the world to the other for your sake?"

But Gerda patted her cheeks, and inquired for the Prince and Princess.

"They are gone abroad," said the other.

"But the Raven?" asked little Gerda.

"Oh! The Raven is dead," she answered. "His tame sweetheart is a
widow, and wears a bit of black worsted round her leg; she laments most
piteously, but it's all mere talk and stuff! Now tell me what you've
been doing and how you managed to catch him."

And Gerda and Kay both told their story.

And "Schnipp-schnapp-schnurre-basselurre," said the robber maiden; and
she took the hands of each, and promised that if she should some day
pass through the town where they lived, she would come and visit them;
and then away she rode. Kay and Gerda took each other's hand: it was
lovely spring weather, with abundance of flowers and of verdure. The
church-bells rang, and the children recognised the high towers, and the
large town; it was that in which they dwelt. They entered and hastened
up to their grandmother's room, where everything was standing as
formerly. The clock said "tick! tack!" and the finger moved round; but
as they entered, they remarked that they were now grown up. The roses
on the leads hung blooming in at the open window; there stood the little
children's chairs, and Kay and Gerda sat down on them, holding each
other by the hand; they both had forgotten the cold empty splendor of
the Snow Queen, as though it had been a dream. The grandmother sat in
the bright sunshine, and read aloud from the Bible: "Unless ye become as
little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

And Kay and Gerda looked in each other's eyes, and all at once they
understood the old hymn:

"The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet, And angels descend there
the children to greet."

There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet children; children
at least in heart; and it was summer-time; summer, glorious summer!

THE LEAP-FROG

A Flea, a Grasshopper, and a Leap-frog once wanted to see which could
jump highest; and they invited the whole world, and everybody else
besides who chose to come to see the festival. Three famous jumpers were
they, as everyone would say, when they all met together in the room.

"I will give my daughter to him who jumps highest," exclaimed the King;
"for it is not so amusing where there is no prize to jump for."

The Flea was the first to step forward. He had exquisite manners, and
bowed to th