Snoe Queen

The Snow Queen
by Hans Christian Andersen
A fairy tale in seven stories –
a summary of the adaptation
by Teresa Ludovico

Illustrations by Francesco Manenti

1. The magic mirror and its many fragments
And so we begin. When we arrive at the end of this tale, we will
know more than we know now.

O

nce upon a time, a wicked Demon creates a giant mirror with
special magic powers.Everything it reflects is transformed into
ugliness, everything good is turned to evil. But the Demon’s
servants drop the mirror, which falls and breaks into a hundred million
billion fragments. Some fragments fall into the hearts of men, and their
hearts are frozen. And some fragments continue to fly on and on
around the world, even to this day.

1

2. Where Kay and Gerda’s lives arechanged forever

B

elow the world of the demons and splinters of broken mirror live
two children called Kay and Gerda. They live in houses so close
to each other, they can almost touch hands when they reach out
of their windows.
Kay and Gerda are best friends. Their garden is their joy and the
wonderful place where they play happily. Their love for each other is
strong, connecting them in avery special way, like two butterflies
attached by a red thread reaching all the way up to the moon. Their
grandmother told them that when a baby boy and a baby girl are
ready to be born, the moon orders its silkworms to weave a red thread
joining the boy’s little foot to the girl’s, so that they can live happily
together for ever.

2

I

n the evenings, Kay and Gerda love to listen totheir grandparents
telling stories that fill their imagination with wonder. One of these
stories is about the beautiful but icy Snow Queen, who slips
through the streets at night, turning everything to ice.

One night Kay goes to sleep by the window, but is woken by the
appearance of the Snow Queen. Suddenly, he feels a sharp pain.
Two splinters from the magic mirror have pierced his eyeand his
heart, freezing his emotions and transforming him into an angry,
spiteful boy. Kay makes fun of Gerda, hurting her feelings. He then
runs into the garden outside and destroys their beautiful roses that
they cherished together.

3

O

ne cold night, without warning, the Snow Queen bursts into
their world and captures Kay. She takes him far away to her icy
castle at the ends ofthe earth. “I’m cold”, he shivers. The Snow
Queen takes him under her cloak and kisses him on the forehead and
on the mouth and he forgets everything and everyone at home.
“Soon you will no longer feel anything”, she says in her chilling voice,
“Neither joy, nor sadness. And now I must give you no more kisses,
or else you will be kissed to death.” And off they fly into the long
winter night.4

3. Where Gerda sets out on her adventure and enters an
enchanted garden

A

fter Kay has disappeared, everyone tells Gerda he must be
dead. But Gerda is convinced he is alive and bravely sets out
to find her friend, even though he was horrible to her and
stamped on the roses.
She offers her red shoes, her most precious possession, to the river
in return for help.
EventuallyGerda reaches an enchanted and richly perfumed garden
full of flowers. A tall woman with special magic powers orders her
flowers to exercise and to dance and then to disappear underground.
But as soon as she sees Gerda she entices her into her skirts and soon
Gerda and the flowers are spellbound and fall into a deep sleep.
When the old woman herself falls asleep, Gerda is woken by the roses.She immediately remembers Kay and breaks free of the powerful spell,
running away to continue her journey.

4. Where Gerda makes friends with a crow and meets
a Prince and Princess

I

t’s winter again and word has spread throughout the land about
Kay’s disappearance and Gerda’s journey to find him.

Gerda comes across a couple of old crows who are bickering at home.
When she asks them...