it came a splendid horse which Gerda knew; it was the one which
had drawn the gold coach ridden by a young girl with a red cap on
and pistols in her belt. It was the little robber girl who was
tired of being at home and wanted to go out into the world. She
and Gerda knew each other at once.

'You are a nice fellow!' she said to Kay. 'I should like to know
if you deserve to be run all over the world!'

But Gerda patted her cheeks and asked after the prince and
princess.

'They are travelling about,' said the robber girl.

'And the crow?' asked Gerda.

'Oh, the crow is dead!' answered the robber-girl. 'His tame
sweetheart is a widow and hops about with a bit of black crape
round her leg. She makes a great fuss, but that's all nonsense.
But tell me what happened to you, and how you caught him.'

And Kay and Gerda told her all.

'Dear, dear!' said the robber-girl, shook both their hands, and
promised that if she came to their town she would come and see
them. Then she rode on.

But Gerda and Kay went home hand in hand. There they found the
grandmother and everything just as it had been, but when they
went through the doorway they found they were grown-up.