“Newspapers were published directly, with a border of hearts and the princess’s initials.  One could read in them that every young man who was good-looking might come to the castle and speak with the princess, and him who spoke so that one could hear he was at home there, and who spoke best, the princess, would choose for her husband.  Yes, yes,” said the Crow, “you may believe me.  It’s as true as that I sit here.  Young men came flocking in; there was a great crowding and much running to and fro, but no one succeeded the first or second day.  They could all speak well when they were out in the streets, but when they entered at the palace gates, and saw the guards standing in their silver lace, and went up the staircase, and saw the lackeys in their golden liveries, and the great lighted halls, they became confused.  And when they stood before the throne itself, on which the princess sat, they could do nothing but repeat the last word she had spoken, and she did not care to hear her own words again.  It was just as if the people in there had taken some narcotic and fallen asleep till they got into the street again, for not till then were they able to speak.  There stood a whole row of them, from the town gate to the palace gate.  I went out myself to see it,” said the Crow.  “They were hungry and thirsty, but in the palace they did not receive so much as a glass of lukewarm water.  A few of the wisest had brought bread and butter with them, but they would not share with their neighbors, for they thought, ’Let him look hungry, and the princess won’t have him.’”

“But Kay, little Kay?” asked Gerda.  “When did he come?  Was he among the crowd?”

“Wait! wait!  We’re just coming to him.  It was on the third day that there came a little personage, without horse or carriage, walking quite merrily up to the castle.  His eyes sparkled like yours; he had fine long hair, but his clothes were shabby.”

“That was Kay!” cried Gerda, rejoicing.  “Oh, then, I have found him!” And she clapped her hands.

“He had a little knapsack on his back,” observed the Crow.

“No, that must certainly have been his sledge,” said Gerda, “for he went away with a sledge.”

“That may well be,” said the Crow, “for I did not look at it very closely.  But this much I know from my tame sweetheart, that when he passed under the palace gate and saw the life guards in silver, and mounted the staircase and saw the lackeys in gold, he was not in the least embarrassed.  He nodded, and said to them, ’It must be tedious work standing on the stairs—­I’d rather go in.’  The halls shone full of light; privy councilors and Excellencies walked about with bare feet, and carried golden vessels; any one might have become solemn; and his boots creaked most noisily, but he was not embarrassed.”

“That is certainly Kay!” cried Gerda.  “He had new boots on; I’ve heard them creak in grandmother’s room.”