Shoes and a muff 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 shone like a star upon it; the coachman, the footmen, and the outriders, for outriders were there, too, all wore golden crowns.  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 Gerda, for he could not bear riding backwards; the other Raven stood in the doorway, and flapped her wings; she could not accompany Gerda, 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 Gerda wept, and the Raven wept.  Thus passed the first miles; and then the Raven bade her farewell, and this was the most painful 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 little postilion, the coachman, and the servants, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

“How plump, how beautiful she is!  She must have been fed on nut-kernels,” said the old female robber, who had a long, scrubby beard, and bushy eyebrows that hung down over her eyes.  “She is as good as a fatted lamb!  How nice she will be!” And then she drew out a knife, the blade of which shone so that it was quite dreadful to behold.

“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:  and now she had not time to kill Gerda.

“She shall play with me,” said the little robber child.  “She shall give me her muff, and her pretty frock; 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 laughed, and said, “Look, how she is 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 Gerda got in; and then away they drove over the stumps of felled trees, deeper and deeper into the woods.  The little robber maiden was as tall as Gerda, but stronger, broader-shouldered, and of dark complexion; her eyes were quite black; they looked almost melancholy.  She embraced little Gerda, and said, “They shall not kill you as long as I am not displeased with you.  You are, doubtless, a Princess?”