“Caw, caw,” said a big raven that hopped on the stone in front of her. “Caw, caw.”
“Have you seen little Kay?” asked Gerda, and she told the bird her sad story.
“It may have been Kay,” said the raven, “I cannot tell. But if it was, he will have forgotten you now that he lives with the princess.”
“Does he live with a princess?” asked Gerda.
“Yes, he does. If you care to listen, I will tell you how it came about. In this kingdom lives a princess so clever that she has read all the newspapers in the world, and forgotten them again. Last winter she made up her mind to marry. Her husband, she said, must speak well. He must know the proper thing to say, and say it prettily. Otherwise she would not marry. I assure you what I say is perfectly true, for I have a tame sweetheart who lives at court, and she told me the whole story.
“One day it was published in the newspapers that any handsome young man might go to the palace to speak to the princess. The one who spoke most prettily and answered most wisely should be chosen as her husband. What a stir there was! Young men flocked to the palace in crowds, chattering as they came. But when they saw the great staircase, and the soldiers in their silver uniform, and the grand ladies in velvet and lace, they could only talk in whispers. And when they were led before the beautiful princess, who was seated on a pearl as big as a spinning-wheel, they were silent. She spoke to them, but they could think of nothing to say, so they repeated her last words over and over again. The princess did not like that, and she——”
“But Kay, little Kay, did he come?” interrupted Gerda.
“You are in too great a hurry,” said the raven; “I am just coming to that. On the third day came a boy with sparkling eyes and golden hair, but his clothes were shabby. He——”
“Oh, that would be Kay. Dear, dear Kay, I have found him at last.”
“He had a knapsack on his back, and——”