the robbers laughed, and said, “See how she is dancing with her young
cub.”
“I will have a ride in the coach,” said the little robber-girl; and she would
have her own way; for she was so self-willed and obstinate.
She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over
stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little robber-girl was
about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had broader shoulders and a
darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and she had a mournful look. She
clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,-
“They shall not kill you as long as you don’t make us vexed with you. I
suppose you are a princess.”
“No,” said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how fond she
was of little Kay.
The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly, and
said, “They sha’nt kill you, even if I do get angry with you; for I will do it
myself.” And then she wiped Gerda’s eyes, and stuck her own hands in the
beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.
The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber’s castle, the walls of
which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and out
of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which looked as if
it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were not allowed to
bark. In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was burning on the stone
floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up to the ceiling, and
found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in a large cauldron, and hares
and rabbits were roasting on the spit.
“You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night,” said the
robber-girl, after they had had something to eat and drink. So she took
Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets were laid down.
Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a hundred pigeons, who
all seemed to be asleep, although they moved slightly when the two little
girls came near them. “These all belong to me,” said the robber-girl; and
