` Making a snow-child , ' replied Marie . They had finished the nose and the chin . Two holes were left for the eyes , and Ivan carefully shaped out the mouth . No sooner had he done so than he felt a warm breath upon his cheek . He started back in surprise and looked -- and behold ! the eyes of the child met his , and its lips , which were as red as raspberries , smiled at him ! ` What is it ? ' cried Ivan , crossing himself . ` Am I mad , or is the thing bewitched ? ' The snow-child bent its head as if it had been really alive . It moved its little arms and its little legs in the snow that lay about it just as the living children did theirs . ` Ah ! Ivan , Ivan , ' exclaimed Marie , trembling with joy , ` heaven has sent us a child at last ! ' And she threw herself upon Snowflake -LRB- for that was the snow-child 's name -RRB- and covered her with kisses . And the loose snow fell away from Snowflake as an egg shell does from an egg , and it was a little girl whom Marie held in her arms . ` Oh ! my darling Snowflake ! ' cried the old woman , and led her into the cottage . And Snowflake grew fast ; each hour as well as each day made a difference , and every day she became more and more beautiful . The old couple hardly knew how to contain themselves for joy , and thought of nothing else .
The cottage was always full of village children , for they amused Snowflake , and there was nothing in the world they would not have done XXXXX amuse her .
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