y little playfellow? I will make you a
present of my red shoes, if you will give him back to me."

And, as it seemed to her, the blue waves nodded in a strange manner;
then she took off her red shoes, the most precious things she possessed,
and threw them both into the river. But they fell close to the bank, and
the little waves bore them immediately to land; it was as if the stream
would not take what was dearest to her; for in reality it had not got
little Kay; but Gerda thought that she had not thrown the shoes out far
enough, so she clambered into a boat which lay among the rushes, went
to the farthest end, and threw out the shoes. But the boat was not
fastened, and the motion which she occasioned, made it drift from the
shore. She observed this, and hastened to get back; but before she could
do so, the boat was more than a yard from the land, and was gliding
quickly onward.

Little Gerda was very frightened, and began to cry; but no one heard her
except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land; but they flew
along the bank, and sang as if to comfort her, "Here we are! Here we
are!" The boat drifted with the stream, little Gerda sat quite still
without shoes, for they were swimming behind the boat, but she could not
reach them, because the boat went much faster than they did.

The banks on both sides were beautiful; lovely flowers, venerable trees,
and slopes with sheep and cows, but not a human being was to be seen.

"Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kay," said she; and then
she grew less sad. She rose, and looked for many hours at the beautiful
green banks. Presently she sailed by a large cherry-orchard, where was
a little cottage with curious red and blue windows; it was thatched,
and before it two wooden soldiers stood sentry, and presented arms when
anyone went past.

Gerda called to them, for she thought they were alive; but they, of
course, did not answer. She came close to them, for the stream drifted
the boat quite near the land.

Gerda called still louder, and an old woman then came out of the
cottage, leaning upon a crooked stick. She had a large broad-brimmed hat
on, painted with the most splendid flowers.

"Poor little child!" said the old woman. "How did you get upon the large
rapid river, to be driven about so in the wide world!" And then the
old woman went into the water, caught hold of the boat with her crooked
stick, drew it to the bank, and lifted little Gerda out.

And