The Snow Queen

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 196, 16 May 1936, Page 27

The Snow Queen

A Wintry Tale by Quicksilver (11). Hataitai.

Along the pathway were spread diamond gems, glittering and sparkling like milk-white opals, creamy of colour and beautiful to see in a path ot snowdrops. Trees, bare of foliage, glittered in a strange, remote way, hung with gems ot clear-cut crystal, while along the pathway, hither and thither, scattering snow gems and flakes, were the heralds of King Winter, the tall, willow-limbed Snow Maidens clad in long robes of a dusky grey, the colour of a wintry sky. King Winter watched the maidens’ preparations from his snow castle vv itn a proud glint in his cold eyes. He leaned upon his arms and looked earthward at the crusted gems, so cold, so true—the dazzling whiteness ot acres ot snow—the bare trees with branches outstretched hung with flaky gems—-and rejoiced in it all. “Ah 1” muttered he, “winter is the best season of all. Autumn brings colours of fiery crimson and tawny gold ; spring brings freshness of green aud pale yellow . summer, skies of cloudy blue and waters of emerald—but winter brings gems and diamonds of dazzling snow colours. Far different, but tar more wonderful. But earthward, people only shivered before glowing fires of crimson spaikles. and their voices were raised in protest: “Winter, „ bring us the warm sun. said they; “we do not like your coldness and ice flakes.” ‘ King Winter only laughed. "See my power, said he mockingly. 1 bavi great (lower o’er the earth. Now, come, my Icy leelets, 1 have an important job for voti. Come hither and listen." , . , , . The lev leelets. the most important heralds oi the king, eame forward, wondering what their new job was to lie. King Winter was always wanting something unusual —last time he had wanted a grey Persian kitten. ’•Listen.’’ murmured King Winter; “I want a queen Go my ley leelets to find me a quden. But. stay, she must be cold, yet beautiful, with shapely figure like the slender branch of a tree; eyes grey, grey as a wintry sky : her face must be pure and white, and her hair must be a light coppery brown. Io north, south, east and west must you go until you hud the queen I seek. The lev leelets flew off and scoured the earth tor a suitable queen while King Winter waited impatiently. After a week had elapsed they returned triumphant with a queen. Yet she was not at all like King Winter had anticipated. Inn. her eves were as grev as wintry skies, but they were soft, not cold ; her skin vvas pearly and white, yet her voice had not the sound of ice. but was as mystically wild as a violin playing at eventide when the hush ot purple twilight ta Is. King Winter thought she was more lovely than any ot his Snow Maidens, but there was also something about her he could not understand. One evening, as he and the Snow Queen were sitting on an ice-chest she em’.T’ed in making a posv of pearly snow-flown lilies, and he reading a book, labelled “Winter and Its Beauties.” King Winter suddenly found hmise f seized by a sudden desire to get away from the slim, radiant Snow Queen. lheie wa. something happening to her —yes, there was. She stood tin and smiled at him—a tender, mysterious smile, but lie only saw her—changing. With growing amazement he saw her eyes slowly change from grey into blue, deep blue like the colour of the sky : her cheeks no longei were pale, but tinted wild rose, like the soft petals of a misty pink bramble rose; her hair was slowly changing into gold and russet, rich and lovely. A colouiless grey gown, no longer clad the slender form—instead the light fell on a dies* ot richest, freshest green, enhanced with touches of gold. King Winter suddenly bitterly realised that this was the Spring Maiden whose turn it vvas to reign. Ilis reign was over—Spring had come. A few beams of sunlight lit up the ice-chamber, melting it into yellow streams ot sunshine, and the Snrinir Maiden gave a fresh laugh and disappeared. In her place was not a bouquet of lilies of the valley, faintly sweet, but a posy of freshly-gathered, pale yellow spring flowers of a rare, sublime perfume, as berft A i J last i King P Winter'slowl.v went to sleep to dream of the time when once more* he would rule the earth. On the earth, radiant, spring brought the richness of her in full flower, with green meadows, lacy skies and gardens of palegold spring flowers.