They stopped by a wretched little house ; the roof almost touched the ground , and the door was so low that you had to creep in and out . There was no one in the house except an old Lapland woman who was cooking fish over an oil-lamp . The reindeer told Gerda 's whole history , but first he told his own , for that seemed to him much more important , and Gerda was so cold that she could not speak . ` Ah , you poor creatures ! ' said the Lapland woman ; ` you have still further to go ! You must go over a hundred miles into Finland , for there the Snow-queen lives , and every night she burns Bengal lights . I will write some words on a dried stock-fish , for I have no paper , and you must give it to the Finland woman , for she can give you better advice than I can . ' And when Gerda was warmed and had had something to eat and drink , the Lapland woman wrote on a dried stock-fish , and begged Gerda to take care of it , tied Gerda securely on the reindeer 's back , and away they went again . The whole night was ablaze with northern lights , and then they came to Finland and knocked at the Finland woman 's chimney , for door she had none . Inside it was so hot that the Finland woman wore very few clothes ; she loosened Gerda 's clothes and drew off her fur gloves and boots . She laid a piece of ice on the reindeer 's head , and then read what was written on the stock-fish . She read it over three times till she knew it by heart , and then put the fish in the saucepan , for she never wasted anything . Then the reindeer told his story , and afterwards little Gerda 's and the Finland woman blinked her eyes but said nothing . ` You are very clever , ' said the reindeer . ' I know . Can not you give the little girl a drink so that she may have the strength of twelve men and overcome the Snow-queen ? ' ` The strength of twelve men ! ' said the Finland woman ; ` that would not help much . Little Kay is with the Snow-queen and he likes everything there very much and thinks it the best place in the world . But that is because he has a splinter of glass in his heart and a bit in his eye .
If these do not come out , he will never be free , and the Snow-queen will keep her power XXXXX him . '
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