Gerda from the fairy tale "The Snow Queen. "Snow Queen", Gerda and Kai: characteristics and history of images Soviet fairy tale about Kai and Gerda

The fairy tale "The Snow Queen" is an extraordinary story about a boy Kai and a girl Gerda. They were separated by a shard of a broken mirror. The main theme of Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen" is the struggle between good and evil.

background

So, let's start retelling the summary of the "Snow Queen". One day, an evil troll created a mirror, looking into which all goodness decreased and disappeared, while evil, on the contrary, increased. But, unfortunately, the troll's students broke the mirror in a dispute, and all its fragments scattered around the world. And if at least one tiny piece fell into the human heart, then it froze and became a piece of ice. And if he got into the eye, then the person stopped seeing the good, and in any act he felt only malicious intent.

Kai and Gerda

The summary of the "Snow Queen" should be continued with information that friends lived in one small town: a boy and a girl, Kai and Gerda. They were brother and sister to each other, but only until the moment when the fragments got into the boy's eye and heart. After the accident, the boy became embittered, became rude and lost his brotherly feelings for Gerda. In addition, he stopped seeing good. He began to think that no one loves him and everyone wishes him harm.

And then one not very good day, Kai went sledding. He clung to the sleigh passing by him. But they belonged to the Snow Queen. She kissed the boy, thereby making his heart even colder. The queen took him to her ice palace.

Journey of Gerda

Gerda grieved for the boy for the rest of the winter and waited for his return, and, without waiting, went in search of her brother as soon as spring came.

The first on the way Gerda met a woman-sorceress. She put a spell on the girl that deprived her of her memory. But when she saw the roses, Gerda remembered everything and ran away from her.

After that, on her way she met a raven, who told her that a prince very similar to Kai had wooed the princess of his kingdom. But it wasn't him. The princess and the prince turned out to be very kind people, they gave her clothes and a carriage made of gold.

The girl's path lay through a terrible and dark forest, where a gang of robbers attacked her. Among them was a little girl. She turned out to be kind and gave Gerda a deer. On it, the heroine went further and soon, having met pigeons, found out where her named brother was.

On the way she met two more kind women - a Lapland and a Finn. Each helped the girl in search of Kai.

The Snow Queen's Domain

And so, having reached the possessions of the Snow Queen, she gathered the remnants of her strength and went through the strongest snowstorm and the royal army. Gerda prayed all the way, and angels came to her aid. They helped her reach the ice castle.

Kai was there, but the queen was not. The boy was like a statue, all frozen and cold. He did not even pay attention to Gerda and continued to play the puzzle. Then the girl, unable to cope with her emotions, wept bitterly. Tears thawed Kai's heart. He also began to cry, and the shard fell out along with the tear.

The main characters of the fairy tale "The Snow Queen". Gerda

There are many characters in the story, but they are all secondary. There are only three main ones: Gerda, Kai, the queen. But still, the only truly main character of the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" is only one - little Gerda.

Yes, she is very small, but also selfless and brave. In the fairy tale, all her strength is concentrated in a kind heart, which attracts sympathetic people to the girl, without whom she would not have reached the ice castle. It is kindness that helps Gerda defeat the queen and unfreeze her named brother.

Gerda is ready to do anything for the sake of her neighbors and is confident in her decisions. She does not hesitate for a second and helps everyone who needs it, not counting on help. In the fairy tale, the girl shows only the best character traits, and she is the embodiment of justice and kindness.

The image of Kai

Kai is a very ambiguous hero. On the one hand, he is kind and sensitive, but on the other, frivolous and stubborn. Even before the fragments hit the eye and heart. After the incident, Kai is completely under the influence of the Snow Queen and follows her orders without saying a word against. But after Gerda frees him, everything is fine again.

Yes, on the one hand, Kai is a positive character, but his inaction and passivity prevent the reader from falling in love with him.

The image of the Snow Queen

The Snow Queen is the embodiment of winter, cold. Her home is an endless ice space. Just like ice, she is very beautiful in appearance, as well as smart. But her heart does not know feelings. That is why she is the prototype of evil in Andersen's fairy tale.

History of creation

It's time to tell the story of the creation of Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen". It was first published in 1844. The tale is the longest in the author's bibliography, and Andersen claimed that it was connected with the story of his life.

Andersen said that the "Snow Queen", a summary of which is contained in the article, appeared in his head even when he was little and played with his white-headed neighbor friend Lisbeth. To him, she was practically a sister. The girl was always next to Hans, supported in all games and listened to his first fairy tales. Many researchers claim that she became the prototype of Gerda.

But not only Gerda had a prototype. Singer Jenny Lind has become the living embodiment of the queen. The author was in love with her, but the girl did not share his feelings, and Andersen made her cold heart the embodiment of the beauty and soullessness of the Snow Queen.

In addition, Andersen was fascinated by Scandinavian myths, and there death was called an ice maiden. Before he died, his father said that the maiden had come for him. Perhaps the Snow Queen has the same prototype as the Scandinavian winter and death. She also has no feelings, and the kiss of death can freeze forever.

The image of a girl made of ice attracted the storyteller, and in his legacy there is another tale about the Snow Queen, who stole her lover from his bride.

Andersen wrote the fairy tale in a very difficult time, when religion and science were at odds. Therefore, there is an opinion that the confrontation between Gerda and the queen describes the events that took place.

In the USSR, the tale was remade, since censorship did not allow the mention of Christ and the reading of the Gospel at night.

"The Snow Queen": analysis of the work

Andersen in his fairy tales creates an opposition - the opposition of good and evil, summer and winter, external and internal, death and life.

So, the Snow Queen has become a classic character of folklore. Dark and cold mistress of winter and death. She is opposed to the warm and kind Gerda, the embodiment of life and summer.

According to Schelling's natural philosophy, Kai and Gerda are androgynes, that is, the opposition of death and life, summer and winter. Children are together in summer, but in winter they suffer separation.

The first half of the tale talks about the creation of a magic mirror that can distort good, turning it into evil. A person injured by its fragment acts as an enemy of culture. On the one hand, it is a myth that affects culture and breaks the connection between man and nature. So Kai becomes soulless and rejects the love of summer and the beauty of nature. But he begins to love the creations of the mind with all his heart.

The fragment that ended up in the boy's eye allows him to think rationally, cynically, to show interest in the geometric structure of snowflakes.

In a fairy tale, as you know, there can be no bad ending, so Andersen contrasted Christian values ​​with the world of technology. That is why the children in the fairy tale sing psalms to the rose. Although the rose fades, but the memory of it remains. So memory is a mediator between the world of the living and the dead. This is how Gerda, having got into the garden of the sorceress, forgets Kai, and then her memory returns to her again, and she runs away. It is roses that help her in this.

The scene in the castle with the false prince and princess is very symbolic. At this dark moment, Gerda is helped by ravens, symbolizing the powers of the night and wisdom. Climbing the stairs is a tribute to the Platonic myth of the cave, in which non-existent shadows create a representation of a false reality. Gerda needs a lot of strength in order to distinguish between lies and truth.

The further the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" advances, the summary of which you already know, the more often peasant symbols are found. Gerda, with the help of prayer, copes with the storm and falls into the domain of the queen. The atmosphere of the castle was created by the author himself. It emphasizes all the complexes and failures of the poor writer. According to biographers, the Andresenov family had some mental disorders.

So the powers of the queen can symbolize actions that can drive you crazy. The castle is motionless and cold, crystal.

So Kai's injury leads to his seriousness and intellectual development, and the attitude towards relatives changes dramatically. Soon he is completely alone in the ice halls. These features characterize schizophrenia.

Kai meditates over the ice, showing his loneliness. Gerda's coming to Kai suggests his salvation from the world of the dead, from the world of madness. He returns to the world of love and kindness, eternal summer. The couple is reunited again, and the person gains integrity through a difficult path and overcoming himself.

A long time ago, two children lived in the neighborhood: a boy, Kai, and a girl, Gerda.
One winter, they sat by the window and watched the snowflakes swirl outside.
“I wonder,” Kai drawled thoughtfully, “do they have a queen?”
“Of course,” Grandma nodded. “At night she flies down the street in a snow chariot and looks into the windows. And then ice patterns appear on the glass.
The next day, when the children were again playing by the window, Kai suddenly cried out:
-Ay, something pricked me in the eye, and then in the heart!
The poor boy did not yet know that this was a shard of the Snow Queen's ice mirror, which was supposed to turn his heart into ice.

The Snow Queen

One day the children went to play in the square. In the midst of the fun, a large white sleigh suddenly appeared. No one had time to blink an eye, as Kai tied his sled to them.
The Snow Queen, who was sitting in the sleigh, and it was she, grinned, and rushed away with Kai to her ice palace.
The bewitched Kai forgot both Gerda and his grandmother: after all, his heart turned to ice.

The Snow Queen

But Gerda did not forget Kai. She went in search of him: she got into a boat and swam wherever her eyes looked.
Soon the boat moored to an amazing garden. A witch came out to meet Gerda:
- What a charming girl!
Have you seen Kai? Gerda asked.
-No, I have not seen. Why do you need Kai? Stay, we'll live nicely with you!
The sorceress showed Gerda a magical garden with amazing flowers that could tell fairy tales. The sun always shone there and it was very beautiful, but Gerda went on to look for Kai.

The Snow Queen

On the way, she met an old raven.
“I saw Kai,” the raven said importantly. He now lives with the princess!
And Gerda went to the palace. But it turned out that it was not Kai!
She told the princess and the prince her story.
“Ah, poor thing!” cried the princess. - We'll help you.
Gerda was fed, given warm clothes and a golden carriage so that she would quickly find her Kai.

The Snow Queen

But then a misfortune happened: robbers attacked a rich carriage in the forest.
Gerda did not close her eyes at night. Two pigeons told her that they saw the Snow Queen's sleigh and Kai was sitting in it.
“She must have taken him to Lapland,” the pigeons cooed.
The chieftain's daughter, a little robber, wanted Gerda to stay with her, but when she found out her sad story, she was so moved that she decided to let Gerda go and ordered her beloved reindeer to take the girl to Lapland.
The deer ran day and night. He was already completely exhausted when, among the snows, the ice palace of the Snow Queen finally appeared.

The Snow Queen

Gerda cautiously stepped inside. The Snow Queen sat on the ice throne, and Kai played with ice at her feet. He did not recognize Gerda, and nothing trembled in his heart, because it was icy!
Then Gerda embraced him and wept.

The Snow Queen

Her tears were so hot that they melted Kai's icy heart.
“Gerda!” he exclaimed, as if waking up.
“Kai, my dear Kai!” Gerda gasped. - Did you recognize me! End of sorcery!
Now they were not afraid of the Snow Queen.
Kai and Gerda returned home and lived, as before, cheerfully and amicably.

The fairy tale of H. H. Andersen is dedicated to the very famous in the 18th century Jenny Lind, an opera actress. She had a phenomenal range. Berlin, Paris, London and Vienna applauded her. Her voice was admired, and the performances were sold out.

Andersen was subdued to the depths of her soul by her beautiful voice. Lind and the writer met in Copenhagen. Literally at first sight, he fell in love with the singer. Whether the feeling was mutual is unknown. But she greatly appreciated his writing talent.

Andersen could not speak beautifully about his love, so he decided to write about it and confess his feelings. After sending a letter confessing to Lind, he did not wait for a response. And so the famous fairy tale was born, telling about the touching love that Gerda and Kai experienced for each other.

The prototypes of heroes in a fairy tale

Two years later, Lind and Andersen met. The actress invited Andersen to become her brother. He agreed (because it's better than being nobody), thinking that Gerda and Kai were also like brother and sister.

Perhaps in search of a real feeling, Andersen spent a lot of time traveling, trying to escape from the realm of the Snow Queen, which for him was Copenhagen. Everything in life is not like in a fairy tale. The image of Kai and Gerda, invented by Andersen and personifying him and Lind, was just as pure. In life, Kai was never able to fall in love with Gerda and escape from the kingdom of the Snow Queen.

Brief analysis of the tale

G. H. Andersen is the first Danish writer whose works entered the world literature. The most famous are the fairy tales "The Little Mermaid" and "The Snow Queen". They are familiar to almost all of us. The fairy tale "The Snow Queen" tells about good and evil, love and oblivion. It also tells about devotion and betrayal.

The image of the Snow Queen in the fairy tale was taken for a reason. Andersen's father told him before he died that the Ice Maiden had come for him. In his fairy tale, the writer personified the Snow Queen precisely with the Ice Maiden, who took his dying father with her.

The tale at first glance is simple and does not contain a deep meaning. Going deeper into the process of analysis, you understand that the plot raises some of the most important aspects of life - these are love, devotion, determination, kindness, the fight against evil, religious motives.

The story of Kai and Gerda

This is a touching story of friendship and love of two fairy tales by Andersen. Gerda and Kai had known each other since childhood and spent a lot of time together. In the fairy tale, it is Gerda who has to prove the strength of friendship, who went on a long and difficult journey after the boy, who became a prisoner of the Snow Queen herself. Having charmed Kai with a piece of ice, she turned him into a callous, spoiled and arrogant boy. At the same time, Kai was not aware of his changes. Having managed to go through many difficulties, Gerda managed to find Kai and melt his icy heart. Kindness and faith in the salvation of a friend gave the girl strength and confidence. The fairy tale teaches to be devoted to one's feelings, not to leave a loved one in trouble, to be kind and, despite the difficulties, strive to achieve the goal.

Characteristics of Kai and Gerda

Andersen's fairy tale describes to us a kind, attentive and sympathetic Kai. But after a challenge to the Snow Queen herself, he turns into a rude and angry boy, capable of offending anyone, even Gerda and his grandmother, whose fairy tales he loved to listen to. One of Kai's tricks ended up being captured by the Snow Queen.

In the palace of the evil queen, he became a boy with an icy heart. Kai kept trying to put the word "eternity" out of ice cubes, but he couldn't. Then she promised him to give skates and the whole world. Kai's desire to comprehend eternity indicates his lack of understanding that this cannot be done without true feelings, without love, with only a cold mind and an icy heart.

Deprived of all human feelings, Kai in fear wanted to read a prayer, but could not. All he could think of was the multiplication table. Frozen figures of regular geometric shape - this is the only thing that delighted him. Once beloved roses, Kai tramples, and examines snowflakes with interest through a magnifying glass.

The image of Gerda is a contrast to the character of the Snow Queen. To find Kai and rescue him from the ice castle, the girl goes on a long and difficult journey. In the name of her love, a brave little girl ventures into the unknown. The obstacles encountered on this path did not make Gerda angry and did not force him to turn back towards the house, to leave his friend as a prisoner of the Snow Queen. Friendly, kind and sweet, she remained throughout the tale. Courage, perseverance and patience help her not to lose heart, but humbly overcome all failures. Thanks to this character, she managed to find Kai. And love for him was able to melt his icy heart and cope with the spell of the evil queen.

The description of Gerda and Kai can be a prototype of real people and similar stories in life. Just take a closer look around.

Characteristics of the Snow Queen

Snow Queen, Snowstorm Witch, Ice Maiden - a classic character in the folklore of Scandinavia. Lifeless and cold space, snow and eternal ice - this is the Kingdom of the Snow Queen. A tall, beautiful ruler on a throne located on the lake, which is called the "Mirror of the Mind", she is the embodiment of a cold mind and beauty, devoid of feelings.

Growing up fairy tale characters

After visiting the realm of the Snow Queen, the heroes become adults. Moral meaning acquires the motive of growing up. Children grow older when they face severe life trials, overcoming which Gerda managed to save her loved one, resisting the difficult searches and intrigues that the Snow Queen arranged for them. Kai and Gerda, despite growing up, retain their childish spiritual purity. They seem to have been born again with the goal of a new adult existence.

Christian motives in a fairy tale

Andersen's fairy tale is saturated with Christian motives. In Russian publications, this is rarely seen. In the episode, when Gerda tries to enter the Queens, the guards do not let her in. She was able to get into it thanks to the fact that she began to read the prayer “Our Father”. After that, the guards, turning into angels, paved the way for the girl.

At the time when Gerda and Kai are returning to their home, the grandmother is reading the Gospel. After the meeting, the children all together begin to dance around the rose bush and sing a Christmas carol, which ended the instructive tale.

And this mysterious journey from the world of good to the country of evil began with a fragment that fell into Kai's eye. The mirror broke due to the fact that the trolls (that is, demons) reflected in it everything in the world in a distorted form. Andersen explains this by the fact that the demons in the lying mirror wanted to reflect the Creator. God, not allowing this, made it so that the mirror escaped from the hands of the demons and broke.

The image of Hell is reflected in the word "eternity", which the Snow Queen instructed Kai to compose. Icy, not created by the Creator, eternity is an image of hell.

In the episode where the deer asks the sorceress to help Gerda and give her the power of twelve heroes, she replies that she cannot make the girl stronger than she is. Her strength is a small loving heart. And God helps her anyway.

The opposition of cold and heat

From the prologue of the fairy tale, Andersen begins to write that for some people, fragments of ice fall into the heart, which freezes, becomes cold and insensible. And at the end of the tale, he describes how Gerda's hot tears fall on Kai's chest and a piece of ice melts in his heart.

Cold in a fairy tale is the personification of evil, everything bad on earth, and heat is love.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Snow Queen, Andersen sees the absence of warmth, the presence of cold and insensibility.

The Snow Queen is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales about love, which can overcome any test and melt even an icy heart!

Snow queen read

The first story, which tells about the mirror and its fragments

Let's start! When we reach the end of our history, we will know more than we do now. So, once upon a time there was a troll, an evil, evil, real devil. Once he was in a particularly good mood: he made such a mirror in which everything good and beautiful was reduced further, and everything bad and ugly bulged out, became even more disgusting. The most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach in it, and the best of people looked like freaks, or it seemed as if they were standing upside down, but they had no bellies at all! Faces were distorted in such a way that it was impossible to recognize, and if anyone had a freckle, then be calm - it spread both on the nose and on the lips. And if a good thought appeared in a person, it was reflected in the mirror with such an antics that the troll rolled with laughter, rejoicing at his cunning invention.

The students of the troll - and he had his own school - told everyone that a miracle had happened: now only, they said, you can see the whole world and people in their true light. They ran everywhere with a mirror, and soon there was not a single country, not a single person left. which would not be reflected in it in a distorted form.

Finally, they wanted to reach the sky. The higher they climbed, the more distorted the mirror was, so that they could hardly hold it in their hands. But now they flew very high, when suddenly the mirror was so twisted from grimaces that it escaped from their hands, flew to the ground and shattered into millions, billions of fragments, and therefore even more troubles occurred.

Some fragments, the size of a grain of sand, scattered across the wide world, fell into people's eyes, and so they remained there. And a person with such a shard in his eye began to see everything upside down or to notice only the bad in every thing - after all, each shard retained the property of the entire mirror. For some people, the fragments hit right in the heart, and this was the worst of all: the heart was made like a piece of ice. There were large ones among the fragments - they were inserted into window frames, and it was not worth looking at your good friends through these windows. Finally, there were also such fragments that went into glasses, and it was bad if such glasses were put on in order to see better and judge things correctly.
The evil troll was bursting with laughter - this idea amused him so much. And many more fragments flew around the world. Let's hear about them!

Story Two - Boy and Girl

In a big city, where there are so many houses and people that not everyone has enough space even for a small garden, and therefore most of the inhabitants have to be content with indoor flowers in pots, there lived two poor children, and their garden was a little larger than a flower pot. They were not brother and sister, but they loved each other like brother and sister.

Their parents lived in closets under the roof in two neighboring houses. The roofs of the houses converged, and a gutter stretched between them. It was here that attic windows from each house looked at each other. One had only to step over the gutter, and one could get from one window to another.

My parents each had a large wooden box. they had herbs for spices, and little rose bushes, one in each box, growing luxuriantly. It occurred to the parents to put these boxes across the gutter, so that from one window to the other stretched like two flower beds. Peas descended from the boxes like green garlands, rose bushes peered through the windows and intertwined branches. Parents allowed the boy and girl to visit each other on the roof and sit on a bench under roses. How wonderful they played here!

And in winter, these joys ended. The windows often completely froze, but the children heated copper coins on the stove, applied them to the frozen glass, and immediately a wonderful round hole thawed, and a cheerful, affectionate eye looked out into it - each looked out of his window, a boy and a girl, Kai and Gerda. In summer, they could find themselves visiting each other with one jump, and in winter, they had to first go down many, many steps down, and then climb the same number up. There was snow in the yard.

It's white bees swarming! said the old grandmother.

Do they also have a queen? the boy asked. He knew real bees had one.

There is! Grandma answered. - Snowflakes surround her in a dense swarm, but she is larger than all of them and never sits down on the ground, always rushes in a black cloud. Often at night she flies through the city streets and looks into the windows, which is why they are covered with frosty patterns, like flowers.

Seen, seen! - the children said and believed that all this was the absolute truth.

Can't the Snow Queen enter here? the girl asked.

Just let him try! - answered the boy. - I'll put it on a warm stove, so it will melt.

But the grandmother stroked his head and started talking about something else.

In the evening, when Kai was at home and almost completely undressed, about to go to bed, he climbed onto a chair by the window and looked into the circle that had thawed on the window pane. Snowflakes fluttered outside the window. One of them, the larger one, fell on the edge of the flower box and began to grow, grow, until at last it turned into a woman wrapped in the thinnest white tulle, woven, it seemed. from millions of snow stars. She was so lovely and tender, but made of ice, of dazzling sparkling ice, and yet alive! Her eyes shone like two clear stars, but there was neither warmth nor peace in them. She nodded to the boy and beckoned him with her hand. Kai got scared and jumped off the chair. And something like a big bird flashed past the window.

The next day it was clear to frosty, but then a thaw came, and then spring came. The sun shone, the greenery peeped through, the swallows built their nests. The windows were opened, and the children could again sit in their garden in the gutter above all the floors.

The roses were in full bloom that summer. Children sang, holding hands, kissed roses and rejoiced in the sun. Oh, what a wonderful summer it was, how good it was under the rose bushes, which seemed to bloom and bloom forever!

Once Kai and Gerda were sitting and looking at a book with pictures - animals and birds. The big clock tower struck five.

Ay! Kai suddenly screamed. - I was stabbed right in the heart, and something got into my eye!

The girl wrapped her arm around his neck, he blinked frequently, but there seemed to be nothing in his eye.

It must have jumped out,” he said. But it wasn't. These were just fragments of that devilish mirror, which we spoke about at the beginning.

Poor Kai! Now his heart should have become like a piece of ice. The pain is gone, but the fragments remain.

What are you crying about? he asked Gerda. - It doesn't hurt at all! Fu, you are ugly! he suddenly shouted. - There is a worm sharpening that rose. And she's completely crooked. What ugly roses! No better than boxes in which they stick out.

And he kicked the box with his foot and plucked both roses.

Kai, what are you doing! shouted Gerda, and he, seeing her fright, plucked another rose and ran away from dear little Gerda through his window.

If Gerda now brings him a book with pictures, he will say that these pictures are good only for babies: if the old grandmother tells something, she will find fault with her words. And then it will even come to the point that he will begin to mimic her walk, put on her glasses, speak in her voice. It came out very similar, and people laughed. Soon Kai learned to imitate all the neighbors. He was very good at showing off all their oddities and shortcomings, and people said:

Amazingly talented kid! And the reason for everything was the fragments that hit him in the eye and in the heart. That is why he even mimicked dear little Gerda, and yet she loved him with all her heart.

And his amusements have now become completely different, so sophisticated. Once in the winter, when it was snowing, he came with a large magnifying glass and put the hem of his blue jacket under the snow.

Look through the glass, Gerda, he said. Each snowflake seemed much larger under the glass than it actually was, and looked like a magnificent flower or a ten-pointed star. It was so beautiful!

See how cleverly done! Kai said. - Much more interesting than real flowers! And what precision! Not a single wrong line! Ah, if only they had not melted!

A little later, Kai appeared in big mittens, with a sled behind his back, shouted in Gerda's very ear: “I was allowed to ride on a large area with other boys!” - And running.

There were a lot of children on the square. Those who were bolder tied their sledges to peasant sledges and rolled far, far away. It was kind of fun. In the midst of the fun, a large sleigh, painted white, appeared on the square. In them sat someone wrapped in a white fur coat and in the same hat. The sleigh circled the square twice. Kai quickly tied his sled to them and rolled. The big sleigh sped away faster, then turned off the square into an alley. The man sitting in them turned around and nodded affably to Kai, as if he were an acquaintance. Kai several times tried to untie his sled, but the man in the fur coat kept nodding to him, and he continued to follow him.

So they got out of the city gates. The snow suddenly fell in flakes, and it became dark, even if you gouged out your eye. The boy hurriedly let go of the rope, which caught on a large sledge, but his sledge seemed to stick to it and continued to rush along in a whirlwind. Kai screamed loudly - no one heard him. The snow was falling, the sleds raced, diving into snowdrifts, jumping over hedges and ditches. Kai was trembling.

The snowflakes kept growing and finally turned into big white chickens. Suddenly they scattered to the sides, the big sledge stopped, and the man sitting in it stood up. It was a tall, slender, dazzling white woman - the Snow Queen; and her fur coat and hat were made of snow.

Nice ride! - she said. - But you are completely cold - climb into my fur coat!

She put the boy in the sleigh, wrapped him in her bearskin coat. Kai sank into a snowdrift.

Are you still cold? she asked and kissed him on the forehead.

Wu! Her kiss was colder than ice, it pierced right through it and reached the very heart, and it was already half ice. It seemed to Kai that a little more - and he would die ... But only for a minute, and then, on the contrary, he felt so good that he even completely stopped feeling cold.

My sled! Don't forget my sled! he said.

The sled was tied on the back of one of the white chickens, and she flew with them after the big sled. The Snow Queen kissed Kai again, and he forgot Gerda, and his grandmother, and all the household.

I won't kiss you again, she said. - I'll kiss you to death.

Kai looked at her. How good she was! He could not imagine a smarter and prettier face. Now she doesn't. seemed to him icy, as on that occasion when she sat outside the window and nodded to him.

He was not at all afraid of her and told her that he knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions, he knew how many square miles and inhabitants each country, and she only smiled in response. And then it seemed to him that in fact he knew very little.

At the same moment, the Snow Queen soared with him onto a black cloud. The storm howled and groaned as if singing old songs; they flew over forests and lakes, over seas and land; cold winds blew under them, wolves howled, snow sparkled, black crows flew with a cry, and above them shone a large clear moon. Kai looked at him all the long, long winter night, and during the day he fell asleep at the feet of the Snow Queen.

The third story - The flower garden of a woman who knew how to conjure

And what happened to Gerda when Kai did not return? Where did he go? No one knew this, no one could give an answer.

The boys said only that they saw him tying his sledge to a large magnificent sledge, which then turned into an alley and drove out of the city gates.

Many tears were shed over him, Gerda wept bitterly and for a long time. Finally they decided that Kai had died, drowned in the river that flowed outside the city. The dark winter days dragged on for a long time.

But then spring came, the sun came out.

Kai is dead and will never come back! Gerda said.

I do not believe! Sunlight answered.

He died and will never return! she repeated to the swallows.

We don't believe! they answered.

In the end, Gerda herself stopped believing it.

I'll put on my new red shoes (Kai has never seen them before), - she said one morning, - and I'll go and ask about him by the river.

It was still very early. She kissed her sleeping grandmother, put on her red shoes and ran all alone out of town, straight to the river.

Is it true that you took my sworn brother? asked Gerda. - I'll give you my red shoes if you return it to me!

And it seemed to the girl that the waves somehow strangely nod to her. Then she took off her red shoes - the most precious thing she had - and threw them into the river. But they fell near the shore, and the waves immediately carried them back - as if the river did not want to take her jewel from the girl, because she could not return Kai to her. The girl, thinking that she had not thrown her shoes far enough, climbed into the boat, which was rocking in the reeds, stood on the very edge of the stern and again threw her shoes into the water. The boat was not tied and from its push moved away from the shore. The girl wanted to jump ashore as soon as possible, but while she was making her way from stern to bow, the boat had already completely sailed away and was quickly rushing downstream.

Gerda was terribly frightened and began to cry and scream, but no one except the sparrows heard her. The sparrows, on the other hand, could not transfer her to land, and only flew after her along the coast and chirped, as if wishing to console her:

We are here! We are here!

“Maybe the river is taking me to Kai?” - thought Gerda, cheered up, got to her feet and admired the beautiful green shores for a long, long time.

But then she sailed to a large cherry orchard, in which a house huddled under a thatched roof, with red and blue panes in the windows. Two wooden soldiers stood at the door and saluted all who passed by. Gerda screamed at them - she mistook them for the living - but they, of course, did not answer her. So she swam even closer to them, the boat approached almost to the very shore, and the girl screamed even louder. An old, old woman came out of the house with a stick, in a big straw hat painted with wonderful flowers.

Oh, you poor child! - said the old woman. - And how did you get on such a big fast river and climbed so far?

With these words, the old woman entered the water, hooked the boat with a stick, pulled it to the shore and landed Gerda.

Gerda was glad, dear, that she finally found herself on land, although she was afraid of an unfamiliar old woman.

Well, let's go, but tell me who you are and how you got here, - said the old woman.

Gerda began to tell her about everything, and the old woman shook her head and repeated: “Hm! Hm!” When the girl had finished, she asked the old woman if she had seen Kai. She replied that he had not yet passed here, but, surely, he would pass, so there was nothing to grieve about yet, let Gerda better taste the cherries and admire the flowers that grow in the garden: they are more beautiful than in any picture book, and that’s it. know how to tell stories. Then the old woman took Gerda by the hand, took her to her house and locked the door with a key.

The windows were high from the floor and all of multi-colored - red, blue and yellow - glass; from this the room itself was illuminated by some amazing iridescent light. There was a basket of wonderful cherries on the table, and Gerda could eat as many of them as she liked. And while she ate, the old woman combed her hair with a golden comb. Her hair curled in curls and a golden glow surrounded the sweet, friendly, round, like a rose, face of a girl.

For a long time I wanted to have such a cute little girl! - said the old woman. - You'll see how well we live with you!

And she continued to comb the girl's curls, and the longer she combed, the more Gerda forgot her named brother Kai - the old woman knew how to conjure. Only she was not an evil sorceress and conjured only occasionally, for her own pleasure; now she really wanted to keep Gerda. And so she went into the garden, touched with a stick all the rose bushes, and as they stood in full bloom, they all went deep into the ground, and there was no trace of them. The old woman was afraid that Gerda, at the sight of these roses, would remember her own, and then Kaya and run away from her.

Then the old woman took Gerda to the flower garden. Oh, what a fragrance there was, what beauty: a variety of flowers, and for every season! In all the world there would be no picture book more colorful, more beautiful than this flower garden. Gerda jumped for joy and played among the flowers until the sun went down behind the tall cherry trees. Then they put her in a wonderful bed with red silk feather beds stuffed with blue violets. The girl fell asleep, and she had dreams that only a queen sees on her wedding day.

The next day, Gerda was again allowed to play in the wonderful flower garden in the sun. So many days passed. Gerda now knew every flower in the garden, but no matter how many there were, it still seemed to her that something was missing, but which one? And once she sat and looked at the old woman's straw hat, painted with flowers, and the most beautiful of them was a rose - the old woman forgot to erase it when she sent the living roses underground. That's what distraction means!

How! Are there any roses here? - said Gerda, and immediately ran into the garden, looking for them, looking, but she did not find them.

Then the girl sank to the ground and wept. Warm tears fell right on the spot where one of the rose bushes used to stand, and as soon as they moistened the ground, the bush instantly grew out of it, as blooming as before.

Gerda wrapped her arms around him, began to kiss the roses and remembered those wonderful roses that bloomed at her house, and at the same time about Kai.

How I lingered! - said the girl. - I have to look for Kai! .. You don't know where he is? she asked the roses. - Is it true that he died and will not return again?

He didn't die! roses answered. - After all, we were underground, where all the dead lie, but Kai was not among them.

Thank you! - said Gerda and went to other flowers, looked into their cups and asked: - Do you know where Kai is?

But each flower basked in the sun and thought only of its own fairy tale or story. Gerda heard a lot of them, but not a single one said a word about Kai.

Then Gerda went to a dandelion shining in the brilliant green grass.

You little bright sun! Gerda told him. - Tell me, do you know where I can look for my named brother?

Dandelion shone even brighter and looked at the girl. What song did he sing to her? Alas! And in this song not a word was said about Kai!

It was the first spring day, the sun was warm and shone so welcomingly on the small courtyard. Its rays glided over the white wall of the neighboring house, and near the very wall peeped the first yellow flower, it sparkled in the sun, like gold. An old grandmother came out to sit in the yard. Here her granddaughter, a poor servant, came from among the guests and kissed the old woman. A girl's kiss is more precious than gold - it comes straight from the heart. Gold on her lips, gold in her heart, gold in the sky in the morning! That's all! Dandelion said.

My poor grandmother! Gerda sighed. - It's true, she misses me and grieves, as she grieved for Kai. But I'll be back soon and bring it with me. There is nothing more to ask the flowers - you won’t get any sense from them, they know what they say! And she ran to the end of the garden.

The door was locked, but Gerda shook the rusty bolt for so long that it gave way, the door opened, and the girl, barefooted, began to run along the road. She looked back three times, but no one pursued her.

Finally she got tired, sat down on a stone and looked around: the summer had already passed, it was late autumn in the yard. Only in the wonderful garden of the old woman, where the sun always shone and flowers of all seasons bloomed, this was not noticeable.

God! How I lingered! After all, autumn is in the yard! There is no time for rest! - said Gerda, and again set off on her way.

Oh, how her poor tired legs ached! How cold and damp it was around! The long leaves on the willows were completely yellowed, the mist settled on them in large drops and flowed down to the ground; the leaves fell off like that. Only one blackthorn stood all covered with astringent, tart berries. How gray and dreary the whole world seemed!

Story Four - The Prince and the Princess

Gerda had to sit down again to rest. A large raven was hopping in the snow right in front of her. He looked at the girl for a long time, nodding his head to her, and finally said:

Kar-kar! Hello!

He could not speak more humanly, but he wished the girl well and asked her where she was wandering in the wide world alone. What is “alone”, Gerda knew very well, she experienced it herself. Having told the raven all her life, the girl asked if he had seen Kai.

Raven shook his head thoughtfully and said:

May be! May be!

How? Truth? - the girl exclaimed and almost strangled the raven - she kissed him so hard.

Be quiet, be quiet! - said the raven. - I think it was your Kai. But now he must have forgotten you and his princess!

Does he live with the princess? asked Gerda.

Now listen, said the raven. “But it’s terribly difficult for me to speak your language. Now, if you understood like a crow, I would tell you about everything much better.

No, they didn’t teach me that,” Gerda said. - What a pity!

Well, nothing, - said the raven. I'll tell you what I can, even if it's bad. And he told everything he knew.

In the kingdom where you and I are, there is a princess who is so clever that it is impossible to say! I read all the newspapers in the world and forgot everything I read in them - what a clever girl! One day she sits on the throne - and there's not much fun in it, as people say - and sings a song: "Why shouldn't I get married?" “But indeed!” - she thought, and she wanted to get married. But for her husband, she wanted to choose a man who could answer when spoken to, and not one who could only put on airs - it's so boring! And now, with a drumbeat, all the ladies of the court are summoned, and the will of the princess is announced to them. They were all so happy! “That's what we like! - they say. “We’ve been thinking about this ourselves recently!” All this is true! - added the raven. - I have a bride at court - a tame crow, from her I know all this.

The next day all the newspapers came out with a border of hearts and with the monograms of the princess. It was announced in the newspapers that every young man of good appearance could come to the palace and talk with the princess; the one who will behave at ease, as at home, and will be more eloquent than everyone else, the princess will choose as her husband. Yes Yes! repeated the raven. - All this is as true as the fact that I am sitting here in front of you. The people poured into the palace in droves, there was a crush and crush, but all to no avail either on the first or on the second day. On the street, all the suitors speak perfectly, but as soon as they step over the palace threshold, see the guards in silver and footmen in gold and enter the huge, light-filled halls, they are dumbfounded. They will approach the throne where the princess sits, and repeat her own words after her, but she did not need it at all. Well, it was as if they had spoiled them, drugged them with dope! And they will go out the gate - they will again find the gift of words. From the very gates to the doors stretched a long, long tail of suitors. I have been there and seen it.

Well, what about Kai, Kai? asked Gerda. - When did he come? And he came to marry?

Wait! Wait! Here we have come to it! On the third day, a little man appeared, not in a carriage, not on horseback, but simply on foot, and straight to the palace. Eyes shine like yours, hair is long, only poorly dressed.

- 'It's Kai! Gerda rejoiced. - I found him! And she clapped her hands.

Behind him was a knapsack, - continued the raven.

No, it must have been his sled! Gerda said. - He left home with a sled.

It may very well be! - said the raven. - I didn't look too hard. So, my fiancee told how he entered the palace gates and saw the guards in silver, and along the entire staircase the lackeys in gold, he was not at all embarrassed, he only nodded his head and said: “It must be boring to stand here on the stairs, I’ll go in “I’d rather go to the rooms!” And all the halls are filled with light. The Privy Councilors and their Excellencies are walking about without boots, carrying golden dishes - there is nowhere more solemn! His boots creak terribly, but he doesn't care.

It must be Kai! exclaimed Gerda. - I know he was wearing new boots. I myself heard how they creaked when he came to his grandmother.

Yes, they did creak in order, - continued the raven. - But he boldly approached the princess. She was sitting on a pearl the size of a spinning wheel, and all around stood court ladies with their maids and maids of maids and gentlemen with servants and servants of servants, and those again had servants. The closer someone stood to the door, the higher his nose turned up. It was impossible even to look at the servant of the servant, serving the servant and standing in the very doorway, without trembling - he was so important!

That's fear! Gerda said. - Did Kai still marry the princess?

If I weren't a raven, I would marry her myself, even though I'm engaged. He struck up a conversation with the princess and spoke no worse than I did in crow - so at least my tame bride told me. He behaved very freely and sweetly and declared that he had come not to woo, but only to listen to the intelligent speeches of the princess. Well, he liked her, and she liked him too.

Yes, it's Kai! Gerda said. - He's so smart! He knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions! Oh, take me to the palace!

Easy to say, - answered the raven, - difficult to do. Wait, I'll talk to my fiancee, she'll come up with something and advise us. Do you think that they will let you into the palace right like that? Why, they don't let girls like that in!

They'll let me in! Gerda said. - When Kai hears that I'm here, he will immediately come running after me.

Wait for me here at the grate, - said the raven, shook his head and flew away.

He returned quite late in the evening and croaked:

Kar, Kar! My bride sends you a thousand bows and this loaf. She stole it in the kitchen - there are a lot of them, and you must be hungry! .. Well, you won’t get into the palace: you’re barefoot - the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold will never let you through. But don't cry, you'll still get there. My fiancee knows how to get into the princess's bedroom from the back door and where to get the key.

And so they entered the garden, went along the long avenues, where autumn leaves fell one after another, and when the lights in the palace went out, the raven led the girl through the half-open door.

Oh, how Gerda's heart beat with fear and impatience! It was as if she was going to do something bad, and she only wanted to know if her Kai was here! Yes, yes, he is right here! Gerda so vividly imagined his intelligent eyes, long hair, and how he smiled at her when they used to sit side by side under the rose bushes. And how happy he will be now when he sees her, hears what a long journey she decided on for him, learns how all the household grieved for him! Oh, she was just beside herself with fear and joy!

But here they are on the landing of the stairs. A lamp burned on the closet, and a tame crow sat on the floor and looked around. Gerda sat down and bowed, as her grandmother taught.

My fiancé told me so many good things about you, young lady! said the tame crow. - And your life is also very touching! Would you like to take a lamp, and I will go ahead. We will take the straight road, we will meet no one here.

But it seems to me that someone is following us, ”said Gerda, and at the same moment some shadows rushed past her with a slight noise: horses with waving manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback.

These are dreams! said the tame crow. “They come here so that the thoughts of high people are carried away to hunt. So much the better for us, it will be more convenient to consider the sleeping ones.

Then they entered the first room, where the walls were upholstered in pink satin woven with flowers. Dreams flashed past the girl again, but so quickly that she did not have time to see the riders. One room was more magnificent than the other, so there was something to be confused about. Finally they reached the bedroom. The ceiling looked like the top of a huge palm tree with precious crystal leaves; from the middle of it descended a thick golden stalk, on which hung two beds in the form of lilies. One was white, the princess slept in it, the other was red, and Gerda hoped to find Kai in it. The girl slightly bent one of the red petals and saw a dark blond nape. It's Kai! She called him by name loudly and held the lamp close to his face. Dreams rushed away with noise; the prince woke up and turned his head... Ah, it wasn't Kai!

The prince looked like him only from the back of his head, but he was just as young and handsome. A princess looked out of a white lily and asked what happened. Gerda wept and told her whole story, mentioning also what the ravens had done for her.

Oh you poor thing! - said the prince and princess, praised the crows, announced that they were not at all angry with them - only let them not do this in the future - and even wanted to reward them.

Do you want to be free birds? the princess asked. - Or do you want to take the position of court ravens, on the full content of the kitchen leftovers?

Raven and crow bowed and asked for positions at court. They thought of old age and said:

It's good to have a sure piece of bread in old age!

The prince got up and gave his bed to Gerda - there was nothing more he could do for her yet. And she folded her hands and thought: “How kind all people and animals are!” She closed her eyes and fell asleep sweetly. The dreams again flew into the bedroom, but now they were carrying Kai on a small sleigh, who was nodding his head to Gerda. Alas, it was all just a dream and disappeared as soon as the girl woke up.

The next day she was dressed from head to toe in silk and velvet and allowed to remain in the palace as long as she wished.

The girl could live and live happily ever after, but stayed only a few days and began to ask for a cart with a horse and a pair of shoes - she again wanted to start looking for her named brother in the wide world.

They gave her shoes, and a muff, and a wonderful dress, and when she said goodbye to everyone, a carriage of pure gold drove up to the gate, with the coats of arms of the prince and princess shining like stars: the coachman, footmen, postilions - they gave her the postilions - small golden crowns flaunted on their heads.

The prince and princess themselves put Gerda into the carriage and wished her a happy journey.

The forest raven, who had already managed to get married, accompanied the girl for the first three miles and sat in the carriage next to her - he could not ride, sitting with his back to the horses. A tame crow sat on the gate and flapped its wings. She did not go to see Gerda off because she had suffered from headaches ever since she got a position at court and ate too much. The carriage was chock-full of sugar pretzels, and the box under the seat was full of fruit and gingerbread.

Goodbye! Goodbye! the prince and princess shouted.

Gerda began to cry, and so did the crow. Three miles later the raven said goodbye to the girl. It was a hard parting! The raven flew up into the tree and flapped its black wings until the carriage, shining like the sun, disappeared from view.

Story Five - The Little Robber

Here Gerda entered the dark forest in which the robbers lived; the carriage burned like a fever, it cut the eyes of the robbers, and they simply could not bear it.

Gold! Gold! they shouted, seizing the horses by the bridle, killed the little postilions, the coachman and the servants, and pulled Gerda out of the carriage.

Look how nice, fat! Nuts fed! - said the old robber woman with a long stiff beard and shaggy, hanging eyebrows. - Fatty, what is your lamb! Well, what will it taste like?

And she pulled out a sharp, shining knife. Horrible!

Ay! she suddenly cried out: she was bitten on the ear by her own daughter, who was sitting behind her and was so unbridled and self-willed that it was simply a pleasure. - Oh, you mean girl! - screamed the mother, but did not have time to kill Gerda.

She will play with me,” said the little robber. “She will give me her muff, her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.

And the girl again bit her mother so that she jumped and spun on the spot. The robbers laughed.

Look how he dances with his girl!

I want a carriage! - the little robber screamed and insisted on her own - she was terribly spoiled and stubborn.

They got into the carriage with Gerda and rushed over the stumps and bumps into the thicket of the forest.

The little robber was as tall as Gerdu, but stronger, broader in the shoulders and much darker. Her eyes were completely black, but somehow sad. She hugged Gerda and said:

They won't kill you until I get angry with you. Are you a princess?

No, - the girl answered and told what she had to experience and how she loves Kai.

The little robber looked at her seriously, nodded slightly, and said:

They won't kill you even if I get angry with you - I'd rather kill you myself!

And she wiped away Gerda's tears, and then hid both her hands in her pretty soft warm muff.

Here the carriage stopped: they drove into the courtyard of the robber's castle.

He was covered in huge cracks; crows and crows flew out of them. Huge bulldogs jumped out from somewhere, it seemed that each of them could not swallow a person, but they only jumped high and did not even bark - it was forbidden. A fire was burning in the middle of a huge hall with dilapidated, soot-covered walls and a stone floor. The smoke rose to the ceiling and had to find its own way out. Over the fire, soup was boiling in a huge cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on skewers.

You will sleep with me right here, near my little menagerie, - said the little robber to Gerda.

The girls were fed and watered, and they went to their corner, where straw was laid out, covered with carpets. More than a hundred pigeons sat on poles higher up. They all seemed to be asleep, but when the girls approached, they stirred slightly.

All mine! - said the little robber girl, grabbed one pigeon by the legs and shook it so that it beat its wings. - Kiss him! she shouted and poked the dove in Gerda's face. “And here the forest rogues are sitting,” she continued, pointing to two pigeons sitting in a small recess in the wall, behind a wooden lattice. “These two are woodland crooks. They must be kept locked up, otherwise they will fly away quickly! And here is my dear old man! - And the girl pulled the horns of a reindeer tied to the wall in a shiny copper collar. - He, too, must be kept on a leash, otherwise he will run away! Every evening I tickle him under the neck with my sharp knife - he's scared to death of it.

With these words, the little robber pulled out a long knife from a crevice in the wall and ran it along the deer's neck. The poor animal bucked, and the girl laughed and dragged Gerda to the bed.

Are you sleeping with a knife? Gerda asked her.

Is always! - answered the little robber. - You never know what can happen! Well, tell me again about Kai and how you set out to wander the wide world.

Gerda told. Caged wood pigeons cooed softly; the other pigeons were already asleep. The little robber wrapped one arm around Gerda's neck - she had a knife in the other - and began to snore, but Gerda could not close her eyes, not knowing whether they would kill her or let her live. Suddenly the wood pigeons cooed:

Kurr! Kurr! We saw Kai! A white hen carried his sled on her back, and he sat in the Snow Queen's sleigh. They flew over the forest when we chicks were still in the nest. She breathed on us, and everyone died except for the two of us. Kurr! Kurr!

What. you speak! exclaimed Gerda. Where did the Snow Queen go? Do you know?

Probably to Lapland - after all, there is eternal snow and ice. Ask the reindeer what is leashed here.

Yes, there is eternal snow and ice. Wonder how good! - said the reindeer. - There you jump at will on the huge sparkling plains. The Snow Queen's summer tent is set up there, and her permanent palaces are at the North Pole, on the island of Svalbard.

Oh Kai, my dear Kai! Gerda sighed.

Lie still, said the little robber. - I'll stab you with a knife!

In the morning Gerda told her what she had heard from wood pigeons. The little robber girl looked seriously at Gerda, nodded her head and said:

Well, so be it!.. Do you know where Lapland is? she then asked the reindeer.

Who knows if not me! - answered the deer, and his eyes sparkled. - There I was born and raised, there I jumped on the snowy plains.

So listen, - said the little robber girl to Gerda. - You see, all of us are gone, there is only one mother at home;

after a while she will take a sip from a large bottle and take a nap, then I will do something for you.

And so the old woman took a sip from her bottle and began to snore, and the little robber went up to the reindeer and said:

We could still make fun of you for a long time! You're too hilarious to be tickled with a sharp knife. Well, so be it! I will untie you and set you free. You can run to your Lapland, but in return you must take this girl to the Snow Queen's palace - there is her named brother. Surely you heard what she said? She spoke loudly, and you always have ears on top of your head.

The reindeer jumped for joy. And the little robber put Gerda on him, tied her tightly for fidelity, and even slipped a soft pillow under her to make it more comfortable for her to sit.

So be it, - she said then, - take back your fur boots - it will be cold! And I'll leave the clutch for myself, it hurts good. But I won’t let you freeze: here are my mother’s huge mittens, they will reach you to the very elbows. Put your hands in them! Well, now you have hands like my ugly mother.

Gerda wept for joy.

I can't stand it when they whine! - said the little robber. Now you should be happy. Here's two more loaves and a ham for you so you don't have to go hungry.

Both were tied to a deer. Then the little robber opened the door, lured the dogs into the house, cut the rope with which the deer was tied with her sharp knife, and said to him:

Well, live! Yes, look at the girl. Gerda held out both hands to the little robber in huge mittens and said goodbye to her. The reindeer set off at full speed through the stumps and bumps through the forest, through the swamps and steppes. Wolves howled, crows croaked.

Phew! Phew! - it was suddenly heard from the sky, and it seemed to sneeze with fire.

Here is my native northern lights! - said the deer. - Look how it burns.
And he ran on, not stopping day or night. The bread was eaten, the ham too, and now they found themselves in Lapland.

Sixth story - Lapland and Finnish

The deer stopped at a miserable shack. The roof went down to the ground, and the door was so low that people had to crawl through it on all fours.

At home there was an old Lapland woman who was frying fish by the light of a fat lamp. The reindeer told the Lapland woman the whole story of Gerda, but first he told his own - it seemed to him much more important.

Gerda was so numb from the cold that she could not speak.

Oh you poor fellows! said the Laplander. - You still have a long way to go! You'll have to walk a hundred odd miles before you get to Finland, where the Snow Queen lives in her country house and lights blue sparklers every evening. I will write a few words on dried cod - I have no paper - and you will carry the message to the Finnish woman who lives in those places and will be able to teach you what to do better than I can.

When Gerda warmed up, ate and drank, the Laplander wrote a few words on dried cod, ordered Gerda to take good care of her, then tied the girl to the back of a deer, and he rushed off again.

Phew! Phew! - was heard again from the sky, and it began to throw out columns of wonderful blue flame. So the deer ran with Gerda to Finland and knocked on the Finnish chimney - she didn’t even have doors.

Well, the heat was in her home! The Finn herself, a short fat woman, went about half-naked. She quickly pulled off Gerda's dress, mittens and boots, otherwise the girl would be hot, put a piece of ice on the reindeer's head and then began to read what was written on the dried cod.

She read everything from word to word three times, until she memorized it, and then she put the cod into the cauldron - after all, the fish was good for food, and nothing was wasted with the Finn.

Then the deer told first his story, and then the story of Gerda. Finca blinked her intelligent eyes, but did not say a word.

You are such a wise woman… - said the deer. “Won’t you make a drink for the girl that would give her the strength of twelve heroes?” Then she would have defeated the Snow Queen!

The strength of twelve heroes! Finn said. - Is there a lot of good in that!

With these words, she took a large leather scroll from the shelf and unfolded it: it was covered all over with some amazing writing.

The deer again began to ask for Gerda, and Gerda herself looked at the Finn with such pleading eyes full of tears that she blinked again, took the deer aside and, changing the ice on his head, whispered:

Kai is indeed with the Snow Queen, but he is quite pleased and thinks that he cannot be better anywhere. The reason for everything is the fragments of the mirror that sit in his heart and in his eye. They must be removed, otherwise the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.

Can't you give Gerda something that will make her stronger than everyone else?

Stronger than it is, I can't make it. Don't you see how great her power is? Don't you see that both people and animals serve her? After all, she walked around half the world barefoot! It is not for us to borrow her strength, her strength is in her heart, in the fact that she is an innocent sweet child. If she herself cannot penetrate into the halls of the Snow Queen and extract a shard from Kai's heart, then we will not help her even more! Two miles from here begins the Snow Queen's garden. Take the girl there, let her down by a large bush sprinkled with red berries, and, without delay, come back.

With these words, the Finnish girl put Gerda on the back of a deer, and he rushed to run as fast as he could.

Hey, I'm without warm boots! Hey, I'm not wearing gloves! cried Gerda, finding herself in the cold.

But the deer did not dare to stop until he reached a bush with red berries. Then he let the girl down, kissed her on the lips, and large, shining tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he shot back like an arrow.

The poor girl was left alone in the bitter cold, without shoes, without mittens.

She ran forward as fast as she could. A whole regiment of snow flakes rushed towards her, but they did not fall from the sky - the sky was completely clear, and the northern lights were blazing in it - no, they ran along the ground straight at Gerda and became larger and larger.

Gerda remembered the big beautiful flakes under the magnifying glass, but these were much bigger, scarier and all alive.

These were the forward sentinel troops of the Snow Queen.

Some resembled large ugly hedgehogs, others - hundred-headed snakes, others - fat bear cubs with tousled hair. But they all sparkled with the same whiteness, they were all living snowflakes.

However, Gerda boldly walked on and on and finally reached the halls of the Snow Queen.
Let's see what happened to Kai at that time. He did not think about Gerda, and least of all about the fact that she was so close to him.

Seventh story - What happened in the halls of the Snow Queen and what happened next

The walls of the halls were blizzards, the windows and doors were violent winds. More than a hundred halls stretched here one after the other as a blizzard swept them. All of them were illuminated by the northern lights, and the largest one stretched for many, many miles. How cold, how deserted it was in those white, brightly shining halls! Fun never came here. Bear balls have never been held here with dances to the music of the storm, at which polar bears could distinguish themselves by grace and the ability to walk on their hind legs; games of cards with quarrels and fights were never drawn up, little white chanterelle gossips did not converge for a conversation over a cup of coffee.

Cold, deserted, grandiose! The northern lights flashed and burned so regularly that it was possible to calculate exactly at what minute the light would increase and at what time it would fade. In the middle of the largest deserted snow hall was a frozen lake. The ice cracked on it into a thousand pieces, so identical and regular that it seemed like some kind of trick. In the middle of the lake sat the Snow Queen when she was at home, saying that she was sitting on the mirror of the mind; in her opinion, it was the only and best mirror in the world.

Kai turned completely blue, almost turned black from the cold, but did not notice this - the kisses of the Snow Queen made him insensitive to the cold, and his very heart was like a piece of ice. Kai fiddled with flat, pointed ice floes, laying them in all sorts of frets. After all, there is such a game - folding figures from wooden planks - which is called the Chinese puzzle. So Kai also folded various intricate figures, only from ice floes, and this was called an icy mind game. In his eyes, these figures were a marvel of art, and folding them was an occupation of paramount importance. This was due to the fact that a fragment of a magic mirror sat in his eye.

He also put together such figures from which whole words were obtained, but he could not put together what he especially wanted - the word “eternity”. The Snow Queen said to him: "If you add this word, you will be your own master, and I will give you all the world and a pair of new skates." But he couldn't put it down.

Now I will fly to warmer climes,” said the Snow Queen. - I'll look into the black cauldrons.

So she called the craters of the fire-breathing mountains - Etna and Vesuvius.

I'll whiten them a little. It's good for lemons and grapes.

She flew away, and Kai was left alone in the boundless deserted hall, looking at the ice floes and thinking, thinking, so that his head was cracking. He sat there, so pale, motionless, as if lifeless. You might think he was completely cold.

At this time, Gerda entered the huge gate, which was the violent winds. And before her the winds subsided, as if asleep. She entered a huge deserted ice hall and saw Kai. She immediately recognized him, threw herself on his neck, hugged him tightly and exclaimed:

Kai, my dear Kai! Finally I found you!

But he sat still the same motionless and cold. And then Gerda wept; her hot tears fell on his chest, penetrated into his heart, melted the ice crust, melted the shard. Kai looked at Gerda and suddenly burst into tears and cried so hard that the shard flowed out of his eye along with his tears. Then he recognized Gerda and was delighted:

Gerda! Dear Gerda! Where have you been for so long? Where was I myself? And he looked around. - How cold it is here, deserted!

And he clung tightly to Gerda. And she laughed and cried with joy. And it was so wonderful that even the ice floes began to dance, and when they got tired, they lay down and made up the very word that the Snow Queen asked Kai to compose. Having folded it, he could become his own master, and even receive from her a gift of the whole world and a pair of new skates.

Gerda kissed Kai on both cheeks, and they again blushed like roses; kissed his eyes, and they shone; kissed his hands and feet, and he again became vigorous and healthy.

The Snow Queen could come back anytime - his vacation card lay there, written in glittering ice letters.

Kai and Gerda left the ice halls hand in hand. They walked and talked about their grandmother, about the roses that bloomed in their garden, and before them the violent winds subsided, the sun peeped through. And when they reached the bush with red berries, the reindeer was already waiting for them.

Kai and Gerda went first to the Finn, warmed up with her and found out the way home, and then to the Lapland. She sewed them a new dress, repaired her sleigh and went to see them off.

The deer also accompanied the young travelers up to the very border of Lapland, where the first greenery was already breaking through. Here Kai and Gerda said goodbye to him and the Laplander.

Here is the forest in front of them. The first birds sang, the trees were covered with green buds. A young girl in a bright red cap with pistols in her belt rode out of the forest to meet the travelers on a magnificent horse.

Gerda immediately recognized both the horse - it had once been harnessed to a golden carriage - and the girl. It was a little robber.

She also recognized Gerda. That was joy!

Look, you tramp! she said to Kai. “I would like to know if you are worthy of being followed to the ends of the earth?”

But Gerda patted her on the cheek and asked about the prince and princess.

They went to foreign lands, - answered the young robber.

And the raven? asked Gerda.

The forest raven is dead; the tame crow was left a widow, walks with black hair on its leg and complains about fate. But all this is nothing, but you better tell me what happened to you and how you found him.

Gerda and Kai told her about everything.

Well, that's the end of the story! - said the young robber, shook hands with them and promised to visit them if she ever came to them in the city.

Then she went on her way, and Kai and Gerda went on theirs.

They walked, and spring flowers bloomed on their way, the grass turned green. Then the bells rang out, and they recognized the bell towers of their native city. They climbed the familiar stairs and entered the room, where everything was the same as before: the clock said “tick-tock”, the hands moved along the dial. But, passing through the low door, they noticed that they had become quite adults. Blooming rose bushes peered through the open window from the roof; right there were their highchairs. Kai and Gerda each sat on their own, took each other's hands, and the cold desert splendor of the halls of the Snow Queen was forgotten like a heavy dream.

Faith and Anfisa acquaintance - Uspensky E.N.

A fairy tale about how once in the port a sailor gave dad a monkey and he brought it home. The monkey was named Anfisa, and she immediately became friends with Vera. Anfisa played a lot of pranks at home, turned over the furniture, but still she was solved ...

2012-07-06 at 03:15

oh. I have a lot of them.

You have become quite an adult, my little Kai.
I have two months left - don't get used to it,
To my lips, to the smell of my skin..
Your Gerda and I are not at all alike -
They already sent me a summons to heaven,
So now I’m like a palace, like a barn ...
I have no more strength, no more tears,
In my kingdom, only snow and frost,
You return to your warm-blooded,
To your Gerda, love her evenly,
She will forgive everything when she gets mad.
I, dear Kai, have two months left ...
(c) Winter
_____________

You see, baby, the girl's name was Gerda.
Boy - Kai.
So the night branch rustles from the wind.
Heart, do not be silent.
The boy's name was Kai.
Sleep. Nobody cares about these old ones
Del. And she wandered home through the snow.
What are you hiding there? Glass? Weird. Give me.
The boy's name was May...
His name was mine
Honey... What a blizzard today again!
I told? The boy's name was Laughter.
Why are you laughing? There is nothing funny.
Did death separate them? What is death!
No, my child, death cannot separate.
No - no one with anyone. Even two children
Stupid, distant and infinitely cute...
The boy's name was Shadow.
They were separated by what is called duty.
Do you know this word? .. In the snow of the path
Nobody laid. Her journey has been long.
The girl's name was Eternity. Boy... Sleep.
(c) Olga Rodionova
Tired children, witnesses of fate,
Dispassionately look with childish longing
Through the depths of centuries, like mortal people
Finding peace in the search for paradise.
Eras are gone, the remains of empires
Spread as dust over the eternal earth.
Not people, not gods - tired children
They do not feel fear and do not know pain.
Hearts of ice do not warm their souls,
Their nights are without morning, without evening - days.
And the stars above them are immortal like time
And it seems as if time is them.
Forever embraced by the cold firmament
They don't melt. Not life and not death.
Tell me, guys, do you believe in Gerda?
What could warm Kai's heart?
Like cold soldiers, they surround
Crowned with ice royal throne.
Tell me guys, do you believe in Kai?
Do you believe that he went with Gerda?
Andrey Sochinyalkin
______________
Gerda smashes ice figures to dust,
the faces of his queens breaks from the heart,
hearing the second "I": "Yes, you're just a fool!
Kai won't come back, he'll never know you..."
Gerda loses her mittens along with the pain
knowing that he no longer needs such,
pours memory on the wounds with white salt,
angry and that you don’t need it, convincing yourself.
Gerda screams, in her voice - hundreds of needles -
and for some reason she suddenly shuts up.
Something pricked in the eye, probably a fragment ...
No, it's not destiny to live without Queen Kayu!

2012-07-06 at 03:16

to hell with morality - all the gods have gone offline
the world is given to us, and there are no prohibitions
Gerda crumples a thin cigarette in her fingers
Gerda forgot what Kai looked like as a child (c)
__________________
The Snow Queen! You fucked up Kai so much.
That he, like a cur, throws himself at the feet of every Gerda.
Hoping to get the piece of ice you gave me out of my heart.
Attempts are futile, because the ice does not melt, and your winter is endless.
O Queen! You know your Kai is dying. Without the right to keep warm in the hot summer.
But you can't hear, neither groans, nor a quiet sob, because Kai does not cry. It's wild for him.
Only cigarettes poison the heart and soul. He wants someone to listen to him.
And he doesn't need eternity without you.
© Kai Pitersky
__________________
The better the feeling of closeness
Him with his sister.
Memories of his whims
And gratitude for
That she did not see a challenge in them,
But the cry of one walking from a narrow ledge.
____________
Kai drinks dark beer and watches football with friends.
Gerda treats a sore throat by wrapping herself in a warm blanket.
On the table are cigarettes, a tattered volume of poetry,
Aspirin and a box of more New Year's sweets.
Gerda loves flowers, except for red-blooded roses.
Sometimes he buys a bouquet along the way.
Kai candy flower period has long outgrown.
He's been giving her a credit card for the past few years.
Gerda has been preparing a scarf for Kayu since the evening.
I knitted for him for over a year.
Kai usually puts the gift in the closet in the morning.
"Minus ten in total! Well, what the hell is winter here ?!"
Gerda warms her palms on the mug with the big elephant.
Kai leafs through a magazine without hearing her question.
Gerda's past seems like a strange distant dream.
Where is the boy from childhood, from the spicy smell of roses?
And sometime at night, only the city will cover the darkness,
Suddenly Gerda will think, despairing and emboldened:
Maybe she took on too much.
Suddenly believing that his queens will become more needed ...
Natalia Sposobina
The stars are falling down -
Before the Queen of Paradise:
The Little Prince is not a prince
Small like Kai...
The pallor of chiseled faces,
The boys are warmed by ice.
The little one is no longer a prince,
Frozen honey in the veins ... -
Stretches into the snowy land -
In frost fragility of eyelashes
New name "Kai"
The Little Prince is not a prince...
(c) Julia Step
______________
Yes, you didn't know.
Everything was looking for him.
Naive stupid girl.
this unfortunate Gerdochka.
She plotted ice and blizzards
They are in the heart of a brother,
failed to fall.
While getting there
dreamed of summer.
Empty hopes
they are still children.
There will be no summer
the snow doesn't melt.
Kai is dead.
Kai is dying.

__________
Gerda, tell me, why do you need a heart?
Kai still can't get warm.
He doesn't care about "under the windows with chalk"
he is not interested in you, but in business.
Why, explain, hugs by the fireplace?
he has ice apathy all year round.
he is doomed, but I am sure that somewhere
from the word "eternity" you get "summer"
He has hope, but he is hopeless.
Know, Gerda, Kai is destroyed for you.
If you still want to get
here is eternal cold and -120
maps are not created, carriages do not go.
and between the seas and other continents.
So girl, stay at home.
Drink tea, leafing through the pages of the album.
Your brother is fine, let the body be cold
it's not your fault, it's all Queen.
_________________

2012-07-06 at 03:17

Huge thank you))

2012-07-06 at 03:18

and there are about 10 more pieces. if necessary, of course

2012-07-06 at 03:24

Born out of character

It's a song, not poetry, but still.

Lord, tell me what happened to us
The servants have been bustling since early morning.
Even those skeletons that were gathering dust in the closet
We pulled it out of the corner.
The windows are like rock crystal.
Fluffy featherbeds made of snow.
- Girl, I'm busy, leave me alone.
My Queen is coming.

Sir, our castle has been transformed again.
Curved mirrors are waiting for the heroes of the day.
And the horned deer wanders around the dungeon,
It seems he is looking for me.
But eternal ice sparkles.
Silver dead tree...
- Girl, I'm busy, go away.
My Queen is coming.

Sir, have you made a word?
You are now subject to Eternity traits.
And in the stern face there is not a drop of blood,
And in the eyes of the seal of emptiness.
In the sky the breath of ice
The wind changed course to the North.
- This means that here
My Queen is coming.

Kai, what's going on? Where I am? What's wrong with you?
The heart was frozen by an ice castle ...
You are addicted to this scary game!
Well, let's go home.
Gotta leave quickly
After all, the hostess is terrible in anger!
- Gerda, get off! Now become mine
The Snow Queen!

2012-07-06 at 03:24

2012-07-06 at 03:26

Kai is very sick. Kai plays with silence -
Kayu that night in silence can not sleep;
Eternity looks at him and stealthily melts,
Kai is too busy with himself, silence and dreams,
To notice how the world has turned into a grain.
You are so similar to him - to the unfortunate Kai
(or happy): the same features as a prince.
Children of the rain - that's what you seem to be called;
Who hates, who loves, and who despises
(the ice underfoot sparkles desperately brightly).
Kai is still silent, choosing a sweeter non-echo:
The sea of ​​silence flows, dreams are cold.
In these moments, and the heart beats faster,
Everything here becomes puppet, fake -
Only eyes look at the real sky.
... The cold abyss will drag Kai with the dawn,
After leaving only the color of silver rain.
____
Over the snowy plain the winds run, howling,
Lights in the sky flutter back and forth.
For five thousand years Gerda searched for Kai,
And the word "eternity" is still made of ice.
The curtains have decayed, the ballroom outfit has frayed,
It blows from the windows and through the doors.
For five thousand years the prince cherishes the crystal shoe,
And Cinderella's hands, as always, are in the mud.
Plans, hopes, masks are poured into the pantry,
Good intentions, some stupid ideas.
Five thousand years King Arthur has been reading fairy tales
About faithful women and worthy friends.
The pen is gone. The books are flipped through.
Your star is somewhere in the Milky Way.
All fairy tales lie. All fairy tales are holy truth.
...And Kai's heart is still made of ice.
____
the bell is ringing. Gerda hits the alarm clock and continues to sleep.
Kai will come to wake up, Kai will give flowers, make you laugh, call you for a walk,
he is beautiful, like a god, like adonis, invented a thousand years ago.
Gerda melts as she touches him. only ice in his eyes does not melt.
the queen will put on a transparent dress, touch her wrist with a needle,
she likes boys so much. some she takes with her.
the queen plays dangerous games but her blood is so cold
the queen does not need anyone, and she is never alone.
Kai is high. heroin in his blood, and peace in his eyes,
Kai sings with a guitar about childhood dreams, about parted brother and sister.

for laughs today he laid out ETERNITY out of white powder.



the reindeer's knees gave way, and, screaming, Gerda fell into the snow.
kai plays his blues, the queen drinks whiskey with ice and looks out the window,
she was a little bored with the plot, but in general - she likes this movie.
Gerda is sleeping. her pain subsides. it is surrounded by a snow-covered paradise,
well - almost a happy ending. only gerda does not need a god. gerda needs kai.
(c)hero-in
____
You returned alien and dead to our kingdom of flowers and roofs.
The fact that the threads of love are frayed is only visible when you sleep.
There's a warm light in this room, but it still looks like a corpse
you smile a little perceptibly at the very edge of your pale lips.
Why every day, getting up, do not take your eyes off of shame?
I know, I know exactly who you dreamed about now.
Laugh - your carelessness amuses me to tears.
Or make me the word "eternity" from the stems of New Year's roses.
From flowers or sharp pieces of ice and mirrors - is that really the point?
It was mine, my duel, not yours or anyone else's.
I crawled on my knees into the mountains, forgot you completely,
learned to put out strife and be strong - tell me why?
I strayed from step to run, you dutifully followed her,
in ecstasy playing with snow and kissing her hem.
And it seems to me that ice will flow through your fingers, you can’t hold back in any way.
Ah, how the tender, snowy, table-top enemy loves to laugh at times!
Yes, everything will be different later, it will be summer ... do not hide, do not hide ...
But now just sleep, my boy.
Sleep, my dear misguided Kai.
(c) Svetlana Galkina
_____
Fingers freeze, but the ice will not melt - because the heart does not beat.
This heart itself became an ice floe - silent, bloodless.
And biting my lip, with the caution of a tightrope walker
He, like a puzzle, collects the only true word.
And she is somewhere where the snowstorm mixed up the paths, -
He repeats in delirium, under some kind of drowsy anesthesia:
“Do you remember how it was - on a sled and from a hill - cool?
Do you remember how our roses bloomed on the window in May?...”
He forgot. And flowers, and colors - only white remained here.
Do not look, do not look for a bosom friend among the snows ...
But she was not - neither risky, nor strong, nor courageous ...
It's only now ... So now it howls along with the blizzard:
“Do you remember me? Do you remember us at least half a line
From a long-worn book read in childhood? ..
They are placed there - do you believe me? - both accents and dots,
The wise storyteller foresaw everything - well, do you believe, do you believe? .. - foresaw ... "
All she had to do was look into his eyes again.
And hug, and cry, kissing on frozen cheeks ...
But the pieces of ice are already almost folded into the cherished word.
Days, weeks and years - he probably lost count ...
Fingers get cold, but he doesn't feel cold, really -
Somehow tired. Yes, and the blizzard starts, getting drunk.
... A pair of new skates is, in fact, a good reward.
Unless you know that there is something more important in the world.
______
Gerda is silent, does not howl, does not beat in hysterics without ceasing
Gerda comes to the bar and looks out for Kai's back at the counter
demanding nothing
without begging
without touching him. not panicking at all.
absolute hallelujah.
Gerda looks seventeen - this is success, in her tired twenty-three.
with her lifestyle, with a regular level of alcohol in her blood,
with the amount of nicotine inside,
tranquilizers,
operations,
heparin.
again bars, sweepstakes
and bet.
Kai appears to be twenty-five and looks remarkably well.
he says - cryogenic medicine. although most likely - a lobotomy.
electric shock.
dresses inappropriately for the weather: sneakers, a purple scarf and a hood.
Gerda sees Kai - and he is a little funny to her,
she knitted for him this shawl.
the scarf is tied - and he does not need it.
going into her favorite bar, gerda sees kai, but does a good job -
orders tea with lemon, mint and thyme.
drinks, and out of habit tries to reach the bartender,
to whiskey with ice,
in old fashion with a thick bottom
legs are wadded and do not obey
fingers don't bend
they pretend not to know each other. or don't notice.
her pupils run wild with hatred -
she imagines how he ends up in this snowman at night.
one more whiskey
another whiskey and tea.
___
Thoughts are like flocks of birds...
I wanted to ask you:
Will Kai be able to leave
The Snow Queen?
Statue of sorrow
Ice and dry wind...
You didn't know me well
I'm just dressed like this
Mask. Do you, too?
Like everyone else. What will happen?..
My plane has been delayed.
I smile a little - fate.
I sleep every four nights -
It's scary to forget dreams.
I run my finger along the lines
Fairy tales that didn't come true.
And after dawn - weekdays.
I'm dialing your number.
It's all too hard...
It's all too painful...
I write clearly on the edge
Life with a piece of chalk:
“Kai can’t quit
The Snow Queen".
______
As a child, I saw a picture in a fairy tale book:
A little boy was putting something out of ice cubes

Pale Woman Snowy like a Queen
I suddenly thought - yearning for the boy Kai
Warm, gentle, kind... in general - DIFFERENT
Someone told her, "You can't be so dear"
Someone assented: “And Klarra is right, dear!”
Gerda set off on the same cloudy evening
To find out - what is frosty eternity
There were rumors that Gerda was stolen by crows.
Those who served the Cold Crown
Years later, I accidentally saw a picture:
The boy still laid out eternity from ice
And sat on a marble throne on the left,
The girl who became the Queen for him
_____
under the glow of spotlights - northern stars - the queen plays a role
and it is perfect, how can there be death, from which the pain was taken
takes love intravenously, laughs, spurring horses
there is nothing you can't part with to stay with her forever
Kai is high. heroin in his blood, and peace in his eyes
kai sings with a guitar about childhood dreams, about parted brother and sister
the feelings are the same, only the sun is less and less common in his poems
for laughs today he laid out ETERNITY from white powder
Gerda gallops to the north, but the north was not found, he was swept up by a snowstorm
the bell is ringing. where are you, boy, why are you lying in her bed?
I lose myself every time she touches your tender eyelids..
the deer's knees buckled, and, screaming, Gerda fell into the snow
kai plays his blues, the queen drinks whiskey with ice and looks out the window
she was a little bored with the plot, but overall she likes this movie
Gerda is sleeping. her pain subsides. it is surrounded by a snow-covered paradise
well - almost a happy ending. only gerda does not need a god. gerda needs kai
_____
My sweet Kai, I see your heart
Cold, frozen in captivity.
I so want to help him warm up,
But how can I not freeze myself?
I firmly believe that the night is not eternal.
But loneliness is such an evil thing
When you go, - Sadovoe, on the opposite side, -
And you know that the wrong one chose the path.
But, that's different. Listen, don't be scared.
You will understand me when the time comes.
Come back when you want
And let the other Gerda wait for you.
And let the other meet, smiling,
Though I did not follow you,
Though she was not sad, afraid,
That he will not hear your answer anymore.
I won't say anything. Why should I be upset
The one who led my heart into the snow?
My generous patience
Will stubbornly believe in you.
(c) Elu
______
“Unfortunate Gerda… Alone… Alone as always.
Listen to me, I'm your beloved Kai.
My queen... she is as pale as snow.
Why are you crying like a fool? Get used to it!
When I left, my house became an ice palace
I folded eternity from dreams that you didn’t weave ... "
Snowflakes pierced, crippling your face
And I reveled in the insignificance of this beauty
“She will give me the whole world, and also skates ...”
You reach into your pocket for matches... “I said don't you dare!
What would you choose the forest or, so, stumps?
I chose. And I stay not with you, but with her
Unfortunate Gerda... You can't understand....
I would rather learn to let out thorns from roses ”
And you all stood and silently looked at me
And suddenly split into sparks of ice and dust
© Julber

2012-07-06 at 03:26

She now also drinks scalding whiskey and asks for ice
She now thinks a thousand times before she says yes
She does not believe now in the words "forever" and "forever":
Gerda hides her eyes behind plastic dark glasses.
Instead of a heart, he now has such a huge crystal:
Kai even laugh after a couple of days finally stopped.
It seems to him that he has made up for something lost -
As in childhood, he holds the best of all nets in his hands:
He catches all of her butterflies released outside the window.
Her house is now unexpectedly empty, cold and dark.
Gerda is waiting for some kind of miracle, a mystical "yes, but ...",
And inside, behind the ribs, something pricks with a needle.
Kai sees himself as something different: he is a tiger, or maybe a lion.
He lives so freely, as if he had overcome some limit.
And lost count in his bed of the Snow Queens.
Gerda sees him, completely different, and, crying, laughs until she colics.
He drinks mint tea in one gulp, hoping: maybe poison?
Kai promises himself to return to Gerda seven times in a row this week.
He hates to hear when people talk about her,
And he is already remembered almost dashingly.
She reaches for a cigarette, the notebook still clutched in her hands.
In it, in his handwriting, the first entry: "Life teaches us to choose ..."
Gerda clicks the lighter. She wants to scream like that
To make the neighbors deaf, and then to become quiet.
She gets sick without him - as if in withdrawal without heroin.
Gerda's life without Kai seems to be simply lost in the old ruins.
When she dreams of him - in the arms of strangers Marina, Christina, Karina -
Gerda dreams so that life becomes only a dream.
Kai is looking for her, getting lost in this city of all winds.
He no longer remembers where, what time and with whom he broke so many firewood,
But the feeling is as if he once shared his shelter with her.
He recognizes her street, house, entrance and floor with difficulty.
Gerda's curtains are still tightly closed, but the balcony is wide open.
She has not eaten for the fifth day, putting her life on the line.
She turned off all the lights and in the dark she reads Sholokhov's "Quiet Flows the Don" ...
Kai for courage in the nostrils - the last time - powder.
He is on his knees, and the fingers of both hands are trembling finely.
Kai, more than ever, now with her is constrained, timid and clamped.
Gerda almost does not believe that he is three floors to her
Climb, fly, come:
"Someone up there again wanted me to find you again."