'The strength of twelve men!' said the Finland woman; 'that would
not help much. Little Kay is with the Snow-queen and he likes
everything there very much and thinks it the best place in the
world. But that is because he has a splinter of glass in his
heart and a bit in his eye. If these do not come out, he will
never be free, and the Snow-queen will keep her power over him.'

'But cannot you give little Gerda something so that she can have
power over her?'

'I can give her no greater power than she has already; don't you
see how great it is? Don't you see how men and beasts must help
her when she wanders into the wide world with her bare feet? She
is powerful already, because she is a dear little innocent child.
If she cannot by herself conquer the Snow-queen and take away the
glass splinters from little Kay, we cannot help her! The
Snow-queen's garden begins two miles from here. You can carry
the little maiden so far; put her down by the large bush with red
berries growing in the snow. Then you must come back here as
fast as you can.'

Then the Finland woman lifted little Gerda on the reindeer and
away he sped.

'Oh, I have left my gloves and boots behind!' cried Gerda. She
missed them in the piercing cold, but the reindeer did not dare
to stop. On he ran till he came to the bush with red berries.
Then he set Gerda down and kissed her mouth, and great big tears
ran down his cheeks, and then he ran back. There stood poor