HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES
they, naturally enough, made no answer. She came close up to them, for the stream drifted the boat to the land.
Gerda called still louder, whereupon an old lady came out of the house, supporting herself on a crutch; she wore a large hat, with most beautiful flowers painted on it.
'Thou poor little child!' said the old woman, 'the mighty flowing river has indeed borne thee a long, long way,' and she walked right into the water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to land, and took out the little girl.
Gerda was glad to be on dry land again, although she was a little afraid of the strange old lady.
'Come and tell me who thou art, and how thou camest hither,' said she.
And Gerda told her all, and the old lady shook her head, and said, 'Hem! hem!' And when Gerda asked if she had seen little Kay, the lady said that he had not arrived there yet, but that he would be sure to come soon, and that in the meantime Gerda must not be sad; that she might stay with her, might eat her cherries, and look at her flowers, which were prettier than any picture-book, and could each tell her a story.
She then took Gerda by the hand; they went together into the cottage, and the old lady shut the door. The windows were very high and their panes of different coloured glass, red, blue, and yellow, so that when the bright daylight streamed through them, various and beautiful were the hues reflected upon the room. Upon a table in the centre was placed a plate of very fine cherries, and of these Gerda was allowed to eat as many as she liked. And whilst she was eating them, the old dame combed her hair with a golden comb, and the bright flaxen ringlets fell on each side of her pretty, gentle face, which looked as round and as fresh as a rose.
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