old hall and gave her a basin of hot
soup. "You shall sleep there to-night," she said, "with me and my pets."

Gerda looked where the robber-girl pointed, and saw that in one corner
of the room straw was scattered on the stone floor.

"Yes, you shall see my pets. Come, lie down now."

And little Gerda and the robber-girl lay down together on their straw
bed. Above, perched on poles, were doves.

"Mine, all mine," said the little robber-girl. Jumping up, she seized
the dove nearest her by the feet and shook it till its wings flapped.
Then she slung it against Gerda's face. "Kiss it," she said. "Yes, all
mine; and look," she went on, "he is mine, too;" and she caught by the
horn a reindeer that was tied to the wall. He had a bright brass collar
round his neck. "We have to keep him tied or he would run away. I tickle
him every night with my sharp knife, and then he is afraid;" and the
girl drew from a hole in the wall a long knife, and gently ran it across
the reindeer's neck. The poor animal kicked, but the little robber-girl
laughed, and then again lay down on her bed of straw.

"But," said Gerda, with terror in her eyes, "you are not going to sleep
with that long, sharp knife in your hand?"

"Yes, I always do," replied the robber-girl; "one never knows what may
happen. But tell me again all about Kay, and about your journey through
the wide world."

And Gerda told all her story over again. Then the little robber-girl put
one arm round Gerda's neck, and with her long knife in the other, she
fell sound asleep.

But Gerda could not sleep. How could she, with that sharp knife close
beside her? She would try not to think of it. She would listen to the
doves. "Coo, coo," they said. Then they came nearer.

"We have seen little Kay," they whispered. "He floated by above our nest
in the Snow Queen's sledge. She blew upon us as she passed, and her icy
breath killed many of us."

"But where was little Kay going? Where does the Snow Queen live?" asked
Gerda.

"The reindeer can tell you everything," said the doves.

"Yes," said the reindeer, "I can tell you. Little Kay was going to the
Snow Queen's palace, a splendid palace of glittering ice, away in
Lapland."

"Oh, Kay, little Kay!" sighed Gerda.

"Lie still, or I shall stick my knife into you," said the little
robber-girl.

And little Gerda lay still, but she did not sleep. In the morning she
told the robber-girl what the doves and the reindeer had said.

The