There was once a dreadfully wicked hobgoblin . One day he was in capital spirits because he had made a looking-glass which reflected everything that was good and beautiful in such a way that it dwindled almost to nothing , but anything that was bad and ugly stood out very clearly and looked much worse . The most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach , and the best people looked repulsive or seemed to stand on their heads with no bodies ; their faces were so changed that they could not be recognised , and if anyone had a freckle you might be sure it would be spread over the nose and mouth . That was the best part of it , said the hobgoblin . But one day the looking-glass was dropped , and it broke into a million-billion and more pieces . And now came the greatest misfortune of all , for each of the pieces was hardly as large as a grain of sand and they flew about all over the world , and if anyone had a bit in his eye there it stayed , and then he would see everything awry , or else could only see the bad sides of a case . For every tiny splinter of the glass possessed the same power that the whole glass had . Some people got a splinter in their hearts , and that was dreadful , for then it began to turn into a lump of ice . The hobgoblin laughed till his sides ached , but still the tiny bits of glass flew about . And now we will hear all about it . In a large town , where there were so many people and houses that there was not room enough for everybody to have gardens , lived two poor children . They were not brother and sister , but they loved each other just as much as if they were . Their parents lived opposite one another in two attics , and out on the leads they had put two boxes filled with flowers . There were sweet peas in it , and two rose trees , which grow beautifully , and in summer the two children were allowed to take their little chairs and sit out under the roses . Then they had splendid games . In the winter they could not do this , but then they put hot pennies against the frozen window-panes , and made round holes to look at each other through . His name was Kay , and hers was Gerda . Outside it was snowing fast . ` Those are the white bees swarming , ' said the old grandmother . ` Have they also a queen bee ? '
asked the little boy , XXXXX he knew that the real bees have one .
against for if in like of on that till under