THE RESCUE OF KAY

The Snow Queen

Annalisa and Arabella flew rapidly to Gerda's side and began talking at once.  "We came to help you.."   "Rescue Kay!"  "We are the Forest Fairies....."Annalisa and Arabella."  "The Snow Queen is our mother's cousin and...."  "And she is evil!"

All three heard a tinkling laugh and, terrified, they turned to face Insidious, the Snow Queen.

"Oh, I am not so bad as all that," she said; her voice was warm and musical.  "I have taken very good care of Kay.  Haven't I, my dearest boy?"

 "Yes," said Kay, his face blank and different somehow.

"Oh, Kay, I am your friend, Gerda.  Do you remember me?"

"Yes, I remember you, Gerda.  Why have you come?"

"I have come to bring you home, Kay.  I have traveled so far and so long to find you."  Gerda reached out her hand to touch him, but the Snow Queen was suddenly in front of Kay.

"Do not touch Kay, my pretty Gerda. Do not come near him."

Gerda burst into tears and cried out, "But why?  He is my best friend.  I have missed him so much!"

Smiling, Insidious said in a soft, caressing voice, "My dear, Kay lives here with me now.  He shall stay with me always."

"Kay, come home with me, please, so we can be together."

"We must provide a diversion," Annalisa whispered to Arabella.

Kay looked as if he were waking from a long sleep.  "Yes, I think I want to go home.  It is so cold here."

Suddenly, two piercing screams were heard.  The Fairy sisters had cast a spell on the wall behind the Queen.  "We're melting the ice," they cried.  "Soon your palace will be slush!"

In a flash, Insidious was beside them.  "Your magic is nothing compared to mine, you ridiculous idiots!"

Gerda, still weeping, crossed to Kay and put her arms around him, her hot tears falling on his chest.  Kay looked into Gerda's face with a painful look of recognition.  He could feel the ice in his frozen heart cracking and breaking and melting away.  Tears came to Kay's eyes; he had not cried for so long.

"Gerda, you have come to rescue me, haven't you?" said Kay, smiling for the first time since the Snow Queen had taken him.

"Yes, darling Kay, we can go home now."  Gerda put her head on his chest and Kay encircled her with his arms.

The Snow Queen stood by her throne.  She had stopped the melting of her ice castle, but she had lost Kay.

"Guide them home, you little nitwits.  Kay is not the first child I have brought here and he won't be the last.  And you can't stop me.  Tell your mother that.  No one can stop me."  Insidious watched the fairy twins leading Kay and Gerda outside and she began to plan her revenge.

Kay and Gerda walked outside into the snow and gasped.  Brightly colored flowers had pushed through the snow.

"Come, we will take you home," said Annalisa.

Tulips in the snow