“She was most likely travelling to Lapland, where there is always snow
and ice. Ask the reindeer that is fastened up there with a rope.”
“Yes, there is always snow and ice,” said the reindeer; “and it is a
glorious place; you can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains.
The Snow Queen has her summer tent there, but her strong castle is at the
North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.”
“Oh, Kay, little Kay!” sighed Gerda.
“Lie still,” said the robber-girl, “or I shall run my knife into your body.”
In the morning Gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said; and the
little robber-girl looked quite serious, and nodded her head, and said, “That
is all talk, that is all talk. Do you know where Lapland is?” she asked the
reindeer.
“Who should know better than I do?” said the animal, while his eyes
sparkled. “I was born and brought up there, and used to run about the snow-
covered plains.”
“Now listen,” said the robber-girl; “all our men are gone away,- only
mother is here, and here she will stay; but at noon she always drinks out of
a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while; and then, I’ll do
something for you.” Then she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round
the neck, and pulled her by the beard, crying, “My own little nanny goat,
good morning.” Then her mother filliped her nose till it was quite red; yet
she did it all for love.
When the mother had drunk out of the bottle, and was gone to sleep, the
little robber-maiden went to the reindeer, and said, “I should like very much
to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look
so funny; but never mind,-I will untie your cord, and set you free, so that
you may run away to Lapland; but you must make good use of your legs,
and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen, where her play-
fellow is. You have heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough, and
you were listening.”
