Covering all life with icy wing,
As thou may’st order, Bubble King.’
‘Very good,’ said the King. ‘I’m much obliged to you, Mr. Blue-nosed Dwarf, and to all you ladies and gentlemen with frosty countenances. Now then, at once, I will thank you to cover the village, where all these people live, with snow; to turn that peasant girl, whom my son is so mad and stupid as to be in love with, into a large icicle, and make the Prince a man of snow looking at her.’
The Spirits of the Frost instantly seized upon the Prince and the little peasant girl, when suddenly a rosy light appeared in the middle of the dark clouds, which got brighter and brighter, and sent out rays of an orange color, and then rays also of bright purple. Then the orange began to get golden, and the purple to turn to bright violet; and then in the middle of all there opened out a brilliant light, and we saw a wheel of golden fire slowly turning round, and in the centre of it stood a little Child, who seemed to be dressed in bright silver gossamer, with beautiful auburn hair, and a silver wand in her hand, and a bright violet star upon her forehead; and the little voice called out,—
‘Spirits of the Frost! I charge ye sing again
More truly,—mixing pleasure with the pain.’
Then the Spirits of the Frost sang these words,—
‘We will the face of Nature change,
And make the truest things look strange;
But Nature’s heart will ever be