Through beautiful rooms they came to the sleeping-room . In the middle of it , hung on a thick rod of gold , were two beds , shaped like lilies , one all white , in which lay the princess , and the other red , in which Gerda hoped to find Kay . She pushed aside the curtain , and saw a brown neck . Oh , it was Kay ! She called his name out loud , holding the lamp towards him . He woke up , turned his head and -- it was not Kay ! It was only his neck that was like Kay 's , but he was young and handsome . The princess sat up in her lily-bed and asked who was there . Then Gerda cried , and told her story and all that the crows had done . ` You poor child ! ' said the prince and princess , and they praised the crows , and said that they were not angry with them , but that they must not do it again . Now they should have a reward . ` Would you like to fly away free ? ' said the princess , ` or will you have a permanent place as court crows with what you can get in the kitchen ? ' And both crows bowed and asked for a permanent appointment , for they thought of their old age . And they put Gerda to bed , and she folded her hands , thinking , as she fell asleep , ` How good people and animals are to me ! ' The next day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and satin . They wanted her to stay on in the palace , but she begged for a little carriage and a horse , and a pair of shoes so that she might go out again into the world to look for Kay . They gave her a muff as well as some shoes ; she was warmly dressed , and when she was ready , there in front of the door stood a coach of pure gold , with a coachman , footmen and postilions with gold crowns on . The prince and princess helped her into the carriage and wished her good luck .
The wild crow who was now married drove XXXXX her for the first three miles ; the other crow could not come because she had a bad headache .
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