But Gerda and Kay went hand in hand, and as they went it became beautiful spring, with green and with flowers.  The church bells sounded, and they recognized the high steeples and the great town; it was the one in which they lived, and they went to the grandmother’s door, and up the stairs, and into the room, where everything remained in its usual place.  The big clock was going “Tick! tack!” and the hands were turning; but as they went through the rooms they noticed that they had become grown-up people.  The roses out on the roof-gutter were blooming in at the open window, and there stood the children’s chairs, and Kay and Gerda sat upon the chairs, and held each other by the hand.  They had forgotten the cold, empty splendor at the Snow Queen’s like a heavy dream.  The grandmother was sitting in God’s bright sunshine, and read aloud out of the Bible, “Except ye become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God.”

And Kay and Gerda looked into each other’s eyes, and all at once they understood the old song: 

“The roses will fade and pass away,
 But we the Christ-child shall see one day.”

There they both sat, grown up, and yet children—­children in heart; and it was summer—­warm, delightful summer.

HOW TO REMEMBER THE STORY

When we read a good long story like The Snow Queen, we enjoy it and think we should like to remember it.  If it is really good we ought to remember it, not only because of its excellence, but, in the case of an old story, because we so often find allusions to it in our other reading.  The best way to fix a story in mind is to make an outline of the incidents, or plot.  Then we can see the whole thing almost at a glance, and so remembrance is made easy.

A good outline of The Snow Queen would appear something like this: 

I. The Goblin’s Mirror. (Enlarges evil; distorts and diminishes good.)
   1.  The Mirror is broken.

II.  Kay and Gerda.
   1.  The little rose garden.
   2.  Pieces of the mirror find their way into Kay’s eye and heart.
   3.  The Snow Queen.
     a.  Finds Kay.
     b.  Carries him away.
     c.  Makes him forget Gerda. 
III.  Gerda’s Search for Kay.
   1.  Carried away by the river.
   2.  Rescued by the old witch. 
IV.  In the Flower garden.
   1.  The rose reminds Gerda of Kay.
   2.  Gerda questions the flowers.
     a.  The Tiger Lily.
     b.  The Convolvulus.
     c.  The Snowdrop.
     d.  The Hyacinth.
     e.  The Buttercup.
     f.  The Jonquil. 
V. Gerda Continues Her Search in Autumn.
   1.  Gerda meets the Crow and follows him.
     a.  The princess’s castle,
     b.  The prince is not Kay.
     c.  Gerda in rich clothes continues her search in a carriage. 
VI.  Gerda meets the Robbers.
   1.  The old woman claims Gerda.