“They are only dreams,” said the Crow.  “They come to fetch the thoughts of the fine folk to the chase; ’tis well, for now you can see them asleep all the better.  But let me find, when you come to have honor and fame, that you possess a grateful heart.”

“Tut! that’s not worth talking about,” said the Crow from the woods.

Now they came into the first hall, which was of rose-colored satin, with painted flowers on the wall.  Here the dreams were rushing past, but they hurried by so quickly that Gerda could not see the fine people.  One hall was more showy than the other—­well might people be abashed; and at last they came into the bed-chamber.

The ceiling of the room was like a great palm-tree, with leaves of glass, of costly glass; and in the middle of the floor, from a thick golden stalk, hung two beds, each of which was shaped like a lily.  One was white, and in this lay the Princess:  the other was red, and it was here that Gerda 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, held the lamp toward him—­the dreams rushed again on horseback into the chamber—­he awoke, turned his head, and—­it was not little Kay!

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 too, and asked what was the matter.  Then little Gerda cried and told her whole history, and all that the Crows had done for her.

“Poor little thing!” said the Prince and the Princess, and they praised the Crows 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 at liberty?” asked the Princess; “or would you like to have a steady place as court Crows with all the broken bits from the kitchen?”

And both the Crows nodded, and begged for a steady place; for they thought of their old age, and said “it was a good thing to have something for the old folks,” as the saying is.

And the Prince got up and let Gerda 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 then she shut her eyes and slept soundly.  All the dreams came flying in again, and they now looked like the angels; they drew a little sled, on which Kay sat and nodded his head:  but the whole was only a dream, and so it was all gone as soon as she awoke.

The next day she was dressed from top to toe in silk and velvet.  They offered to let her stay at the palace, and lead a happy life; but she begged only 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.