“Do you mean to tell me that any one is out of doors on such a night as this?” questioned the Queen. “Have him brought in at once! Your turn next!” And she looked so severely at Goran that he felt his ears getting red.
So Goran and Nanna brought the Snowman in, while the Queen gave orders from the doorway, Gustava sat on her darling Egg to keep it warm, Mejau walked away with his tail as big as a bottle brush, and the Geraniums cried in chorus:
“Shut the door! Shut the door! We shall all catch cold!”
The Queen and the Snowman.
“Poor thing! How pale he is!” exclaimed the Queen. “And how dreadfully cold! Put him in a chair by the fire!”
The Snowman looked out of wondering sky-blue glass eyes, but said never a word, for he was very shy; and as he had only been born that afternoon, everything in the world was new to him.
“I want a drink!” cried the youngest Geranium; and: “Tick! Tock! Tick! Don’t forget to wind me!” the old Clock repeated; but no one paid any attention to them.
“Your turn next!” said the Queen to Nanna. “Make a blaze, for this poor creature is nearly frozen.” So with a clatter of tiny hoofs, Nanna built up the fire, only pausing to eat a twig or two, until even Mejau was nearly roasted.
But the poor Snowman was worse instead of better. His twig mouth still smiled bravely, and his blue eyes remained wide open, but tears seemed to pour down his cheeks, and he was growing thinner before their very eyes.