But the grandmother stroked his hair , and told some more stories . In the evening , when little Kay was going to bed , he jumped on the chair by the window , and looked through the little hole . A few snow-flakes were falling outside , and one of the , the largest , lay on the edge of one of the window-boxes . The snow-flake grew larger and larger till it took the form of a maiden , dressed in finest white gauze . She was so beautiful and dainty , but all of ice , hard bright ice . Still she was alive ; her eyes glittered like two clear stars , but there was no rest or peace in them . She nodded at the window , and beckoned with her hand . The little boy was frightened , and sprang down from the chair . It seemed as if a great white bird had flown past the window . The next day there was a harder frost than before . Then came the spring , then the summer , when the roses grew and smelt more beautifully than ever . Kay and Gerda were looking at one of their picture-books -- the clock in the great church-tower had just struck five , when Kay exclaimed , ` Oh ! something has stung my heart , and I 've got something in my eye ! ' The little girl threw her arms round his neck ; he winked hard with both his eyes ; no , she could see nothing in them . ' I think it is gone now , ' said he ; but it had not gone . It was one of the tiny splinters of the glass of the magic mirror which we have heard about , that turned everything great and good reflected in it small and ugly . And poor Kay had also a splinter in his heart , and it began to change into a lump of ice . It did not hurt him at all , but the splinter was there all the same . ` Why are you crying ? ' he asked ; ` it makes you look so ugly !
There 's nothing the matter XXXXX me .
In at from like of on than that till with