PART THE FOURTH (TSQ-IV, NAOMI LEWIS)

(Translated by Naomi Lewis)



This translation is the one for which Christian Birmingham's lovely illustrations were written, so, voilà! There you have the story with the illustrations made for this version!

The Snow Queen

Part the Fourth:

Prince and Princess

In the kingdom where we are now, a princess dwells. She is extremely clever; she has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them again -- that's how clever she is. She was sitting on her throne the other day when she happened to hear a little song. It goes like this: Why should I not married be? Why not? Why not? Why not? Well, there's something to be said for that, she thought. So she decided to find a partner, but she wanted one who could speak to himself when he was spoken to --- one who didn't just stand and look important. That's very dull. She ordered her ladies-in-waiting to be called together (it was done by sounding a roll of drums) and when they heard her plan they were delighted.

"What a splendid idea! We were thinking something of the kind just the other day!" They went on making remarks like these.

The newspapers promptly came out with a border of hearts and the princess's monogram. They announced that any good-looking young man might come to the palace and meet the princess; the one who seemed most at home in the princess's company but who was also the best and most interesting talker --- that was the one she meant to choose.

Well, the suitors flocked to the palace --- there never was such a crowd! But nobody won the prize, either the first day, or the next. They could all talk smartly enough when they were out in the street, but when they came through the palace gate and saw the guards in their silver uniforms, and the footmen in gold all the way up the stairs, and the great halls with their brilliant lights --- they seemed to be struck dumb. And when they stood before the throne where the princess sat, they could find nothing to say but the last word she had spoken herself, and she had no wish to hear that again. Though once they were back in the street, it was all chatter, chatter as before.

(glass of water fragment)

It was on the third day when a little chap appeared without horse or carriage, and stepped jauntily up to the palace. His eyes were shining: he had fine thick flowing hair, but his clothes were shabby.

He had a little knapsack, or bundle, on his back.

When he reached the palace gate and saw the guards in silver and the footmen in gold, he was not in the least dismayed. He only nodded pleasantly and said to them: "It must be dull work standing there; I'd sooner go inside."

The great halls blazed with light; it was enough to make anyone feel small. The young chap's boots squeaked dreadfully, but even this didn't trouble him.

Well, they squeaked to be sure. But he went merrily up to the princess, who was sitting on a pearl as big as a spinning wheel; all the ladies-in-waiting, with their maids and their maids' maids, and all the gentlemen courtiers with their serving-men and their serving-men's serving-men were ranged around her in order.

He is said to have spoken well. He was so lively and confident; he hadn't come to woo the princess, he declared, only to hear her wise conversation. He liked it very well, and she liked him.
It was late in the evening when...
...a little back staircase that leads to the royal bedroom, and ... where to find the key!

Into the garden, and along the avenue, where the leaves were falling, leaf after leaf; then, when all the lights in the palace had gone out...

The staircase; a little lamp was glimmering on a stand.

And indeed, something did seem to rush past; it looked like a flight of shadows on the wall, horses with thin legs and flowing manes, huntsmen, lords and ladies on horseback.

“Those are only dreams. They come and take the gentry's thoughts on midnight rides and that’s a good thing, for one will be able to observe them more safely while they are asleep.”

The first room, where the walls were hung with rose-coloured satin embroidered with flowers. Here, the dreams were racing past so swiftly that one could not distinguish any one of the lords and ladies.

Each hall was more magnificent than the one before; then, at last, at the royal bedroom.

The ceiling was like the crown of a palm tree, with leaves of rarest crystal; and, hanging from a thick gold stem in the centre of the floor, were two beds, each in the shape of a lily. One was white, and in this lay the princess. The other was scarlet, and, if you turned one of the red leaves over, you would see a boy's brown hair. The dreams on their wild steeds came whirling back to the sleeper; he woke -- he turned his head --

The prince was a handsome boy. And now the princess looked out from the white lily bed and asked what was happening.

“You poor child,” said the prince and princess, and they praised the ravens, adding, though, that they must not do it again. This time, all things considered, they would be given a reward.
"Would you like to fly away free?" the princess asked. "Or would you like a permanent place as Court Ravens?"

The prince stepped out of his bed --- and who could do more than that?

to stay at the palace and pass delightful days...

A new carriage of pure gold drew up before the door; on it, the coat-of-arms of the royal pair glistened like a star. Coachman, footmen, and outriders --- for there were outriders too --- wore gold crowns. The prince and princess personally helped into the carriage and wished good luck.

The inside of the coach was lined with iced cake and sugar candy, while the space beneath the seat was packed with fruit and ginger nuts.

'Farewell! Farewell!'  cried the prince and princess.

The carriage gleamed as bright as the sun.

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(death of the entourage)
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... and asked after the prince and princess.

'They've gone travelling to foreign parts', said the robber girl.