Summary of the Schwartz Snow Queen. The Snow Queen (based on the play by E. Schwartz "The Snow Queen")

Eugene Schwartz. Chronicle of life Binevich Evgeny Mikhailovich

"The Snow Queen"

And earlier, even at the end of the last season - 29.3.39 - the New Youth Theater played the premiere of "The Snow Queen". “I love this play more than anyone else,” wrote Boris Vulfovich Zon, recalling that time, “convinced to this day that it is the most perfect work of my favorite playwright. I remember very well how one evening Schwartz read the first act of his new play to me alone at my house. He always read with great excitement, pronouncing all the words distinctly and somewhat in an upbeat tone, as poets read. He smiled joyfully when you smiled, and laughed merrily if it was funny to you ... Of course, on the eve of the reading, I re-read Andersen's fairy tale, which I had long forgotten, and trembled with impatience, trying to find out what it had turned into. As soon as I heard the first sounds of the mysterious saying of the Storyteller: "Snip-snap-snurre, purre-bazelurre" - I forgot about Andersen and was captured by a new narrator, and was no longer able to compare anything. When you find yourself in the grip of vivid impressions, you see everything that you heard happening on the stage ... Schwartz finished reading, but there was no tedious pause, and I didn’t even say the traditional: “What next?”, It was so clear that there would be more it is better. Of course, a minute later I asked the famous question, but already when the main thing was said: “Great, wonderful, thank you! ..” And Schwartz, as always, began to talk further and, obviously, composed a lot right there ...

I will not hide - I was afraid of only one, the most dangerous moment - the final scenes. From the experience of many years, I knew how much easier it is to start a play interestingly than to finish it. This time the last action was heard by me with the same - no! - with more interest. Until the last second, the action continued to develop, and I, like the most ingenuous spectator, did not know how it would end. Everything!.. The play was a success! Now if only there was a performance. The troupe received the play enthusiastically.

The performance was staged by B. Zon, artist E. Yakunina, composer V. Deshevov, fence master I. Kokh, assistant director V. Andrushkevich. The performance involved: P. Kadochnikov - the Storyteller (the artist said that Schwartz wrote this role especially for him), N. Titova - grandmother, A. Krasinkova - Gerda, E. Delivron - Kay, N. Stark - the Snow Queen, F Nikitin - Privy Councillor, O. Beyul - Atamansha, E. Uvarova - Little Robber, B. Kokovkin - King, R. Kotovich - Prince, A. Timofeeva - Princess, L. Dargis - Raven, E. Polozova - Crow.

Evgeny Lvovich has never been honored with such a quantity and such benevolence of the press. And, of course, the most valuable thing for him was the opinion of people close to him. “Staging is the most dangerous type of drama,” Nikolai Pavlovich Akimov wrote then. - Most often they are bad ... Apparently, the decisive moment in determining the usefulness of staging is the presence or absence of a genuine creative process in the subsequent, later author ... Evg. Schwartz is one of our most interesting playwrights, working hard in his own, very different manner... Schwartz faces another, more creative task - to make a good play out of a short fairy tale. And he did. He made an independent work of art, in which (often the most difficult) the most peculiar charm of Andersen's wise poetry is conveyed to the strongest extent. Compliance with subtle Andersen's laws helped Schwartz to bring up the heroes of his play in Andersen's atmosphere so convincingly that you can hardly imagine that most of the heroes are also Schwartz's and not found in other fairy tales, that the great Danish storyteller was simply an inspirer here, suggesting special laws of fairy-tale logic, who gave the play a solid foundation of a single style ...

The success of the play and the performance with an adult (not to mention children's) audience is very indicative of the problem of “relevance”, which is constantly discussed in our theatrical circles ... "- And he warned the directors of the play: "The world of Andersen-Schwartz has its own physical laws, it reminds many an ordinary world, but something in it is completely different. And for mastering this world, talent for decision, a keen sense of the laws of fairy-tale life is most important ... ”(Art and Life. 1939. No. 6).

The ratio of Andersen and Schwartz was considered by the majority of those who write about the "Snow Queen" - a play and a performance. Leonid Malyugin spoke about the same thing: “Schwartz is a peculiar and subtle artist, with his own themes. His plays are filled with familiar fairy-tale characters, but these are original figures. "The Snow Queen" has a subtitle "on Andersen's themes", but it does not even remotely resemble a staging - an arrangement of fairy-tale incidents into a dialogic form. This is a work of art with superbly drawn characters, captivating intrigue, sharp dialogue. Schwartz is extremely precise in his choice of words, he has impeccable taste, a subtle sense of form and, most importantly, the ability to convey the idea of a play in images. But Schwartz has been living in the company of his fairy-tale heroes for too long. I would like Schwartz, who perfectly knows children, their psychology, their language, to write a play about Soviet schoolchildren ”(Ibid. 1940. No. 2).

It is this last passage that I would like to draw special attention to. Times have changed, the requirements for art have changed in "our butch - fighting and ebullient." If Schwartz used to be “punted” for a fairy tale in “real” plays, now a rehabilitated fairy tale was needed in “Soviet reality”. That is, "we made a fairy tale come true." About the same, in fact, wrote (and demanded) Alexandra Brushtein. Perhaps not quite sincerely, like Malyugin. She also had no doubt that Schwartz "touched" his characters with "living water - the hand of an artist ... and the same hand of the Soviet playwright subtly emphasized in them the same features that make Andersen's heroes related to our reality." And although “with a large abundance of fairy tale plays, The Snow Queen will rightfully take one of the first places among them,” however, “we still don’t have a single fairy tale prompted and inspired by the wonders of our Soviet reality” (Soviet art. 1938. 2 September .).

I am sure that Brushtein understood perfectly well that "modernity" is not at all in this, but in universal. It was precisely those works that were told that became classics. about eternal- about good and evil, about their struggle in a person, about love and death, - only in a parable form. And they differ only in the individuality of the artist, in the true sense of the word, i.e., having mine a look at humanity and the world in which it lives.

Anticipating Cinderella, Schwartz justified himself: “An old fairy tale that was born many, many centuries ago, and since then everything lives and lives, and everyone tells it in your own way". I dwell on this in such detail because, in 1951, as Schwartz wrote to his daughter: “they are revising the copyright law, which is why the copyrights for The Snow Queen are being delayed, since it was ranked among the dramatizations.” And fifteen years later, defending my diploma on Schwartz, a cinematographer, I tried to prove that his Don Quixote was an original, completely independent work: but my opponent, the senior editor of Lenfilm, announced without any evidence that this was an ordinary film adaptation, and red I did not see a diploma, like my ears.

Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides used the well-known plots of myths; Plautus, Terence, Seneca - the plots of their predecessors; a J. Racine and P. Corneille, V. Ozerov and I. Annensky, J. Anouilh and J.-P. Sartre rethought them. Shakespeare, Pushkin, Shaw and Brecht used other people's plots. And no one ever considered it something shameful.

In the fairy tale about the Snow Queen, Andersen has a lot of things by chance. Shards of a mirror, invented by a "feisty, nasty" troll, rush around the world, injuring first one, then another. "Some people get shrapnel right in the heart, and that's the worst thing: the heart turns into a block of ice." Kai and Gerda were sitting looking at a picture book when the clock tower struck five. “Ai! the boy suddenly exclaimed. “I was stabbed right in the heart and something got into my eye!” - That's the plot of the story.

Kai and Gerda are ordinary children. With the same success, fragments of the devil's mirror could hit any other boy or girl, any adult, which happened and will happen after. It happened in the summer. And in the winter, while sledding, Kai clung to a beautiful sled, and since then no one has seen him. Spring has come. Gerda decided that "Kai is dead and will never return." But the sunbeam and the swallows don't believe it. Then Gerda decides to ask the river if she knows what happened to Kai. Gerda gets into the boat by accident, just as it is by chance that the boat sailed away from the shore.

In Andersen's fairy tale, everything ended happily. Kai and Gerda return home, and "the cold, desert splendor of the Snow Queen's halls was forgotten by them like a heavy dream."

With Schwartz, Kai becomes Kay. And if the Dane Kai and Gerd have children, no better and no worse than other children of the same kind, then Schwartz has them - the best.“In the whole house (and maybe - in the city. - E. B.) there are no more friendly people", they have "hot hearts", and that is why the forces of evil fall upon them.

The plot in the play is the scene in the attic where our heroes live. A commerce adviser, a lover of cashing in on rarities, comes to his grandmother to bargain for a rose bush that blooms even in winter. In summer he sells ice, in winter he is not averse to planting roses. Everything is for sale, he thinks, but he does not get a rose bush from these poor people. And then the Advisor turns to the Snow Queen for help.

Soon Schwartz will remake the play into a script. And there the philosophical sound will become even clearer and deeper. It begins with a dialogue between Domovoy and Weather Vane on the roof of the house, which were not in the play. For the second day, the north wind has been blowing, and the tenants who live in the attic have no firewood. The brownie looks out the window, wants to know how his beloved grandmother and grandchildren are doing. But nothing is visible - all the glass is covered with an ice pattern.

“- This is from the fact that the Snow Queen looked at them tonight, flying past, - the tin rooster sings.

She is here? - exclaims the old man. - Well, be in trouble!

Why? crows the rooster.

Oh, be in trouble, - the old man booms. - My beloved Hans Christian, who composes such glorious tales, has grown an amazing rose bush in the middle of winter. Roses bloom on it and do not fade as long as the people who own it live together. Hans Christian gave this bush to his neighbors - the girl Gerda, the boy Kay and their grandmother. And if the Snow Queen finds out about this, there will be trouble, oh, there will be trouble! .. Ah, the Snow Queen has probably already found out about everything! After all, she looked at them through the window!

This small dialogue, as it were, re-emphasizes the meaning of the conflict. Here, the entire kingdom of cold, led by the Snow Queen, enters the struggle at once, the harmony of which is broken by hot, friendly relations between people, roses blooming in the middle of winter. And she sends the Counselor as her agent. And when he does not cope with the assignment, she takes action herself. So, with almost preserved dialogues, the author's intention is revealed more capaciously, goes to a higher level.

“In The Snow Queen, it means a lot that there is a re-felt, rethought, re-told old fairy tale,” Yevgeny Kalmanovsky wrote many years later. - Re-live what has long been included in the general cultural consciousness. Most of Schwartz's tales, as you know, are based on foreign plots borrowed by him, although there is not a single borrowed, foreign phrase. Schwartz has everything in this part - in accordance with his creative, with all his human nature. Outside the definite nature of the personality, in such retellings only unbridled jabbering of words can come out, sometimes even having success, for me, mysterious in its essence. Schwartz, on the other hand, gives the old plot a current culturally reactive current. Together with the author, we are going through the path of today's perception of the old story. Say, let's live this story with all our mental and spiritual content. And they lived.

Yevgeny Lvovich was more often attracted by the most popular, well-known fairy tales: "Little Red Riding Hood". The Snow Queen, Cinderella, The King's New Dress, The Princess and the Swineherd. Everyone knows them." Let's add "Shadow" here.

It is not difficult to guess that the Storyteller was written from Andersen. Tom, like the writer, due to poverty, managed to go to school later than his peers. The kids teased the overage, and he had to pay them off by telling them stories. Since then, he has learned to compose them, since then he has become afraid of children. In the script, Schwartz does not hide the fact that the Storyteller is Andersen, because his name is even Hans Christian. But the storyteller is Schwartz himself, because he is not afraid of children, but loves them, as the author of the Storyteller loved them.

By the time of The Snow Queen and The Shadow, the first act of which had already been written by Schwartz, he had developed his own, quite definite understanding of the modern fairy tale and his place in it. He said (or - wrote) about this in a short interview (or - a note), where he shared his thoughts on this with readers: “In working on fairy tale plays, I proceed from the following working hypothesis. What Andersen, Chamisso, any storyteller has - all this is a fabulous reality, all these are existing facts that they tell in a way that suits them, obeying the laws of artistic prose. But the storyteller, while telling, could forget something, keep silent about something, and the playwright, working on a fairy tale, has the opportunity to collect more detailed information about the events. True, the laws of fairy-tale reality differ from everyday ones, but nevertheless they are laws and very strict laws. The events that take place in fairyland are very bright, and brightness is one of the best properties of the theater. Therefore, fabulous events can sound in the theater with particular persuasiveness ... ”(Art and Life. 1940. No. 4).

In addition, Schwartz always tried to avoid excessive "magic", miracle-working, because he believed that "if there were miraculous opportunities, there would be no merit" of his heroes in their actions. Therefore, at the end of his life, the advice of the directorate of Soyuzdetfilm was so alien to him, which demanded from the author that in “Marya the Mistress” the Soldier should be helped by “the forces of nature, his purely soldierly attributes (gun, shovel, etc.)” and that he become the owner of “ miraculous items, such as walking boots, invisibility caps, etc.” And with Schwartz, he was helped by ingenuity, fearlessness and the ability to recognize the human in nonhumans. This was his strength and the power of the influence of a fairy tale on the audience. And in the application for the script "Puss in Boots" (1943), the Fairy told the Cat that "she herself could very easily, with the help of a magic wand, make the miller's son happy, she could make him rich and noble. But wealth and nobility, which are given to a person too easily, by magic, do not always go to his future.

Even the owner, it would seem, of a fairy tale - the Storyteller - is not omnipotent. To win, he is forced to fight the Councilor, he allows the King to turn his leg, and the Little Robber to make himself a prisoner. Therefore, Gerda herself has to overcome so many obstacles, therefore, having escaped from the ice captivity and, it would seem, having defeated the forces of cold, the heroes of the Schwartz "Snow Queen" will not only not forget what happened, but will become even more friendly, and their hearts will burn even brighter. And they use the experience gained in the fight with the Snow Queen and her kingdom if they have to face the forces of cold and indifference again.

About the performance of the New Youth Theater, Sim wrote most succinctly. Dreiden: “In the New Youth Theater they strive to check every step with the words of Stanislavsky: “In a theater for children, you need to play like in a theater for adults, only cleaner and better.” “Cleaner and better” is not only an aesthetic, but also a moral principle for theater workers ... Actors learn to create on stage, at each performance, a play played a hundred times ... Care for the writer’s word is combined with good creative captiousness, aversion to “general words” and nearby stamps ... ”(Izvestia. 1940. April 16).

And on March 4, 1940, the Moscow Theater for Children showed the premiere of The Snow Queen. Directors I. Doronin and A. Okunchikov, artists S. Vishnevetskaya and E. Fradkina, composer A. Golubentsev. The storyteller was played by S. Gushchansky, Gerda - by A. Nesterova, Kay - by K. Tulskaya, grandmother - by L. Bali, Counselor - by V. Wegner, Atamansha - by G. Ardasenova, little robber - by I. Viktorov, King - by I. Strepikheev, prince and the princess - 3. Sazhin and M. Kazakova, Crow and Crow - V. Egorov and E. Shirovskaya.

“Evgeny Schwartz, based on the works of the great storyteller Andersen, created an elegant and fascinating play in which the play of Andersen’s images did not fade, but re-understood, evaluated from the point of view of our modernity, acquired even greater charm,” wrote Schwartz’s colleague Lev Kassil, who also did not want to do without comparing the work of two storytellers. - Schwartz's phrase, light, ironic, playful, is close to Andersen's manner. A good and true literary taste allowed him to populate the world of the play with images, characters who, while remaining entirely fabulous, at the same time unobtrusively remind of their closeness to real, everyday life. There is something to learn here for the little spectator, who is excitedly following the misadventures of the courageous Gerda, who, through obstacles, through snow storms, makes her way to the lost Kay ... In the Moscow theater for children, The Snow Queen came very to the court ... This is a performance of true theatrical culture. The work of the stage directors I. Doronin and A. Okunchikov is felt in the excellent handling of word and action. The gesture in this performance is very closely connected with the words ... The music of A. Golubentsev is pleasant, but there is little of it in the performance, and for the most part it carries a service load, being, as it were, a continuation of the noise design ”(Pravda. 1940. March 26).

But Boris Falkovich managed to notice something else, and already out of touch with Andersen. “The ability to look at the world through the eyes of a child,” he wrote, “the ability to frame a great universal idea in a frame of simple and heartfelt words - this is the key to the skill of a storyteller, the key that, in our opinion, is held in the hands of Evgeny Schwartz ... The Moscow Theater for Children in led by directors I. Doronin and A. Okunchikov managed to find that simple, cordial and, we would say, naive tone of the story, which always makes the fairy tale so close and accessible, mysterious and fascinating ... "The Snow Queen" is truly fabulous, touching and smart performance "(Komsomolskaya Pravda. 1940. March 29).

And, as if summing up the results of this creative period of Yevgeny Lvovich, M. Yankovsky in a book about the New Youth Theater (1940) wrote that “Schwartz brought to the children's theater not a lisp fairy tale, but great literature. He brought Perro, Andersen, brought himself, because, starting from the motives of the great storytellers, he put a lot of Schwartz into every plot, into every image ... The heroes of Schwartz's plays sometimes have a hard time. But a strong-willed beginning, faith in victory, friendship and devotion win ... Schwartz's plays are humanistic, they awaken the best human feelings in the viewer. The playwright does not entertain the viewer-child with an intricate plot, but gives him a guiding thread for his own life behavior ... And with the help of "the best - adults" children find the right ways for self-esteem and life orientation. These are the features of the plays by Evg. Schwartz, whom we consider the most talented children's playwright-storyteller in our country.

It is difficult to name a children's theater in the country where, starting from the fortieth year, The Snow Queen would not have been staged. She still goes. Including in puppet theaters. The first of these was the Moscow Regional Puppet Theater (1940; staged by V. Shvamberger, artist A. Andrievich). The first translation of the play was made for the Estonian Drama Theater in 1941 (directed by Meta Luts), which “the spectators, children of different ages, the most spontaneous, the most greedy, the most sensitive, met the performance exceptionally warmly ...” (Soviet Estonia. 1941. May 8). By the way, the Counselor in this performance was performed by the future theater and film actor O. Escola.

Passed the "Snow Queen" at the Zone, then in Moscow. So I brought my dad to the play. He kept as straight as before the illness. The head is thrown back. He is built as before. But the eyes look without seeing. He retained a tenth of his vision in one eye. But side view. He needs to turn his head slightly away from the object he is considering, only then does it fall into his field of vision. O muttering! It's easier to say; he needs to look sideways at the object so that it comes into his field of vision. I am afraid that my father will become ill in the hot Tuzov hall, but everything is going well. Only he cries when he is touched by the performance or the noisy reaction of the audience. Some time after my father's illness, my mother falls ill. Sympton Milner. Therefore, she is not at the Tyuzov performance. Her attacks of dizziness and nausea begin suddenly, she does not dare to go out. I visit them almost every day...

I always try to tell something, to entertain, but I am reluctant to talk about my affairs. About my work. For some reason I feel ashamed. And that's exactly what matters to him. A man has been working from morning to evening for more than forty years, and suddenly, at once, misfortune tore him away from life. Now he lived our life ... It seems that I have nothing to reproach myself with, but it is difficult to stay even and affectionate with the sick and weak when there was no usual even and affectionate tone in the family. However, we live closer together than ever before. And I'm renting a dacha in Luga in order to transfer my father to us. Mom refuses to go. In the dacha, across the wasteland from us, Natasha lives. And around the corner we rented a dacha for Sashenka Oleinikov and his grandmother, mother Larisa (the wife of Nikolai Makarovich). Light, burned with grief, offended by the misfortunes that rained down on her, as if by malicious intent, she looked at the whole world in disbelief. I think that we are at the same time.

... For the first time this summer, dad began to have seizures of heart failure with congestion in the lungs, with hemoptysis. Katya injected him with camphor. Father was afraid when we left for the city, and this had to be done sometimes ...

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In 1938, Schwartz wrote a play-fairy tale in 4 acts on Andersen's themes "The Snow Queen". In the subtitle, the author emphasizes the difference from the prototext. Of the seven stories, the playwright leaves only four. This is due to significant changes in the structure of the conflict and the plot of the fairy tale play. E.L. Schwartz borrows some characters from the source text and introduces new characters - the Storyteller, the Advisor, and the King. Kai is given a new name - Kay. In this tale, he is not Gerda's neighbor, but her named brother. The Storyteller plays a big role here. He is named first on the list of actors. The storyteller is not only the author-narrator, presenter, spokesman of the author's ideas, but also the owner of the fairy tale: "My fairy tale - I am the master in it." From him we learn the story of Gerda and Kay.

If in Andersen's fairy tale Gerda was opposed only by the Snow Queen, here the main character is also opposed by the Counselor. It is this character who organizes the conflict of the play-fairy tale, hindering Gerda on her way.

Snow Queen E.L. Schwartz fades into the background. Changes are also found in her appearance: “She was in white from head to toe. A large and white muff was in her hands. A huge diamond sparkled on her chest. The image of the Snow Queen is more grounded here - she is a baroness and a supplier of ice.

In the tale of E.L. Schwartz lacks the motif of a broken mirror. This is due to the different views of writers on the nature of evil. According to G.-H. Andersen, all evil comes to earth from the Devil or from the Troll. Schwartz's evil is in the very world of people. Like Kai, Kei also becomes the target of the Snow Queen's attacks. This is due to the fact that anger and cruelty lived in the boy's heart. The Snow Queen played on Kei's pride and pride. After her kiss, the boy's heart turned into a piece of ice. Kay made his choice in favor of evil.

According to the laws of the genre, the action of the fairy tale play develops very quickly. Kay voluntarily leaves the house. There is no motive for kidnapping the child here. Gerda goes in search of her named brother. The fairy tale play retains some of the storylines of the original source. In the tale of G.Kh. Andersen's Gerda unfreezes Kai's heart with tears and a kiss; awakens him to life. In the source text, the Snow Queen does not fight with the children, but leaves. Evil retreats before the strength of the girl, and in the fairy tale we are analyzing, the Snow Queen and the Counselor go in pursuit. The storyteller gathers a team of like-minded people. Almost all the characters come to the aid of Kai and Gerda. All together, collectively, they defeat evil.

But the main difference between the fairy tales of Adersen and Schwartz lies in the creative goals of the creators of fairy tales about the Snow Queen.

In Andersen's fairy tale there is an old Finnish witch - a Deer comes to her, carrying Gerda to the palaces of the Snow Queen. In response to his request to help the girl, she replies: “Stronger than she is, I cannot make her. Don't you see how great her power is? Don't you see that both people and animals serve her? After all, she walked around half the world barefoot! It is not for us to occupy her strength. Strength is in her sweet, childish heart.

Schwartz does not have a finca; her words (slightly modified) are given to the Deer himself. But he doesn’t say exactly what Andersen’s heroine does: “What can make her stronger than she is? She went around half the world, and people, animals, and birds served her. It is not for us to borrow her strength - strength is in her ardent heart.

Here it is, the main difference between Schwartz's fairy tale and Andersen's fairy tale! The first is about a child's heart, the second is about a warm heart. The first is about the power of childishness, childish innocence, protected by God and angels, the second is about the power of a hot, caring (not necessarily childish!) Heart, burning with love for people.

Most often we are dealing with Andersen's children's editions, where the entire "divine" part is cut off. But Andersen has it! His Gerda, in order to break into the palace of the Snow Queen, guarded by many living snow flakes, reads “Our Father”, and only a prayer helps her achieve her goal: “It was so cold that the girl’s breath immediately turned into thick fog. This fog thickened and thickened, but then small bright angels began to stand out from it, which, having stepped on the ground, grew into large formidable angels with helmets on their heads and spears and shields and hands. Their number kept increasing, and when Gerda finished her prayer, a whole legion formed around her. The angels raised the snow monsters on spears, and they crumbled into thousands of snowflakes.

So, with Andersen, Gerda wins with the help of numerous angels - with Schwartz, she achieves everything herself. The difference is huge! The scenes of the disenchantment of Kai (in Schwartz - Kay) are just as different: in Andersen, she is again imbued with divine help, and in Schwartz, Gerda herself achieves everything. She revives Kay's heart with reminders of those whom he must help: the boy Hans, who is beaten by the neighbor's boy, the dog Trezor, who they want to drown ...

Andersen's Gerda unfreezes Kai's heart physically, literally; Schwarz's Gerda makes him hot in a figurative sense: it awakens in him an interest in life, love and compassion for people. The moral of the Danish storyteller's tale is divine, evangelical: "If you are not pure like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven!" The moral of the Schwartz tale is real, human: “What will the enemies do to us while our hearts are hot? Never mind!".

True, on the side of the heroine of Schwartz, too, there seems to be magical power - after all, the Storyteller himself helps her! But this is an unusual Storyteller: his help is by no means magical, he helps within the limits of human capabilities. And his main strength, like that of Gerda, is in his ardent heart ...

It turns out that Schwartz wrote a new fairy tale based on the old plot, the ideas of which find a lively, immediate response in the hearts of modern readers, both young and adults.

The tale ends with life-affirming words: “Everything is going great - we are with you, you are with us, and we are all together. What will the enemies do to us while our hearts are hot? Never mind!". The play-tale "The Snow Queen" by E.L. Schwartz is a completely new work. The playwright in his own way transforms the plot of the fairy tale about the Snow Queen G.Kh. Andersen, adapting it to modernity, i.e. creates "one's own" in "alien".

Grandmother. Forgive me... But every evening, returning home, I saw the dark window of our room from the yard. “Maybe they came and went to bed,” I thought. I got up, ran to the bedroom - no, the beds were empty. Then I searched every corner. “Perhaps they hid in order to suddenly please me later,” I thought. And she didn't find anyone. And today, when I saw the lighted window, thirty years flew off my shoulders. I ran upstairs at a run, went in - and my years again fell on my shoulders: the children had not returned yet.

Little robber. Sit down, grandmother, dear grandmother, and don't break my heart, and I can't stand it. Sit down, dear, otherwise I will shoot everyone with a pistol.

Grandmother (sits down). I recognized everyone from the letters of Mr. Storyteller. This is Klaus, this is Elsa, this is the little robber, this is Karl, this is Clara. Sit down please. I'll catch my breath a little and treat you to tea. You don't have to look at me so sadly. Nothing, it's all nothing. Maybe they will come back.

Little robber. May be! Forgive me, grandma, I can't take it anymore. A person should not say "maybe". ( Storyteller.) Tell me! Tell a funny story right now, one that will make us smile if Gerda and Kay come. Well? Once! Two! Three!

Storyteller. There were steps. There were many of them - a whole family, and they were all collectively called: a ladder. They lived on steps in a large house, between the ground floor and the attic. The steps of the first floor were proud of the steps of the second. But those had a consolation - they did not put a penny on the steps of the third. Only the stairs leading to the attic had no one to despise. "But we are closer to heaven," they said. "We are so sublime!" But in general, the steps lived together and creaked together when someone went upstairs. However, they called their creaking singing ... "And they listen to us very willingly," they assured. Grandmother! Children! And let's listen to see if the steps finally creak. Do you hear? Someone is walking, and the steps are singing underfoot. The steps of the fifth floor are already singing. These are good people, because under the feet of bad people the steps grumble like dogs. Closer, closer! They're coming this way! This way!

Grandma gets up. Behind her is everything.

You hear? The steps rejoice. They creak like violins. Come! I'm sure it's…

The door swings open with a bang, and a Snow queen and adviser.

The Snow Queen. Please return the boy to me immediately. Do you hear? Otherwise, I will turn you all to ice.

Advisor. And then I'll cut you into pieces and sell you. Do you hear?

Advisor. Lie!

Storyteller. That's the truth, counselor.

Storyteller. Yes. Until now, we did not know for certain that Gerda had found Kay. And now we know.

The Snow Queen. Pathetic tricks! Kay, Kay, come to me! They hide you boy, but I came for you. Kay! Kay!

Advisor. The boy has a heart of ice! He is ours!

Storyteller. Not!

Storyteller. Well, try and find it.

The adviser quickly walks around the room, runs into the bedroom, returns.

The Snow Queen. Well?

The Snow Queen. Fine. So the daring children died along the way. Let's go!

The little robber rushes to cross her, the prince and princess run up to the little robber. All three join hands. Bravely blocking the queen's way.

Keep in mind, dear ones, that it is enough for me to wave my hand - and then complete silence will reign forever.

Little robber. Wave your arms, legs, tail, we won't let you out anyway!

The Snow Queen waves her hands. There is a howl and whistle of the wind. The little robber laughs.

Prince. I didn't even get cold.

A princess. I catch a cold very easily, and now I don’t even catch a cold.

Storyteller (approaches the children, takes the little robber by the hand). Those with warm hearts...

Advisor. Nonsense!

Storyteller. You can't turn to ice!

Advisor. Make way for the queen!

Grandmother (approaches the Storyteller and takes his hand). Excuse me, Mr. Councilor, but we will not let you pass for anything. What if the children are close - and you will attack them! No, no, you can't, you can't!

Advisor. You will pay for this!

Storyteller. No, we will win!

Advisor. Never! Our power will have no end. Rather, wagons will run without horses; rather, people will fly through the air like birds.

Storyteller. Yes, that's the way it will be, counselor.

Advisor. Nonsense! Way to the queen!

Storyteller. No.

They move in a chain, holding hands, towards the adviser and the queen. The Queen, standing at the window, waves her hand. The sound of broken glass is heard. The lamp goes out. The wind howls and whistles.

Hold the door!

Grandmother. Now I will turn on the light.

Light flashes. The Councilor and the Snow Queen have disappeared, despite the fact that the door is held by the prince, the princess and the little robber.

Schwartz Eugene

The Snow Queen

Evgeny Schwartz

"The Snow Queen"

Tale in 4 acts on Andersen's themes

CHARACTERS

Storyteller

Advisor

The Snow Queen

Prince Claus

Princess Elsa

Atamansha

First Rogue

Little Robber

Reindeer

Guards

King's lackeys

Rogues

STEP ONE

In front of the curtain appears with a storyteller, a young man of about twenty-five. He is in a frock coat, with a sword, in a wide-brimmed hat.

With a s o c h n and k. Snip-snap-snurre, purre-baselurre! There are different people in the world: blacksmiths, cooks, doctors, schoolchildren, pharmacists, teachers, coachmen, actors, watchmen. And I'm a storyteller. And we are all actors. and teachers, and blacksmiths, and doctors, and cooks, and storytellers - we all work, and we are all necessary people, necessary, very good people. For example, if it were not for me, the storyteller, you would not be sitting in the theater today and you would never know what happened to one boy named Kay, who ... But shhh ... silence. Snip snap snurre, purre baselurre! Oh, how many fairy tales I know! If I tell a hundred tales every day, then in a hundred years I will have time to lay out only a hundredth of my stock. Today you will see the tale of the Snow Queen. This is a story that is both sad and funny, and funny and sad. It involves a boy and a girl, my students; so I took a slate with me. Then the prince and princess. And I took my sword and hat with me. (Bows.) They are a good prince and princess, and I will treat them politely. Then we will see the robbers. (Pulls out a pistol.) That's why I'm armed. (Tries to fire; gun does not fire.) He does not fire, which is very good, because I can't stand the noise on the stage. In addition, we will get into eternal ice, so I put on a sweater. Got it? Snip snap snurre, purre baselurre. Well, that seems to be all. You can start ... Yes, I forgot the most important thing! I'm tired of talking and telling everything. Today I will show a fairy tale. And not only to show - I myself will participate in all the adventures. How is it so? And it's very simple. My fairy tale - I am the master in it. And the most interesting thing is that I have come up with only the beginning and something from the middle, so I don’t know how our adventures will end! How is it so? And very simple! What will be, will be, and when we reach the end, we will know more than we know. That's all!.. Snip-snap-snurre, purre-baselurre!

The storyteller disappears. The curtain opens. A poor but tidy attic room. Large frozen window. Not far from the window, closer to the stove, there is a chest without a lid. A rose bush grows in this chest. Despite the fact that it is winter, the rose bush is in bloom. A boy and a girl are sitting on a bench under a bush. This is Kay and Gerda. They sit holding hands. They sing dreamily.

K e y i Gerd a.

Snip-snap-snurre

Purre baselurre.

Snip-snap-snurre

Purre baselurre.

K e y. The kettle is already noisy.

Gerd a. The kettle is already boiling. Exactly! She wipes her feet on the rug.

K e y. Yes Yes. You hear: she undresses at the hanger.

Knock on the door.

Gerd a. Why is she knocking? She knows we don't lock ourselves up.

K e y. Hee hee! She's on purpose... She wants to scare us.

Gerda. Hee hee!

K e y. Quiet! And we will scare her, Do not answer, be silent.

The knock is repeated. Children snort, covering their mouths with their hands. Knock again.

Let's hide.

Gerd a. Let's!

Snorting, the children hide behind a chest with a rose bush. The door opens and a tall gray-haired man in a black coat enters the room. A large silver medal glitters on the lapel of his coat. He raises his head, looking around.

K e y. Stop!

Gerd a. What?

K e y. The steps creak...

Gerd a. Wait, wait... Yes!

K e y. And how merrily they creak! When a neighbor went to complain that I had broken a window with a snowball, they creaked not like that at all.

Gerd a. Yeah! Then they grumbled like dogs.

K e y. And now that our grandmother is coming...

Gerd a. ... the steps creak like violins.

K e y. Come on, grandma, come on!

Gerd a. No need to rush her, Kay, because we live under the very roof, and she is already old.

K e y. Nothing, because she is still far away. She doesn't hear. Well, well, grandmother, go!

Gerd a. Well, well, grandmother, live.

K e y (flies out from behind the screen on all fours). WOF WOF!

Gerd a. Boo! Boo!

The man in the black frock coat, without losing his expression of cold importance, jumps up in surprise.

Man (through his teeth). What is this nonsense?

Children are confused, holding hands.

Ill-bred children, I ask you, what is this nonsense? Answer, you ill-mannered children!

K e y. I'm sorry, but we're educated...

Gerd a. We are very, very well-behaved children! Hello! Sit down please!

The man takes a lorgnette from the side pocket of his coat. Looks at the children with distaste.

Man. Well-bred children: "a" - do not run on all fours, "b" do not yell "woof-woof", "c" - do not shout "boob" and, finally, "d" - do not rush on strangers.

K e y. But we thought you were a grandmother!

Man. Nonsense! I'm not a grandmother at all. Where are the roses?

Gerd a. Here they are.

K e y. Why do you need them?

Man (turns away from the children, looks at roses in a lorgnette). Yeah. Are these real roses? (Sniffs.) "A" - emit the smell characteristic of this plant, "b" - have the appropriate coloring and, finally, "c" - grow from the right soil. Live roses... Ha!

Gerd a. Look, Kay, I'm afraid of him. Who is it? Why did he come to us? What does he want from us?

K e y. Do not be afraid. I'll ask... (To a man.) Who are you? BUT? What do you want from us? Why did you come to us?

MAN (without turning around, looks at the roses). Raised children do not ask questions of elders. They wait until the elders themselves ask them a question.

Gerd a. Would you be so kind as to ask us a question: don't... don't we want to know who you are?

Man (without turning around). Nonsense!

Gerd a. Kay, I give you my word of honor that this is an evil wizard.

K e y. Gerda, well, honestly, no.

Gerd a. You will see, now smoke will come out of it and it will begin to fly around the room. Or turn you into a goat.

K e y. I won't give up!

Gerd a. Let's run away.

K e y. Ashamed.

The man clears his throat. Gerda screams.

Yes, he's just coughing, silly.

Gerd a. I thought he already started.

The man suddenly turns away from the flowers and slowly moves towards the children.

K e y. What do you want?

Gerd a. We won't give in.

Man. Nonsense!

The man moves straight towards the children, who retreat in horror.

KEy and GERDA (joyfully). Grandmother! Hurry, come here!

Voice. Are you bored? Don't run out, I'm out of the cold. I'm going now, just take off my coat. like this, and now a cap ... Now I will wipe my feet properly ... Well, here I am.

A clean, white, ruddy-faced old woman enters the room. She smiles cheerfully, but when she sees a stranger, she stops and stops smiling.

H e l o v e k. Hello, hostess.

Grandmother. Hello, Mr...

Man ... commerce adviser. How long have you been keeping yourself waiting, mistress.

Grandmother. But, Mr. Commerce Advisor, I did not know that you would come to us.

Counsellor: It doesn't matter, don't make excuses. You're in luck, mistress. Are you poor, of course?

Grandmother. Sit down, Mr. Councilor.

Counsellor: It doesn't matter.

Grandmother. Anyway, I'll sit down. I ran today.

Counselor: You can sit down. So, I repeat: you are lucky, hostess. Are you poor?

Grandmother. Yes and no. Money is poor. BUT...

Counselor. And the rest is nonsense. Let's get down to business. I learned that you have a rose bush blooming in the middle of winter. I buy it.

Grandmother. But it's not for sale.

Counsellor. Nonsense.

Grandmother. Trust me! This bush is like a gift. Gifts are not for sale.

Counsellor. Nonsense.

Grandmother. Believe me! Our friend, a storyteller student, a teacher of my children, looked after this bush so much! He dug it up, sprinkled the ground with some kind of powder, he even sang songs to it.

Counsellor. Nonsense.

Grandmother. Ask the neighbors. And now, after all his worries, the grateful bush blossomed in the middle of winter. And sell this bush! ..

Counsellor: What a cunning old woman you are, mistress! Well done! You are charging the price. So-so! How much?

Grandmother. The bush is not for sale.

Counsellor: But, my dear, do not detain me. Are you a laundress?

Grandmother. Yes, I wash clothes, help with the housework, cook wonderful gingerbread, embroider, I know how to lull the most recalcitrant children and take care of the sick. I can do everything, sir. There are people. who say that I have golden hands, Mr. Counsellor.

Counselor. Nonsense! Start over. You may not know who I am. I'm a rich man, mistress. I am a very rich person. The king himself knows how rich I am; he gave me a medal for it, mistress. Have you seen the big vans with "ice" on them? Did you see, mistress? Ice, glaciers, refrigerators, cellars filled with ice - all this is mine, mistress. The ice made me rich. I can buy everything, mistress. How much are your roses?

Grandmother. Are you really that fond of flowers?

C o v e t n and k. Here's another! Yes, I can't stand them.

Grandmother. So why then...

Counselor. I love rarities! I got rich on this. Ice is rare in summer. I sell ice in the summer. Flowers are rare in winter - I will try to breed them. Everything! So what's your price?

Grandmother. I will not sell you roses.

Counselor. But sell it.

Grandmother. But for nothing!

Counselor. Nonsense! Here's ten thalers for you. Take it! Alive!

Grandmother. I won't take it.

Counsellor. Twenty.

Grandmother shakes her head.

Thirty, fifty, one hundred! And a hundred little? Okay, two hundred. This is enough for a whole year for you and these nasty children.

Grandmother. They are very good kids!

Counselor. Nonsense! Just think: two hundred thalers for the most ordinary rose bush!

Grandmother. This is no ordinary bush, sir. First, buds appeared on its branches, still quite small, pale, with pink noses. Then they turned around, bloomed, and now they bloom, bloom and do not fade. Outside the window is winter, Mr. Counselor, and we have summer.

Counselor. Nonsense! If it were summer now, the price of ice would go up.

Grandmother. These roses are our joy, sir.

Counselor. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense! Money is joy. I offer you money, you hear - money! You know - money!

Grandmother. Mr Advisor! There are things more powerful than money.

Counsel. Why, this is a riot! So your money is worth nothing. Today you will say that money is worth nothing, tomorrow - that the rich and respectable people are worth nothing ... Do you resolutely refuse money?

Grandmother. Yes. These roses are not for sale at any price, Mr. Counsellor.

Counsellor: In that case, you... you... a crazy old woman, that's who you are...

KY (deeply offended, rushes to him). And you... you... ill-mannered old man, that's what you are.

Grandmother. Children, children, don't!

Counsellor: Yes, I will freeze you!

Gerd a. We won't give in!

Counsellor. We'll see... You won't get away with it!

K e y. Everyone respects Grandma! And you growl at her like...

Grandmother. Kay!

K e y (restraining himself). ... as a bad person.

With about in e t n and k. Okay! I: "a" - I will take revenge, "b" - I will soon take revenge and "c" I will take revenge terribly. I will go to the Queen herself. There you are!

The adviser runs and runs into the storyteller at the door.

(Furiously.) Ah, mister storyteller! Writer of fairy tales, over which everyone scoffs! It's all your stuff! Okay! See! This won't work for you either.

The storyteller (politely bowing to the adviser). Snip snap snurre, purre baselurre!

Counselor. Nonsense! (Runs away.)

With a z about h n and k. Hello, grandmother! Hello children! Are you upset by a commercial adviser? Pay no attention to him. What can he do to us? See how cheerfully the roses nod their heads to us. They want to tell us: everything is going well. We are with you, you are with us - and we are all together.

An adviser in a fur coat and a top hat appears at the door.

Counsellor. We'll see how long it will last. Haha!

The storyteller rushes to him. The adviser disappears. The storyteller is back.

With a s o c h n and k. Grandmother, children, everything is fine. He's gone, completely gone. I beg you, please, forget about him.

Gerd a. He wanted to take away our roses.

K e y. But we didn't allow it.

With a s o c h n and k. Oh, what good fellows you are! But why did you offend the teapot? (Running to the stove.) Hear, he shouts: "You forgot me, I made noise, and you didn't hear. I'm angry, angry, try it, touch me!" (Tries to remove the kettle from the fire.) And sure enough, don't touch it! (Picks up teapot from hollow frock coat.)

B a b u sh k a (jumps up). You will burn yourself again, I will give you a towel.

The storyteller (sideways, holding a boiling kettle in the hollow of his frock coat, makes his way to the table). Nothing. All these teapots, cups, tables and chairs ... (He tries to put the teapot on the table, but he can’t do it.) coats and shoes because I speak their language and often chat with them (finally puts the teapot on on the table), consider me their brother and terribly disrespect me. My shoes suddenly disappeared this morning. I found them in the hallway under the closet. It turns out that they went to visit an old shoe brush, started talking there and ... What is the matter with you, children?

Gerd a. Nothing.

With a z o ch n and k. Tell the truth!

Gerd a. Okay, I'll tell you. You know what? I'm still a little scared.

With a z o ch n and k. Ah, that's how! So you're a little scared, kids?

K e y. No, but... The councilor said he would go all the way to the queen. What queen was he talking about?

With a s o c h n and k. I think about the Snow Queen. He is in great friendship with her. After all, she supplies him with ice.

Gerd a. Oh, who's that knocking on the window.' I'm not afraid, but still tell me: who's that knocking on the window?

Grandmother. It's just snow, girl. The blizzard broke out.

K e y. Let the Snow Queen just try to get in here. I'll put it on the stove and it'll melt right away.

With a s o c h n and k (jumps up). That's right, boy! (He waves his hand and knocks over the cup.) Well... I told you... Aren't you ashamed, cup? That's right, boy! The Snow Queen won't dare to enter here! With someone with a warm heart, she can't do anything!

Gerd a. Where does she live?

With a s o c h n and k. In the summer - far, far away, in the north. And in winter, she flies on a black cloud high, high in the sky. Only late, late at night, when everyone is asleep, does she rush through the streets of the city and look at the windows, and then the glass is covered with ice patterns and flowers.

Gerd a. Grandma, so she still looked at our windows? You see, they are all in patterns.

K e y. Well, let. I looked and flew away.

Gerd a. Have you seen the Snow Queen?

With a s o c h n and k. I saw it.

Gerd a. Ouch! When?

The storyteller. A long, long time ago, when you were not yet in the world.

K e y. Tell me.

With a s o c h n and k. Good. As soon as I move away from the table, otherwise I will knock something over again. (Goes to the window, takes a board and lead from the window sill.) But after the story, we'll get to work. Have you learned your lessons?

Gerd a. Yes.

K e y. All to one!

With a s o c h n and k. Well, then, then, you deserve an interesting story. Listen. (He begins to tell at first calmly and restrainedly, but gradually, getting carried away, he begins to wave his arms. In one hand he has a slate board, in the other a slate.) That was a long time ago, a very long time ago. My mother, just like your grandmother, went to work for strangers every day. Only my mother's hands were not golden, no, not golden at all. She, poor thing, was weak and almost as clumsy as me. Therefore, she finished her work late. One evening she was even more late than usual. At first I waited patiently for her, but when the candle burned out and went out, I became completely unhappy. It's nice to write scary tales, but when they climb into your head, it's not the same at all. The candle went out, but the old lantern that hung outside the window illuminated the room. And I must tell you that it was even worse. The lantern swayed in the wind, the shadows ran around the room, and it seemed to me that these were little black gnomes somersaulting, jumping, and only thinking about one thing - how to attack me. And I dressed slowly, and wrapped a scarf around my neck, and ran out of the room to wait for my mother outside. It was quiet outside, as quiet as it is only in winter. I sat down on the steps and waited. And suddenly - how the wind will whistle, how the snow will fly! It seemed that it was falling not only from the sky, but flying from the walls, from the ground, from under the gates, from everywhere. I ran to the door, but then one snowflake began to grow, grow and turned into a beautiful woman.

K e y. Was it her?

Gerd a. How was she dressed?

The storyteller. She was dressed in white from head to toe. She had a large white muff in her hands. A huge diamond sparkled on her chest. "Who are you?" I shouted. "I am the Snow Queen," the woman replied, "do you want me to take you to me? Kiss me, don't be afraid." I jumped...

The storyteller waves his hands and hits the glass with a slate board. The glass breaks. The lamp goes out. Music. Snow, whitening, flies through the broken window.

With a s o c h n and k. It's my fault! Now I'll turn on the light!

Light flashes. Everyone screams. A beautiful woman is standing in the middle of the room. She is dressed in white from head to toe. She has a large white muff in her hands. On the chest, on a silver chain, a huge diamond sparkles.

K e y. Who is this?

Gerd a. Who you are?

The storyteller tries to speak, but the woman makes an imperious sign with her hand, and he recoils and falls silent.

Female. Sorry, I knocked, but no one heard me.

Gerd a. Grandma said it's snow.

Female. No, I knocked on the door just as your lights went out. Did I scare you?

K e y. Well, not a bit.

Female. I'm very happy about that; you are a brave boy. Hello gentlemen!

Grandmother. Hello madam...

Female. You can call me Baroness.

Grandmother. Hello Madame Baroness. Sit down please.

Female. Thank you. (Sits down.)

Grandmother. Now I'll put a pillow over the window, it's very windy. (Closes the window.)

Female. Oh, it doesn't bother me at all. I came to you on business. I was told about you. They say that you are a very good woman, hardworking, honest, kind, but poor.

Grandmother. Would you like some tea, Madame Baroness?

Female. No way! Because he's hot. I was told that, despite your poverty, you keep an adopted child.

K e y. I'm not adopted!

Grandmother. He speaks the truth, Madame Baroness.

Female. But they told me this: the girl is your granddaughter, and the boy ...

Grandmother. Yes, the boy is not my grandson. But he was not even a year old when his parents died. He was left all alone in the world, madam baroness, and I took him for myself. He grew up in my arms, he is as dear to me as my dead children and as my only granddaughter...

Female. These feelings do you credit. But you are very old and you can die.

K e y. Grandma is not old at all.

Gerd a. Grandma can't die.

Female. Quiet. When I speak, everything must be silent. Got it? So, I take the boy from you.

K e y. What?

Female. I am single, rich, I have no children - this boy will be with me instead of a son. Surely you agree, mistress? This is beneficial for all of you.

K e y. Grandma, grandma, don't give me away, dear! I don't love her, but I love you so much! You already regretted the roses, but I'm a whole boy! I'll die if she takes me to her... If it's hard for you, I'll also earn newspapers to sell, carry water, shovel snow - after all, they pay for all this, grandmother. And when you are quite old, I will buy you an easy chair, glasses and interesting books. You will sit, rest, read, and Gerda and I will take care of you.

Gerd a. Grandma, grandma, here's my word of honor, don't give it away. Oh please!

Grandmother. What are you, children! Of course, I wouldn't give it up for anything.

K e y. You hear?

Female. No need to be in such a hurry. Think Kay. You will live in the palace, boy. Hundreds of faithful servants will obey your every word. There...

K e y. There will be no Gerda, there will be no grandmother, I will not go to you.

With a s o c h n and k. Well done ...

Female. Be quiet! (Makes an imperious sign with his hand.)

The storyteller recoils.

Grandmother. Forgive me, baroness, but it will be so, as the boy said. How can I give it away? He grew up in my arms. The first word he said was fire.

WOMAN (shudders). Fire?

Grandmother. The first time he went here, from the bed to the stove...

WOMAN (shudders). To the oven?

Grandmother. I cried over him when he was ill, I was so happy when he recovered. He sometimes plays pranks, sometimes upsets me, but more often pleases. This is my boy and he will stay with me.

Gerd a. It's ridiculous even to think how we can live without it.

WOMAN (gets up). Well then! Let it be your way. These feelings do you credit. Stay here boy if that's what you want. But kiss me goodbye.

The storyteller takes a step forward. The woman stops him with an imperious gesture.

You do not want?

K e y. I do not want.

Female. Ah, that's how! At first I thought you were a brave boy, but it turns out you are a coward!

K e y. I'm not a coward at all.

Female. Well, then kiss me goodbye.

Gerd a. No need, Kay.

K e y. But I don't want her to think that I'm afraid of the Baroness. (Boldly approaches the baroness, rises on tiptoe and holds out his lips to her.) All the best!

Female. Well done! (Kisses Kei.)

Behind the scenes, the whistling and howling of the wind, the snow knocking on the window.

(Laughs.) Goodbye, gentlemen. Goodbye boy! (Quickly leaves.)

With a s o c h n and k. What a horror! After all, it was she, she, the Snow Queen!

Grandmother. Lots of stories to tell.

K e y. Ha ha ha!

Gerd a. What are you laughing at, Kay?

K e y. Ha ha ha! See how funny our roses have withered. And what they have become ugly, nasty, fu! (He picks one of the roses and throws it on the floor.)

Grandmother. The roses withered, what a disaster! (Running towards the rose bush.)

K e y. How funny grandma waddles on the go. It's like a duck, not a grandmother. (Mimics her walk.)

Gerd a. Kay! Kay!

K e y. If you cry, I will pull your braid.

Grandmother. Kay! I do not recognize you.

K e y. Oh, how I'm tired of you all. Yes, it is understandable. The three of us live in such a kennel ...

Grandmother. Kay! What happened to you?

With a s o ch n and k. It was the Snow Queen! It's her, it's her!

Gerd a. Why didn't you say...

With a s o c h n and k. I could not. She held out her hand to me, and the cold pierced me from head to toe, and my tongue was taken away, and ...

K e y. Nonsense!

Gerd a. Kay! You speak like an adviser.

K e y. Well, very happy.

Grandmother. Children, go to bed! It's already late. You start to freak out. Hear: wash and sleep at once.

Gerd a. Grandmother... I first want to know what's wrong with him!

K e y. And I'll go to sleep. Woo! How ugly you are when you cry...

Gerd a. Grandmother...

The storyteller (shows them off). Sleep, sleep, sleep. (He rushes to his grandmother.) Do you know what's wrong with him? When I told my mother that the Snow Queen wanted to kiss me, my mother replied: it’s good that you didn’t let her. The heart of a person who is kissed by the Snow Queen freezes and turns into a piece of ice. Now our Kay has a heart of ice.

Grandmother. This cannot be. Tomorrow he will wake up as kind and cheerful as he was.

With a z o ch n and k. And if not? Ah, I didn't expect that at all. What to do? How to be further? No, Snow Queen, I won't give you the boy! We will save him! Let's save! Let's save!

The howling and whistling of the blizzard outside the window intensifies sharply.

Let's not be afraid! Howl, whistle, sing, beat on the windows - we will still fight with you, Snow Queen!

ACT TWO

There is a stone in front of the curtain. Gerda, very tired, slowly comes out from behind the portal. Falling down on a stone.

Gerd a. Now I understand what one is. No one will tell me: "Gerda, do you want to eat?" No one will tell me: "Gerda, give me your forehead, it seems you have a fever." No one will tell me: "What's wrong with you? Why are you so sad today?" When you meet people, it is still easier: they will ask questions, talk, sometimes even feed you. And these places are so deserted, I have been going since dawn and have not yet met anyone. There are houses on the road, but they are all locked up. You go into the yard - no one, and the kindergartens are empty, and the gardens too, and no one is working in the field. What does this mean? Where did it all go?

Raven (leaves a section of the curtain, speaks muffled, slightly burr). Hello young lady!

Gerd a. Hello sir.

Crow. Excuse me, but will you throw a stick at me?

Gerd a. Oh, of course you don't!

Crow. Ha ha ha! Nice to hear! What about stone?

Gerd a. What are you, sir!

Crow. Ha ha ha! What about a brick?

Gerd a. No, no, I assure you.

Crow. Ha ha ha! Let me most respectfully thank you for your wonderful courtesy. Do I speak well?

Gerd a. Very much, sir.

Crow. Ha ha ha! This is because I grew up in the park of the royal palace. I'm almost a court raven. And not my message - a real court crow. She eats leftovers from the royal kitchen. You're not from here, are you?

Gerd a. Yes, I came from afar.

Crow. I immediately guessed that it was. Otherwise, you would know why all the houses along the road were empty.

Gerd a. And why are they empty, sir? I hope nothing bad happened.

Crow. Ha ha ha! Against! There is a holiday in the palace, a feast for the whole world, and everyone went there. But, I'm sorry, are you upset about something? Speak, speak, I'm a good raven - what if I can help you.

Gerd a. Ah, if you could help me find one boy!

Crow. Boy? Speak, speak! It is interesting. Extremely interesting!

Gerd a. You see, I'm looking for the boy I grew up with. We lived so amicably - me, him and our grandmother. But one day - it was last winter - he took a sled and went to the town square. He tied His sledge to a big sledge, as boys often do to go faster. In a large sleigh sat a man in a white fur coat and a white hat. As soon as the boy managed to tie his sledge to a large sledge, a man in a white fur coat and a hat hit the horses: the horses rushed, the sleigh rushed, the sledge followed them - and no one ever saw the boy again. This boy's name...

Crow. Kay... Cre-ra! Cre-ra!

Gerd a. How do you know his name is Kay?

Crow. Your name is Gerda.

Gerd a. Yes, my name is Gerda. But how do you know all this?

Crow. Our relative, a magpie, a terrible gossip, knows everything that is happening in the world, and brings all the news to us on the tail. That's how we got to know your story.

GERDA (jumps up). Do you know where Kay is? Answer! Why are you silent?

Crow. Cre-ra! Cre-ra! For forty evenings in a row we rowed And judged, and wondered and thought: where is he? where is kay? So they didn't think of it.

GERDA (sits down). Here we are too. We waited all winter for Kay. And in the spring I went to look for him. Grandma was still sleeping, I kissed her slowly, goodbye - and now I'm looking for. Poor grandmother, she must be bored there alone.

Crow. Yes. Magpies say that your grandmother is extremely, extremely grieving ... She is terribly sad!

Gerd a. And I wasted so much time. For the whole summer I have been looking for him, looking for - and no one knows where he is.

Crow. T-sss!

Gerd a. What?

Crow. Let me listen! Yes, she is flying here. I recognize the sound of her wings. Dear Gerda, now I will introduce you to my bride, the court crow. She will be glad... Here she is...

A crow appears, very much like her fiancé. The crows exchange ceremonial bows.

Crow. Hello Clara!

Crow. Hello Karl!

Crow. Hello Clara!

Crow. Hello Karl! I have some very interesting news. Now you open your beak, Carl.

Crow. Speak quickly! Hurry!

Crow. Kay found!

GERDA (jumps up). Kay? Are you not deceiving me? Where is he? where?

Raven (jumps). Oh! Who is it?

Crow. Don't be scared, Clara. Let me introduce you to this girl. Her name is Gerda.

Crow. Gerda! Here are miracles! (Bowing ceremoniously.) Hello, Gerda.

Gerd a. Don't torture me, tell me where Kay is. What about him? Is he alive? Who found it?

The crows talk animatedly in crow language for a while. Then they approach Gerda. They talk while interrupting each other.

Crow. Month...

In o r o n .... back ...

V o r o n a .... princess ...

V o r o n .... daughter ...

In o r o n a .... king ...

In o r o n .... came ...

V o r o n a .... to ...

In o r o n .... to the king ...

V o r o n a .... and ...

V o r o n .... says ...

V o r o n a .... Dad ...

V o r o n .... me ...

V o r o n a .... very ...

B o r o n .... boring ...

V o r o n a .... girlfriends ...

In o r o n .... they are afraid ...

V o r o n a .... me ...

V o r o n .... me ...

V o r o n a .... not ...

V o r o n .... with ...

V o r o n a .... by whom ...

In o r o n .... play ...

Gerd a. Forgive me for interrupting you, but why are you telling me about the king's daughter?

Crow. But, dear Gerda, otherwise you will not understand anything!

Continue the story. At the same time, they speak word by word without the slightest pause, so that it seems as if one person is speaking.

V o r o n and V o r o n a. “I have no one to play with,” said the king’s daughter. My friends purposely lose to me in checkers, purposely give in to tag. I will die of boredom. suitors,” said the princess, “I will marry only one who is not afraid of me.” They arranged a review. Everyone was afraid when they entered the palace. But one boy was not the least bit scared.

GERDA (joyfully). And it was Kay?

Crow. Yes, it was him.

Crow. All the others were silent with fear, like fish, and he spoke to the princess so sensibly!

Gerd a. Would you eat! He's very smart! He knows addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and even fractions!

Crow. And so the princess chose him, and the king gave him the title of prince and gave him half the kingdom. That is why a feast was arranged in the palace for the whole world.

Gerd a. Are you sure it's Kay? After all, he's just a boy!

Crow. The princess is also a little girl. But princesses can marry whenever they please.

Crow. Are you upset that Kay forgot his grandmother and you? Lately, as the magpie says, has he been very rude to you?

Gerd a. I didn't take offense.

Crow. What if Kay doesn't want to talk to you?

Gerd a. Wants. I will persuade him. Let him write to his grandmother that he is alive and well, and I will leave. Let's go. I'm so glad he's not at the Snow Queen's. Let's go to the palace!

Crow. Oh, I'm afraid they won't let you in there! After all, this is still a royal palace, and you are a simple girl. How to be? I don't really like children. They are always teasing me and Carl. They shout: "Karl stole corals from Clara." But you are not like that. You won my heart. Let's go. I know all the passages and passages of the palace. We will go there at night.

Gerd a. Are you sure that the prince is Kay?

Crow. Certainly. Today I myself heard the princess shouting: "Kay, Kay, come here!" Are you afraid to sneak into the palace at night?

Gerd a. Not!

Crow. In that case, go ahead!

Crow. Hooray! Hooray! Loyalty, courage, friendship...

Vorona....destroy all barriers. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

They leave. Behind them silently crawls a man wrapped in a cloak. Behind him is another.

The curtain opens. Hall in the royal palace. A chalk line runs through the middle of the floor, back wall and ceiling, very noticeable on the dark decoration of the hall. The hall is dark. The door opens silently. The crow enters.

Crow (quietly). Charles! Charles!

VORON (behind the stage). Clara! Clara!

Crow. Brave! Brave! Here. Nobody's here.

Quietly enter Gerda and the raven.

Carefully! Carefully! Keep Right. Damn it! Damn it!

Gerd a. Tell me, please, why was this line drawn?

Crow. The king gave the prince half his kingdom. And the sovereign also neatly divided all the apartments of the palace in half. The right side is of the prince and princess, the left is the royal one. It's wiser for us to keep to the right side... Forward!

Gerda and the raven are coming. Suddenly soft music is heard. Gerda stops.

Gerd a. What is this music?

Crow. These are just the dreams of court ladies. They dream that they are dancing at a ball.

The music is drowned out by the rumble - the clatter of horses, distant cries: "Atu him, atu-tu-tu! Hold! Cut! Beat!"

Gerd a. And what's that?

Crow. And this is the dream of the court cavaliers that they drove a deer to hunt.

Cheerful, joyful music is heard.

Gerd a. And this?

Crow. And these are the dreams of prisoners imprisoned in the dungeon. They dream that they were set free.

Crow. What is the matter with you, dear Gerda? Are you pale?

Gerd a. No, right, no! But I don't know why I'm somehow uneasy.

Crow. Oh, it's very simple and clear. After all, the royal palace is five hundred years old. How many terrible crimes have been committed here over the years! Here people were executed, and killed from around the corner with daggers, and strangled.

Gerd a. Does Kay live here, in this terrible house?

Crow. Let's go...

Gerd a. I'm going.

There is a clatter and the ringing of bells.

And what's that?

Crow. I don't understand.

The noise is getting closer.

Crow. Dear Clara, wouldn't it be wiser to run away?

Crow. Let's hide.

They hide behind a drapery hanging on the wall. As soon as they have time to hide, the doors swing open with a noise and two lackeys burst into the hall at a gallop. In their hands are candelabra with lit candles. Between two lackeys, a prince and a princess. They play horses. The prince depicts a horse. The bells of a toy harness jingle on his chest. He jumps, digs the floor with his feet, famously runs around his half of the hall. The lackeys, keeping an imperturbable expression on their faces, rush after them, not lagging behind a single step, lighting the way for the children.

Principal (stops). Well. enough. I'm tired of being a horse. Let's play another game.

A princess. Hide-and-seek?

P r i n c. Can. You will hide! Well! I count to a hundred. (Turns away and counts.)

The princess runs around the room, looking for places to hide. Footmen with candelabra follow her. The princess finally stops at the drapery, behind which Gerda and the crows have disappeared. Pulls back drapery. He sees Gerda, who is crying bitterly, and two crows bowing low. It squeals and bounces. The lackeys follow her.

(Turning around.) What? Rat?

A princess. Worse. much worse. There is a girl and two crows.

P r i n c. Nonsense! I'm gonna chech it.

A princess. No, no, they must be some kind of ghosts.

P r i n c. Nonsense! (Goes to the curtain.)

Gerda, wiping her tears, comes out to meet him. Behind her, bowing all the time, crows.

How did you get here girl? Your muzzle is pretty nice. Why were you hiding from us?

Gerd a. I would have entered long ago ... But I cried. I really don't like it when they see me cry. I'm not a crybaby at all, trust me!

P r i n c. I believe, I believe. Well, girl, tell me what happened. Come on... Let's talk heart to heart. (To the lackeys.) Put the candlesticks on and leave.

The lackeys obey.

Well, here we are alone. Speak now!

Gerda is crying softly.

Don't think, I'm also just a boy like a boy. I am a shepherd from the village. I got into princes only because I'm not afraid of anything. I, too, suffered at the time. My older brothers were considered smart, and I was considered a fool, although in fact it was the other way around. Well, my friend, come on ... Elsa, talk to her kindly

PRINCESS (smiling graciously, solemnly). Dear subject...

P r i n c. Why are you speaking royally? After all, everyone is here.

A princess. Forgive me, I accidentally ... A pretty girl, be so kind, tell us what's wrong with you.

Gerd a. Ah, there's a hole in that curtain I was hiding behind.

P r i n c. So what?

Gerd a. And through that hole I saw your face, prince.

P r i n c. And that's why you cried?

Gerd a. Yes... You... you're not Kay at all...

P r i n c. Of course not. My name is Klaus. Where did you get that I'm Kay?

Crow. May the most merciful prince forgive me, but I personally heard how their highness (points to the princess with his beak) called your highness Kay.

Principal (Princess). When it was?

A princess. After lunch. Do you remember? At first we played mother-daughter. I was a daughter and you were a mother. Then into a wolf and seven kids. You were seven kids and raised such a cry that my father and master, who was sleeping after dinner, fell off the bed. Do you remember?

A princess. After that, we were asked to play quietly. And I told you the story of Gerda and Kay, which I told in the crow's kitchen. And we started playing Gerda and Kay, and I called you Kay.

P r i n c. So... Who are you, girl?

Gerd a. Ah, prince, I am Gerda.

P r i n c. What are you? (Walks excitedly back and forth.) That's a shame, really.

Gerd a. I so wanted you to be Kay.

P r i n c. Oh you... Well, what is it? What do you think to do next, Gerda?

Gerd a. I'll look for Kay again until I find it, prince.

P r i n c. Well done. Listen. Just call me Klaus.

A princess. And I'm Elsa.

P r i n c. And say "you" to me.

A princess. Me too.

Gerd a. OK.

P r i n c. Elsa, we must do something for Gerda.

A princess. Let's give her a blue ribbon over her shoulder or a garter with swords, bows and bells.

P r i n c. Oh, that won't help her. Which way are you going now, Gerda?

Gerd a. To the north. I'm afraid that Kei was carried away by her, the Snow Queen.

P r i n c. Are you thinking of going to the Snow Queen herself? But it's very far away.

Gerd a. What can you do!

P r i n c. I know how to be. We will give Gerda a carriage.

Crows. carriage? Very well!

P r i n c. And four black horses.

Crows. Ravens? Perfectly! Perfectly!

P r i n c. And you, Elsa, will give Gerda a fur coat, a hat, a muff, gloves and fur boots.

A princess. Please, Gerda, I'm not sorry. I have four hundred and eighty nine fur coats.

P r i n c. Now we will put you to bed, and in the morning you will go.

Gerd a. No, no, just don't put me to bed - I'm in a hurry.

A princess. You are right, Gerda. I also can't stand being put to bed. As soon as I received half the kingdom, I immediately expelled the governess from my half, and now it’s almost twelve, and I’m still not sleeping!

P r i n c. But Gerda is tired.

Gerd a. I'll rest and sleep in the carriage.

P r i n c. OK then.

Gerd a. I'll give you the carriage, and the fur coat, and the gloves, and...

P r i n c. Nonsense! Crows! Fly at once to the stable and order there, on my behalf, to take four blacks and lay them in the carriage.

A princess. In gold.

Gerd a. Ah, no, no! Why in gold?

A princess. Don't argue, don't argue! It will be much prettier that way.

The ravens leave.

P r i n c. And now we will go to the dressing room and bring you a fur coat. For now, sit down and rest. (Seats Gerda in a chair.) That's it. Won't you be afraid alone?

Gerd a. No, I will not. Thank you.

P r i n c. Just don't go to the royal half. And no one will dare to touch you on ours.

A princess. In fact, it's almost midnight. And at midnight, the ghost of my great-great-great-grandfather, Eric the Third, the Desperate, often appears in this room. He stabbed his aunt to death three hundred years ago and has been unable to calm down ever since.

P r i n c. But don't pay any attention to him.

A princess. We will leave these candelabra. (claps hands.)

Enter two footmen.

The lackeys disappear and immediately reappear with new candelabra.

P r i n c. Well, Gerda, don't be shy.

A princess. Well, Gerda, we are now.

Gerd a. Thanks Elsa! Thanks Klaus! You are very nice guys.

The Prince and Princess run off, followed by two footmen.

Still, I will never go to palaces again in my life. They're very old. Goosebumps all run like that, and run along the back.

There is a loud deep ringing sound. The clock strikes.

Midnight ... Now my great-great-grandfather will come in his head. Well, it is, it goes. What a nuisance! What will I talk to him about? Walking. Well, yes, that's him.

The door swings open, and a tall, majestic man in an ermine robe and crown enters the hall.

(Politely, crouching.) Hello, great-great-great-great-grandfather.

HUMAN (for some time, throwing back his head, looks at Gerda). What? What? Whom?

Gerd a. Oh, don't be angry, I beg you. After all, it's really not my fault that you... that you quarreled with your aunt.

Man: Do you think I'm Eric the Third, the Desperate?

Gerd a. And isn't that so, sir?

Man. No! Before you stands Eric the Twenty-Ninth. Do you hear?

Gerd a. And who did you kill, sir?

Man. Are you laughing at me? Do you know that when I get angry, even the fur on my robe stands on end?

Gerd a. Please forgive me if I said something wrong. I have never seen ghosts before and I don't know how to deal with them at all.

Man: But I'm not a ghost at all!

Gerd a. And who are you, sir?

Man. I am the king. Princess Elsa's father. I should be called "your majesty".

Gerd a. Oh, sorry, Your Majesty, I misunderstood.

King. Recognized! Sassy Girl! (Sits down.) Do you know what time it is?

Gerd a. Twelve, your majesty.

King. That's what it is. And the doctors ordered me to go to bed at ten. And all this because of you.

Gerd a. How about me?

King. Ah... very simple. Come here and I'll tell you everything.

Gerda takes a few steps and stops.

Come on. What are you doing? Think, you understand me, you make me wait. Hurry!

Gerd a. I'm sorry, but I'm not going.

King. Like this?

Gerd a. You see, my friends did not advise me to leave the half of the princess.

King. I can't yell across the room. Go here.

Gerd a. Will not go.

King. And I say that you will go!

Gerd a. And I say no!

King. Here! Listen, you chicken!

Gerd a. I beg you not to yell at me. Yes, yes, your majesty. I have seen so much during this time that I am not at all frightened of you, but only I myself also begin to get angry. You, Your Majesty, probably did not have to go at night through a foreign country, along an unfamiliar road. And I had to. Something is howling in the bushes, something is coughing in the grass, in the sky the moon is as yellow as a yolk, not at all the same as at home. And you keep going, going, going. Do you really think that after all this I will be afraid in the room?

King. Ah, that's it! Are not you afraid? Well then, let's make peace. I love the brave. Give me a hand. Do not be afraid!

Gerd a. I'm not afraid at all. (She holds out her hand to the king.)

The king grabs Gerda and drags her to his half.

King. Whoa, guard!

The door swings open. Two guards run into the room. With a desperate move, Gerda manages to break free and run away into the half of the princess.

Gerd a. This is a fraud! It's not fair!..

King (to the guards). Why are you standing here and listening? Go away!

The guards leave.

What are you doing? You scold me, you understand - me, in front of my subjects. It's me... Look, it's me, the king.

Gerd a. Your Majesty, tell me, please, why are you attached to me? I behave quietly, do not touch anyone. What do you want from me?

King. I was awakened by the princess, she says - Gerda is here. And the whole palace knows your history. I came to talk to you, to ask questions, to look at you, and you suddenly do not go to my quarter. Of course, I got angry. I became embarrassed. And the king has a heart, girl.

Gerd a. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you at all.

King. Well, what is there. OK. I have calmed down now and, perhaps, I will go to sleep.

Gerd a. Good night, your majesty. Do not be angry at me.

King. What are you, I'm not angry at all ... I give you my word of honor, the royal word. Are you looking for a boy named Kay?

Gerd a. I'm looking for your majesty.

King. I will help you in your search. (Removes a ring from his finger.) It's a magic ring. The one who owns it immediately finds what he is looking for - a thing or a person, it doesn't matter. Do you hear?

Gerd a. Yes, your majesty.

King. I give you this ring. Take him. Well, what are you? Ah, you still don't believe me... (Laughs) What a funny girl! Well, look. I hang this ring on a carnation, and I myself leave. (Laughs good-naturedly.) That's how kind I am. Good night girl.

Gerd a. Good night, king.

King. Well. I'm leaving. See? (Exits.)

Gerd a. Gone. How to be here? (Takes a step towards the devil and stops.) There, and his steps have died away. In any case, by the time he runs from the door to me, I will always have time to get away. Well... Once. two three! (Running, grabs the ring.)

Suddenly, in the wall, just where the ring hangs, a door swings open, and the king and guards jump out from there. They cut Gerda off the road to half the princess.

King. What? Whose took? Have you forgotten that every palace has secret doors? Take her!..

The guards move awkwardly towards Gerda. They're trying to grab her. They don't succeed. Finally, one of the guards catches Gerda, but screams and immediately releases her. Gerda is back in the half of the princess.

(Roaring) Clumsy animals! Die on palace bread!

Guard: She pricked me with a needle.

King. Out!

The guards leave.

Gerd a. Shame on you, shame on you king!

King. Do not be silly! The king has the right to be treacherous.

Gerd a. Shame, shame!

King. Don't you dare tease me! Or I will move to the princess half and grab you.

Gerd a. Just try.

King. Devil... Okay, I'll explain everything to you... You insulted the councilor...

Gerd a. What? Advisor? He is here?

King. Well, of course, here. You and that...your grandmother didn't sell him something there... Roses or something... And now he demands that I imprison you in a dungeon. Agree to it! I myself will choose a drier place in the dungeon for you.

Gerd a. How does the adviser know that I'm here?

King. He followed you. Well! Agree then... Yes, you enter into my position... I owe this adviser a lot of money. The mountains! I'm in his hands. If I don't grab you, he will ruin me. He will stop the supply of ice, and we will be left without ice cream. He will stop the supply of edged weapons - and the neighbors will beat me. Understand? Please, please, let's go to the dungeon. Now I'm completely honest, I assure you.

Gerd a. I believe, but I will not go to prison for anything. I need to find Kay.

An adviser comes out of a secret door. The king winces.

COUNSELOR (looks into a lorgnette). With your permission, sir, I am amazed. Has she been captured yet?

King. As you can see.

Counselor (slowly moving towards the line). The king must be: "a" as cold as snow, "b" as hard as ice, and "c" as fast as a snow whirlwind.

King. She's half princess.

Counselor. Nonsense! (Jumps over the line, grabs Gerda and covers her mouth with a handkerchief.) That's it!

With a storyteller (jumping from a secret door). No, that's not all, counselor. (Pushes the adviser away and frees Gerda.)

Counsellor. Are you here?

With a z o ch and k. Yes. (Hugging Gerda.) I changed clothes beyond recognition and followed your every step, adviser. And when you left the city, I followed.

Counsellor. Call the guards, sire.

With a storyteller (pulls out a pistol). Don't move, king, or I'll shoot you. Be quiet... And don't move, counselor. So. When I was eight years old, I made myself a puppet theater and wrote a play for it.

The adviser looks attentively at the storyteller through a lorgnette.

And in this play I had a king. "What do kings say?" I thought. "Of course, not like all people." And I got a German dictionary from a student neighbor, and in my play the king spoke to his daughter like this: "Dear tochter, sit down at the der tysh and eat di zuker." And only now, finally, will I know for sure how the king speaks to his daughter.

Counselor (draws his sword). Call the guards, my lord. The gun won't fire! The storyteller forgot to put gunpowder on the shelf.

The storyteller (acting somewhat clumsily, quickly takes the pistol under his arm, draws his sword and again aims with his left hand at the king). Get out of the way, my lord! What if the gun goes off...

The storyteller fights the advisor, aiming at the king.

GERDA (squeals). Klaus, Elsa!

Counselor. Call the guards, sire! The gun is not loaded.

King. And he says he's loaded.

Counselor. He will miss anyway.

King. Well, how not to miss? After all, then I, you know - I will be killed.

C o v e t n i k. Well, okay! I can handle this clumsy man myself.

With a s o c h n and k. Try it! Once! Yep, hit it.

Counsellor: No, by.

Fighting, they come to the very line. The king jumps with unexpected ease and, stretching his leg across the boundary line, trips the storyteller.

With a s o ch n and k (falling). King! You gave me a leg!

King. Aha! (Running, screaming.) Guards! Guard!

Gerd a. Klaus, Elsa!

The storyteller tries to get up, but the adviser put his sword to his throat.

Counsellor: Don't scream or move, girl, or I'll stab him.

Two guards run in.

King. Grab this person. His head is on my soil.

Counsellor: Take this girl too.

As soon as the guards take a step, the prince and princess with their lackeys run into the room. The prince has a whole pile of fur coats in his hands. Seeing everything that is happening, the prince throws his fur coats on the floor, flies up to the adviser and grabs his hand. The storyteller jumps up.

P r i n c. What is it? We lingered there, we couldn't find the keys, and you don't offend our guest?

Gerd a. They want to imprison me.

A princess. Let them just try.

Gerd a. The king nearly killed my best friend! He gave him a leg. (Hugs the storyteller.)

A princess. Ah, that's how... Well, now, sire, you won't see the light. Now, now I'm starting to act up...

P r i n c. Once! Gerda, we brought you three fur coats.

A princess. Try which one suits you best.

P r i n c. Once! Put on the first one you get! Live!

The councilor is whispering something to the king. Gerda is getting dressed.

King and lord, I advise you not to touch us anymore.

A princess. Dad, if you don't stop, I will never eat anything at dinner in my life.

P r i n c. What are you talking about there? How are you not ashamed to mess with children?

King. We don't talk at all. We're just... chatting.

P r i n c. Well look!

Enter Raven and Crow.

Raven and Raven (in chorus). Kar-ret filed!

P r i n c. Well done! I commend you for this ribbon over your shoulder and this very ... garter with bells.

Raven and crow bow low.

Are you ready, Gerda? Let's go. (To the storyteller.) Are you with us?

With a s o c h n and k. No. I will stay here, and if the adviser takes it into his head to follow Gerda, I will not let him take a step. I'll catch up with you, Gerda.

Counsellor. Nonsense.

A princess. Well, look, dad!

PRINCE (picks up coats from the floor). We are not so easy to deal with, my lord. Let's go.

They leave. In front of Gerda, accompanied by lackeys. Behind her is a prince and a princess. behind crows and raven.

King (to the guards). Sound the alarm. (Leaves with long steps.)

Now the sounds of trumpets and drums, whistles, screams, clang of weapons are heard. The big bell rings.

S tarist: What is this noise?

Counsellor: Soon everything will be over, writer. The king's servants will attack Gerda and capture her.

With a s o c h n and k. They will not seize. These overweight lackeys aren't so smart, Counselor.

Counselor. They'll seize you. Well, what is the power of gold, storyteller? It was enough for me to say a word - and now the whole huge palace is buzzing and shaking.

The storyteller. The whole huge palace is shaking and buzzing because of a little girl who does not have a penny. What is it about gold?

Counselor. And despite the fact that the girl will end up in a dungeon.

Spoken. And I'm sure she'll run away.

The king enters.

King. They grabbed her.

With a s o c h n and k. How?

King. And it's very simple. When the alarm was raised, they put out the light, thinking to hide in the dark, but my brave soldiers caught your Gerda.

Knock on the door.

They brought her! Sign in.

The guard enters and introduces Gerda. She is crying, covering her face with her muff.

Well, there it is! What is there to cry, I do not understand. After all, I will not eat you, but simply imprison you in a dungeon.

With a s o c h n and k. Gerda! Gerda!

K o r o l (triumphantly). That's what it is!

Knock on the door.

Who eats there? Sign in!

The guard enters and introduces another Gerda. She is crying, covering her face with her muff.

Well, that's what I knew. All this hassle has driven me crazy. Two!

Both Gerdas lower their clutches. It's a prince and a princess. They laugh.

Counsellor. Prince and princess?

With a narrator (triumphantly). That's what it is!

King. Yes, how is it so?

P r i n c. And it's very simple. You saw that we brought three fur coats for Gerda. She put on one...

A princess. ... and we are in the dark - the rest.

P r i n c. And the guards chased after us.

A princess. And Gerda rushes in her carriage.

P r i n c. And you can't catch up with her. Never!

With a z o ch n and k. Well done!

King. I'll count with you, my dear!

Counsellor: You won't catch up with her anyway, writer.

A princess. What?

P r i n c. This is what we'll see!

The storyteller. You lost, adviser.

Counsellor: The game is not over yet, writer!

ACT THREE

The storyteller (appears in front of the curtain). Creeble-crable-booms is going great. The king and councilor wanted to seize me. Another moment - and I would have to sit in the dungeon and compose fairy tales about a prison rat and heavy chains. But Klaus attacked the adviser, Elsa attacked the king and cribble-crable-booms - I am free, I am walking on the road. Everything is going great. The adviser was scared. Where there is friendship, loyalty, a warm heart, he can't do anything. He went home; Gerda rides in a carriage on four blacks. and crible-crable-booms - the poor boy will be saved. True, the carriage, unfortunately, is gold, and gold is a very heavy thing. Therefore, the horses are driving the carriage not so very quickly. But I caught up with her! The girl is sleeping, but I could not resist and ran ahead on foot. I walk tirelessly - left, right, left, right - only sparks fly from under my heels. Although late autumn is already, the sky is clear, dry, the trees are in silver - this was the first frost. The road goes through the forest. Those birds that are afraid of a cold have already flown south, but - crible-crable-booms - how cheerfully, how cheerfully whistle those that were not afraid of the cool. Lusha just rejoices. One minute! Listen! I want you to hear the birds too. Do you hear?

There is a long, piercing, ominous whistle. In the distance, another answers.

What? Yes, they are not birds.

There is an ominous distant laughter, hooting, screaming.

(Pulls out a pistol and looks at it.) Robbers! And the carriage flies without any protection. (Concerned.) Creeble-crable-booms... (Hiding behind the curtain.)

Semi-circular room, apparently located inside the tower. When the curtain rises, the room is empty. Outside the door someone whistles three times. He is answered by three other whistles. The doors open and the first robber enters the room. He leads a man in a raincoat by the hand. The man's eyes are covered with a handkerchief. The ends of the scarf fall on the person's face, so that the viewer does not see it. Now the second door opens, and an elderly woman with glasses enters the room. A wide-brimmed bandit hat is worn on one side. She smokes a pipe.

A t a m a n sh a. Take off his handkerchief.

The first robbery. Please. (Removes the handkerchief from the man in the raincoat. This is the adviser.)

A t a m a n sh a. What you need?

Counsel. Hello, ma'am. I need to see the leader of the robbers.

A t a m a n sh a. It's me.

Counselor. You?

A t a m a n sh a. Yes. After my husband died of a cold, I took matters into my own hands. What do you want?

Counsellor: I want to tell you a few words in confidence.

A t a m a n sh a. Johannes, get out!

The first robbery. I obey! (Goes to the door.)

A t a m a n sh a. Just don't eavesdrop or I'll shoot you.

First robbery. What are you, atamansha! (Exits.)

A t a m a n sh a. Unless you've bothered me over trifles, you won't get out of here alive.

C o v e n i k. Nonsense! We will get along great.

A t a m a n sh a. Get on, get on!

Counsellor: I can point you to a magnificent booty.

A t a m a n sh a. Well?

Counselor. Now a golden carriage drawn by four black horses will pass along the road; she is from the royal stable.

A t a m a n sh a. Who is in the carriage?

Counsellor. Girl.

A t a m a n sh a. Is there security?

Counselor. No.

A t a m a n sh a. So. However... is the carriage really golden?

Counselor. Yes. And so she rides quietly. She is close, I just overtook her. They can't get away from you.

A t a m a n sh a. So. What share of the booty do you require?

Counsellor: You will have to give me the girl.

A t a m a n sh a. Here's how?

Counselor. Yes. This is a poor girl, you will not be given a ransom for her.

A t a m a n sh a. A beggar girl rides in a golden carriage?

Counsellor. Prince Klaus gave her the coach for a while. The girl is poor. I have reasons to hate her. You will give me the girl, and I will take her away.

A t a m a n sh a. You'll take me away... It means that you also came here in a carriage.

Counselor. Yes.

A t a m a n sh a. In gold?

Counselor. No.

A t a m a n sh a. Where is your carriage?

Counsellor: I won't tell.

A t a m a n sh a. It's a pity. We would have taken her too. So you want to take the girl away?

Counselor. Yes. However, if you insist, I may not take her away. On one condition: the girl must stay here forever.

A t a m a n sh a. Okay, we'll see. Is the carriage close?

Counsellor. Very close.

A t a m a n sh a. Aha! (Puts fingers in mouth and whistles deafeningly.)

The first robber runs in.

F irst robber: What do you order?

A t a m a n sh a. Ladder and spyglass.

F irst breakup. Listen, sir!

The atamansha climbs the stirrup ladder and looks into the loophole.

A t a m a n sh a. Aha! Well, I see you didn't lie. The carriage rides along the road and everything sparkles.

Counselor (rubs his hands). Gold!

A t a m a n sh a. Gold!

F irst robbery. Gold!

A t a m a n sh a. Trumpet collection. (Whistle.)

First robbery. I obey. (Blows a trumpet, which he removes from a nail on the wall.)

He is answered by pipes behind the wall, the beat of a drum, the noise of steps on the stairs, the clang of weapons.

A tamansha (girding himself with a sword). Johannes! Send someone here. You need to stand on the clock next to this person.

Counsel. Why?

A t a m a n sh a. Need. Johannes, do you hear what I said?

The first robber. No one will go, atamansha.

A t a m a n sh a. Why?

The first robber. Robbers are impatient people. When they heard about the golden carriage, they went completely mad. Not one will remain, so they rush to seize the carriage.

A t a m a n sh a. How does everyone know about the carriage? You were eavesdropping.

The first robbery. I - no. They - yes.

A t a m a n sh a. Then came this ... bearded man, who came to ask to be a robber. He is new, he will come.

First robbery. I'll try. But only ... He is a newcomer to us. In general, this is an old robber. I talked to him. He, too, is mad and roars like the others. Good guy, fierce.

A t a m a n sh a. Nothing, listen. If he doesn't listen, we'll shoot him. Go.

The first robber leaves.

Well, dear friend. If you deceived us, if we meet an ambush near the carriage, you will not get out of here alive.

Counselor. Nonsense! Hurry up! The carriage is very close.

A t a m a n sh a. Don't teach me!

Knock on the door.

A savage-looking bearded man enters.

You won't come with us!

B o r o d a h. Atamansha! Take me! I will try so hard that only sparks will fly. In combat, I am a beast.

A t a m a n sh a. There will be no fight. There is no security. A coachman, a footman and a girl.

B o r o d a h. Girl! Take me, chieftain. I'll stab her.

A t a m a n sh a. What for?

B o r o d a h. I have hated children since childhood.

A t a m a n sh a. You never know. You will stay here. Watch this man and if he decides to run, kill him! Don't mind, I'll shoot you.

B o r o d a h. Well, okay ...

A t a m a n sh a. Look. (Goes to the door.)

B o r o d a h. No fluff to you, no feather.

The ataman leaves.

COUNSELOR (very pleased, humming). Two times two is four, everything is going sensibly. Two times two is four, everything is going as it should!

Five five - twenty five, thank the queen. Six six - thirty-six, woe to impudent children. (Turns to the robber.) You don't like children either, robber?

B o r o d a h. I hate it.

Counselor. Well done!

Beard. I would keep all the children in a cage until they grow up.

Counsellor: A very reasonable idea. How long have you been in this gang?

B o r o d a h. Not very well. With only half an hour. I won't be here for long. I go from gang to gang all the time. I quarrel. I am a desperate person.

C o v e t n and k. Excellent! You can be useful to me for one business!

B o r o d a h. For money?

Counselor. Of course.

Screams come from afar.

Aha! (Goes to the ladder.) I want to see what's going on there.

B o r o d a h. Go ahead!

COUNSELOR (goes up to the loopholes and looks through the spyglass). This is very funny! The coachman tries to make the horses run, but gold is a heavy thing.

B o r o d a h. And ours?

Counselor. They surround the carriage. The coachman is running. They grab the girl. Ha ha ha! And who's running away? Storyteller! Run, run hero! Fine!

An explosion of screams.

All. The storyteller is dead. (Gets down the stairs. Humming.) Everything is going as it should, twice two is four.

Boroda: I hope they didn't kill the girl?

Counsellor. As if not. And what?

B o r o d a h. I want to do it myself.

Counselor (puts his hand on the bearded man's shoulder). Robber, I like you.

Borodach. How cold your hands are, I can feel it even through my clothes.

Counsellor: All my life I have been fiddling with ice. My normal temperature is thirty-three and two. Are there no children here?

B o r o d a h. Of course not!

C o v e t n i k. Excellent!

An approaching clatter of hooves is heard.

They're coming! They're coming! There are no children here, a nasty girl, a storyteller is killed - who will intercede for you?

Noise, screams. The door swings open. The chieftain and the first robber enter the room. Behind them is a crowd of robbers. They lead Gerda.

A t a m a n sh a. Hey you stranger! You are free! You didn't deceive us!

Counsellor: I remind you of our condition, atamansha. Give me the girl!

A t a m a n sh a. You can take her with you.

Gerd a. No no!

Counselor. Be quiet! Nobody will stand up for you here. Your friend the writer has been killed.

Gerd a. Killed?

Counselor. Yes. This is very good. Do you have a rope, chieftain? It will be necessary to tie the girl hand and foot.

A t a m a n sh a. It's possible. Johannes, tie her up!

Gerd a. Wait, dear robbers, wait a minute!

The robbers are laughing.

That's what I wanted to tell you, robbers. Take my fur coat, hat, gloves, muff, fur boots, and let me go, and I will go my own way.

The robbers are laughing.

Robbers, I didn't say anything funny. Adults often laugh for no reason. But try not to laugh. Please thieves. I really want you to listen to me.

The robbers are laughing.

Are you still laughing? When you want to speak very well, then, as if on purpose, thoughts get confused in your head and all the necessary words scatter. After all, there are words in the world. from which even robbers can become good...

The robbers are laughing.

The first robber. Yes, there are words that make even robbers kinder. It is: "Take ten thousand ransom thalers."

Counsellor. Reasonable.

The robbers are laughing.

Gerd a. But I'm poor. Oh, don't give me, don't give me to this man! You don't know him, you don't understand how scary he is.

Counselor. Nonsense! We understand each other very well.

Gerd a. Let me go. After all, I'm a little girl, I'll leave quietly, like a mouse, you won't even notice. Without me, Kay will die - he is a very good boy. Understand me! After all, you have friends!

B o r o d a h. Enough, girl, I'm tired of you! Don't waste words. We are serious, businesslike people, we have no friends, no wives, no family; life has taught us that the only true friend is gold!

Counselor. Reasonably said. Knit her.

Gerd a. Oh, better pull my ears or beat me if you are so angry, but just let me go! Is there really no one here who would stand up for me?

Counsel. No! Knit her.

Suddenly the door swings open, and a girl runs into the room, strong, pretty, black-haired. She has a gun on her back. She rushes to the chieftain.

(Screams.) Are there children here?

A t a m a n sh a. Hello daughter! (Gives the girl a flick on the nose.)

A small robbery. Hello mother! (Answers her the same.)

A t a m a n sh a. Hello goat! (Click.)

A small robbery. Hello goat! (Answers her the same.)

A t a m a n sh a. How did you feel, daughter?

A small robbery. Fine, mother. Shot a rabbit. And you?

A t a m a n sh a. I got a golden carriage, four black horses from the royal stables and a little girl.

LITTLE ROBBER (shouts). girl? (Notices Gerda.) True!.. Well done mother! I'm taking the girl.

Counsellor: I protest.

A small robbery. And what is this old cracker?

Counselor. But...

A small robbery. I'm not your horse, don't you dare tell me "but!" Let's go girl! Don't tremble, I can't stand this.

Gerd a. I'm not afraid. I was very happy.

A small robbery. And me too. (He pats Gerda on the cheek.) Oh, little face... I'm terribly tired of the robbers. At night they rob, and during the day they are sleepy as flies. You start playing with them, and they fall asleep. You have to stab them with a knife so that they run. Let's go to my place.

Counsellor: I protest, I protest, I protest!

A small robbery. Mom, shoot him!.. Don't be afraid, girl, until I quarreled with you, no one will lay a finger on you. Well, come to me! Mom, what did I tell you, shoot! Let's go girl...

Counsellor: What does this mean, atamansha? You are violating our terms.

A t a m a n sh a. Yes. Since my daughter took the girl for herself, I can't help it. I refuse nothing to my daughter. Children need to be pampered - then real robbers grow out of them.

Correspondent. But, chieftain! Look, ataman!

A t a m a n sh a. Enough, my dear! Rejoice in the fact that I did not fulfill my daughter's request and did not shoot you. Leave before it's too late.

There is a deep, low, melodic ringing.

Aha! It is the sound of a golden carriage. They took her to the tower. Let's go break it into pieces and share. (Goes to the door.)

With a roar, the robbers rush after the chieftain. The adviser delays the bearded man. Everyone leaves except for the two of them.

Counsellor. Don't hurry!

B o r o d a h. But they will divide the gold there.

Counsellor: You have nothing to lose. You will have to stab one of these girls.

B o r o d a h. Which one?

Counsellor. Captive.

There is a low melodic ringing, similar to the strikes of a large bell, the ringing continues throughout their conversation.

B o r o d a h. They are splitting the carriage!

Counsellor. They tell you, you have nothing to lose, I will pay you.

B o r o d a h. How much?

Counsellor. I won't offend you.

B o r o d a h. How much? I'm not a boy, I know how things are done.

Counsellor. Ten thalers.

B o r o d a h. Farewell!

Counselor. Wait a minute! You hate children. To stab a nasty girl is a pleasure.

Boroda h. One should not talk about feelings when things are done.

Counsellor. And this is the noble robber speaking!

Boroda h. Noble robbers were once, but died out. You and I are left. Business is business... A thousand thalers!

Counsellor. Five hundred...

B o r o d a h. A thousand! ..

Counsellor. Seven hundred...

B o r o d a h. A thousand! Someone is coming. Decide soon!

With o ve t n and k. Okay. Five hundred now, five hundred when it's done.

B o r o d a h. No. Keep in mind, except for me, no one will undertake this. I don't care not to live here, and the rest are afraid of the little robber!

With o ve t n and k. Okay. Take it! (Gives the bearded man a wad of money.)

B o r o d a h. Excellent.

Counsellor. And do not delay.

B o r o d a h. All right.

The ringing stops. The door opens, Gerda and the little robber enter. Gerda, seeing the adviser, screams.

A small robbery (pulling out a pistol from his belt, aims at the adviser). Are you still here? Go away!

Counselor. But I protest...

A small robbery. You, apparently, only know one word: "I protest" and "I protest." I count to three. If you don't get away, I'll shoot... Once...

Counsellor. Listen...

A small robbery. Two...

Counseling. But...

The adviser runs away.

(Laughs.) See? I told you: until we quarrel, no one will touch you. Yes, even if we quarrel, I will not let anyone hurt you. I'll kill you myself then: I really, really liked you.

Beard. Let me, little robber, say a few words to your new friend,

A small robbery. What?

B o r o d a h. Oh, please do not be angry. I wanted to say two words to her, only two words in secret.

A small robbery. I can't stand it when my girlfriends keep secrets with strangers. Get out of here!

B o r o d a h. However ...

A small robber (aims at him with a pistol). Once!

B o r o d a h. Listen! ..

A small robbery. Two!

B o r o d a h. But...

A small robbery. Three!

The bearded man runs out.

That's it. Now, I hope the adults won't bother us anymore. I really, really like you, Gerda. I will take your coat, gloves, fur boots and muff. After all, friends should share. Are you sorry?

Gerd a. No, not at all. But I'm afraid I'll freeze to death when I get to the land of the Snow Queen.

A small robbery. You won't go there! Here's another stupidity: just made friends - and suddenly leave. I have a whole menagerie: deer, pigeons, dogs, but I like you better, Gerda. Oh you, my muzzle! I keep dogs in the yard: they are huge, they can swallow a person. Yes, they often do that. And the deer is here. Now I will show it to you. (Opens the top half of one of the doors in the wall.) My deer can talk very well. This is a rare deer - northern.

Gerd a. Northern?

A small robbery. Yes. Now I will show it to you. Hey, you! (Whistles.) Come here! Well, live! (Laughs.) Afraid! I stab his neck with a sharp knife every night. He's shaking so hilariously when I do this... Come on! (Whistles) You know me! You know that I'll still make you come...

The horned head of a reindeer is shown in the upper half of the door.

See how funny! Well, say something... Silent. Never speak right away. These northerners are so silent. (Takes out a large knife from the scabbard. Passes it along the deer's neck.) Ha-ha-ha! See how funny he jumps?

Gerd a. No need.

A small robbery. From what? After all, it's a lot of fun!

Gerd a. I want to ask him. Deer, do you know where the country of the Snow Queen is?

The deer nods its head.

A small robbery. Oh, you know - well, then get out! (Slams the window.) I won't let you in anyway, Gerda.

The ataman enters. A bearded man carries a lit torch behind her. He fixes the torch in the wall.

A t a m a n sh a. Daughter, it's getting dark, we're leaving to hunt. Get some sleep.

A small robbery. OK. We'll go to bed when we talk.

A t a m a n sh a. I advise you to put the girl to bed here.

A small robbery. She will lie with me.

A t a m a n sh a. How do you know! But look! After all, if she accidentally pushes you in a dream, you will stab her with a knife.

A small robbery. Yes, that's right. Thank you mother. (to the bearded man) Hey, you! Prepare the girl's bed here. Take the straw in my room.

B o r o d a h. I obey. (Exits.)

A t a m a n sh a. He will stay to watch over you. It is true that he is a newcomer, but I have little concern for you. You can handle hundreds of enemies by yourself. Goodbye daughter. (Gives her a punch in the nose.)

A small robbery. Goodbye, mother! (Answers her the same.)

A t a m a n sh a. Sleep well, goat. (Click.)

A small robbery. No fluff, no feather, goat. (Answers her the same.)

Gerd a. I want to talk to the deer.

A small robbery. But then you will again begin to ask me to let you go.

Gerd a. I just want to ask - what if the deer saw Kay. (Screams.) Ai-ai-ai!

A small robbery. What you?

Gerd a. This robber pulled my dress!

A small robber (Bearded man). How dare you do this? What for?

B o r o d a ch. I beg your pardon, little chieftain. I shook off a bug that was crawling on her dress.

A small robbery. Beetle! .. I'll show you how to scare my girlfriends. Is the bed ready? Then get out of here! (Aims at him with a pistol.) One, two, three!

The bearded man leaves.

Gerd a. Girl! Let's talk to the deer... Two words... Only two words!

A small robbery. Well, okay, have it your way. (Opens the top half of the door.) Deer! Here! Come on! I won't tickle you with a knife.

A deer appears.

Gerd a. Tell me please, deer, have you seen the Snow Queen?

The deer nods its head.

And tell me, please, have you ever seen a little boy with her?

The deer nods its head.

GERDA and SMALL ROBBERY (grasping each other's hands, astonished). I saw!

A small robbery. Tell me now how it was.

DEER (speaks softly, in a low voice, choosing words with difficulty). I... jumped across the snowy field... It was quite light... because... the northern lights were shining... And suddenly... I saw: the Snow Queen was flying... I told her... Hello. .. But she did not answer ... She was talking to the boy. He was completely white from the cold, but he smiled... Big white birds carried his sledge...

Gerd a. Sled! So it was really Kay.

Deer. It was Kay - that's what the queen called him.

Gerd a. Well. so I knew. White from the cold! It is necessary to rub it with a mitten and then give it hot tea with raspberries. Oh, I would beat him! Silly boy! Maybe he's turned into a piece of ice now. (To the little robber.) Girl, girl, let me go!

Deer. Let go! She will sit on my back, and I will take her to the very border of the Snow Queen's domain. There is my home.

A small robbery (slams the door). That's enough, we've talked, it's time for bed. Don't you dare look at me so plaintively or I'll shoot you. I won't go with you, because I can't stand the cold, and I can't live here alone. I got attached to you. Understand?

H o l o s o l e n i (behind the door). Let go...

A small robbery. Sleep! And you go to sleep. Not another word! (He runs away to his room and immediately returns with a rope in his hands.) I will tie you with a triple secret robber knot to this ring in the wall. (Ties Gerda.) The rope is long, it won't interfere with your sleep. That's all. Sleep, my little one, sleep, my little one. I would let you go, but - judge for yourself - how can I part with you! Not a word! Get down! So... I always fall asleep right away - I do everything quickly. And you immediately fall asleep. Rope and do not try to untie. Don't you have a knife?

Gerd a. No.

A small robbery. Here is the smart one. Be quiet. Goodnight! (Runs towards him.)

Gerd a. Oh, you stupid, poor little Kay!

DEER (behind the door). Girl!

Gerd a. What?

Deer. Let's run away. I'll take you north.

Gerd a. But I'm tied.

Deer. It's nothing. You're lucky: you have fingers. It is I who cannot untie the knot with my hooves.

GERDA (fiddling with the rope). Nothing for me to do.

Deer. It's so good there... We'd rush across a huge snow field... Freedom... Freedom... Northern Lights would light the way.

Gerd a. Tell me, deer, was Kay very thin?

Deer. No. He was quite chubby... Girl, girl, let's run!

Gerd a. When I'm in a hurry, my hands tremble.

Deer. Quiet! Get down!

Gerd a. And what?

Deer. I have sensitive ears. Someone is sneaking up the stairs. Get down!

Gerda lies down. Pause. The door opens slowly. The head of a bearded man is shown. He looks around, then enters the room and closes the door behind him. Quietly sneaks up to Gerda.

GERDA (jumps up). What do you want?

B o r o d a h. I beg you, not a word! I came to save you. (Running up to Gerda and brandishing a knife.)

Gerd a. Oh!

B o r o d a h. Hush! (Cuts the rope.)

Gerd a. Who you are?

The bearded man rips off his beard and nose. This is a storyteller.

It is you? You've been killed!

The storyteller. It was not I who was wounded, but the lackey, to whom I gave my cloak. The poor fellow was terribly cold on the back of the carriage.

Gerd a. But how did you get here?

The storyteller: I overtook your carriage a lot and heard a robber whistle. What to do? Footman, coachman, I - we can not defend the golden carriage from the greedy robbers. Then I disguised myself as a robber.

Gerd a. But where did you get the beard and nose from?

S kaz o ch n and k. They have been with me for a long time. When I followed the adviser in the city, I always changed clothes beyond recognition. The beard and nose remained in my pocket and served me wonderfully. I have a thousand thalers... Let's run! In the nearest village we will find horses...

The clatter of hooves.

What is it? Are they coming back?

The first robber and chieftain enter the room.

A t a m a n sh a. Who is this?

With a s o c h n and k. What kind of question is that? You don't recognize me, chieftain?

A t a m a n sh a. No.

With a narrator (quietly). Oh, damn... I forgot to put on a beard... (Loudly.) I shaved, chieftain!

The first robbery. Yes, you shaved your nose, buddy! .. O-gey! Here!

The robbers are running.

Look, comrades, how our bearded friend has changed!

R a b o y n and k. Police dog! Bloodhound! Detective!

First Robber. What a wonderful trip, friends. As soon as they left, they caught four merchants; barely returned - they caught the detective.

GERDA (cries out). This is my friend! He came here risking his life to save me!

The robbers are laughing.

No. You've laughed enough! Girl! Girl!

The first robber. Call, call her. She will shoot you at once for wanting to run away.

Gerd a. Here! Help!

A little robber girl runs in with a pistol in her hand.

A small robbery. What happened? What? Who dared to offend you? Who is it?

Gerd a. This is my friend, the storyteller. He came to rescue me.

A small robbery. And you wanted to run? So that's what you are!

Gerd a. I would leave you a note.

The robbers are laughing.

A small robbery. Get out of here everyone! (Advances on the robbers.) And you, mother, go away! Go! Go share the loot!

The robbers are laughing.

Away! (Steps on them.)

The robbers and the ataman leave.

Oh, Gerda, Gerda. I would, perhaps, or even probably, let you go myself tomorrow.

Gerd a. Sorry.

The little robber opens the door to the menagerie. Hiding there for a moment. He goes out and brings out the deer.

A small robbery. He made me laugh a lot, but you can see, there's nothing to be done. Take a coat, hat, boots. And I won't give you my muff and gloves. I really liked them. Here are my mother's ugly mittens instead. Get on top. Kiss Me.

GERDA (kisses her). Thank you!

Deer. Thank you!

With a z o ch n and k. Thank you!

A small robber (to the storyteller). What are you thanking me for? Gerda, is this your friend who knows so many fairy tales?

Gerd a. Yes.

A small robbery. He will stay with me. He will entertain me until you return.

With a z o ch n and k. I ...

A small robbery. It's over. Ride, ride, deer, before I change my mind.

Deer (on the run). Goodbye!

Gerd a. Goodbye!

Disappear.

A small robbery. Well, what are you standing for? Speak! Tell a story, but funny. If you don't make me laugh, I'll shoot you. Well? One... Two...

With a s o c h n and k. But listen ...

A small robbery. Three!

With a s o c h n and k (almost crying). Many years ago there lived a snowball. He stood in the yard, just opposite the kitchen window. When a fire flared in the slab, the snowball trembled with excitement. And then one day he said... Poor girl! Poor Gerda! There are ice all around, the wind roars and roars. The Snow Queen wanders between the icy mountains... And Gerda, little Gerda is alone there...

The little robber wipes her tears with the handle of a pistol.

But you don't have to cry. No, don't! Honestly, still, maybe, it will end wow ... Honestly!

ACT FOUR

A section of the curtain shows the head of a reindeer. He looks around in all directions. It doesn't go further. Gerda follows him.

Gerd a. This is where the country of the Snow Queen begins?

The deer nods its head.

Then good bye. Thank you very much, deer. (Kisses him.) Run home.

Deer. Wait.

Gerd a. What to expect? You need to go without stopping, because then you will come much sooner.

Deer. Wait, the Snow Queen is very angry...

Gerd a. I know.

Deer. People once lived here, many people, and they all fled south, away from her. Now all around is snow and ice, ice and snow. This is a powerful queen.

Gerd a. I know.

Deer. And you're still not afraid?

Gerd a. No.

Gerd a. Please show me where to go.

Deer. You need to go straight north, without turning anywhere. They say that the Snow Queen is not at home today, run before she returns, run, you will warm up on the run. The palace is only two miles from here.

Gerd a. So Kay is so close! Goodbye! (Running.)

Deer. Goodbye girl.

Gerda hides.

Ah, if only she were as strong as twelve deer... But no... What can make her stronger than she is? She went around half the world, and people, animals, and birds served her. It is not for us to borrow her strength - the strength is in her ardent heart. I will not leave. I'll wait for her here. And if the girl wins, I will rejoice, and if she dies, I will cry.

PICTURE ONE

The curtain opens. Hall in the Palace of the Snow Queen. The walls of the palace are made of snowflakes that spin and curl with terrible speed. Kei sits on a large ice throne. He is pale. He has a long ice stick in his hands. He is intently sorting out with a stick the flat, pointed pieces of ice that lay at the foot of the throne. When the curtain opens, the stage is quiet. All you can hear is how dull and monotonous the howl of the wind. But then Gerda's voice is heard from afar.

Gerd a. Kay, Kay, I'm here!

Kay continues his work.

Kay! Check it out, Kay! There are so many rooms here that I'm lost.

Kay, dear, it's so empty here! There is no one to ask how to get to you, Kay!

Kay is silent.

Kay, are you really cold? Say a word. When I think you might be cold, my legs buckle, If you don't answer, I'll fall.

Kay is silent.

Please, Kay, please... (Runs into the hall and stops in her tracks.) Kay! Kay!

Gerd a. Kay, honey, it's me!

Gerd a. You forgot me?

K e y. I never forget anything.

Gerd a. Wait, Kay, I dreamed so many times that I found you... Maybe I'm dreaming again, only a very bad one.

K e y. Nonsense!

Gerd a. How dare you say that? How dare you freeze to the point that you weren't even happy about me?

K e y. Quiet.

G e r yes. Kay, are you scaring me on purpose, teasing me? Or not? Just think, I've been walking and walking for so many days - and now I found you, and you didn't even say "hello" to me.

K e y (dryly). Hello Gerda.

Gerd a. How do you say it? Think. What are you and I, in a quarrel, or what? You didn't even look at me.

K e y. I'm busy.

Gerd a. I was not afraid of the king, I left the robbers, I was not afraid to freeze, but I'm scared with you. I'm afraid to approach you. Kay, is that you?

Gerd a. And what do you do?

K e y. I have to put together the word "eternity" from these pieces of ice.

Gerd a. What for?

K e y. Don't know. The queen said so.

Gerd a. But do you like to sit like this and sort through the pieces of ice?

K e y. Yes. It's called: the ice game of the mind. And besides, if I add the word "eternity", the queen will give me the whole world and a pair of skates to boot.

Gerda rushes to Kay and hugs him. Kay obediently obeys.

Gerd a. Kay, Kay, poor boy, what are you doing, fool? Let's go home, you forgot everything here. And what's going on there! There are good people and robbers there - I saw so much while I was looking for you. And you sit and sit as if there are no children or adults in the world, as if no one is crying, laughing, but the only thing in the world is that these pieces of ice. You poor, stupid Kay!

K e y. No, I'm reasonable, right so...

Gerd a. Kay, Kay, it's all advisor, it's all queen. And if I also started playing with these pieces of ice, and the storyteller, and the little robber? Who would save you then? What about me?

K e y (uncertainly). Nonsense!

GERDA (crying and hugging Kay). Don't say, please don't say that. Let's go home, let's go! I can't leave you alone. And if I stay here, I'll freeze to death, and I really don't want that! I don't like it here. Just remember: it's already spring at home, the wheels are knocking, the leaves are blooming. Swallows have arrived and are making their nests. The sky is clear there. Do you hear, Kay, - the sky is clean, as if it had washed. Are you listening, Kay? Well, laugh that I say such nonsense. After all, the sky does not wash, Kay! Kay!

K e y (uncertainly). You... you bother me.

Gerd a. It's spring there, we'll come back and go to the river when grandma has free time. We'll put her on the grass. We'll rub her hands. After all, when she does not work, her hands hurt. Do you remember? After all, we wanted to buy her a comfortable chair and glasses... Kay! Everything is going badly without you in the yard. Do you remember the locksmith's son, his name was Hans? The one who is always sick. So, he was beaten by a neighbor's boy, the one whom we called Bulka.

K e y. From someone else's yard?

Gerd a. Yes. Are you listening, Kay? He pushed Hans. Hans is thin, he fell and hurt his knee, and scratched his ear, and cried, and I thought: "If Kay was at home, I would stand up for him." Is it true, Kay?

K e y. Truth. (Restlessly.) I'm cold.

Gerd a. See? I did tell you. And they also want to drown the poor dog. Her name was Trezor. Shaggy, remember? Do you remember how she loved you? If you were at home, you would have saved her... And Ole jumps the farthest now. Beyond you. And the neighbor's cat has three kittens. We will be given one. And the grandmother is crying and standing at the gate. Kay! Do you hear? It's raining, but she's still standing and waiting, waiting...

K e y. Gerda! Gerda, is that you? (Jumps up.) Gerda! What happened? You cry? Who dared to offend you? How did you get here? How cold it is here! (Tries to get up and walk - his legs do not obey him well.)

Gerd a. Let's go! Nothing, nothing, go! Let's go... Like this. You will learn. The legs will come apart. We'll get there, we'll get there, we'll get there!

PICTURE TWO

Scenery of the first act. The window is open. By the window in the chest is a rose bush without flowers. The stage is empty. Someone loudly and impatiently knocks on the door. Finally, the door swings open, and the little robber and the storyteller enter the room.

A small robbery. Gerda! Gerda! (Quickly walks around the whole room, peeps in the bedroom door.) There you go! I knew it, she hadn't returned yet! (Rushes to the table.) Look, look, a note. (Reads.) "Children! There are buns, butter and cream in the cupboard. Everything is fresh. Eat, don't wait for me. Oh, how I missed you. Grandmother." See, it means she hasn't come yet!

With a z o ch n and k. Yes.

A small robbery. If you look at me with those eyes, I will stab you in the side with a knife. How dare you think she's dead!

With a s o c h n and k. I don't think so.

A small robbery. Then smile. Of course, this is very sad - how much time has passed, but there is not a word about them. But little is...

With a s o c h n and k. Of course ...

A small robbery. Where is her favorite place? Where did she sit most of the time?

With a s o c h n and k. Right here.

A small robbery. I'll sit here and I'll sit until she comes back! Yes Yes! It can't be that such a good girl and suddenly died. Do you hear?

With a s o c h n and k. I hear.

A small robbery. Am I right?

With a z about h n and k. In general - yes. Good people always win in the end.

A small robbery. Certainly!

The storyteller. But some of them sometimes die without waiting for victory.

A small robbery. Don't you dare say that!

With a z o ch n and k. Ice is ice; he doesn't care if Gerda is a good girl or not.

A small robbery. She can handle the ice.

The storyteller: She will get there eventually. And back she would have to lead Kay. And he weakened after spending so much time locked up.

A small robbery. If she doesn't come back, I'll be at war with this ice advisor and the Snow Queen for the rest of my life.

With a s o c h n and k. And if she returns?

A small robbery. I will anyway. Come and sit next to me. You are my only consolation. Only if you ever take a breath, say goodbye to life!

With a s o c h n and k. It is getting dark. Grandma is coming soon.

The raven sits on the window. He has a ribbon over his shoulder.

Crow. Hello mister storyteller.

With a z o ch n and k. Raven! Hello dear! How glad I am to see you!

Crow. And I'm glad! I am so glad that I will ask you to call me simply Raven in the future, although now I should be called: Your Excellency. (He straightens the ribbon with his beak.)

The storyteller: Have you come to find out if Gerda has returned?

Crow. I did not fly, I arrived, but just for this purpose. Gerda didn't come home?

With a s o c h n and k. No.

Raven (shouting out the window). Cre-ra! Cre-ra! Clara! They haven't returned yet, but Mr. Storyteller is present here. Report this to their highnesses.

With a z o ch n and k. How! Klaus and Elsa are here?

Crow. Yes, their highnesses have arrived here.

A small robbery. Are they also tired of waiting for Gerda day and night, morning and evening? And they, too, decided to find out if she had returned straight to her place?

Crow. Quite right, little lady. So many fleeting days have sunk into the river of time that our impatience has crossed the limits of the probable. Ha ha ha! Do I speak well?

A small robbery. Wow.

Crow. After all, I am now a real court scholar raven. (He straightens the ribbon with his beak.) I married Clara and am with the prince and the princess.

The door opens. Enter Prince, Princess, and Crow.

Prince (to the storyteller). Hello old friend. Gerda didn't come? And we only talk about it.

A princess. And when we don't talk, we think about it.

P r i n c. And when we do not think, we see it in a dream.

A princess. And these dreams are often terrible.

P r i n c. And we decided to come here to see if we heard anything. especially since the house is very sad.

A princess. Papa trembles and sighs: he is afraid of the adviser.

P r i n c. We will not return to the palace again. We will go to school here. Girl, who are you?

A small robbery. I am a little robber. You gave Gerda four horses, and I gave her my favorite reindeer. He rushed north and has not returned until now.

With a s o c h n and k. It was already completely dark. (Closes the window and lights the lamp.) Children, children! My mother - she was a washerwoman - had no money to pay for my teaching. And I went to school as an adult. When I was in the fifth grade, I was eighteen years old. I was the same height as now, but even more clumsy. And the guys teased me, and I told them stories to save myself. And if a good man in my fairy tale got into trouble, the guys shouted: "Save him now, long-legged, otherwise we will beat you." And I saved him... Oh, if only I could save Kay and Gerda so easily!

A small robbery. It was necessary to go not here, but to the north, to meet her. Then maybe we could save her...

S takatnik: But we thought that the children were already at home.

The door swings open, and the grandmother almost runs into the room.

Grandmother. We're back! (Embraces the little robber girl.) Gerda... Oh, no! (He rushes to the prince.) Kay! .. No again ... (Looks at the princess.) And it's not her ... But these are birds. (He peers at the storyteller.) But you are really you ... Hello, my friend! What about the children? Are you... are you afraid to say?

Crow. Oh no, I assure you - we just don't know anything. Believe me. Birds never lie.

Grandmother. Forgive me... But every evening, returning home, I saw the dark window of our room from the yard. “Maybe they came and went to bed,” I thought. I got up, ran to the bedroom - no, the beds were empty. Then I searched every corner. "Maybe they hid in order to suddenly please me later," I thought. And she didn't find anyone. And today, when I saw the lighted window, thirty years flew off my shoulders. I ran upstairs at a run, went in, and my years again fell on my shoulders: the children had not returned yet.

A small robbery. Sit down, grandmother, dear grandmother, and don't break my heart, and I can't stand it. Sit down, dear, otherwise I will shoot everyone with a pistol.

B a b u sh k a (sits down). I recognized everyone from the letters of the storyteller. This is Klaus, this is Elsa, this is the little robber, this is Karl, this is Clara. Sit down please. I'll catch my breath a little and treat you to tea. You don't have to look at me so sadly. Nothing, it's all nothing. Maybe they will come back.

A small robbery. May be! Forgive me, grandma, I can't take it anymore. A person should not say "maybe". (To the storyteller.) Tell me! Tell a funny story right now, one that will make us smile if Gerda and Kay come. Well? Once! Two! Three!

Spoken. Once upon a time there were steps. There were many of them - a whole family, and all of them were called together: a ladder. They lived on steps in a large house, between the ground floor and the attic. The steps of the first floor were proud of the steps of the second. But those had a consolation - they did not put a penny on the steps of the third. Only the stairs leading to the attic had no one to despise. "But we are closer to heaven," they said. "We are so sublime!" But in general, the steps lived together and creaked together when someone went upstairs. However, they called their creaking singing ... "And they listen to us very willingly," they assured. "Grandma! Children! And let's hear if the steps finally creak. Hear? Someone is walking, and the steps are singing underfoot. The steps of the fifth floor are already singing. These are good people, because under the feet of bad people the steps grumble like dogs. Getting closer, closer! Come here! Here!

Grandma gets up; everything behind her.

You hear? The steps rejoice. They creak like violins. Come! I'm sure it...

The door swings open with a bang, and the Snow Queen and an advisor enter the room.

The Snow Queen. Please return the boy to me immediately. Do you hear? Otherwise, I will turn you all to ice.

Counsellor: And after that I will split you into pieces and sell you. Do you hear?

Grandmother. But the boy is not here.

Counseling. Lies!

Spoken man. That is the pure truth, Counsellor.

The Snow Queen. Lie. You hide it around here somewhere. (To the storyteller.) Do you dare to smile?

With a z o ch n and k. Yes. Until now, we did not know for certain that Gerda had found Kay. And now we know.

The Snow Queen. Pathetic tricks! Kay, Kay, come to me! They hide you boy, but I came for you. Kay! Kay!

Counsellor: The boy has an icy heart! He is ours!

With a z o ch n and k. No!

Counselor. Yes. You hide it here.

With a s o c h n and k. Well, try it, find it.

The adviser quickly walks around the room, runs into the bedroom, returns.

The Snow Queen. Well?

Counsellor: He is not here.

The Snow Queen. Fine. So the daring children died along the way. Let's go!

The little robber rushes to cross her, the prince and princess run up to the little robber. All three join hands. Bravely blocking the queen's way.

Keep in mind, dear ones, that it is enough for me to wave my hand - and then complete silence will reign forever.

A small robbery. Wave your arms, legs, tail, we won't let you out anyway!

The Snow Queen waves her hands. There is a howl and whistle of the wind. The little robber laughs.

P r i n c. I didn't even get cold.

A princess. I catch a cold very easily, and now I don’t even catch a cold.

The storyteller (approaches the children, takes the little robber by the hand). Those with warm hearts...

Counselor. Nonsense!

With a s o ch n and k. You will not turn into ice!

Correspondent. Make way for the queen!

Babushka (approaches the storyteller and takes his hand). Excuse me, Mr. Councilor, but we will not let you pass for anything. What if the children are close - and you will attack them! No, no, you can't, you can't!

Counsellor: You will pay for this!

With a s o c h n and k. No, we will win!

Counselor. Never! Our power will not end. Rather, wagons will run without horses; rather, people will fly through the air like birds.

Spoken man: Yes, that's how it will be, counselor.

Counselor. Nonsense! Way to the queen!

With a s o c h n and k. No.

Hold the door!

Grandmother. Now I will turn on the light.

Light flashes. The Councilor and the Snow Queen have disappeared, despite the fact that the door is held by the prince, the princess and the little robber.

Where are they?

Crow. Her Majesty...

V o r o n .... and their excellency ...

Vorona .... deigned to depart ...

V o r o n .... through a broken window.

A small robbery. We need to catch up with them quickly...

Grandmother. Oh! Look! Rose bush, our rose bush has blossomed again! What does it mean?

Spoken. It means ... it means ... (He rushes to the door.) That's what it means!

The door swings open. Behind the door Gerda and Kay. Grandma hugs them. Noise.

A small robber. Grandma, look: it's Gerda!

P r i n c. Grandma, look: it's Kay!

A princess. Grandma, look: it's both of them!

Vo r o n and V o r o n a. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

K e y. Grandma, I won't do it again, I won't ever do it again!

Gerd a. Grandma, he had a heart of ice. But I hugged him, cried, cried - and his heart took and melted.

K e y. And we went slowly at first ...

Gerd a. And then faster and faster.

With a s o c h n and k. And - crible-crable-booms - you came home. And your friends were waiting for you, and the roses bloomed at your arrival, and the adviser and the queen fled, breaking the window. Everything is going great - we are with you, - you are with us, and we are all together. What will the enemies do to us while our hearts are hot? Never mind! Let them show up and we'll tell them: "Hey, you! Snip-snap-snurre..."

In with e (in chorus). Purre baselurre!

Fairy tale Snow Queen read:

Mirror and its fragments

Let's start! When we reach the end of our history, we will know more than we do now. So, once upon a time there was a troll, feisty-preslying; it was the devil himself. Once he was in a particularly good mood: he made such a mirror in which everything good and beautiful was utterly reduced, yet the worthless and ugly, on the contrary, appeared even brighter, it seemed even worse. The most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach in it, and the best of people looked like freaks, or it seemed that they were standing upside down, but they had no bellies at all! Faces were distorted to the point that it was impossible to recognize them; if someone had a freckle or a mole on his face, it spread all over his face. The devil was terribly amused by all this. A kind, pious human thought was reflected in the mirror with an unimaginable grimace, so that the troll could not help laughing, rejoicing at his invention. All the students of the troll - he had his own school - talked about the mirror as if it were some kind of miracle.

“Now only,” they said, “you can see the whole world and people in their true light!

And so they ran with the mirror everywhere; soon there was not a single country, not a single person left that would not be reflected in it in a distorted form. Finally, they wanted to get to heaven to laugh at the angels and the Creator himself. The higher they climbed, the more the mirror grimaced and writhed from grimaces; they could barely hold it in their hands. But then they got up again, and suddenly the mirror was so warped that it escaped from their hands, flew to the ground and shattered. Millions, billions of its fragments, however, have done even more trouble than the mirror itself.

Some of them were no more than a grain of sand, scattered around the wide world, fell, it happened, into people's eyes, and so they remained there. A person with such a shard in his eye began to see everything upside down or to notice only the bad sides in every thing - after all, each shard retained the property that distinguished the mirror itself. For some people, the fragments hit right in the heart, and this was the worst: the heart turned into a piece of ice. Between these fragments there were also large ones, such that they could be inserted into window frames, but it was not worth looking at your good friends through these windows. Finally, there were also such fragments that went on glasses, only the trouble was if people put them on in order to look at things and judge them more correctly! And the evil troll laughed to the point of colic, the success of this invention tickled him so pleasantly. But many more fragments of the mirror flew around the world. Let's hear about them.

boy and girl

In a big city, where there are so many houses and people that not everyone and everyone manages to fence off at least a small place for a garden, and where, therefore, most of the inhabitants have to be content with indoor flowers in pots, there lived two poor children, but they had a garden larger than a flower pot. They were not related, but they loved each other like brother and sister. Their parents lived in the attics of adjacent houses. The roofs of the houses almost converged, and under the ledges of the roofs there was a gutter, which fell just under the window of each attic. It was worth, thus, to step out of some window onto the gutter, and you could find yourself at the window of the neighbors.

My parents each had a large wooden box; roots grew in them and small bushes of roses, one in each, showered with wonderful flowers. It occurred to the parents to put these boxes at the bottom of the gutters; thus, from one window to another stretched like two flower beds. Peas descended from the boxes in green garlands, rose bushes peered into the windows and intertwined branches; something like a triumphal gate of greenery and flowers was formed. Since the boxes were very high and the children firmly knew that they were not allowed to climb on them, the parents often allowed the boy and girl to visit each other on the roof and sit on a bench under roses. And what fun games they played here!

In winter, this pleasure ceased, the windows were often covered with ice patterns. But the children heated copper coins on the stove and applied them to the frozen panes - a wonderful round hole immediately thawed, and a cheerful, affectionate eye peered into it - each looked out of his window, a boy and a girl, Kai and Gerda. In summer, they could find themselves visiting each other with one jump, and in winter, they had to first go down many, many steps down, and then climb the same number up. There was snow in the yard.

- It's white bees swarming! said the old grandmother.

“Do they also have a queen?” the boy asked; he knew real bees had one.

- There is! Grandma answered. - Snowflakes surround her in a dense swarm, but she is larger than all of them and never remains on the ground - she always rushes on a black cloud. Often at night she flies through the city streets and looks into the windows; that's why they are covered with ice patterns, like flowers!

- Seen, seen! - the children said and believed that all this was the absolute truth.

"Can't the Snow Queen come in here?" the girl asked once.

- Let him try! the boy said. - I'll put it on a warm stove, so it will melt!

But the grandmother patted him on the head and started talking about something else.

In the evening, when Kai was already at home and had almost completely undressed, about to go to bed, he climbed onto a chair by the window and looked into a small circle thawed on the window pane. Snowflakes fluttered outside the window; one of them, a larger one, fell on the edge of a flower box and began to grow, grow, until finally it turned into a woman wrapped in the thinnest white tulle, woven, it seemed, from millions of snow stars. She was so lovely, so tender, all of dazzling white ice and yet alive! Her eyes sparkled like stars, but there was neither warmth nor meekness in them. She nodded to the boy and beckoned him with her hand. The little boy was frightened and jumped off the chair; something like a large bird flashed past the window.

The next day there was a glorious frost, but then there was a thaw, and then spring came. The sun was shining, the flower boxes were all green again, the swallows were nesting under the roof, the windows were opened, and the children could again sit in their little garden on the roof.

The roses bloomed beautifully all summer. The girl learned a psalm, which also spoke of roses; the girl sang it to the boy, thinking about her roses, and he sang along with her:

The children sang, holding hands, kissed roses, looked at the bright sun and talked to it - it seemed to them that the infant Christ himself was looking at them from it. What a wonderful summer it was, and how good it was under the bushes of fragrant roses, which, it seemed, were supposed to bloom forever!

Kai and Gerda sat and looked at a book with pictures - animals and birds; the big clock tower struck five.

- Ai! the boy suddenly exclaimed. - I was stabbed right in the heart, and something got into my eye!

The girl threw her arm around his neck, he blinked, but there seemed to be nothing in his eye.

It must have jumped out! - he said.

But that's the point, it's not. Two fragments of the devil's mirror fell into his heart and into his eye, in which, as we, of course, remember, everything great and good seemed insignificant and ugly, and evil and evil was reflected even brighter, the bad sides of each thing came out even sharper. Poor Kai! Now his heart should have turned into a piece of ice! The pain in the eye and in the heart has already passed, but the fragments themselves remained in them.

- What are you crying about? he asked Gerda. — Wu! How ugly are you now! It doesn't hurt me at all! Ugh! he suddenly shouted. - This rose is sharpened by a worm! And that one is completely crooked! What ugly roses! No better than boxes in which they stick out!

And he, pushing the box with his foot, tore out two roses.

"Kai, what are you doing?" the girl screamed, and he, seeing her fright, snatched another one and ran away from pretty little Gerda through his window.

If after that the girl brought him a book with pictures, he said that these pictures are good only for babies; if the old grandmother told anything, he found fault with the words. Yes, if only this! And then he got to the point that he began to mimic her walk, put on her glasses and imitate her voice! It came out very similar and made people laugh. Soon the boy learned to imitate all the neighbors - he was very good at showing off all their oddities and shortcomings - and people said:

What a head this little boy has!

And the reason for everything was the fragments of the mirror that hit him in the eye and in the heart. That is why he even mimicked the pretty little Gerda, who loved him with all her heart.

And his amusements have now become completely different, so tricky. Once in the winter, when it was snowing, he came with a large burning glass and put the skirt of his blue jacket under the snow.

“Look through the glass, Gerda!” - he said. Each snowflake seemed much larger under the glass than it actually was, and looked like a magnificent flower or a ten-pointed star. What a miracle!

See how well done! Kai said. “This is much more interesting than real flowers!” And what precision! Not a single wrong line! Ah, if only they had not melted!

A little later, Kai appeared in big mittens, with a sled behind his back, shouted into Gerda's ear:

“They let me ride in the big square with the other boys!” - And running.

There were a lot of children on the square. Those who were more daring tied their sledges to the peasants' sledges and traveled quite far in this way. The fun went on and on.

In the midst of it, large sleighs painted white appeared on the square. In them sat a man, all gone in a white fur coat and a similar hat. The sleigh circled the square twice: Kai quickly tied his sledge to it and drove off. The big sledges sped faster and then turned off the square into a side street. The man sitting in them turned around and nodded to Kai, as though he were familiar. Kai several times tried to untie his sled, but the man in the fur coat nodded to him, and he rode on. Here they are outside the city gates. Snow suddenly fell in flakes, it got so dark that not a single light could be seen all around. The boy hurriedly let go of the rope, which caught on the big sledge, but his sledge seemed to stick to the big sledge and continued to rush along in a whirlwind. Kai screamed loudly - no one heard him! The snow was falling, the sledges were racing, diving in snowdrifts, jumping over hedges and ditches. Kai was trembling all over, he wanted to read the Our Father, but in his mind one multiplication table was spinning.

The snowflakes kept growing and finally turned into big white hens. Suddenly they scattered to the sides, the big sledge stopped, and the man sitting in it stood up. It was a tall, slender, dazzling white woman - the Snow Queen; and her fur coat and hat were made of snow.

- Nice ride! - she said. "But are you completely cold?" Get into my coat!

And, placing the boy in her sleigh, she wrapped him in her fur coat; Kai seemed to sink into a snowdrift.

"Are you still dead?" she asked and kissed him on the forehead.

Wu! Her kiss was colder than ice, pierced him with cold through and through and reached the very heart, and it was already half icy. For a minute it seemed to Kai that he was about to die, but no, on the contrary, it became easier, he even completely stopped feeling cold.

- My sleds! Don't forget my sled! he said.

And the sledge was tied on the back of one of the white hens, which flew with them after the big sledge. The Snow Queen kissed Kai again, and he forgot Gerda, his grandmother, and all the household.

"I won't kiss you again!" - she said. "Or I'll kiss you to death!"

Kai looked at her; she was so good! He could not have imagined a smarter, more charming face. Now she did not seem to him icy, as she had been sitting outside the window and nodding her head to him; now she seemed perfect to him. He was not at all afraid of her and told her that he knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions, he knew how many square miles and inhabitants in each country, and she only smiled in response. And then it seemed to him that he really knew little, and he fixed his eyes on the endless air space. At the same moment, the Snow Queen flew with him onto a dark lead cloud, and they rushed forward. The storm howled and groaned, as if singing old songs; they flew over forests and lakes, over seas and solid land; below them cold winds blew, wolves howled, snow sparkled, black crows flew with a cry, and above them shone a large clear moon. Kai looked at him all the long, long winter night - during the day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen.

Flower garden of a woman who knew how to conjure

And what happened to Gerda when Kai did not return? Where did he go? No one knew this, no one could tell anything about him. The boys said only that they saw him tying his sledge to a large magnificent sledge, which then turned into an alley and drove out of the city gates. Nobody knew where he had gone. Many tears were shed for him; Gerda wept bitterly and for a long time. Finally, they decided that he had died, drowned in the river that flowed outside the city. The dark winter days dragged on for a long time.

But then spring came, the sun came out.

Kai is dead and will never come back! Gerda said.

- I do not believe! Sunlight answered.

He is dead and will never come back! she repeated to the swallows.

- We do not believe! they replied.

In the end, Gerda herself stopped believing it.

I'll put on my new red shoes. “Kai has never seen them yet,” she said one morning, “but I’ll go to the river to ask about him.”

It was still very early; she kissed her sleeping grandmother, put on her red shoes and ran all alone out of town, straight to the river.

“Is it true that you took my sworn brother?” I'll give you my red shoes if you give it back to me!

And it seemed to the girl that the waves were somehow strangely nodding to her; then she took off her red shoes, her first jewel, and threw them into the river. But they fell right at the shore, and the waves immediately carried them to land - the river seemed not to want to take her jewel from the girl, since she could not return Kai to her. The girl thought that she had not thrown her shoes very far, climbed into the boat, which was rocking in the reeds, stood on the very edge of the stern and again threw the shoes into the water. The boat was not tied and pushed off the shore. The girl wanted to jump onto land as soon as possible, but while she was making her way from stern to bow, the boat had already moved a whole arshin from the beret and quickly rushed down the stream.

Gerda was terribly frightened and began to cry and scream, but no one except the sparrows heard her cries; the sparrows, however, could not transfer her to land and only flew after her along the coast and chirped, as if wishing to console her: “We are here! We are here!"

The banks of the river were very beautiful; everywhere one could see the most wonderful flowers, tall, sprawling trees, meadows on which sheep and cows grazed, but nowhere was a single human soul to be seen.

“Maybe the river is taking me to Kai?” - thought Gerda, cheered up, stood on her nose and admired the beautiful green shores for a long, long time. But then she sailed to a large cherry orchard, in which a house with colored glass in the windows and a thatched roof sheltered. Two wooden soldiers stood at the door and saluted everyone who passed by with their guns.

Gerda screamed at them - she mistook them for living ones - but they, of course, did not answer her. So she swam even closer to them, the boat approached almost to the very shore, and the girl screamed even louder. Out of the house came out, leaning on a stick, an old, very old woman in a big straw hat painted with wonderful flowers.

“Oh, you poor little one! said the old woman. “How did you get on such a big fast river and get so far?”

With these words, the old woman entered the water, hooked the boat with her stick, pulled it to the shore and landed Gerda.

Gerda was very glad that she finally found herself on dry land, although she was afraid of someone else's old woman.

“Well, let’s go, but tell me who you are and how you got here?” said the old woman.

Gerda began to tell her about everything, and the old woman shook her head and repeated: “Hm! Hm! But now the girl had finished and asked the old woman if she had seen Kai. She replied that he had not yet passed here, but, surely, he would pass, so the girl had nothing to grieve about yet - she would rather try cherries and admire the flowers that grow in the garden: they are more beautiful than those drawn in any picture book and everyone knows how to tell fairy tales! Then the old woman took Gerda by the hand, took her to her house and locked the door with a key.

The windows were high from the floor and all of multi-colored - red, blue and yellow - glass; from this the room itself was illuminated by some amazing bright, iridescent light. There was a basket of ripe cherries on the table, and Gerda could eat them as much as she liked; while she was eating, the old woman combed her hair with a golden comb. Her hair was curly, and the curls surrounded the fresh, round, like a rose, face of the girl with a golden glow.

"I've wanted to have such a pretty girl for a long time!" said the old woman. “You’ll see how well we’ll live with you!”

And she continued to comb the girl's curls, and the longer she combed, the more Gerda forgot her named brother Kai - the old woman knew how to conjure. She was not an evil sorceress and conjured only occasionally, for her own pleasure; now she really wanted to keep Gerda. And so she went into the garden, touched with her stick all the rose bushes, and as they stood in full bloom, they all went deep, deep into the ground, and there was no trace of them. The old woman was afraid that Gerda, at the sight of her roses, would remember her own, and then Kai, and run away.

Having done her job, the old woman took Gerda to the flower garden. The girl's eyes widened: there were flowers of all kinds, all seasons. What a beauty, what a fragrance! In all the world one could not find more colorful and beautiful picture books than this flower garden. Gerda jumped for joy and played among the flowers until the sun went down behind the tall cherry trees. Then they put her in a wonderful bed with red silk feather beds stuffed with blue violets; the girl fell asleep, and she had such dreams as only a queen sees on her wedding day.

The next day Gerda was again allowed to play in the sun. So many days passed. Gerda knew every flower in the garden, but no matter how many there were, it still seemed to her that something was missing, but which one? Once she sat and looked at the old woman's straw hat, painted with flowers; the most beautiful of them was just a rose - the old woman forgot to erase it. That's what distraction means!

- How! Are there any roses here? - said Gerda and immediately ran to look for them all over the garden - there is not one!

Then the girl sank to the ground and wept. Warm tears fell right on the spot where one of the rose bushes used to stand, and as soon as they wet the ground, the bush instantly grew out of it, just as fresh, blooming as before. Gerda wrapped her arms around him, began to kiss the roses and remembered those wonderful roses that bloomed at her house, and at the same time about Kai.

- How I hesitated! the girl said. “I have to look for Kai! Do you know where he is?” she asked the roses. Do you believe that he died and will not return again?

He didn't die! the roses said. “We were underground, where all the dead lie, but Kai was not among them.

- Thank you! - said Gerda and went to other flowers, looked into their cups and asked: - Do you know where Kai is?

But each flower basked in the sun and thought only of its own fairy tale or story; Gerda heard a lot of them, but not one of the flowers said a word about Kai.

What did the fiery lily tell her?

Do you hear the drum beat? Boom! Boom! The sounds are very monotonous: boom, boom! Listen to the mournful singing of women! Listen to the cries of the priests!.. An Indian widow is standing at the stake in a long red robe. The flames are about to engulf her and the body of her dead husband, but she thinks about the living - about the one who is standing here, about the one whose eyes burn her heart more than the flame that will now incinerate her body. Can the flame of the heart be extinguished in the flame of a fire!

- I don't understand anything! Gerda said.

This is my fairy tale! replied the fiery lily.

What did the bindweed say?

- A narrow mountain path leads to an ancient knight's castle proudly towering on a rock. The old brick walls are thickly covered with ivy. Its leaves cling to the balcony, and on the balcony stands a lovely girl; she leaned over the railing and looked at the road. The girl is fresher than a rose, more airy than an apple blossom swayed by the wind. How her silk dress rustles! "Won't he come?"

Are you talking about Kai? Gerda asked.

— I tell my fairy tale, my dreams! - answered the bindweed.

What did the little snowdrop say?

- A long board swings between the trees - this is a swing. Two little girls are sitting on the board; their dresses are white as snow, and long green silk ribbons flutter from their hats. The brother, older than them, kneels behind the sisters, leaning on the ropes; in one hand he holds a small cup of soapy water, in the other a clay tube. He blows bubbles, the board sways, the bubbles fly through the air, shimmering in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. Here is one hanging on the end of the tube and swaying from the wind. A little black dog, light as a soap bubble, gets up on its hind legs, and puts its front paws on the board, but the board flies up, the dog falls, yelps and gets angry. Children tease her, bubbles burst ... The board sways, foam scatters - this is my song!

“She may be good, but you say all this in such a sad tone!” And again, not a word about Kai! What will the hyacinths say?

- Once upon a time there were two slender, airy beauties sisters. On one dress was red, on the other blue, on the third completely white. Hand in hand they danced in the clear moonlight by the still lake. They were not elves, but real girls. A sweet fragrance filled the air, and the girls disappeared into the forest. Here the aroma became even stronger, even sweeter - three coffins floated out of the thicket of the forest; beautiful sisters lay in them, and fireflies fluttered around them like living lights. Are the girls sleeping, or are they dead? The scent of the flowers says they are dead. The evening bell tolls for the dead!

"You made me sad!" Gerda said. “Your bells smell so strong too!.. Now I can’t get dead girls out of my head!” Oh, is Kai dead too? But the roses were underground and they say that he is not there!

— Ding-dan! hyacinth bells chimed. We are not calling over Kai! We don't even know him! We call our own ditty; we don't know the other one!

And Gerda went to the golden dandelion shining in the brilliant green grass.

“You little bright sun! Gerda told him. “Tell me, do you know where I can look for my named brother?”

Dandelion shone even brighter and looked at the girl. What song did he sing to her? Alas! And in this song not a word was said about Kai!

- Early spring; The bright sun shines warmly on the small courtyard. Swallows hover near the white wall adjoining the neighbors' yard. From the green grass, the first yellow flowers peep out, sparkling in the sun, like gold. An old grandmother came out to sit in the yard; her granddaughter, a poor maid, came from among the guests, and kissed the old woman tightly. A girl's kiss is more precious than gold - it comes straight from the heart. Gold on her lips, gold in her heart. That's all! Dandelion said.

“My poor grandmother! Gerda sighed. How she misses me, how she grieves! No less than she grieved for Kai! But I'll be back soon and bring him with me. There is nothing more to ask the flowers - you will not achieve anything from them, they only know their songs!

And she tied her skirt up to make it easier to run, but when she wanted to jump over the narcissus, he whipped her legs. Gerda stopped, looked at the long flower and asked:

- Do you know anything?

And she leaned towards him, waiting for an answer. What did the narcissist say?

- I see myself! I see myself! Oh, how fragrant I am! .. High, high in a small closet, under the very roof, there is a half-dressed dancer. She now balances on one leg, then again stands firmly on both and tramples the whole world with them - she is, after all, one optical illusion. Here she is pouring water from a teapot onto some white piece of matter that she is holding in her hands. This is her corsage. Cleanliness is the best beauty! A white skirt hangs on a nail driven into the wall; the skirt was also washed with water from the kettle and dried on the roof! Here the girl is dressing and tying a bright yellow handkerchief around her neck, which sets off the whiteness of the dress even more sharply. Again one leg soars into the air! Look how straight it stands on the other, like a flower on its stem! I see myself, I see myself!

- Yes, I have little to do with this! Gerda said. “There is nothing for me to tell about it!

And she ran out of the garden.

The door was locked only with a latch; Gerda pulled a rusty bolt, it gave way, the door opened, and the girl, barefooted, started running along the road! She looked back three times, but no one pursued her. Finally, she got tired, sat down on a stone and looked around: the summer had already passed, it was late autumn in the yard, and in the old woman’s wonderful garden, where the sun always shone and flowers of all seasons bloomed, this was not noticeable!

- God! How I lingered! After all, autumn is in the yard! There is no time for rest! said Gerda, and set off again.

Oh, how her poor, tired legs hurt! How cold and damp it was in the air! The leaves on the willows were completely yellowed, the fog settled on them in large drops and flowed down to the ground; the leaves fell off like that. One blackthorn stood all covered with astringent, tart berries. How gray and dreary the whole world seemed!

Prince and Princess

Gerda had to sit down again to rest. A large raven jumped in the snow in front of her; he looked at the girl for a long, long time, nodding his head to her, and finally spoke:

- Kar-kar! Hello!

He could not pronounce it more humanly than this, but, apparently, he wished the girl well and asked her where she was wandering all alone in the wide world? Gerda understood the words "alone and alone" perfectly and immediately felt all their meaning. Having told the raven all her life, the girl asked if he had seen Kai?

Raven shook his head thoughtfully and said:

- May be!

- How? Truth? the girl exclaimed, and almost strangled the raven with her kisses.

- Quiet, quiet! said the raven. “I think it was your Kai!” But now he must have forgotten you and his princess!

Does he live with the princess? Gerda asked.

- But listen! said the raven. “But it’s terribly difficult for me to speak your way!” Now, if you understood like a crow, I would tell you about everything much better.

No, they didn't teach me that! Gerda said. - Grandma - she understands! It would be nice if I could too!

- That is OK! said the raven. “I’ll tell you what I can, even if it’s bad.

And he told about everything that only he knew.

“In the kingdom where you and I are, there is a princess who is so smart that it’s impossible to say! She has read all the newspapers in the world and has already forgotten everything she has read - what a clever girl! Once she was sitting on the throne - and there's not much fun in it, as people say - and she sang a song: "Why shouldn't I get married?" “But indeed!” she thought, and she wanted to get married. But for her husband she wanted to choose a man who would be able to answer when spoken to, and not someone who would only know how to put on airs - it's so boring! And so they called together all the courtiers with a drumbeat and announced to them the will of the princess. They were all very pleased and said: “This is what we like! We’ve been thinking about this ourselves recently!” All this is true! added the raven. - I have a bride at court, she is tame, walks around the palace - from her I know all this.

His bride was a crow - after all, everyone is looking for a wife to match.

- The next day all the newspapers came out with a border of hearts and with the monograms of the princess. It was announced in the newspapers that every young man of good appearance could come to the palace and talk with the princess: the one who would behave quite freely, like at home, and turn out to be more eloquent than everyone else, the princess would choose her husband! Yes Yes! repeated the raven. “All this is as true as the fact that I am sitting here in front of you!” The people poured into the palace in droves, there was a stampede and a crush, but nothing came of it either on the first or on the second day. On the street, all the suitors spoke perfectly, but as soon as they stepped over the palace threshold, saw the guards all in silver, and the lackeys in gold, and entered the huge, light-filled halls, they were dumbfounded. They will approach the throne where the princess sits, and they only repeat her last words, but she didn’t need that at all! It’s true, they were all definitely drugged with dope! But when they left the gate, they again acquired the gift of speech. From the very gates to the doors of the palace stretched a long, long tail of suitors. I have been there and seen it! The suitors wanted to eat and drink, but even a glass of water was not taken out of the palace. True, those who were smarter stocked up on sandwiches, but the thrifty no longer shared with their neighbors, thinking to themselves: “Let them starve, emaciate - the princess will not take them!”

- Well, what about Kai, Kai? Gerda asked. - When did he come? And he came to marry?

— Wait! Wait! Now we just got to it! On the third day, a little man appeared, not in a carriage, not on horseback, but simply on foot, and entered the palace directly. His eyes shone like yours; his hair was long, but he was poorly dressed.

It's Kai! Gerda rejoiced. So I found him! and she clapped her hands.

He had a bag on his back! continued the raven.

— No, it must have been his sleigh! Gerda said. He left home with a sled!

- Very possible! said the raven. - I didn't get a good look. So, my fiancee told me that when she entered the palace gates and saw the guards in silver, and the lackeys in gold on the stairs, he was not at all embarrassed, nodded his head and said: “It must be boring to stand here on the stairs, I'd rather go into the rooms!" The halls were all flooded with light; noblemen walked about without boots, carrying golden dishes - it could not have been more solemn! And his boots creaked, but he was not embarrassed by this either.

It must be Kai! exclaimed Gerda. “I know he was wearing new boots!” I myself heard how they creaked when he came to his grandmother!

- Yes, they did creak in order! continued the raven. But he boldly approached the princess; she sat on a pearl the size of a spinning wheel, and all around stood the ladies of the court and gentlemen with their maids, maids of the maids, valets, servants of the valets and servant of the valet servants. The farther one stood from the princess and closer to the doors, the more important, haughty he kept himself. It was impossible even to look at the servant of the valet servants, who was standing at the very door, without fear, he was so important!

- That's fear! Gerda said. Did Kai marry the princess after all?

“If I weren’t a raven, I would have married her myself, even though I’m engaged. He entered into conversation with the princess and spoke as well as I do when I speak crow-at least that's what my fiancée told me. In general, he behaved very freely and nicely and declared that he did not come to woo, but only to listen to the smart speeches of the princess. Well, now, he liked her, she liked him too!

Yes, yes, it's Kai! Gerda said. - He's so smart! He knew all four operations of arithmetic, and even with fractions! Oh, take me to the palace!

“Easy to say,” replied the raven, “but how to do it?” Wait, I'll talk to my fiancee, she'll come up with something and advise us. Do you think that they will let you into the palace right like that? Why, they don't let girls like that in!

- They'll let me in! Gerda said. “If only Kai would hear that I’m here, he would come running after me now!”

“Wait for me here, by the grate!” - said the raven, shook his head and flew away.

He returned quite late in the evening and croaked:

- Kar, Kar! My bride sends you a thousand bows and this little loaf of bread. She stole it in the kitchen - there are a lot of them, and you must be hungry! .. Well, you won’t get into the palace: you’re barefoot - the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold will never let you through. But don't cry, you'll still get there. My fiancee knows how to get into the princess's bedroom from the back door, and knows where to get the key.

And so they entered the garden, walked along the long avenues strewn with yellowed autumn leaves, and when all the lights in the palace windows went out one by one, the raven led the girl through a small half-open door.

Oh, how Gerda's heart beat with fear and joyful impatience! She was definitely going to do something bad, and she only wanted to know if her Kai was here! Yes, yes, he is right here! She so vividly imagined his intelligent eyes, long hair, smile ... How he smiled at her when they used to sit side by side under rose bushes! And how happy he will be now when he sees her, hears what a long path she decided on for him, learns how all the household grieved for him! Ah, she was just beside herself with fear and joy.

But here they are on the landing of the stairs; a lamp burned on the closet, and a tame crow sat on the floor and looked around. Gerda sat down and bowed, as her grandmother taught.

“My fiancé has told me so many good things about you, Freken!” said the tame crow. - Your vita - as they say - is also very touching! Would you like to take a lamp, and I'll go ahead. We'll take the straight road, we won't meet anyone here!

“But I think someone is following us!” - said Gerda, and at the same moment some shadows rushed past her with a slight noise: horses with fluttering manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback.

- These are dreams! said the tame crow. “They come here to let the minds of high people go hunting. So much the better for us - it will be more convenient to consider the sleeping ones! I hope, however, that by entering in honor you will show that you have a grateful heart!

- There is something to talk about here! Needless to say! said the forest raven.

Then they entered the first room, all covered with pink satin, woven with flowers. Dreams flashed past the girl again, but so quickly that she did not even have time to look at the riders. One room was more magnificent than the other - just taken aback. Finally they reached the bedroom: the ceiling looked like the top of a huge palm tree with precious crystal leaves; from the middle of it descended a thick golden stalk, on which hung two beds in the form of lilies. One was white, the princess slept in it, the other was red, and Gerda hoped to find Kai in it. The girl slightly bent one of the red petals and saw a dark blond nape. It's Kai! She called him by name loudly and held the lamp close to his face. Dreams rushed away with a noise: the prince woke up and turned his head ... Ah, it was not Kai!

The prince looked like him only from the back of his head, but he was just as young and handsome. A princess looked out of a white lily and asked what happened. Gerda cried and told her whole story, mentioning what the crows had done for her.

- Oh, you poor thing! - said the prince and princess, praised the ravens, announced that they were not at all angry with them - only let them not do this in the future - and even wanted to reward them.

Do you want to be free birds? the princess asked. “Or do you want to take the position of court ravens, fully supported from kitchen leftovers?”

The raven and the raven bowed and asked for a position at the court - they thought about old age and said:

“It’s good to have a sure piece of bread in old age!”

The prince got up and gave his bed to Gerda; there was nothing more he could do for her. And she folded her little hands and thought: “How kind all people and animals are!” She closed her eyes and fell asleep sweetly. The dreams again flew into the bedroom, but now they looked like God's angels and carried Kai on a small sledge, who nodded his head to Gerda. Alas! All this was only in a dream and disappeared as soon as the girl woke up.

The next day, she was dressed from head to toe in silk and velvet and allowed to stay in the palace as long as she wished. The girl could live and live happily ever after, but she stayed only a few days and began to ask that they give her a cart with a horse and a pair of shoes - she again wanted to start looking for her named brother in the wide world.

They gave her shoes, and a muff, and a wonderful dress, and when she said goodbye to everyone, a golden carriage drove up to the gate with the coats of arms of the prince and princess shining like stars; the coachman, footmen, and postilions—she was given postilions too—were wearing small gold crowns on their heads. The prince and princess themselves put Gerda into the carriage and wished her a happy journey. The forest raven, who had already managed to get married, accompanied the girl for the first three miles and sat in the carriage next to her - he could not ride with his back to the horses. A tame crow sat on the gate and flapped its wings. She did not go to see Gerda off because she had suffered from headaches ever since she got a position at court and ate too much. The carriage was crammed full of sugar pretzels, and the box under the seat was full of fruit and gingerbread.

- Goodbye! Goodbye! shouted the prince and princess.

Gerda began to cry, and so did the crow. So they rode the first three miles. Then the raven said goodbye to the girl. It was a tough breakup! The raven flew up into a tree and flapped its black wings until the carriage, shining like the sun, disappeared from view.

Little Robber

Here Gerda drove into a dark forest, but the carriage shone like the sun, and immediately caught the eye of the robbers. They could not stand it and flew at her shouting: “Gold! Gold!" They grabbed the horses by the bridle, killed the little postilions, the coachman and the servants, and pulled Gerda out of the carriage.

- Look, what a nice, fat little one. Nuts fed! - said the old robber woman with a long, stiff beard and shaggy, hanging eyebrows. - Fatty, what is your lamb! Well, what will it taste like?

And she drew a sharp, shining knife. Here is the horror!

- Ai! she suddenly shouted: she was bitten on the ear by her own daughter, who was sitting behind her and was so unbridled and self-willed that it was a pleasure!

"Oh, you mean girl! the mother screamed, but did not have time to kill Gerda.

She will play with me! said the little robber. “She will give me her muff, her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.

And the girl again bit her mother so much that she jumped and spun in one place. The robbers laughed.

- Look how he rides with his girl!

- I want to get in the carriage! - the little robber screamed and insisted on her own - she was terribly spoiled and stubborn.

They got into the carriage with Gerda and rushed over the stumps and over the bumps into the thicket of the forest. The little robber was as tall as Gerdu, but stronger, broader in the shoulders and much darker. Her eyes were completely black, but somehow sad. She hugged Gerda and said:

"They won't kill you until I'm angry with you!" Are you a princess?

- Not! - the girl answered and told what she had to experience and how she loves Kai.

The little robber looked at her seriously, nodded her head slightly, and said:

“They won’t kill you even if I get angry with you—I’d rather kill you myself!”

And she wiped away Gerda's tears, and then hid both her hands in her pretty, soft and warm muff.

Here the carriage stopped: they drove into the courtyard of the robber's castle. He was covered in huge cracks; crows and crows flew out of them; huge bulldogs jumped out from somewhere and looked so fiercely, as if they wanted to eat everyone, but they didn’t bark - it was forbidden.

In the middle of a huge hall, with dilapidated, soot-covered walls and a stone floor, a fire was burning; the smoke rose to the ceiling and had to find its own way out; Over the fire, soup was boiling in a huge cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on skewers.

“You will sleep with me right here, near my little menagerie!” said the little robber girl to Gerda.

The girls were fed and watered, and they went to their corner, where straw was laid out, covered with carpets. More than a hundred pigeons sat on perches higher up; they all seemed to be asleep, but when the girls approached they stirred slightly.

All mine! said the little robber girl, seizing one of the pigeons by the legs and shaking it so that it fluttered its wings. - Kiss him! she shouted, poking the dove in Gerda's face. - And here sit the forest rascals! she continued, pointing to two pigeons sitting in a small depression in the wall, behind a wooden lattice. “These two are woodland crooks!” They must be kept locked up, otherwise they will fly away quickly! And here is my dear old man! And the girl pulled by the horns of a reindeer tied to the wall in a shiny copper collar. “He must also be kept on a leash, otherwise he will run away!” Every evening I tickle him under the neck with my sharp knife - he is afraid of death!

With these words, the little robber pulled out a long knife from a crevice in the wall and ran it along the deer's neck. The poor animal bucked, and the girl laughed and dragged Gerda to the bed.

— Do you sleep with a knife? Gerda asked her, glancing at the sharp knife.

- Always! answered the little robber. “How do you know what might happen!” But tell me again about Kai and how you set out to wander the wide world!

Gerda told. Wood pigeons in a cage quietly cooed; the other doves were already asleep; the little robber wrapped one arm around Gerda's neck - she had a knife in the other - and began to snore, but Gerda could not close her eyes, not knowing whether they would kill her or let her live. The robbers sat around the fire, sang songs and drank, and the old robber woman tumbled. It was terrible to look at this poor girl.

Suddenly the wood pigeons cooed:

— Kurr! Kurr! We saw Kai! A white hen carried his sled on her back, and he sat in the Snow Queen's sleigh. They flew over the forest when we chicks were still in the nest; she breathed on us, and everyone died, except for the two of us! Kurr! Kurr!

- What are you talking about? exclaimed Gerda. Where did the Snow Queen go?

- She probably flew to Lapland - there is eternal snow and ice! Ask the reindeer what is leashed here!

- Yes, there is eternal snow and ice, it's a miracle how good it is! said the reindeer. - There you jump at will on the endless sparkling icy plains! The Snow Queen's summer tent will be spread there, and her permanent palaces will be at the North Pole, on the island of Svalbard!

— Oh Kai, my dear Kai! Gerda sighed.

- Lie still! said the little robber. "Or I'll stab you with a knife!"

In the morning Gerda told her what she had heard from wood pigeons. The little robber girl looked seriously at Gerda, nodded her head and said:

- Well, so be it! .. Do you know where Lapland is? she then asked the reindeer.

“Who knows if not me!” - answered the deer, and his eyes sparkled. - There I was born and raised, there I jumped on the snowy plains!

- So listen! said the little robber girl to Gerda. “You see, all of us have left; one mother at home; after a while she will take a sip from a large bottle and take a nap - then I will do something for you!

Then the girl jumped out of bed, hugged her mother, pulled her beard and said:

Hello my little goat!

And the mother gave her clicks on the nose, the girl's nose turned red and blue, but all this was done lovingly.

Then, when the old woman took a sip from her bottle and began to snore, the little robber went up to the reindeer and said:

“I could still make fun of you for a long, long time!” Painfully, you can be hilarious when you are tickled with a sharp knife! Well, so be it! I will untie you and set you free. You can run away to your Lapland, but for this you must take this girl to the Snow Queen's palace - her named brother is there. Surely you heard what she said? She spoke quite loudly, and you always have ears on top of your head.

The reindeer jumped for joy. The little robber put Gerda on him, tied her tightly, for the sake of caution, and slipped a soft pillow under her to make it more comfortable for her to sit.

“So be it,” she then said, “take back your fur boots—it will be cold!” And I’ll keep the clutch for myself, it hurts so good! But I won't let you freeze; here are my mother's huge mittens, they will reach you to the very elbows! Put your hands in them! Well, now you have hands like my ugly mother!

Gerda wept for joy.

"I can't stand it when they whine!" said the little robber. “Now you have to have fun!” Here's two more loaves and a ham for you! What? You won't go hungry!

Both were tied to a deer. Then the little robber opened the door, lured the dogs into the house, cut the rope with which the deer was tied with her sharp knife, and said to him:

- Well, live! Look at the girl!

Gerda held out both hands to the little robber in huge mittens and said goodbye to her. The reindeer set off at full speed through stumps and bumps, through the forest, through swamps and steppes. The wolves howled, the crows croaked, and the sky suddenly zafukala and threw out pillars of fire.

- Here is my native northern lights! the deer said. - Look how it's burning!

Lapland and Finnish

The deer stopped at a miserable hut; the roof went down to the ground, and the door was so low that people had to crawl through it on all fours. At home there was an old Lapland woman who was frying fish by the light of a fat lamp. The reindeer told the Laplander the whole story of Gerda, but first he told his own - it seemed to him much more important. Gerda was so numb from the cold that she could not speak.

“Oh, you poor fellows! said the Laplander. “You still have a long way to go!” You'll have to travel over a hundred miles before you get to Finnmark, where the Snow Queen lives in her country house and lights blue sparklers every evening. I will write a few words on dried cod - I have no paper - and you will take it down to a Finnish woman who lives in those places and will be able to teach you what to do better than I can.

When Gerda warmed up, ate and drank, the Laplander wrote a few words on dried cod, ordered Gerda to take good care of her, then tied the girl to the back of a deer, and he rushed off again. The sky again fukalo and threw out pillars of wonderful blue flame. So the deer ran with Gerda to Finnmark and knocked on the Finnish chimney - she didn’t even have doors.

Well, the heat was in her home! The Finn herself, a short, dirty woman, went about half-naked. She quickly pulled off Gerda's entire dress, mittens and boots - otherwise the girl would have been too hot - put a piece of ice on the deer's head and then began to read what was written on the dried cod. She read everything from word to word three times, until she memorized it, and then she put the cod into the cauldron - after all, the fish was good for food, and nothing was wasted with the Finn.

Then the deer told first his story, and then the story of Gerda. Finka blinked her intelligent eyes, but did not say a word.

You are such a wise woman! the deer said. “I know that you can tie all four winds with one thread; when the skipper unties one knot, a fair wind blows, unties another, the weather will break out, and unties the third and fourth, such a storm will rise that it will break the trees into chips. Will you prepare for the girl such a drink that would give her the strength of twelve heroes? Then she would have defeated the Snow Queen!

- The strength of twelve heroes! Finn said. Yes, that makes a lot of sense!

With these words, she took a large leather scroll from the shelf and unfolded it: there were some amazing writing on it; The Finn began to read them and read them until her sweat broke out.

The deer again began to ask for Gerda, and Gerda herself looked at the Finn with such pleading eyes full of tears that she blinked again, took the deer aside and, changing the ice on his head, whispered:

- Kai is indeed with the Snow Queen, but he is quite satisfied and thinks that he cannot be better anywhere. The reason for everything is the fragments of the mirror that sit in his heart and in his eye. They must be removed, otherwise he will never be a man and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.

“But won’t you help Gerda somehow destroy this power?”

“Stronger than it is, I can’t make it. Don't you see how great her power is? Don't you see that both people and animals serve her? After all, she walked around half the world barefoot! It's not for us to borrow her strength! The strength is in her sweet, innocent baby heart. If she herself cannot penetrate into the halls of the Snow Queen and extract the fragments from Kai's heart, then we will not help her even more! Two miles from here begins the Snow Queen's garden. Take the girl there, let her down by a large bush covered with red berries, and, without delay, come back!

With these words, the Finn planted Gerda on the back of a deer, and he rushed to run as fast as he could.

- Oh, I'm without warm boots! Hey, I'm not wearing gloves! cried Gerda, finding herself in the cold.

But the deer did not dare to stop until he ran to a bush with red berries; then he lowered the girl down, kissed her on the very lips, and large brilliant tears rolled from his eyes. Then he shot back like an arrow. The poor girl was left all alone, in the bitter cold, without shoes, without mittens.

She ran forward as fast as she could; a whole regiment of snow flakes rushed towards her, but they did not fall from the sky - the sky was completely clear, and the northern lights were blazing on it - no, they ran along the ground straight at Gerda and, as they approached, became larger and larger. Gerda remembered the big beautiful flakes under the burning glass, but these were much larger, scarier, of the most amazing shapes and forms, and all alive. These were the advance detachments of the Snow Queen's army. Some resembled large ugly hedgehogs, others - hundred-headed snakes, others - fat bear cubs with tousled hair. But they all sparkled with the same whiteness, they were all living snowflakes.

Gerda began to read "Our Father"; it was so cold that the girl's breath immediately turned into a thick fog. This fog thickened and thickened, but then small, bright angels began to stand out from it, which, having stepped on the ground, grew into large formidable angels with helmets on their heads and spears and shields in their hands. Their number kept increasing, and when Gerda finished her prayer, a whole legion had already formed around her. The angels took the snow monsters on spears, and they crumbled into thousands of snowflakes. Gerda could now boldly go forward; the angels stroked her arms and legs, and she was no longer so cold. Finally, the girl reached the halls of the Snow Queen.

Let's see what Kai was doing at that time. He did not think about Gerda, and least of all about the fact that she was standing in front of the castle.

What happened in the halls of the Snow Queen and what happened next

The walls of the halls of the Snow Queen were swept by a blizzard, the windows and doors were done by violent winds. Hundreds of huge, aurora-lit halls stretched one after another; the largest stretched for many, many miles. How cold, how deserted it was in those white, brightly shining halls! Fun never came here! At least once a bear party would be held here with dances to the music of the storm, in which polar bears could distinguish themselves with grace and the ability to walk on their hind legs, or there would be a party of cards with quarrels and fights, or, finally, they would agree to a conversation over a cup of coffee little white chanterelle gossips - no, that never happened! Cold, deserted, dead! The northern lights flashed and burned so regularly that it was possible to calculate with accuracy at what minute the light would increase and at what time it would weaken. In the middle of the largest desert hall of snow was a frozen lake. The ice cracked on it into thousands of pieces, even and wonderfully regular. In the middle of the lake stood the throne of the Snow Queen; on it she sat when she was at home, saying that she was sitting on the mirror of the mind; in her opinion, it was the only and best mirror in the world.

Kai turned completely blue, almost turned black from the cold, but did not notice this - the kisses of the Snow Queen made him insensitive to the cold, and his very heart became a piece of ice. Kai fiddled with flat, pointed ice floes, laying them in all sorts of frets. After all, there is such a game - folding figures from wooden planks, which is called the "Chinese puzzle". Kai also folded various intricate figures from ice floes, and this was called the "ice game of the mind." In his eyes, these figures were a miracle of art, and folding them was an occupation of the first importance. This was because he had a shard of a magic mirror in his eye! He put together whole words from ice floes, but he could not put together what he especially wanted - the word "eternity". The Snow Queen said to him: "If you add this word, you will be your own master, and I will give you all the world and a pair of new skates." But he couldn't put it down.

Now I'm off to warmer climes! The Snow Queen said. - I'll look into the black cauldrons!

Cauldrons she called the craters of the fire-breathing mountains - Vesuvius and Etna.

And she flew away, and Kai was left alone in the boundless deserted hall, looking at the ice floes and thinking, thinking, so that his head was cracking. He sat in one place - so pale, motionless, as if inanimate. You might think he was cold.

At this time, Gerda entered the huge gate, made by violent winds. She recited the evening prayer, and the winds subsided as if asleep. She freely entered the huge deserted ice hall and saw Kai. The girl immediately recognized him, threw herself on his neck, hugged him tightly and exclaimed:

— Kai, my dear Kai! Finally I found you!

But he sat still the same motionless and cold. Then Gerda wept; her hot tears fell on his chest, penetrated into his heart, melted his icy crust and melted the fragment. Kai looked at Gerda, and she sang:

Roses are blooming... Beauty, beauty!

We will soon see the Christ child.

Kai suddenly burst into tears and cried so long and so hard that the shard flowed out of his eye along with his tears. Then he recognized Gerda and was very happy.

— Gerda! My dear Gerda! Where have you been for so long? Where was I myself? And he looked around. How cold it is here, deserted!

And he clung tightly to Gerda. She laughed and cried with joy. Yes, the joy was such that even the ice floes began to dance, and when they got tired, they lay down and made up the very word that the Snow Queen asked Kai to compose; having folded it, he could become his own master, and even receive from her as a gift the whole world and a pair of new skates.

Gerda kissed Kai on both cheeks, and they again bloomed with roses, kissed him on the eyes, and they shone like her eyes; kissed his hands and feet, and he again became vigorous and healthy.

The Snow Queen could return at any time - his freestyle lay there, written in shiny ice letters.

Kai and Gerda, hand in hand, walked out of the deserted ice halls; they walked and talked about their grandmother, about their roses, and violent winds subsided on their way, the sun peeped through. When they reached a bush with red berries, the reindeer was already waiting for them. He brought with him a young deer mother, her udder was full of milk; she made Kai and Gerda drunk with them and kissed them right on the lips. Then Kai and Gerda went first to the Finn, warmed up with her and found out the way home, and then to the Lapland; she sewed them a new dress, repaired her sleigh and went to see them off.

The reindeer couple also accompanied the young travelers all the way to the very border of Lapland, where the first greenery was already breaking through. Here Kai and Gerda said goodbye to the reindeer and the Lapland girl.

- Have a good trip! the escorts called out to them.

Here is the forest in front of them. The first birds sang, the trees were covered with green buds. A young girl in a bright red hat and with a pistol in her belt rode out of the forest to meet the travelers on a magnificent horse. Gerda immediately recognized both the horse - it had once been harnessed to a golden carriage - and the girl. It was a little robber; she was tired of living at home, and she wanted to go to the north, and if she didn’t like it, to other places. She also recognized Gerda. That was joy!

- Look, you're a tramp! she said to Kai. “I would like to know if you are worth being chased to the ends of the earth!”

But Gerda patted her on the cheek and asked about the prince and princess.

They've gone to foreign lands! answered the young robber.

— A raven with a crow? Gerda asked.

- The forest raven is dead; the tame crow was left a widow, walks with black hair on its leg and complains about fate. But all this is nothing, but you better tell me what happened to you and how you found him.

Gerda and Kai told her everything.

Well, that's the end of the story! - said the young robber, shook hands with them and promised to visit them if she ever came to their city. Then she went on her way, and Kai and Gerda went on theirs. They walked, and spring flowers bloomed on their road, grass turned green. Then the bells rang out, and they recognized the bell towers of their native town. They climbed the familiar stairs and entered the room, where everything was the same as before: the clock ticked the same way, the hour hand moved the same way. But, passing through the low door, they noticed that during this time they had managed to become adults. Blooming rose bushes peered through the open window from the roof; right there were their highchairs. Kai and Gerda each sat down on their own and took each other's hands. The cold, desert splendor of the Snow Queen's halls was forgotten by them, like a heavy dream. Grandmother sat in the sun and loudly read the Gospel: “Unless you are like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven!”

Kai and Gerda looked at each other and only then understood the meaning of the old psalm:

Roses are blooming... Beauty, beauty!

We will soon see the Christ child.

So they sat side by side, both already adults, but children in heart and soul, and in the yard there was a warm, fertile summer!

Andersen G. H.

Portal for the student. Self-training

"The Snow Queen"

Fairy tale Snow Queen read:

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