The Snow Queen – Fourth Story: POOK PRESS (translator?)

The Snow Queen

A Hans Christian Andersen Tale

Pook Press Edition (of Harrap & Co Harry Clarke-illustrated from 1931-2) - Translated by ?????

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– Fourth Story –

The Prince and the Princess

In the country in which we now are there lives a princess who is quite wonderfully clever—but then she has read all the newspapers in the world, and has forgotten them again, she is so clever. Lately she was sitting on the throne—and that’s not so very amusing, they say—and she began to hum a song, and it was just this,
Why shouldn’t I be married?

 The Snow Queen by Edmund Dulac

Wait—there’s something in that!’ said she. And at once she felt she wanted to get married, but she wished for a husband who could answer when he was spoken to, not one who only stood and looked handsome, for that was wearisome. So she called all her maids of honour together, and when they heard what she wanted they were delighted. ‘I like that, now,’ said they; ‘I thought the very same thing myself the other day.’ You may be sure that every word I am telling you is true, I have a sweetheart who goes about freely in the castle, and she told me everything.

Newspapers were published directly, with a border of hearts and the Princess’s initials. One could read in them that every young man who was good-looking might come to the castle and speak to the Princess, and the one who spoke in a way that showed he was quite at home there, and who spoke best, him would the Princess choose for her husband. Yes, believe me. It’s as true as I sit here. People came streaming in; there was a great crowding and running to and fro, but no one succeeded either on the first or second day.

The Snow Queen by Helen Stratton

They could all speak well enough when they were out in the streets, but when they entered the palace gates, and saw the guards in silver, and at the top of the staircase the lackeys in gold, and the great lighted halls, they became confused. And when they stood in front of the throne where the Princess sat they could do nothing but repeat the last thing she said, and, of course, she did not care to hear her own words again. It was just as if the people in there had taken some sleeping powder and had fallen asleep till they got into the street again, for not till then were they able to speak. There stood a whole row of them, from the town gate to the palace. They were hungry and thirsty, but in the palace they did not receive so much as a glass of lukewarm water. A few of the wisest had brought bread and butter with them, but they would not share with their neighbours, for they thought, ‘Let him look hungry, and the Princess won’t have him!’

When did he come? Was he among the crowd?

We’re just coming to him. It was on the third day that there came along a little person, without horse or carriage, walking quite merrily up to the castle. His eyes sparkled, he had fine long hair, but his clothes were shabby.

The Snow Queen by W. Heath Robinson

He had a little knapsack on his back. 

When he came in at the palace gate and saw the Life Guards in silver, and at the top of the staircase the lackeys in gold, he was not in the least abashed. He nodded, and said to them, ‘It must be tiresome standing on the stairs—I’d rather go in.’ The halls were ablaze with lights; privy councillors and excellencies walked about with bare feet, and carried golden vessels. It was enough to make anyone solemn! And his boots creaked dreadfully, but he was not at all frightened.

Yes, certainly they creaked. And he went boldly in to the Princess herself, who sat on a pearl as big as a spinning-wheel ; and all the maids of honour, with their maids and maids’ maids, and all the cavaliers, with their gentlemen followers and their gentlemen’s gentlemen, who themselves had a page apiece, were standing round; and the nearer they stood to the door, the prouder they looked. The gentlemen’s gentlemen’s pages, who always go in slippers, could hardly be looked at, so proudly did they stand in the doorway!

That must be terrible! And yet he won the Princess?

They say he spoke well. He was merry and agreeable; he had not come to woo the Princess, but only to hear her wisdom; and he thought well of her, and she thought well of him again.

Oh, won't ... take ... to the palace too?

“Yes, that’s easily said,” replied ...  “But how are we to manage it? ... but this I must tell you—such a ... will never get leave to go right inside!” 

... "... he’ll come out at once and fetch ..."

The Snow Queen by Harry Clarke

“Wait for me over there at the stile,” said ...; ...

t was already late in the evening when ... came back.

“... And here's a little loaf for ... . She took it from the kitchen. There’s bread enough there, ... can’t possibly get into the palace, for ... and the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold would not allow it. But ...; ... shall get in somehow. My sweetheart knows a little back staircase that leads up to the bedroom, and she knows where she can get the key.”

And they went into the garden, into the great avenue, where the leaves were falling one after the other; and when the lights in the palace were put out one after the other, ... led ... to a back door, which stood ajar.

Now they were on the stairs. A little lamp was burning upon a cupboard, ...

The Snow Queen by Arthur Rackham

“I feel as if someone were coming after us,” ... fancied something rushed by ... . It seemed like a shadow on the wall; horses with flowing manes and thin legs, hunters, and gentlemen and ladies on horseback.

“They are only dreams,” ... “They are coming to carry the nobles’ thoughts out hunting. That’s all the better, for ... may look the more closely at them in bed. But I hope, when ... are taken into favour and are honoured, that ... will show a grateful heart.”

The Snow Queen by Anne Anderson

They came now into the first room; the walls were hung with rose-coloured satin embroidered with flowers; and here again the dreams came flitting by them, but they swept by so quickly that ... could not see the high-born lords and ladies. Each room was more splendid than the last; one was almost bewildered! And then they came to the bedchamber. Here the ceiling was like a great palm-tree with leaves of glass, of costly glass, and in the middle of the floor were two beds, each hung like a lily on a stalk of gold. One of them was white, and in that lay the Princess; the other was red, and in that it was that ... . bent one of the red leaves aside, and ... saw a brown neck. The dreams rushed on horseback through the room again—he awoke, turned his head, and— ...

The Prince was ... only in the neck; but he was young and handsome, and the Princess peeped out, blinking, from the white lily bed, and asked what was the matter.

 The Snow Queen by Rie Cramer

And they praised ..., and said that they were not angry with them at all, but they were not to do it again. However, they should be rewarded.
“Will you fly away free?” asked the Princess. ...
...

And the Prince got up out of bed, and let ... sleep in it, and he could not do more than that. ... and thought, “How good men ... are!” and then ...

Next day ... was clothed from top to toe in silk and velvet. ... was invited to stay in the castle and enjoy ...self, but ... only begged them to give ... a little carriage, and a horse, and a pair of little boots; and then again ... would drive out into the wide world ...

 The Snow Queen by Edna F. Hart

And they gave ... both boots and a muff, and ... was prettily dressed; and when ... was ready to start a new coach of pure gold was there for ... before the door. Shining like a star on it was the coat of arms of the Prince and Princess. Coachman, footmen, and the postilions—for there were postilions too—all had golden crowns on their heads. The Prince and the Princess themselves helped ... into the carriage, and wished ... good luck. ... The coach was stocked with sugar-cakes, and under the seat there were ginger-nuts and fruit.

“Farewell! Farewell!” cried the Prince and Princess; ... as long as ... could see the coach, which glittered like the bright sunshine.

The Snow Queen by W. Heath Robinson

– Fifth Story –

The Little Robber Girl

They drove on through a dark forest, but the coach gleamed like a torch, that dazzled the robbers’ eyes, and that they could not bear.
“It is gold! It is gold!” cried they, and rushed forward and seized the horses, killed the little postilions, the coachman, and the footmen, and then ....

The Snow Queen by Edmund Dulac

– Seventh Story –

Of the Snow Queen’s Castle and What

Happened There at last

... and saw the forest all decked with green buds, and out of it, on a splendid horse, which ...  knew, for it had drawn ... golden coach, a young girl came riding, with a bright red cap on her head and pistols in her belt. It was the little robber girl, who had grown tired of staying at home, and wished first to go north and, if she didn’t like that, then somewhere else.
...
But ..., and asked after the Prince and Princess.
“They’ve gone to foreign countries,” said the robber girl.