'Ah, you poor creatures!' said the Lapland woman; 'you have still
further to go! You must go over a hundred miles into Finland,
for there the Snow-queen lives, and every night she burns Bengal
lights. I will write some words on a dried stock-fish, for I
have no paper, and you must give it to the Finland woman, for she
can give you better advice than I can.'

And when Gerda was warmed and had had something to eat and drink,
the Lapland woman wrote on a dried stock-fish, and begged Gerda
to take care of it, tied Gerda securely on the reindeer's back,
and away they went again.

The whole night was ablaze with northern lights, and then they
came to Finland and knocked at the Finland woman's chimney, for
door she had none.

Inside it was so hot that the Finland woman wore very few
clothes; she loosened Gerda's clothes and drew off her fur gloves
and boots. She laid a piece of ice on the reindeer's head, and
then read what was written on the stock-fish. She read it over
three times till she knew it by heart, and then put the fish in
the saucepan, for she never wasted anything.

Then the reindeer told his story, and afterwards little Gerda's
and the Finland woman blinked her eyes but said nothing.

'You are very clever,' said the reindeer. 'I know. Cannot you
give the little girl a drink so that she may have the strength of
twelve men and overcome the Snow-queen?'