saidlittlegerda;"itismustnotrestanylonger,"andsheroseuptogoon.butherlittlefeetwerewoundedandsore,andeverythingaroundherlookedsocoldandbleak.thelongwillow-leaveswerequiteyellow.thedew-dropsfelllikewater,leafafterleafdroppedfromthetrees,thesloe-thornalonestillborefruit,butthesloesweresour,andsettheteethonedge.oh,howdarkandwearythewholeworldappeared!

fourthstory

theprinceandprincess

gerdawasobligedtorestagain,andjustoppositetheplacewhereshesat,shesawagreatcrowcomehoppingacrossthesnowtowardstoodlookingatherforsometime,andthenhewaggedhisheadandsaid,"caw,caw;good-day,good-day."hepronouncedthewordsasplainlyashecould,becausehemeanttobekindtothelittlegirl;andthenheaskedherwhereshewasgoingallaloneinthewideworld.

thewordalonegerdaunderstoodverywell,andknewhowmuchitexpressed.sothenshetoldthecrowthewholestoryofherlifeandadventures,andaskedhimifhehadseenlittlekay.

thecrownoddedhisheadverygravely,andsaid,"perhapsihave-itmaybe."

"no!doyouthinkyouhave?"criedlittlegerda,andshekissedthecrow,andhuggedhimalmosttodeathwithjoy.

"gently,gently,"saidthecrow."ibelieveiknow.ithinkitmaybelittlekay;buthehascertainlyforgottenyoubythistimefortheprincess."

"doeshelivewithaprincess?"askedgerda.

"yes,listen,"repliedthecrow,"butitissodifficulttospeakyourlanguage.ifyouunderstandthecrows'languagethenicanexplainitbetter.doyou?"

"no,ihaveneverlearntit,"saidgerda,butmygrandmotherunderstandsit,andusedtospeakittome.iwishihadlearntit."

"itdoesnotmatter,"answeredthecrow;"iwillexplainaswellasican,althoughitwillbeverybadlydone;"andhetoldherwhathehadheard."inthiskingdomwherewenoware,"saidhe,"therelivesaprincess,whoissowonderfullycleverthatshehasreadallthenewspapersintheworld,andforgottenthemtoo,althoughsheissoclever.ashorttimeago,asshewassittingonherthrone,whichpeoplesayisnotsuchanagreeableseatasisoftensupposed,shebegantosingasongwhichcommencesinthesewords:

'whyshouldinotbemarried?''whynotindeed?'saidshe,andsoshedeterminedtomarryifshecouldfindahusbandwhoknewwhattosaywhenhewasspokento,andnotonewhocouldonlylookgrand,forthatwassotiresome.thensheassembledallhercourtladiestogetheratthebeatofthedrum,andwhentheyheardofherintentionstheywereverymuchpleased.'wearesogladtohearit,'saidthey,weweretalkingaboutitourselvestheotherday.'youmaybelievethateveryworditellyouistrue,"saidthecrow,"forihaveatamesweetheartwhogoesfreelyaboutthepalace,andshetoldmeallthis."

ofcoursehissweetheartwasacrow,for"birdsofafeatherflocktogether,"andonecrowalwayschoosesanothercrow.

"newspaperswerepublishedimmediately,withaborderofhearts,andtheinitialsoftheprincessamongthem.theygavenoticethateveryyoungmanwhowashandsomewasfreetovisitthecastleandspeakwiththeprincess;andthosewhocouldreplyloudenoughtobeheardwhenspokento,weretomakethemselvesquiteathomeatthepalace;buttheonewhospokebestwouldbechosenasahusbandfortheprincess.yes,yes,youmaybelieveme,itisallastrueasisithere,"saidthecrow."thepeoplecameincrowds.therewasagreatdealofcrushingandrunningabout,butnoonesucceededeitheronthefirstorsecondday.theycouldallspeakverywellwhiletheywereoutsideinthestreets,butwhentheyenteredthepalacegates,andsawtheguardsinsilveruniforms,andthefootmenintheirgoldenliveryonthestaircase,andthegreathallslightedup,theybecamequiteconfused.andwhentheystoodbeforethethroneonwhichtheprincesssat,theycoulddonothingbutrepeatthelastwordsshehadsaid;andshehadnoparticularwishtohearherownwordsoveragain.itwasjustasiftheyhadalltakensomethingtomakethemsleepywhiletheywereinthepalace,fortheydidnotrecoverthemselvesnorspeaktilltheygotbackagainintothestreet.therewasquitealonglineofthemreachingfromthetown-gatetothepalace.iwentmyselftoseethem,"saidthecrow."theywerehungryandthirsty,foratthepalacetheydidnotgetevenaglassofwater.someofthewisesthadtakenafewslicesofbreadandbutterwiththem,buttheydidnotshareitwiththeirneighbors;theythoughtiftheywentintotheprincesslookinghungry,therewouldbeabetterchanceforthemselves."

"butkay!