The World of Fairy Tales. The Scarlet Book/ Мир волшебных сказок. Алая книга. Книга для чтения на английском языке

In winter she flew around and looked through windows frosting up the glass.

That night, Kay glanced out of his window. A few snowflakes were still falling. One flake grew bigger and bigger, until it turned into a beautiful woman made of shining ice and dressed in starry snow. Kay was frightened and suddenly she disappeared.

The weather cleared the next day. Spring was just around the corner. Kay played happily with Gerda and helped her to look after the roses. Soon many rose bushes were full of lovely flowers.

One day, the children were sitting outside when Kay suddenly felt something in his eye. Gerda tried to help him but she couldn't see anything. From that day Kay became a different boy. He hated everything and everybody. He was cruel to all his friends, including Gerda.

When winter came Kay and Gerda didn't play any more, he just ignored Gerda. One evening, Kay was playing in the market place when a large white sleigh appeared in the square. A beautiful lady dressed in white fur sat there.

It was a Snow White.

She called Kay but this time he wasn't frightened. He jumped into her sleigh and they flew up into the sky and far away. For many days and weeks his friends and parents looked for him everywhere. His grandmother wept thinking Kay was drowned. Only Gerda believed that her true friend was alive and needed her help.

One spring morning she packed some food and clothes and went to look for him. In the forest Gerda met a kind reindeer who knew where the Snow Queen lived.

She had a palace made of ice and snow in the magical country called Lapland. The strong reindeer asked Gerda to jump on his back and they began their long journey to the Kingdom of the Snow Queen.

Meanwhile, poor Kay sat alone in the palace playing with pieces of ice. He was blue of ice but he didn't feel it. His kind heart was frozen.

At this moment the brave reindeer landed outside the palace. The little girl rushed bravely into the icy magical structure.

She wasn't afraid of anybody and anything and even the Snow Queen!

Inside the palace she found Kay who didn't recognise her at all. The little girl didn't know what to do. She was full of sorrow and burst into tears. Her warm tears dropped on her friend and melted his frozen heart. Kay burst into tears too! He cried so much that the ice splinter fell out of his eye and Kay became a kind boy again.