There was once a happy girl named Gerda who lived in a tranquil village between snowy meadows and forested hills. Her hair was the colour of ripe chestnuts, and her eyes glittered like the sun on ice in the morning. People in the village knew her for more than just her beautiful laugh; they also knew her for being nice. Kai was Gerda’s best friend. He was a boy with a keen mind and a smile that made you want to laugh. They had been best friends since they could walk, running after each other in gardens, reading stories by candlelight, and making snow castles in the village square.
That year, winter came early. The roofs were covered in snow like whipped cream, and the trees sparkled with frost. The locals crowded around fires, but Gerda and Kai were usually outside, with rosy cheeks and bright eyes. They adored the snow, especially the fine, lacy flakes that twirled and whirled in the air like little ballerinas. But one day, something odd happened. A flake fell on Kai’s cheek. It was colder than any he had ever felt, yet it didn’t melt.
The wind howled through the village that night while the fire crackled in Gerda’s cottage. It pulled on windows and told secrets via the chimney. The Snow Queen appeared that night.
The Snow Queen had been watching from a palace made entirely of ice. Its towers sparkled like diamonds, and its halls were silent. She was in charge of the winter skies, the northern winds, and the storms that danced over the tops of mountains. But what really interested her was not the cold she could manage, but the warmth she couldn’t explain. She didn’t understand why Gerda and Kai were laughing together. Yes, she had known power, but not love. Not love.
The Snow Queen rode into the village on a sleigh pulled by reindeer with silver antlers, and most people didn’t notice her. She floated down the street and halted in front of Kai’s house. She came to the window with a swirl of frost and moonlight.
Kai went outside since he couldn’t sleep because of bizarre dreams and a searing pain in his heart.
“I’ve seen you,” he said softly as snowflakes swirled around her like stars. “You are real.”
“I am,” the Snow Queen murmured in a quiet, odd voice that sounded like wind blowing through icicles. “Do you want to come with me? There is no misery or pain in my kingdom, only calm, beauty, and quiet.
Kai felt like her words were wrapping around him like satin. The shard of ice she had covertly put in his heart started to make his recollections less clear. He forgot the stories his grandma told, Gerda’s laughing, and how nice it was to wear warm mittens. Instead, there was a frigid calm.
Gerda witnessed them disappear into a gust of snow as the Snow Queen grasped his hand.
She hurried into the dark, yelling his name. But he was gone.
Days went by. Then weeks. Some people in the village thought Kai had gone lost in the woods. Some others assumed he had died in the cold river. Gerda, on the other hand, wouldn’t believe it. Something deep within convinced her he was still alive.
So she made a decision.
Gerda headed off to find her friend on a frigid morning with just a cloak, a pair of boots, and a basket of food.
Her trip was long and dangerous. She walked through forests so quiet that even the snowflakes made noise. She walked over rivers on shaky ice, saw wolves whose eyes sparkled gold in the moonlight, and followed stars that seemed to wink particularly for her.
She encountered a wise old woman in the woods who had a garden full of magical roses. The woman gave her comfort, a warm bed, and soup. “Stay here,” she offered in a nice way. “Don’t think about your pain.”
But Gerda knew that the roses didn’t grow wild; they followed the woman’s spell. Gerda murmured softly, “I can’t stay.” “Kai is out there.”
The old woman sighed and then gave her a scarf with warmth and bravery sewn into it. “Then take this.” You’ll need it.
Gerda encountered a crow who had seen a boy with a sad face and snow in his hair farther north. The crow said, “He went with a lady in white.” “I can show you where to go next.”
Gerda followed the crow to a palace where she met a young prince and princess who were very kind and listened to her story. They gave her a warm coat with fur lining and a golden sleigh. The princess said, “Go look for your friend.” “We believe in you.”
Gerda went through freezing winds and the northern lights to get to Lapland. A reindeer there promised to take her across the freezing tundra. Gerda’s mind was on Kai as they rode through the snow. She thought about the time he fell into the river and she pulled him out, and how he made her laugh by making snowmen with pinecone eyes. She said softly into the wind, “I’m coming, Kai.”
Finally, they got to the Snow Queen’s castle.
It was bright. The walls were made of pure ice, and the floors were so flawless they looked like mirrors. Like whispers, snowflakes floated through the air. Kai sat in the biggest chamber, under a chandelier formed of icicles.
He looked pale and quiet, and his eyes were far away and empty.
Gerda ran to him. “Kai! “It’s me!”
But he didn’t move.
She started to cry. She gripped his hands and cried, her warm tears dripping onto his cold fingertips.
A tear fell on his heart and melted the piece of ice.
Kai blinked.
He muttered, “Gerda?”
“It’s me,” she said, laughing even though she was crying. “I found you.”
Memories flooded back to Kai: sunny days, stories they told one other, and the feeling of companionship. He stared at her, and his eyes lit up.
The Snow Queen came, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
She said, “You came all this way.” “Why?”
“Because I love him,” Gerda answered simply. “And love isn’t afraid of storms or snow. It never stops trying.
The Snow Queen stared at them and saw how they were holding hands. For the first time, something warm moved in her.
She whispered softly, “No magic of mine can stand up to a heart like yours.” The walls of the palace started to shimmer and fade away when she waved her hand.
Gerda and Kai went outside. The storm was over. Dawn made the sky pink. The snow didn’t hurt anymore; it shined.
They walked home together, holding hands, talking stories, and being amazed at how good the people who had rescued them were.
People in the village were happy when they came back. For years, people told the story of Gerda’s bravery and Kai’s homecoming beside the fire.
But that wasn’t the end of the story.
The Snow Queen started to alter after seeing how warm she was. She didn’t steal kids or freeze their hearts anymore. She sometimes went to see Gerda and Kai, but not with magic or mystery. She only wanted to be friends. She learnt how to laugh. She learnt how to feel.
Over time, the Snow Queen sent soft snowfalls to the hamlet so that kids could sled and make snowmen. The planet could then relax under a nice white blanket until spring came.
And on the coldest days, when the wind came from the north, you could hear two kids laughing in the wind. They had once defied winter for the sake of love.
The End.
