English Original
Gerda was obliged to rest again. Opposite where she sat, a great crow came hopping across the snow. He stood looking at her, then wagged his head and said, "Caw, caw; good-day, good-day." He pronounced the words as plainly as he could, then asked her where she was going all alone in the wide world.
Gerda understood the word "alone" well. She told the crow her story and asked if he had seen little Kay.
The crow nodded gravely. "Perhaps I have—it may be."
"No! Do you think you have?" cried Gerda, kissing and hugging him with joy.
"Gently," said the crow. "I believe I know. I think it may be little Kay; but he has certainly forgotten you for the princess."
"Does he live with a princess?" asked Gerda.
"Yes, listen," replied the crow. "In this kingdom lives a princess, wonderfully clever. She has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them too. She decided to marry if she could find a husband who knew what to say when spoken to, not one who could only look grand, for that was tiresome."
The crow explained that the princess announced a contest: any handsome young man could visit the castle and speak with her. The one who spoke best would become her husband. Crowds came, but they all became nervous and tongue-tied in the splendid palace.
"But Kay!" said Gerda. "Was he amongst the crowd?"
"On the third day," said the crow, "a little personage came marching cheerfully to the palace, without horses or carriage. His eyes sparkled like yours; he had beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very poor."
"That was Kay!" said Gerda joyfully.
The crow continued, "He passed through the gates, saw the guards and servants, but was not embarrassed. He went boldly up to the princess, who sat on a pearl as large as a spinning wheel. He spoke freely and agreeably, saying he had come not to woo her, but to hear her wisdom. He was as pleased with her as she was with him."
"Oh, certainly that was Kay," said Gerda. "Will you take me to the palace?"
The crow agreed to help. That evening, he returned with a tame crow (his sweetheart) who knew a secret back staircase. They led Gerda into the palace at night.
Gerda's heart beat with anxiety and longing. They passed through magnificent halls where dreams flitted like shadows. Finally, they reached a bedroom with two beds shaped like lilies. One was white, where the princess slept; the other was red. Gerda pushed aside a red leaf and saw a little brown neck.
"Oh, that must be Kay!" she cried, but when the person woke, it was not Kay—it was a young prince who only resembled him in the neck.
The princess awoke and asked what was the matter. Gerda wept and told her story. The prince and princess were kind. They praised the crows for helping and offered them positions as court crows.
They gave Gerda a bed for the night. The next day, they dressed her in silk and velvet and offered her a golden coach to continue her search for Kay. The crows said farewell, and Gerda set off once more into the wide world.
中文翻译
格尔达不得不再次休息。在她坐的地方对面，一只大乌鸦蹦跳着穿过雪地朝她走来。他站着看了她一会儿，然后摇摇头说：“呱，呱；日安，日安。”他尽可能清楚地说出这些话，然后问她独自一人在这广阔的世界里要去哪里。
格尔达非常理解“独自”这个词的含义。她向乌鸦讲述了自己的故事，并问他是否见过小凯伊。
乌鸦严肃地点点头。“也许我见过——有可能。”
“不！你真的认为你见过吗？”格尔达叫道，高兴地亲吻并拥抱他。
“轻点，”乌鸦说。“我相信我知道。我想那可能是小凯伊；但他现在肯定为了公主而忘记你了。”
“他和一位公主住在一起吗？”格尔达问。
“是的，听着，”乌鸦回答。“在这个王国里住着一位公主，她聪明绝顶。她读过世界上所有的报纸，又把它们都忘了。她决定，如果能找到一个在和她说话时知道该说什么的丈夫，而不是一个只会摆架子的人，她就结婚，因为那样太乏味了。”
乌鸦解释说，公主宣布了一场比赛：任何英俊的年轻人都可以拜访城堡并与她交谈。说得最好的人将成为她的丈夫。人们蜂拥而至，但在辉煌的宫殿里，他们都变得紧张而说不出话来。
“但是凯伊呢！”格尔达说。“他在人群中吗？”
“第三天，”乌鸦说，“一个小人物兴高采烈地走向宫殿，没有马也没有马车。他的眼睛像你的一样闪闪发光；他有漂亮的长发，但衣服很破旧。”
“那是凯伊！”格尔达高兴地说。
乌鸦继续说：“他穿过大门，看到了卫兵和仆人，但并不尴尬。他大胆地走到公主面前，公主坐在一个纺车那么大的珍珠上。他说话自由而令人愉快，说他不是来向她求婚的，而是来聆听她的智慧。他和她彼此都很满意。”
“哦，那肯定是凯伊，”格尔达说。“你能带我去宫殿吗？”
乌鸦同意帮忙。那天晚上，他带着一只驯服的乌鸦（他的心上人）回来了，她知道一个秘密的后楼梯。他们在夜里带领格尔达进入了宫殿。
格尔达的心因焦虑和渴望而怦怦直跳。他们穿过宏伟的大厅，那里梦境像影子一样掠过。最后，他们来到一间卧室，里面有两张像百合花形状的床。一张是白色的，公主睡在那里；另一张是红色的。格尔达推开一片红色的花瓣，看到一个小小的棕色脖颈。
“哦，那一定是凯伊！”她喊道，但当那人醒来时，却不是凯伊——那是一位年轻的王子，只是脖颈有点像他。
公主醒了，问发生了什么事。格尔达哭着讲述了自己的故事。王子和公主很善良。他们称赞乌鸦的帮助，并提议给他们宫廷乌鸦的职位。
他们给格尔达一张床过夜。第二天，他们给她穿上丝绸和天鹅绒的衣服，并给她一辆黄金马车，让她继续寻找凯伊。乌鸦们道了别，格尔达再次出发，走向广阔的世界。