Once upon a time, there was a wicked hobgoblin who made a magic looking-glass. This mirror had a terrible power: it made everything good and beautiful shrink to almost nothing, while everything bad and ugly was magnified and looked worse. The most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach, and the kindest people appeared repulsive.
One day, the mirror broke into countless tiny pieces. These splinters flew all over the world. If a piece got into someone's eye, they would see everything awry, focusing only on the bad. If a splinter pierced a heart, it would begin to turn into a lump of ice. The hobgoblin laughed at the mischief he had caused.
In a large town lived two poor children, Kay and Gerda. They were not siblings but loved each other dearly. They lived in attics opposite each other and shared a small rooftop garden with roses.
One winter evening, as snow fell, their grandmother told them stories about the "white bees" (snowflakes) and their queen. Kay, from his window, saw a snowflake grow into a beautiful, glittering maiden of ice—the Snow-Queen herself. She beckoned to him, and he was frightened.
The next spring, while looking at a picture book, Kay cried out in pain. A splinter from the magic mirror had entered his eye and another his heart. His kind nature changed instantly. He became cruel, mocked Gerda, destroyed their roses, and found beauty only in cold, perfect things like snowflakes.
One winter morning, Kay went to the market square with his sledge. A large white sledge appeared, driven by a figure in white fur. Kay attached his sledge to it, and they sped out of town. The driver was the Snow-Queen. She kissed Kay's forehead, a kiss cold as ice that made him forget Gerda and his home. She took him to her palace in the far north.
Gerda, heartbroken by Kay's disappearance, set out to find him when spring came. Her journey was long and filled with strange encounters:
1. The Flower Witch: An old woman with a magical garden made Gerda forget her quest by combing her hair. Gerda only remembered Kay when she saw a painted rose on the witch's hat, causing real roses to bloom from her tears.
2. The Crow: A talking crow told Gerda that a boy matching Kay's description now lived with a princess in a palace. With the crow's help, Gerda sneaked into the palace at night, only to find a different prince.
3. The Prince and Princess: The kind royal couple listened to Gerda's story, gave her warm clothes and a golden carriage, and sent her on her way.
4. The Robber Girl: Robbers attacked Gerda's carriage. A fierce but lonely little robber-girl saved Gerda from being eaten, took her to the robbers' camp, and let her sleep with the animals. Wood-pigeons there revealed that the Snow-Queen had taken Kay to Lapland.
5. The Reindeer: The robber-girl's captive reindeer knew the way to Lapland. Moved by Gerda's love, the robber-girl freed the reindeer and sent them north with supplies.
6. The Lapland Woman & The Finland Woman: These wise women guided Gerda further north. The Finland woman explained that Kay's heart was frozen because of the mirror splinter. Only Gerda's own innocence and love could save him.
The reindeer carried Gerda to the edge of the Snow-Queen's domain and left her. Braving the bitter cold, Gerda entered the vast, empty palace of ice and snow.
Inside, Kay was alone, trying to form the word "Eternity" from sharp pieces of ice—a task set by the Snow-Queen to win his freedom. His heart was ice, and he did not recognize Gerda.
Gerda ran to him, embraced him, and wept. Her warm tears melted the ice in his heart and washed the glass splinter from his eye. Kay recognized her and burst into tears himself. As they cried for joy, the ice pieces danced around them and formed the word "Eternity," fulfilling the Snow-Queen's condition.
Hand in hand, they left the palace. The reindeer was waiting and carried them back south. They met the robber-girl again, now a traveler herself, and finally returned home.
There they found their grandmother and their rooftop roses just the same. But when they stepped inside, they realized they had grown up. It was summer, warm and glorious.