In Denmark, there lived two happy children, a girl called Gerda and her brother, Kay.

     Every day of the summer they played outside. They loved the soft summer air, the birds and especially their grandma's sweet, red roses.

     The short summer ended and winter quickly came.

     Often, after school, the two children went to their grandma's house. She gave them some cake and a hot drink. Then she always began to tell them a new story.

     'Today I'm going to tell you a bout the snow Queen,' their grandma's said. 'She lives in a land far from here, a land where there is always snow and ice ...'

     The next day the children went out to play in the snow.

     'Let's make a snowman,' said Gerda.

     So the children made a snowman and gave him a hat and a scarf.

     But suddenly, Kay put his hand to his eye.

     'Ouch,' he said. 'There's something in my eye. it hurts!' It was a tiny piece of the magic mirror. Immediately Kay became a nasty little boy.

     'I don't want to play with girls,' he said. And he took his sledge and walked away.

     Gerda didn't understand. She walked home sadly.

     A few minutes later Kay heard a noise. 'What's that?' he thought.

     And then he saw one, two, three-four white horses and a beautiful white sleigh.

     A tall woman stood in the sleigh with the horses' reins in one hand and a long whip in the other.

     Kay was now a nasty boy and full of mischief.

     'I'll hook my sledge to that sleigh,' he thought. 'Then I'll have a nice ride.'

     He put the rope of his sledge around the hook. At first the sleigh went slowly but then it went faster and faster. Kay was afraid and very, very cold.

     'Stop! Stop!' he cried.

     The sleigh stopped and the driver turned round. It was the Snow Queen!

     'Where did you come from?' she asked.

     'I saw your sleigh and I wanted a ride.'

     'Come and sit with me,' she said. 'You'll be warm here in my sleigh.'

     Kay got in and the Snow Queen pulled the reins.

     Immediately the horses went quickly across the snow.

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