THE SNOW QUEEN
sympathy, and she drew the reindeer into a corner, and putting a fresh piece of ice upon his head, whispered thus:
.png) THE LITTLE ROBBER-MAIDEN |
'Little Kay is still with the Snow Queen, in whose abode everything is according to his taste, and therefore he believes it to be the best place in the world. But that is because he has a glass splinter in his heart, and a glass splinter in his eye—until he has got rid of them he will never feel like a human being, and the Snow Queen will always maintain her influence over him.'
'But canst thou not give something to little Gerda whereby she may overcome all these evil influences?'
'I can give her no power so great as that which she already possesses. Seest thou not how strong she is? Seest thou not that both men and animals must serve her—a poor little girl wandering bare-foot through the world? Her power is greater than ours; it proceeds from her heart, from 109
