Seng og lod Gerda sove i den, og mere kunde han ikke gjøre.

And then the prince got out of his bed, and gave it up to Gerda,—he could do no more; and she lay down.

Hun foldede sin smaa Hænder og tænkte: »hvor dog Mennesker og Dyr ere gode,« og saa lukkede hun sine Øine og sov saa velsignet.

She folded her little hands, and thought, “How good everyone is to me, men and animals too;” then she closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep.

Alle Drømmene kom igjen flyvende ind, og de saae de ud som Guds Engle, og de trak en lille Slæde, og paa den sad Kay og nikkede; men det Hele var kun Drømmeri, og derfor var det ogsaa borte igjen, saasnart hun vaagnede.

All the dreams came flying back again to her, and they looked like angels, and one of them drew a little sledge, on which sat Kay, and nodded to her. But all this was only a dream, and vanished as soon as she awoke.

Næste Dag blev hun klædt op fra Top til Taa i Silke og Fløiel; hun fik Tilbud at blive paa Slottet og have gode Dage, men hun bad alene om at faae en lille Vogn med en Hest for og et Par smaa Støvler, saa vilde hun igjen kjøre ud i den vide Verden og finde Kay.

The following day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet, and they invited her to stay at the palace for a few days, and enjoy herself, but she only begged for a pair of boots, and a little carriage, and a horse to draw it, so that she might go into the wide world to seek for Kay.

Og hun fik baade Støvler og Muffe; hun blev saa nydeligt klædt paa, og da hun vilde afsted, holdt ved Døren en ny Karreet af puurt Guld; Prindsens og Prindsessens Vaaben lyste fra den som en Stjerne; Kudsk, Tjenere og Forridere, for der vare ogsaa Forridere, sade klædte i Guldkroner.

And she obtained, not only boots, but also a muff, and she was neatly dressed; and when she was ready to go, there, at the door, she found a coach made of pure gold, with the coat-of-arms of the prince and princess shining upon it like a star, and the coachman, footman, and outriders all wearing golden crowns on their heads.

Prindsen og Prindsessen hjalp hende selv i Vognen og ønskede hende al Lykke.

The prince and princess themselves helped her into the coach, and wished her success.

Skovkragen, der nu var bleven givt, fulgte med de første tre Mile; den sad ved Siden af hende, for den kunde ikke taale at kjøre baglænds; den anden Krage stod i Porten og slog med Vingerne, den fulgte ikke med, thi den leed af Hovedpine, siden den havde faaet fast Ansættelse og for meget at spise.

The forest crow, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles; he sat by Gerda’s side, as he could not bear riding backwards. The tame crow stood in the door-way flapping her wings. She could not go with them, because she had been suffering from headache ever since the new appointment, no doubt from eating too much.

Indeni var Karreten foret med Sukkerkringler, og i Sædet vare Frugter og Pebernødder.

The coach was well stored with sweet cakes, and under the seat were fruit and gingerbread nuts.

»Farvel! farvel!« raabte Prinds og Prindsesse, og lille Gerda græd, og Kragen græd; — saaledes gik de første Mile; da sagde ogsaa Kragen farvel, og det var den tungeste Afsked;

“Farewell, farewell,” cried the prince and princess, and little Gerda wept, and the crow wept; and then, after a few miles, the crow also said “Farewell,” and this was the saddest parting.

den fløi op i et Træ og slog med sine sorte Vinger, saalænge den kunde see Vognen, der straalede, som det klare Solskin.

However, he flew to a tree, and stood flapping his black wings as long as he could see the coach, which glittered in the bright sunshine.

Femte Historie. Den lille Røverpige.

Fifth Story: Little Robber-Girl

De kjørte gjennem den mørke Skov, men Karreten skinnede som et Blus, det skar Røverne i Øinene, det kunde de ikke taale.

The coach drove on through a thick forest, where it lighted up the way like a torch, and dazzled the eyes of some robbers, who could not bear to let it pass them unmolested.

»Det er Guld! det er Guld!« raabte de, styrtede frem, toge fat i Hestene, sloge de smaae Jokeier, Kudsken og Tjenerne ihjel, og trak nu den lille Gerda ud af Vognen.

“It is gold! it is gold!” cried they, rushing forward, and seizing the horses. Then they struck the little jockeys, the coachman, and the footman dead, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

»Hun er feed, hun er nydelig, hun er fedet med Nøddekjerne!« sagde den gamle Røverkjelling, der havde et langt, stridt Skjæg og Øienbryn, der hang hende ned over Øinene.

“She is fat and pretty, and she has been fed with the kernels of nuts,” said the old robber-woman, who had a long beard and eyebrows that hung over her eyes.

»Det er saa godt som et lille Fedelam! naa, hvor hun skal smage!« og saa trak hun sin blanke Kniv ud og den skinnede, saa at det var grueligt.

“She is as good as a little lamb; how nice she will taste!” and as she said this, she drew forth a shining knife, that glittered horribly.

»Au!« sagde Kjellingen lige i det samme, hun blev bidt i Øret af sin egen lille Datter, der hang paa hendes Ryg og var saa vild og uvorn, saa det var en Lyst. »Din lede Unge!« sagde Moderen og fik ikke Tid til at slagte Gerda.

“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.

»Hun skal lege med mig!« sagde den lille Røverpige. »Hun skal give mig sin Muffe, sin smukke Kjole, sove hos mig i min Seng!« og saa beed hun igjen, saa Røverkjellingen sprang i Veiret og dreiede sig rundt, og alle Røverne loe og sagde: »see, hvor hun dandser med sin Unge!«

“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.”

»Jeg vil ind i Karreten!« sagde den lille Røverpige og hun maatte og vilde have sin Villie, for hun var saa forkjælet og saa stiv.

“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.

Hun og Gerda sad ind i den, og saa kjørte de over Stub og Tjørn dybere ind i Skoven. Den lille Røverpige var saa stor som Gerda, men stærkere, mere bredskuldret og mørk i Huden; Øinene vare ganske sorte, de saae næsten bedrøvede ud. Hun tog den lille Gerda om Livet og sagde:

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,—

»De skal ikke slagte Dig, saalænge jeg ikke bliver vred paa Dig! Du er sagtens en Prindsesse?«

“They shall not kill you as long as you don’t make us vexed with you. I suppose you are a princess.”

»Nei,« sagde lille Gerda og fortalte hende Alt, hvad hun havde oplevet, og hvormeget hun holdt af lille Kay.

“No,” said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how fond she was of little Kay.

Røverpigen saae ganske alvorlig paa hende, nikkede lidt med Hovedet og sagde: »De skal ikke slagte Dig, selv om jeg endogsaa bliver vred paa Dig, saa skal jeg nok selv gjøre det!« og saa tørrede hun Gerdas Øine og puttede saa begge sine Hænder ind i den smukke Muffe, der var saa blød og saa varm.

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.

Nu holdt Karreten stille; de vare midt inde i Gaarden af et Røverslot; det var revnet fra øverst til nederst, Ravne og Krager fløi ud af de aabne Huller, og de store Bulbidere, der hver saae ud til at kunne sluge et Menneske, sprang høit i Veiret, men de gjøede ikke, for det var forbudt.

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.

I den store, gamle, sodede Sal brændte midt paa Steengulvet en stor Ild; Røgen trak hen under Loftet og maatte selv see at finde ud; en stor Bryggerkjedel kogte med Suppe, og baade Harer og Kaniner vendtes paa Spid.

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.

»Du skal sove i Nat med mig her hos alle mine Smaadyr!« sagde Røverpigen. De fik at spise og drikke og gik saa hen i et Hjørne, hvor der laae Halm og Tepper.

“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.

Ovenover sad paa Lægter og Pinde næsten hundrede Duer, der alle syntes at sove, men dreiede sig dog lidt, da Smaapigerne kom.

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.

»Det er allesammen mine!« sagde den lille Røverpige og greb rask fat i een af de nærmeste, holdt den ved Benene og rystede den, saa at den slog med Vingerne.

“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.

»Kys den!« raabte hun og baskede Gerda med den i Ansigtet.

“Kiss it,” cried she, flapping it in Gerda’s face.

»Der sidder Skovcanaillerne!« blev hun ved og viste bag en Mængde Tremmer, der var slaaet for et Hul i Muren høit oppe.

“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.

»Det er Skovcanailler, de to! de flyve strax væk, har man dem ikke rigtigt laaset; og her staaer min gamle Kjæreste Bæ!« og hun trak ved Hornet et Rensdyr, der havde en blank Kobberring om Halsen og var bundet.

“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.

»Ham maa vi ogsaa have i Klemme, ellers springer han med fra os. Hver evige Aften kilder jeg ham paa Halsen med min skarpe Kniv, det er han saa bange for!«

“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.”

og den lille Pige trak en lang Kniv ud af en Sprække i Muren og lod den glide over Rensdyrets Hals; det stakkels Dyr slog ud med Benene, og Røverpigen lo og trak saa Gerda med ned i Sengen.

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.

»Vil Du have Kniven med, naar Du skal sove?« spurgte Gerda og saae lidt bange til den.

“Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep?” asked Gerda, looking at it in great fright.

»Jeg sover altid med Kniv!« sagde den lille Røverpige. »Man veed aldrig, hvad der kan komme. Men fortæl mig nu igjen, hvad Du fortalte før om lille Kay, og hvorfor Du er gaaet ud i den vide Verden.

“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.”

Og Gerda fortalte forfra, og Skovduerne kurrede deroppe i Buret, de andre Duer sov.

Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept.

Den lille Røverpige lagde sin Arm om Gerdas Hals, holdt Kniven i den anden Haand og sov, saa man kunde høre det; men Gerda kunde slet ikke lukke sine Øine, hun vidste ikke, om hun skulde leve eller døe.

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 Gerda could not close her eyes at all; she knew not whether she was to live or die.

Røverne sad rundt om Ilden, sang og drak, og Røverkjællingen slog Kolbøtter.

The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the old woman stumbled about.

O! det var ganske grueligt for den lille Pige at see paa.

It was a terrible sight for a little girl to witness.

Da sagde Skovduerne: »Kurre, kurre! vi have seet den lille Kay. En hvid Høne bar hans Slæde, han sad i Sneedronningens Vogn, der foer lavt hen over Skoven, da vi laae i Rede; hun blæste paa os Unger, og alle døde de uden vi to; kurre! kurre!«

Then the wood-pigeons said, “Coo, coo; we have seen little Kay. A white fowl carried his sledge, and he sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, which drove through the wood while we were lying in our nest. She blew upon us, and all the young ones died excepting us two. Coo, coo.”

»Hvad sige I deroppe?« raabte Gerda, »hvor reiste Sneedronningen hen? Veed I noget derom?«

“What are you saying up there?” cried Gerda. “Where was the Snow Queen going? Do you know anything about it?”

»Hun reiste sagtens til Lapland, for der er altid Snee og Iis! spørg bare Rensdyret, som staaer bundet i Strikken.«

“She was most likely travelling to Lapland, where there is always snow and ice. Ask the reindeer that is fastened up there with a rope.”

»Der er Iis og Snee, der er velsignet og godt!« sagde Rensdyret; »der springer man frit om i de store skinnende Dale! der har Sneedronningen sit Sommertelt, men hendes faste Slot er oppe mod Nordpolen, paa den Ø, som kaldes Spitsberg!«

“Yes, there is always snow and ice,” said the reindeer; “and it is a glorious place; you can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains. The Snow Queen has her summer tent there, but her strong castle is at the North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.”

»O Kay, lille Kay!« sukkede Gerda.

“Oh, Kay, little Kay!” sighed Gerda.

»Nu skal Du ligge stille!« sagde Røverpigen, »ellers faaer Du Kniven op i Maven!«

“Lie still,” said the robber-girl, “or I shall run my knife into your body.”

Om Morgenen fortalte Gerda hende Alt, hvad Skovduerne havde sagt, og den lille Røverpige saae ganske alvorlig ud, men nikkede med Hovedet og sagde: »Det er det samme! det er det samme. — Veed Du, hvor Lapland er?« spurgte hun Rensdyret.

In the morning Gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said; and the little robber-girl looked quite serious, and nodded her head, and said, “That is all talk, that is all talk. Do you know where Lapland is?” she asked the reindeer.

»Hvo skulde bedre vide det end jeg,« sagde Dyret, og Øinene spillede i Hovedet paa det. »Det er jeg født og baaret, der har jeg sprunget paa Sneemarken!«

“Who should know better than I do?” said the animal, while his eyes sparkled. “I was born and brought up there, and used to run about the snow-covered plains.”

»Hør!« sagde Røverpigen til Gerda, »Du seer, at alle vore Mandfolk ere borte, men Mutter er her endnu, og hun bliver, men op ad Morgenstunden drikker hun af den store Flaske og tager sig saa en lille Luur ovenpaa; — saa skal jeg gjøre noget for Dig!«

“Now listen,” said the robber-girl; “all our men are gone away,— only mother is here, and here she will stay; but at noon she always drinks out of a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while; and then, I’ll do something for you.”

Nu sprang hun ud af Sengen, foer hen om Halsen paa Moderen, trak hende i Mundskjægget og sagde: »min egen søde Gjedebuk, god Morgen!«

Then she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round the neck, and pulled her by the beard, crying, “My own little nanny goat, good morning.”

Og Moderen knipsede hende under Næsen, saa den blev rød og blaa, men det var altsammen af bare Kjærlighed.

Then her mother filliped her nose till it was quite red; yet she did it all for love.

Da saa Moderen havde drukket af sin Flaske og fik sig en lille Luur, gik Røverpigen hen til Rensdyret og sagde: »jeg kunde have besynderlig Lyst til endnu at kilde Dig mange Gange med den skarpe Kniv, for saa er Du saa morsom, men det er det samme, jeg vil løsne din Snor og hjælpe Dig udenfor, at Du kan løbe til Lapland, men Du skal tage Benene med Dig og bringe mig denne lille Pige til Sneedronningens Slot, hvor hendes Legebroder er.

When the mother had drunk out of the bottle, and was gone to sleep, the little robber-maiden went to the reindeer, and said, “I should like very much to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look so funny; but never mind,—I will untie your cord, and set you free, so that you may run away to Lapland; but you must make good use of your legs, and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen, where her play-fellow is.

Du har nok hørt, hvad hun fortalte, thi hun snakkede høit nok, og Du lurer!«

You have heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening.”

Rensdyret sprang høit af Glæde. Røverpigen løftede lille Gerda op og havde den Forsigtighed at binde hende fast, ja endogsaa at give hende en lille Pude at sidde paa.

Then the reindeer jumped for joy; and the little robber-girl lifted Gerda on his back, and had the forethought to tie her on, and even to give her her own little cushion to sit on.

»Det er det samme,« sagde hun, »der har Du dine laadne Støvler, for det bliver koldt, men Muffen beholder jeg, den er alfor nydelig! Alligevel skal Du ikke fryse. Her har Du min Moders store Bælvanter, de naae Dig lige op til Albuen; stik i! — Nu seer Du ud paa Hænderne ligesom min ækle Moder!«

“Here are your fur boots for you,” said she; “for it will be very cold; but I must keep the muff; it is so pretty. However, you shall not be frozen for the want of it; here are my mother’s large warm mittens; they will reach up to your elbows. Let me put them on. There, now your hands look just like my mother’s.”

Og Gerda græd af Glæde.

But Gerda wept for joy.

»Jeg kan ikke lide at Du tviner!« sagde den lille Røverpige. »Nu skal Du just see fornøiet ud! og der har Du to Brød og en Skinke, saa kan Du ikke sulte.«

“I don’t like to see you fret,” said the little robber-girl; “you ought to look quite happy now; and here are two loaves and a ham, so that you need not starve.”

Begge Dele bleve bundne bag paa Rensdyret; den lille Røverpige aabnede Døren, lokkede alle de store Hunde ind, og saa skar hun Strikken over med sin Kniv og sagde til Rensdyret: »Løb saa! men pas vel paa den lille Pige!«

These were fastened on the reindeer, and then the little robber-maiden opened the door, coaxed in all the great dogs, and then cut the string with which the reindeer was fastened, with her sharp knife, and said, “Now run, but mind you take good care of the little girl.”

Og Gerda strakte Hænderne, med de store Bælvanter, ud mod Røverpigen og sagde farvel, og saa fløi Rensdyret afsted over Buske og Stubbe, gjennem den store Skov, over Moser og Stepper, alt hvad det kunde.

And then Gerda stretched out her hand, with the great mitten on it, towards the little robber-girl, and said, “Farewell,” and away flew the reindeer, over stumps and stones, through the great forest, over marshes and plains, as quickly as he could.

Ulvene hylede, og Ravnene skreg. »Fut! fut!« sagde det paa Himlen. Det var ligesom om den nyste rødt.

The wolves howled, and the ravens screamed; while up in the sky quivered red lights like flames of fire.

»Det er mine gamle Nordlys!« sagde Rensdyret, »see, hvor de lyse!« og saa løb det endnu mere afsted, Nat og Dag; Brødene bleve spiist, Skinken med og saa vare de i Lapland.

“There are my old northern lights,” said the reindeer; “see how they flash.” And he ran on day and night still faster and faster, but the loaves and the ham were all eaten by the time they reached Lapland.

Sjette Historie. Lappekonen og Finnekonen.

Sixth Story: The Lapland Woman and the Finland Woman

De holdt stille ved et lille Huus; det var saa ynkeligt; Taget gik ned til Jorden, og Døren var saa lav, at Familien maatte krybe paa Maven, naar den vilde ud eller ind.

They stopped at a little hut; it was very mean looking; the roof sloped nearly down to the ground, and the door was so low that the family had to creep in on their hands and knees, when they went in and out.

Her var Ingen hjemme uden en gammel Lappekone, der stod og stegte Fisk ved en Tranlampe; og Rensdyret fortalte hele Gerdas Historie, men først sin egen, for det syntes, at den var meget vigtigere, og Gerda var saa forkommet af Kulde, at hun ikke kunde tale.

There was no one at home but an old Lapland woman, who was cooking fish by the light of a train-oil lamp. The reindeer told her all about Gerda’s story, after having first told his own, which seemed to him the most important, but Gerda was so pinched with the cold that she could not speak.

»Ak, I arme Stakler!« sagde Lappekonen, »da have I langt endnu at løbe! I maa afsted over hundred Mile ind i Finmarken, for der ligger Sneedronningen paa Landet og brænder Blaalys hver evige Aften.

“Oh, you poor things,” said the Lapland woman, “you have a long way to go yet. You must travel more than a hundred miles farther, to Finland. The Snow Queen lives there now, and she burns Bengal lights every evening.

Jeg skal skrive et Par Ord paa en tør Klipfisk, Papir har jeg ikke, den skal jeg give Eder med til Finnekonen deroppe, hun kan give Eder bedre Besked, end jeg!«

I will write a few words on a dried stock-fish, for I have no paper, and you can take it from me to the Finland woman who lives there; she can give you better information than I can.”

Og da nu Gerda var blevet varmet og havde faaet at spise og drikke, skrev Lappekonen et Par Ord paa en tør Klipfisk, bad Gerda passe vel paa den, bandt hende igjen fast paa Rensdyret og det sprang afsted.

So when Gerda was warmed, and had taken something to eat and drink, the woman wrote a few words on the dried fish, and told Gerda to take great care of it. Then she tied her again on the reindeer, and he set off at full speed.

»Fut! fut!« sagde det oppe i Luften, hele Natten brændte de deiligste blaae Nordlys; — og saa kom de til Finmarken og bankede paa Finnekonens Skorsteen, for hun havde ikke engang Dør.

Flash, flash, went the beautiful blue northern lights in the air the whole night long. And at length they reached Finland, and knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman’s hut, for it had no door above the ground.

Der var en Hede derinde, saa Finnekonen selv gik næsten ganske nøgen; lille var hun og ganske grumset;

They crept in, but it was so terribly hot inside that that woman wore scarcely any clothes; she was small and very dirty looking.

hun løsnede strax Klæderne paa lille Gerda, tog Bælvanterne og Støvlerne af, for ellers havde hun faaet det for hedt, lagde Rensdyret et Stykke Iis paa Hovedet og læste saa, hvad der stod skrevet paa Klipfisken;

She loosened little Gerda’s dress, and took off the fur boots and the mittens, or Gerda would have been unable to bear the heat; and then she placed a piece of ice on the reindeer’s head, and read what was written on the dried fish.

hun læste det tre Gange, og saa kunde hun det udenad og puttede Fisken i Mad-Gryden, for den kunde jo godt spises, og hun spildte aldrig noget.

After she had read it three times, she knew it by heart, so she popped the fish into the soup saucepan, as she knew it was good to eat, and she never wasted anything.

Nu fortalte Rensdyret først sin Historie, saa den lille Gerdas, og Finnekonen plirede med de kloge Øine, men sagde ikke noget.

The reindeer told his own story first, and then little Gerda’s, and the Finlander twinkled with her clever eyes, but she said nothing.

»Du er saa klog,« sagde Rensdyret; »jeg veed, Du kan binde alle Verdens Vinde i en Sytraad; naar Skipperen løser den ene Knude, faaer han god Vind, løser han den anden, da blæser det skrapt, og løser han den tredie og fjerde, da stormer det, saa Skovene falde om.

“You are so clever,” said the reindeer; “I know you can tie all the winds of the world with a piece of twine. If a sailor unties one knot, he has a fair wind; when he unties the second, it blows hard; but if the third and fourth are loosened, then comes a storm, which will root up whole forests.

Vil Du ikke give den lille Pige en Drik, saa hun kan faae tolv Mands Styrke og overvinde Sneedronningen.«

Cannot you give this little maiden something which will make her as strong as twelve men, to overcome the Snow Queen?”

»Tolv Mands Styrke,« sagde Finnekonen; »jo, det vil godt forslaae!«

“The Power of twelve men!” said the Finland woman; “that would be of very little use.”

og saa gik hun hen paa en Hylde, tog et stort sammenrullet Skind frem, og det rullede hun op; der var skrevet underlige Bogstaver derpaa, og Finnekonen læste, saa Vandet haglede ned af hendes Pande.

But she went to a shelf and took down and unrolled a large skin, on which were inscribed wonderful characters, and she read till the perspiration ran down from her forehead.

Men Rensdyret bad igjen saa meget for den lille Gerda, og Gerda saae med saa bedende Øine, fulde af Taarer, paa Finnekonen, at denne begyndte igjen at plire med sine og trak Rensdyret hen i en Krog, hvor hun hvidskede til det, medens det fik frisk Iis paa Hovedet:

But the reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked at the Finland woman with such beseeching tearful eyes, that her own eyes began to twinkle again; so she drew the reindeer into a corner, and whispered to him while she laid a fresh piece of ice on his head,

»Den lille Kay er rigtignok hos Sneedronningen og finder alt der efter sin Lyst og Tanke og troer, det er den bedste Deel af Verden, men det kommer af, at han har faaet en Glas-Splint i Hjertet og et lille Glas-Korn i Øiet; de maa først ud, ellers bliver han aldrig til Menneske, og Sneedronningen vil beholde Magten over ham!«

“Little Kay is really with the Snow Queen, but he finds everything there so much to his taste and his liking, that he believes it is the finest place in the world; but this is because he has a piece of broken glass in his heart, and a little piece of glass in his eye. These must be taken out, or he will never be a human being again, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.”

»Men kan Du ikke give den lille Gerda noget ind, saa hun kan faae Magt over det Hele?«

“But can you not give little Gerda something to help her to conquer this power?”

»Jeg kan ikke give hende større Magt, end hun allerede har! seer Du ikke, hvor stor den er? Seer Du ikke, hvor Mennesker og Dyr maae tjene hende, hvorledes hun paa bare Been er kommen saa vel frem i Verden.

“I can give her no greater power than she has already,” said the woman; “don’t you see how strong that is? How men and animals are obliged to serve her, and how well she has got through the world, barefooted as she is.

Hun maa ikke af os vide sin Magt, den sidder i hendes Hjerte, den sidder i, hun er et sødt uskyldigt Barn.

She cannot receive any power from me greater than she now has, which consists in her own purity and innocence of heart.

Kan hun ikke selv komme ind til Sneedronningen og faae Glasset ud af lille Kay, saa kunne vi ikke hjælpe!

If she cannot herself obtain access to the Snow Queen, and remove the glass fragments from little Kay, we can do nothing to help her.

To Mile herfra begynder Sneedronningens Have, derhen kan Du bære den lille Pige; sæt hende af ved den store Busk, der staaer med røde Bær i Sneen, hold ikke lang Faddersladder og skynd dig her tilbage!«

Two miles from here the Snow Queen’s garden begins; you can carry the little girl so far, and set her down by the large bush which stands in the snow, covered with red berries. Do not stay gossiping, but come back here as quickly as you can.”

Og saa løftede Finnekonen den lille Gerda op paa Rensdyret, der løb alt, hvad det kunde.

Then the Finland woman lifted little Gerda upon the reindeer, and he ran away with her as quickly as he could.