Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us on Snewscast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend.

If you'd like to get an email once a week with upcoming sleep stories and other news, subscribe to the snooze letter at snoozecast.com. This episode is brought to you by Aurora Borealis. Tonight, we'll read the third and final part to a fairy tale called The Snow Queen by

Ha… Aurora Borealis. Tonight, we'll read the third and final part to a fairy tale called The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. The story centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by Gerda and her friend Kay. The first two parts aired the previous two weeks.

In the second part, we follow Little Gerta on her journey to find her friend Kay. She is bewitched and talks to flowers and then gets caught up with a family of robbers. A raven tries to help her and leads her to a castle where he thinks he has seen her. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. last. At last, Gerta and the tame Raven, who was the sweetheart to the helpful wild Raven, came into the royal bed chamber. The ceiling of the room resembled a large palm tree with leaves of glass, of costly glass, and in the middle from a thick golden stem hung two beds, each of which resembled a lily. was was white, and in this lay the princess. The other was red, and it was here that Gerta was to look for little Kay. She bent back one of the red leaves and saw a brown neck. Oh, that was Kay. She called him quite loud by name. Help the lamp towards him. The dreams rushed back again into the chamber. He awoke, turned his head, and it was not little K. The Prince was only like him about the neck, but he was young and handsome. And out of the white lily leaves, the Princess peeped to and asked, what was the matter?

Then little Gerta cried and told her the whole story, and all that the Ravens had done for her. Poor little thing set the prince in the princess. They praised the Ravens very much and told them they were not at all angry

with them, but they were not to do so again. However, they should have a reward. Will you fly about here at Liberty, as the Princess, or would you like to have a fixed appointment as court ravens with all the broken bits from the kitchen? And both the ravens nodded and begged for the fixed appointment. For they thought of their old age and said, it is a good thing to have a provision for our old days. And the prince got up and let Gerta sleep in his bed. And more than this, he could not do. She folded her little hands and thought, how good men and animals are. And she then fell asleep and slept soundly. All the dreams flew in again, and they now looked like the angels. They drew a little sledge in which little K sat and nodded his head, but the hole was only a dream and therefore it all vanished as soon as she awoke. The next day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet. They offered to let her stay at the palace and lead a happy life, but she begged to have a little carriage with a horse in front and for a small pair of shoes. Then, she said, she would again go forth in the wide world and look for Kay. and aoth were given her. She was, too, dressed very nicely. And when she was about to set off, a new carriage stopped before the door. It was of pure gold, and the arms of the prince and princess shown like a star upon it. The coachmen, the footmen, all wore golden grounds. The prince and the princess assisted her into the carriage themselves, and wished her all success. The raven of the woods, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles. He sat beside Gerta, for he could not bear riding backwards. The other raven stood in the doorway and flapped her wings. She could not accompany Gurdah because she suffered from headache since she had had a fixed appointment and ate so much. The carriage was lined inside with sugar plums and in the seats were fruits and gingerbread. Farewell, Farewell, Cried prince and princess, and gird a wept, and the Raven wept. Thus passed the first miles, and then the Raven bade her for well, and this was the most sad separation of all. He flew into a tree and beat his black wings as long as he could see the carriage that shone from afar like a sunbeam. Fifth story. The little robber maiden. They drove through the dark wood, but the carriage shone like a torch, and it dazzled the eyes of the robbers so that they could not bear to look at it.

Tis gold, tis gold, they cried, and they rushed forward, seized the horses, knocked down the coachmen and the servants and pulled little girder out of the carriage.

How plump she is, she must have been fed on nut kernels, said the old woman robber, who had a long scrubby beard, and bushy eyebrows that hung down over her eyes. Oh, cried the woman at the same moment. She had been bitten in the ear by her own little daughter, who hung at her back, and who was so wild and unmanageable that it was quite amusing to see her. "'You naughty child,' said the mother. "'She shall play with me,' said the little robber child. She shall give me her moth and her pretty frock, and she shall sleep in my bed.

And then she gave her mother another bite, so that she jumped and ran round with the pain. And the robbers all laughed and said, look how she's dancing with the little one. I will go into the carriage, said the little robber maiden, and she would have her will, for she was very spoiled and very headstrong. She and Gerta got in, and then away they drove over the stumps of felt trees, deeper and deeper into the woods. The little robber maiden was as tall as Gerta, but stronger, broader shouldered, and of dark complexion. Her eyes were quite black. They looked almost melancholy. She embraced Little Gerta and said, They shall not hurt you as long as I'm not displeased with you. You are doubtless of princess. No, little Gurdah, who then related all that had happened to her, and how much she cared about Little Kay. The little robber maiden looked at her with a serious air, nodded her head slightly and said, They shall not hurt you, even if I am angry with you, then I will do it myself. And she tried girded his eyes and put both her hands in the handsome muff,, which was so soft and warm. At length, the carriage stopped. They were in the midst of the courtyard of the robber's castle. It was full of cracks from top to bottom, and out of the openings magpies and rooks were flying, and the great bulldogs, each of which looked as if it could swallow a man, jumped up, but they did not bark, for that was forbidden.

In the midst of the large, old, smoking hall, burned a great fire on the stone floor, the smoke disappeared under the stones and had to seek its own egress. and an immense cauldron, soup was boiling, and rabbits and hairs were being roasted on a spit. You shall sleep with me tonight with all my animals, said the little robber made in. They had something to eat and drink and then went into a

corner. Said the little robber maiden. They had something to eat and drink, and then went into a corner where straw and carpets were lying. Beside them, on purchase sat nearly 100 pigeons, all asleep seemingly, but yet they moved a little when the robber made in came. They're all mine, said she, at the same time, seizing one that was next to her, and its wings fluttered. Kiss it, cried the little girl, and flung the pigeon in Gertus' face. That's the rabble. They would all fly away immediately if they They were not well fastened in. The little girl pulled Gerta into bed with her. Tell me, said the little robber maiden. Tell me now, once more, all about little K. Why you started off in the wide world alone.

And Gerta related all from the beginning,

the wood pigeons cood above in their cage,

and the others slept.

The little robber made in wound her arm around Gerta's neck,

and snored so loud that everybody could hear her. But Gurdah could not close her eyes. The robbers sat around the fire, sang, danced, and drank. Then the wood pigeon said, Coo, Coo, we have seen little Kay, a white hen carries his sludge. He himself sat in the carriage of the snow queen, who passed here, down just over the wood, as we lay in our nest. She blew upon us young ones and all froze except we too. Koo, koo. What is that you say up there? Cryed little Gerda. Where did the snow queen go to? Do you know anything about it? She has no doubt gone to Lapland, for there is always snow in ice there. Only ask the reindeer who is tethered there. nice and snow is there. There is glorious and beautiful, said the reindeer. One can spring about in the large, shining valleys. The snow-queen has her summer tent there, but her fixed abode is high up towards the north pole, on the island called Spitzbergen. Okay, poor little Kay, side-gurda. Do you choose to be quiet?" said the robber maiden. If you don't, I shall make you. In the morning, Gertet told her all that the wood pigeons had said, and the little maiden looked very serious, but she nodded her head and said, That's no matter. That's no matter.

Do you know where Lapland lies?

She asked of the reindeer. "'Who should know better than I?' said the animal, and his eyes rolled in his head. I was born and bred there. There I leapt about on the fields of snow. Listen, said the robber maiden to Gerta.

Use... There I leapt about on the fields of snow. Listen, said the robber maiden to Gerta. You see that the men are gone. My mother is still there and will remain. However, towards morning she takes a draft out of the large flask and then she sleeps a little, then I will do something for you. She now jumped out of bed, flew to her mother with her arms round her neck, and pulling her by the beard said, Good morning, my own sweet nanny goat of a mother, and her mother took hold of her nose and pinched it till it was red and blue, but this was all done out of pure love. When the mother had taken a swig at her flask and was having a nap, the little robber maiden went to the reindeer and said, I will untether you and help you out so that you may go back to Lapland. But you must make good use of your legs and take this little girl for me to the palace of the snow queen, where her playfellow is. You have heard, I suppose, all she said, for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening. The reindeer gave a bound for joy. The robber made and lifted up little g girder, and took the precaution to bind her fast on the reindeer's back. She even gave her a small cushion to sit on. Here are your wool leggings, for it'll be cold, but the muff I shall keep for myself, it so very pretty. But I do not wish for you to be cold. Here is a pair of lined gloves of my mothers. They just reach up to your elbow, on with them. Now you look about the hands just like my old mother. And gird a wept for joy. I can't bear to see you fretting. Set the little robber maiden. This is just the time when you ought to look pleased. Here are two loaves and a ham for you so that you won't starve. The bread and the meat were fastened to the reindeer's back. The little maiden opened the door and said to him, Now, off with you, but take good care of the little girl. And Gertah stretched out her hands with the large, wadded gloves towards the robber maiden and said, fair will. And the reindeer flew on over bush and bramble through the great wood over more in heath as fast as he could go. These are my old northern lights, said the reindeer, look how they gleam, and on he now Now sped still quicker, day and night, on he went. The loaves were consumed, and the ham too. And now they were in Lapland. Sixth story. the most charming blue lights burned the whole night in the sky, and at last they came to their destination. They knocked at the chimney of a Finnish woman. As to door, she had none. There was such a heat inside that the Finnish woman herself went about almost naked. She was diminutive and dirty. She immediately loosened little girders' clothes, pulled off her thick gloves and boots. For otherwise, the heat would have been too great. The reindeer related his own story first, and afterwards that of little curda. And the Finnish woman winked her eyes, but said nothing. "'You're so clever,' said the reindeer. "'You can, I know, twist all the winds of the world together in a knot. "'Will you give the little maiden a potion that she may possess the strength of 12 men and vanquish the snow queen? The strength of 12 men said the Finnish woman much good that would be. Then she went to a cupboard and drew out a large skin rolled up. When she had unrolled it, strange characters were to be seen written thereon. And the Finnish woman read such a rate that the perspiration trickled down her forehead. The woman drew the reindeer aside into a corner where they whispered together while the animal got some fresh ice put on his head. Tis true little K is at the snow queens and finds everything there quite to his taste. And he thinks it the very best place in the world. But the reason of that is, he has a splinter of glass in his eye and in his heart, these must be got out first. Otherwise, he'll never go back to mankind, and the snow queen will retain her power over him. But can you give little Gertan nothing to take which will undo her with power over the whole? I can give her no more power than what she has already.

Don't you see how great it is? Don't you see how men and animals are forced to serve her?

How well she gets through the world barefooted, she must not hear of her power from us. That power lies in her heart because she is a sweet and innocent child. If she cannot get to the snow queen by herself and and rid little Kay of the glass we cannot help her. Two miles hence, the garden of the snow queen begins, the there you may carry the little girl. Set her down by the large bush with red berries standing in the snow. Don't stay talking, but hasten back as fast as possible. And now the Finnish woman placed little Gder on the reindeer's back,

and off he ran, with all imaginable speed. Oh, I've not got my boots, I've not brought my gloves! Cried little girder. remarked she was without them from the cutting frost. But the rain dare dared not stand still. On he ran till he came to the great bush with red berries. And there he set Gurdah down, gave her a kiss, while large bright tears flowed from his eyes. And then back he went as fast as possible. There stood poor Gurdah now, without shoes or gloves, in the very middle of dreadful icy Finland. She ran on as fast as she could. There then came a whole regiment of snowflakes, but they did not fall from above, and they were quite bright and shining from the aurora borealis. flakes ran along ground, and the nearer they came, the larger they grew. Girda well remembered how large and strange the snowflakes appeared when she She saw once, and threw a magnifying glass.

...