They seized the horses, killed the coachman, footmen and
postilions, and dragged Gerda out of the carriage.

'She is plump and tender! I will eat her!' said the old
robber-queen, and she drew her long knife, which glittered
horribly.

'You shall not kill her!' cried her little daughter. 'She shall
play with me. She shall give me her muff and her beautiful
dress, and she shall sleep in my bed.'

The little robber-girl was as big as Gerda, but was stronger,
broader, with dark hair and black eyes. She threw her arms round
Gerda and said, 'They shall not kill you, so long as you are not
naughty. Aren't you a princess?'

'No,' said Gerda, and she told all that had happened to her, and
how dearly she loved little Kay.

The robber-girl looked at her very seriously, and nodded her
head, saying, 'They shall not kill you, even if you are naughty,
for then I will kill you myself!'

And she dried Gerda's eyes, and stuck both her hands in the
beautiful warm muff.

The little robber-girl took Gerda to a corner of the robbers'
camp where she slept.

All round were more than a hundred wood-pigeons which seemed to