And Gerda kissed his cheeks, and they became blooming; she kissed his eyes, and they shone like her own; she kissed his hands and feet, and he then became well and merry.  The Snow Queen might now come home; his word of release stood written in shining characters of ice.

And they took one another by the hand, and wandered forth from the great palace of ice.  They spoke of the grandmother and of the roses on the roof; and where they went the winds rested and the sun burst forth; and when they came to the bush with the red berries, the Reindeer was standing there waiting; it had brought another young Reindeer, which gave the children warm milk, and kissed them on the mouth.  Then they carried Kay and Gerda, first to the Finnish woman, where they warmed themselves thoroughly in the hot room, and received instructions for their journey home; and then to the Lapland woman, who had made them new clothes and put their sledge in order.

The Reindeer and the young one sprang at their side, and followed them as far as the boundary of the country.  There the first green sprouted forth, and there they took leave of the two Reindeer and the Lapland woman.  “Farewell!” said all.  And the first little birds began to twitter, the forest was decked with green buds, and out of it, on a beautiful horse (which Gerda knew, for it was the same that had drawn her golden coach) a young girl came riding, with a shining red cap on her head and a pair of pistols in the holsters.  This was the little robber girl, who had grown tired of staying at home, and wished to go first to the north, and if that did not suit her, to some other region.  She knew Gerda at once, and Gerda knew her too; and it was a right merry meeting.

“You are a fine fellow to gad about!” she said to little Kay.  “I should like to know if you deserve that one should run to the end of the world after you?”

But Gerda patted her cheeks, and asked after the prince and princess.

“They’ve gone to foreign countries,” said the robber girl.

“But the Crow?” said Gerda.

“The Crow is dead,” answered the other.  “The tame one has become a widow, and goes about with an end of black worsted thread round her leg.  She complains most lamentably, but it’s all talk.  But now tell me how you have fared, and how you caught him.”

And Gerda and Kay told their story.

“Snipp-snapp-snurre-purre-basellurre!” said the robber girl.

And she took them both by the hand, and promised that if she ever came through their town, she would come up and pay them a visit.  And then she rode away into the wide world.