A LITTLE BOY AND A LITTLE GIRL.
‘hat there is not room enough for all the people to possess a little garden of their own,
and therefore many are obliged to contént themselves with keeping a few plants in
pots, there dwelt two poor children whose garden was somewhat larger than a flowerpot.
I'hey were not brother and sister, but they loved each other as much as if they had
deen, and their parents lived in two attics exactly opposite. The roof of one neighbour's
house nearly joined the other; the gutter ran along between, and there was in each root
a little window, so that vou could stride across the gutter from one window to the
other.
The parents of each child had a large wooden box in which grew kerbs for kitchen
use, and they had placed these boxes upon the gutter so near that they almost touched
cach other. A beautiful little rose-tree grew in each box, scarlet runners entwined
their long shoots over the windows, and, uniting with the branches of the rose-trees,
formed a flowery arch across the street. The boxes were very high, and the children
knew that they might not climb over them, but they often obtained leave to sit on
their little stools under the rose-trees, and thus they passed many a delightful hour.
But when winter came there was an end to these pleasures. The windows were
often quite frozen over, and then they heated halt-pence on the stove, held the warm
copper against the frozen pane, and thus made a little round peep-hole, behind which
would sparkle a bright gentle eye, one from each window.
The little boy was called Kay, the little girl's name was Gerda. In summer time
they could get out of window and jump over to each other; but in winter there were
stairs to run down, and stairs to run up. and sometimes the wind roared, and the snow
fell without doors.
* ‘Those are the white bees swarming there !” said the old Grandmother.
# Have thev a QOueen bee?” asked the little bov, for he knew that the real bees
have one.
“ They have,” said the Grandmother. “She flies yonder where they swarm so
thickly: she is the largest of them, and never remains upon the earth, but flies up again
into the black cloud. Sometimes on a winter's night she flies through the streets of the
town, and breathes with her frosty breath upon the windows, and then they are covered
vith strange and beautiful forms, like trees and flowers.”
* Yes, I have seen them!” said both the children—they knew that this was true,
Can the Snow Queen come in here?” asked the little girl,
“If she do come in.” said the boy, “1 will put her on the warm stove, and then
she will melt.”
And the Grandmother stroked his hair, and told him some stcries.
That same evening, after little Kay had gone home, and was half undressed, he
crept upon the chair by the window and peeped through the little round hole. Just then
2 few snow-flakes fell outside, and one, the largest of them, remained lying on the edge
of one of the flower-pots. The snow-flake appeared larger and larger, and at last took the
jorm of a lady dressed in the finest white crape, her attire being composed of millions of
star-like particles. She was exquisitely fair and delicate, but entirely of ice, glittering,
dazzling ice. her eves gleamed like two bright stars. but there was no rest or repose in