n0t@ k@k!

dear blogger.....

cuti ni aku x buat aper pom kecuali makan , tidur , layan lagu , layan cter , tgk tv dan layan internet.........

15 december 2010 :

ada reunion dgn bdk2 darjah 6 ( kelas target )SKBP kat KB Mall......x sabar rasenyer nak pergi dan jumpa diorang sumer......hahaha....nak buat camner kalu dah rindu.....hehehe

n0T@ k@k!

The love may be the most important thing to the teenagers....
But for me it was no the most important thing in my life.....
Because i still have something that i dreamed to have.....

So love may be a sweet things but it could change the relationship between family..... The true love come from the bottom of the heart.....So for me the true love must be for The God first before to be given to human......

n0t@ k@k!

Mengapalah dia tu suka sangat menunjuk..........dah lar perasan...... x pandai jaga hati orang langsung...... dah tu suka2 hati dia jer nak cakap aper....menyampah betol....mungkin aku patut buat x tau jer ngan dia tuh...kasi ajar ckit......

n0t@ k@k!

Bosannyer duk kat rumah......... cuti lama lagi tapi dah x tau nak buat aper..........hish.....rindu kat kengkawan semua......

n0t@ c!nT@...

"Hari ni, saya menang pertandingan pidato di sekolah. Esok, saya ada lagi pertandingan bahas. Lusa pula, ada persidangan di UIA. Awak jaga diri sementara saya takde ye? Bukan saya tak nak mesej, tapi saya sibuk. Jangan tinggal solat."

Hafiz membaca mesej itu dengan perasaan berbunga. Wardah, gadis yang memang disayanginya dari dulu lagi. Wardah, bagi Hafiz memang sesuai dengan namanya. Wardah memang sekuntum mawar nan indah. Harum mewangi. Sukar didekati dan indah di hati.
Namun Hafiz tidak pernah bertemu Wardah. Sekadar mendengar suaranya yang lunak dan bisa menggugat hati. Bukan dia tidak berkeinginan untuk bertemu, namun tempat tinggal mereka sangat jauh. Mereka berkenalan melalui seorang kawan pada dua tahun lepas.
Wardah tersenyum. Selama 2 tahun perkenalan mereka, Hafiz menjadi permata hatinya. Wardah memang seorang wanita solehah. Namun perkenalannya dengan Hafiz menjadi titik tolak perubahannya. Dia lupa makna zina hati yang dia laungkan pada tazkirah di sekolah. Dia lupa pesan ustazah agar jangan bercinta pada usia muda, tambahan lagi untuknya yang masih bersekolah. Apatah lagi dia akan menduduki peperiksaan besar SPM pada tahun itu.
“Wa, aku tengok kau dah lain. Kau dah pandai layan lelaki kan? Aku tahu kau sukakan Hafiz tapi ingatlah Wa, cinta sejati hanya pada Allah,” Ujar Fiza, sahabat Wardah pada suatu hari.
“Fiza, aku kan masih solat? Lagipun kami berpesan-pesan ke arah kebaikan. Seperti yang dianjurkan Islam,” Balas Wardah, agak teruji.
“Aku rasa kau dah salah konsep, Wa. Dah habis ke perempuan kat sekolah ni? Ramai lagi aku tengok yang tudung ‘pakai buka’, berkepit dengan jantan sana sini, kau tak nak berpesan-pesan ke arah kebaikan untuk tu ke Wa? La taqrabuzzina, janganlah kau mendekati zina. Wa!”
“Aku harap kau janganlah masuk campur. Soal zina, tak perlu kau ingatkan aku. Aku dah cukup faham maksud itu. Kami tak pernah bertemu. Macam mana kami berzina?”
“Kau dulu pernah beri tazkirah soal zina hati. Takkan lupa? Bila hati saling mengingati, aku tengok kau dah lalai! Lagipun, Allah larang kita mendekati zina, bukan melakukan zina. Kau belum terlewat untuk bertaubat. Lupakanlah Wa, apa tak cukupkah Allah sebagai kekasih kau? Dia yang menemani kau siang malam, Yang Maha Mendengar setiap luahan hati?”
Wardah terdiam. Namun baginya ungkapan Fiza hanya mencurah air ke daun keladi. Dia ingin Hafiz menjadi miliknya!

Hafiz menikmati makan malamnya dengan lahap. Hari ini kepenatan menjeratnya kerana terlalu sibuk dengan tugas kepimpinan di sekolahnya. Namun, Hafiz bersyukur diberi peluang sebegitu. Dia tidak mengeluh dengan tugasan seperti itu. Baginya, segala-galanya adalah tanggungjawab yang diamanahkan. Dan tugasnya adalah sebagai pelaksana.
Mungkin hari-hari Hafiz tidak seindah ini jika Wardah tidak menemani hidupnya. Walaupun Hafiz menyedari hakikat bahawa mereka menghampiri zina, Hafiz sentiasa terpukau dengan janji manis Wardah bahawa mereka hanya berkawan. Namun perasaannya sukar ditepis sama sekali. Dia manusia biasa yang tidak mampu menafikan perasaan cinta yang mula bertunas dalam hati.
Telefon hafiz berdering.
Pantas Hafiz menggapai telefon bimbit di meja. Panggilan dari Wardah
“Hafiz?”
“Ya, saya,”
“Awak sayang saya?”
“Emm, kenapa awak tanya?”
“Saya tanya sebab nak awak jawab,”
“Wardah, awak perempuan terbaik yang saya kenal. Tak mungkin tiada perasaan cinta saya terhadap awak,”
“Awak cintakan saya?”
“Ya, saya cintakan awak,”
Dan malam itu menjadi saksi antara dua jiwa itu. Sesungguhnya begitulah syaitan merasuki kita, secara terang-terangan ia bukanlah cinta yang hina, namun menjebakkan dua insan itu ke alam yang melalaikan.
“Aku nampak semalam kau keluar dengan Ina?” soal Hafiz curiga. Perbuatan sahabatnya, Aiman, menggugat ketenangan dan kewibawaannya sebagai seorang sahabat karib.
“Jadi?” Aiman seolah-olah mencabar Hafiz.
“Aku tak suka. Perkara tu Allah larang,”
“Hafiz, Hafiz! Mentahnya pemikiran kau. Macam mana pula soal hubungan kau dengan Wardah? Kau ingat aku tak tahu? Habis, yang kau bercinta dengan dia tu? Ada Allah suruh?”
“Aiman, kami bercinta cara Islam. Sekurang-kurangnya lebih baik daripada engkau!”
“Ahh, bercinta secara Islam. Kenapa ramai yang kabur dengan persoalan itu? Bukankah itu tipu daya syaitan. Walaupun aku dengan Ina, aku dan dia tidak hipokrit macam kau! Ketua pengawas apa kau ni? Sebelum kau kata baju orang lain kotor, tengok baju sendiri, itu nasihat aku!” kata Aiman berang sambil berlalu pergi.
Hafiz tertunduk di situ, di sebuah taman berhampiran rumahnya. Dia menundukkan kepalanya. Perlahan-lahan, dia berjalan pulang. Dalam perjalanannya, dia bermuhasabah. Ya Allah, dosakah aku? Aku marah apabila sahabatku menghampiri zina namun aku juga begitu! Aku ke surau namun aku juga menghampiri lembah syaitan. Manusia apakah aku?
Malam itu Hafiz bertahajud. Bermunasabah dan merenungi segala dosa-dosanya. Bagaimana suara Wardah yang mencairkan hatinya, dan bagaimana dia asyik melayari alam percintaan dengan Wardah. Dia senang begitu, bermunajat sendirian dan mengadu pada Allah. Biasanya pada malam-malam begitu masanya dihabiskan dengan menelefon Wardah hingga lewat pagi. Namun malam itu dia selesa menutup telefonnya dan menyerah pada Allah. Malam itu juga dia harus membuat keputusan.
“Eeesh! Mana Hafiz ni! Biasanya dia telefon aku, ni, mesej pun takde! Telefon pulak off! Dia ada perempuan lain ke?” rungut wardah sendirian. Hatinya gelisah. Walaupun jam menunjukkan pukul empat pagi, namun dia setia menunggu Hafiz. Dia mahu tunjukkan pada Hafiz bahawa dia gadis yang sabar, mungkin, Hafiz mempunyai urusan yang perlu diselesaikan.
Tiba-tiba telefonnya berbunyi. Dia menerima mesej daripada Hafiz.
“Wa, jangan tipu saya lagi! Cukup sampai di sini hubungan kita!”
Wardah terkesima. Dia buntu, apa yang Hafiz maksudkan? Perlahan-lahan, dia membalas mesej itu.
“Apa maksud awak? Awak tak sayang saya?”
“Sudahlah Wa. Pergilah dari hidup saya. Saya tak perlukan perempuan macam awak lagi!”
Wardah mula menitiskan air mata apabila mesejnya tidak dibalas. Dia beberapa kali menelefon Hafiz tetapi tidak berjawab. Kali ini dia pasti, Hafiz akan meninggalkannya tanpa sebab!
3 bulan berlalu dengan perit. Wardah sedaya upaya melupakan Hafiz. Setiap hari Wardah memeriksa peti emelnya sejak Hafiz memadam telefonnya. Hafiz pasti akan meninggalkan sesuatu! Hafiz bukan sejahat lelaki lain. Wardah tahu itu semua.
Hinggalah pada suatu hari, Wardah memperoleh berita yang dinanti-nantikan. Terketar-ketar jarinya tatkala membuka emel yang bertajuk ‘Nota Cinta’ itu…
Subject:
Nota Cinta
From:
“Hafiz Haikal”
To:
wardah@yahoo.com
________________________________________
Assalamualaikum...

Kehadapan Wardah, mawar yang dirahmati Allah

Mungkin semasa awak membuka emel ini perasan awak sangat jelik, benci, kecewa dan banyak lagi terhadap saya.Saya faham itu semua, tapi apa saya harus buat, ini saya lakukan semua untuk mencari redha Allah. Saya pun tak tahu nak mula dari mana, tapi saya harap awak faham apa yang saya tulis.

Sebenarnya mesej yang saya hantar pada pagi itu memang dirancang. Mesej itu sengaja saya reka untuk saya jauhkan perasaan cinta saya kepada awak. Mungkin awak terkejut dengan sikap saya, tapi ada makna di sebalik semua tu.

Sebab utama saya hantar mesej macam tu sebab nak biar awak benci kat saya dan menjauhkan diri dari saya. Kenapa saya nak jauhkan diri dari awk?.. Selama kita menzahirkn rasa cinta dan sayang semenjak tu la hati saya rasa lain. Untuk pengetahuan awak bila saya lafaz sayang dan cinta kepada awak dan awak pula membalasnya saya terasa jiwa saya jauh dari Allah, nafsu syahwat saya naik, rasa ke arah maksiat tu ada walaupun kita tak pernah bersua. Agak remeh kan kalau orang lain baca, tapi untuk saya yang mempunyai iman yg rendah macam2 boleh jadi kat saya. Mungkin awak sebagai wanita tak rasa keadaan begitu tapi saya seorang lelaki memang menyebabkan saya lemah. Saya takut akan Allah, kekadang saya nasihatkan kawan saya jangan buat benda 2 tapi saya buat jugak. Orang pandang saya selalu pakai songkok kat sekolah macam alim, pergi masjid tapi buat benda tu, tak ke saya ni munafik?

Saya sedar apa yang saya buat mendukacitakan hati awk. Hati mana yang boleh terima difitnah begitu. Tapi bila saya buat begitu saya juga rasa berdosa sebab memfitnah wanita yang solehah. tapi apa kan daya desakan hati.

Awak memang wanita hebat, setiap kali awak menceritakan kejayaan awak memang saya cemburu. Kekadang saya fikir kenapa saya tak boleh jadi macam awak. Tapi saya tetap bersyukur dapat kawan dengan awak. Serius saya katakan awak sahajalah kawan wanita yang paling rapat dengan saya, yang lain cuma kawan biasa, jarang saya berhubung dengan mereka.

Untuk terakhir sekali, perasaan cinta dalam diri saya terhadap awak memang tertanam dalam hati saya, sebab awak cinta pertama saya. Saya tak pernah bercinta. Masalah yang saya hadapi sekarang mcm saya katakan di atas tu la. Walaupun agak remeh tapi saya pandang serius terhadap benda ni. Sebab Allah tak redhai sebuah hubungan selain daripada pernikahan. Saya harap dengan penjelasan saya awak akan faham lebih-lebih lagi awak belajar dlm aliran agama. Sekiranya kita ada jodoh tak kan ke mana. Itu janji Allah.

Wassalam..
Ikhlas dari hamba yg mencari redha Allah:
HAFIZ HAIKAL
Malam itu Wardah bersujud, pada Allah dia serahkan diri… Hari-hari dilaluinya dengan redha, tanpa rasa dendam sedikitpun terhadap Hafiz. Nota cinta Hafiz telah mengubah hidupnya. Hinggalah Wardah memperoleh keputusan cemerlang dalam peperiksaannya dan Berjaya melanjutkan pelajaran dalam bidang perubatan di Universiti al-Azhar, Mesir.
Wardah merenung jauh ke Tasik Titiwangsa yang damai itu. Dilihatnya pasangan-pasangan muda berpegangan tangan tanpa segan-silu. Dia bermuhasabah dalam hati. Andai satu ketika dulu dia hanyut dibuai cinta dengan Hafiz, pasti gelaran doktor pakar mustahil disandangnya. Sejenak dia memikirkan kata-kata Umminya semalam…
“Wa, bila nak menikah? Ummi teringin nak bermenantu,”
Soalan Ummi itu menggegar tangkai hati Wardah. Kenangan yang cuba diluputkannya bertahun-tahun dahulu kembali mengusik. Jauh di sudut hati, Wardah masih mengharapkan Hafiz yang entah ke mana itu. Dengan menarik nafas panjang, Wardah menyahut,
“Sesiapa sahaja yang Ummi carikan, dialah jodoh Wardah,”
Wardah merenung cincin perkahwinan di jarinya. Cantik! Sekali pandang Wardah tahu, suaminya pasti dari kalangan orang berada. Hatinya masih berdebar-debar. Sejak akad nikah tadi, dia masih belum melihat wajah suaminya. Walaupun Hafiz berada dalam hatinya, dia redha. Biarlah, pilihan Ummi pasti yang terbaik buatnya. Wardah memejam mata rapat-rapat, ditahan air matanya dari menitis. Dia ingin menjadi bintang timur buat suaminya. Biarlah dia seorang…
“Wardah Alia binti Syukri, sesungguhnya cinta itu lebih indah melalui sebuah ikatan mulia bernama perkahwinan…” Bisik suaminya, suara yang mendamaikan hatinya.
Wardah membuka matanya, dan menatap wajah penaung jiwanya kini… Hafiz Haikal…

m@FeL@ k@s!h...

Usai solat Zuhur dan berdoa, dia terpaku seketika. Fikirannya masih menerawang ke arah kata-kata ibunya melalui telefon tadi. Sambil melipat telekung, perbualan dengan ibunya tadi seolah-olah diputarkan kembali.

“Maria, ibu tak tahu nak kata apa lagi. Umur Maria dah nak masuk 28.. takkan la nak tunggu umur sampai 30..ibu tak suka tengok anak ibu kawin lambat. Fikirlah sendiri, suami macam mana lagi yang Maria nak. Nabil tu bukannya ada rupa saja, pangkat tinggi..kaya pulak tu. Kakak dan abang kau pun setuju kalau kau terima aje lamaran dia. Fikirlah baik-baik,”.

“Entah la bu.. bagilah Maria masa dulu. Banyak perkara tengah Maria fikir sekarang.” Itulah jawapan yang sering dilontarkan tatkala ada orang yang merisik dirinya.

Bukan dia menolak untuk menegakkan sunnah Rasullullah s.a.w itu, tapi hanya dia sahaja yang memahami dirinya sendiri. Seperti pilihan-pilihan yang datang sebelum ini, pastinya dia akan merujuk dulu pada yang maha menentukan sesuatu keputusan, Allah s.w.t. Dengan istikharah beberapa kali, dia yakin petunjuk yang diberikan Allah kepadanya adalah tepat.

Tetapi pilihan kali ini, Nabil…hatinya seolah-olah menolak mentah-mentah. Bukan dia tidak kenal siapa Nabil itu. Nabil yang selalu mengacaunya, dan pernah ingin memegang tangannya semasa kali lepas sewaktu pulang ke kampung. Adakah suami seperti itu yang didambakannya? Bolehkah dia menjadi suami soleh yang boleh memandu rumahtangga Islami yang selalu diimpikannya? Kalaulah ibu faham, desis hatinya.

Kakinya segera melangkah menuju ke wad A4. Tanggungjawabnya tidak harus dilupakan sama sekali. Dia tahu, itulah amanah Allah padanya. Sesibuk atau seletih mana pun, sebagai seorang doktor, Maria tetap mengukir senyuman kepada pesakit-pesakitnya. Masa rehat sekalipun, dia akan melawat wad atau dihabiskan sedikit waktu untuk membaca Al-Quran .

Bagi Maria, mukjizat Al-Quran itu bukan saja boleh menenangkan jiwa sesiapa membaca atau mendengarnya, tetapi mampu menyembuhkan penyakit yang dihidapi oleh pesakit-pesakitnya dengan izin Allah. Melawat wad kanak-kanak, tidak pernah rasa bosan baginya.

Bagi Maria, melihat wajah-wajah comel mereka mampu memberi ketenangan dan menyejukkan jiwa. Suara tangis kanak-kanak memaksa hatinya untuk memujuk mereka. Melihat muka-muka mereka menderita, timbul rasa simpati dalam dirinya.

Selalu bermain di fikirannya, untuk memiliki anak-anak comel seperti mereka. Sudah lama dia menantikan untuk bergelar ibu tetapi belum tiba masanya dia menjadi seorang isteri kepada seseorang. Dia yakin sekali Allah pasti akan mengurniakan suami soleh yang didambakannya kelak. Oleh sebab itu, dia tidak putus-putus berdoa.

Langkah kakinya menuju ke bilik-bilik sakit di wad pesakit jantung. Sunyi sekali. Dia melangkah masuk ke dalam memerhatikan pesakit yang baru dipindahkan dari Hospital Kuala Lumpur tadi. Kata rakannya di unit jantung, Dr Bahtiar pesakit mengalami kecacatan septum ventrikel. Itulah yang dialami oleh kanak-kanak kecil di hadapannya kini.

“Ya Allah.. dia terlalu kecil …mengapa diuji berat sebegini,”getus hatinya. Wajah mulus kanak-kanak perempuan berusia 4 tahun itu diperhatikannya. Dia masih terbaring lesu tanpa ditemani sesiapa. Tertulis di hujung katilnya, MARDHIYA QISTINA MUZAMMIL..nama yang sangat comel, secomel orangnya. Ingin saja dia memeluk kanak-kanak itu. Andai aku adalah ibunya, pasti aku sentiasa menemaninya dalam keadaan begini. Rasa simpatinya menebal.

Maria tahu waktu pembedahan jantungnya dalam masa terdekat ini, menurut kata Dr Bahtiar tadi. Pintu terkuak dan seorang wanita lewat 60an masuk. Maria sedikit terkejut, namun terus dia melemparkan senyuman dan memberi salam. Wanita tua itu membalas senyumannya walaupun agak tawar sambil memandang pada wajah comel itu. Tiba- tiba saja wanita tua itu menitiskan air mata lantas bersuara.

“ Hati makcik kadang-kadang tak tahan melihat wajahnya saat dia tidur macam ni. Makcik takut kalau dia terus tidur dan meninggalkan makcik. Makcik takde anak perempuan, dan makcik tak nak lagi kehilangan cucu perempuan. Tolong makcik, nak. Walaupun dia masih kecil, dia budak yang bijak, dan sangat baik. Walaupun ibu dia tinggalkan dia, dia tak pernah bertanyakan ibunya…dia tak pernah susahkan ayahnya yang sibuk. Dia betul-betul menjaga hati papa dan neneknya. Tolonglah doktor, makcik tak nak kehilangan dia ,”.

Air mata Puan Nuraini semakin laju membasahi pipinya. Maria agak faham hati dan perasaan seorang nenek terhadap cucu perempuan tunggalnya. Sememangnya anak ini terlalu tabah, dan kini Allah mengujinya lagi.

“Sabarlah makcik..saya mungkin tak berada di tempat makcik tapi saya faham apa yang makcik hadapi sekarang..banyakkanlah berdoa makcik. Kami di sini akan berusaha sedaya upaya..selebihnya, itu adalah hak Allah, mohonlah pertolongan padaNya agar dia dapat diselamatkan.” Maria mendekati dan memeluk bahu wanita itu.

“Insyaalah.Terima kasih doktor. Jarang dapat jumpa doktor seperti kamu, nak. Anak makcik, ayah Mardhiya ni pun doktor, tapi sekarang bukak klinik sendiri. Katanya, hospital ni terbaik dalam rawatan jantung, jadi terus Dhiya ditukarkan ke sini. Tapi, memang makcik ni kurang sabar sikit bila berhadapan dengan ujian agaknya. Mak cik kagum lihat anak lelaki makcik..pelbagai ujian yang dia terima, dia nampak sabar..tenang sekali walaupun makcik tahu, dia sering menitiskan air mata di masjid. Dulu, isterinya nak pergi tinggalkan dia dengan anak dia, dia tenang lepaskan..walaupun makcik tahu hatinya perit. Kini, anaknya pula menderita. Tapi, anaknya pun sama, ikut sabar dan tabah macam papanya. Kalau makcik tahu nak jadi macam ni, makcik tak kasi dia kawin dengan mat saleh tu dulu. Astaghfirullahalazim… maafkan makcik, nak. Makcik tak sepatutnya makcik luahkan masalah makcik pada kamu. ”
"
Tak apa lah makcik..saya faham perasaan makcik. Kadangkala bila luahkan apa yang terpendam di hati..kita akan rasa lebih ringan dan insyaalah tenang, jadi, makcik jangan malu dengan saya.,” Maria mengukir senyuman walau dalam hatinya kembali memikirkan masalah yang diungkit ibunya siang tadi.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Macam mana dengan Dhiya kat sana, Ummi?” Puan Nuraini tidak segera menjawab. Dia menghenyakkan tubuhnya ke sofa, mendekati anak lelakinya.

“Macam biasa la Mil. Petang tadi dia tidur je masa ummi pegi. Ummi hairan la Christina takkan tak ingat langsung kat anak dia ni? Anak tengah sakit camni taknak jenguk langsung! Ummi tak faham betul dengan dia tu!”. Wajah Puan Nuraini sedikit berubah.

“Ummi jangan cakap macam tu. Dia bukan tak nak ke sini, cuma dia takut ummi dan Dhiya lagi terluka. Walaupun dia dah balik ke agama asalnya, dia tetap ibu kandung Dhiya. Pasti dia juga rindu Dhiya. Dah takdir yang hidayah tak betul-betul sampai ke dalam hatinya, atau mungkin salah saya yang tak berjaya didik dia jadi muslim sebenar. Jadi, Ummi janganlah terlalu membenci dia lagi dan tolonglah jangan ungkit lagi pasal ni.” Muzammil menjawab tenang.

Selepas menyalami ibunya, dia segera berangkat untuk menjenguk anaknya di hospital. Janjinya pada diri sendiri, sesibuk macam manapun dirinya, pasti dia akan mencari masa untuk Dhiya, dan mendengar tasmi’ hafalan Dhiya. Baginya, dia mahu Dhiya mengenal Penciptanya dahulu melalui sentuhan al-Quran di hatinya yang bersih. Dialah mama, dialah papa kepada Dhiya sekarang.

Barang-barang kesayangan Dhiya dibawa bersama untuk menemani dia sewaktu di hospital. Antaranya, buku ‘Fairy tales’ yang dibeli di Ireland oleh bekas isterinya semasa Dhiya berumur 1 tahun dan… mafela kesayangannya yang kini menjadi barang kesayangan Dhiya. Mafela yang sangat istimewa buat dirinya. Mafela yang sentiasa menyelimuti lehernya semasa menuntut di Ireland dahulu. Mafela yang menemani Dhiya selepas ditinggalkan ibunya. Mafela yang mengingatkan Dhiya tentang dirinya. Mafela pemberian seorang gadis yang betul-betul mencintainya suatu ketika dahulu!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Maria masuk setelah memberi salam. Kelihatan anak comel itu tersenyum manis padanya sambil menjawab salam.

“Doktor suka tengok Dhiya ceria pagi-pagi ni. Bertuah nenek dapat cucu macam Dhiya, cantik dan pandai!” Pujian Maria membuatkan Dhiya tersengih lebar. Seketika Dhiya diperiksa dan jantungnya kelihatan masih berfungsi normal.

“Doktor nak dengar tak Dhiya hafal surah Al-Waqiah? Dengar Dhiya baca ye,” sambil memperbetulkan jubahnya dan duduk, Maria memperhatikan bacaan Dhiya.

Sememangnya, bacaannya baik sekali dengan makhrajnya yang jelas. Hatinya berbisik, alangkah bagusnya sekiranya dia miliki anak seperti Dhiya, baru sahaja 4 tahun umurnya, tapi sudah berjaya menghafal surah Al-Waqiah, Al-Rahman dan surah-surah pendek dalam juz Amma, seperti kata neneknya. Sekiranya dia miliki anak kelak sudah pasti akan dididiknya seperti Dhiya. Dia sudah pasti ingin lahirkan zuriat yang comel, soleh dan solehah mengikut acuan Al-Quran.. tapi,sudah pasti dia perlukan seorang suami yang benar-benar boleh membentuk diri dan anak-anaknya dengan akhlak Islami.

Bukan dia terlalu memilih atau memandang dirinya sempurna dalam memilih calon suaminya..tidak sama sekali. Tetapi, itulah keluarga yang diidaminya…keluarga yang dipenuhi dengan limpah mahabbah wal rahmah oleh Allah s.w.t, dan melahirkan generasi soleh setanding Salahuddin Al-Ayubi, Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, Ibnu Sina, Umar al-Khattab dan generasi solehah, seperti Aisyah r,a, Fatimah az-Zahra, Khadijah dan Sumaiyyah.

Itulah yang dipintanya di dalam doa setiap hari. Fikirannya kembali menuju kepada Dhiya tatkala kanak-kanak itu menghabiskan bacaannya. “Subhanallah. Bagus sekali bacaan Dhiya. Doktor kagum sangat dengan Dhiya, dan..Allah juga pasti sangat sayang pada Dhiya. Siapa yang ajar Dhiya hafal Quran?”

“Papa. Papa kata Allah sayang pada orang yang selalu baca Quran. So..Dhiya pun nak Allah sayang Dhiya jugak. Semalam pun papa datang ajar Dhiya.. pastu dia bagi chocolate 'kisses' sebab Dhiya dah ingat surah Al-Waqiah,”.Bibirnya mengukir senyuman bangga.

Tidak dinafikan, hati Maria tertanam sedikit kagum pada papa Dhiya itu. Maria mendekati Dhiya sambil mengelus-ngelus rambut perangnya. Semasa memegang tangan Dhiya, matanya tertancap pada sesuatu yang dipegang oleh Dhiya. Ia betul-betul kelihatan sama. Dia segera memohon untuk beredar! Entah kenapa hatinya terusik apabila memandang barang yang dipegang oleh Dhiya tadi. Maria menangis!

“Kenapa kau harus menangis?? Mungkin ia kelihatan sama tapi ….ia memang sama! Atau kau marah pada diri sendiri sebab barang tu menyebabkan kau kembali ingat pada dia? Orang yang pertama telah kau jatuh cinta..? Atau kau ingin usirnya dari fikiran takut cintamu pada orang yang bukan jodohmu??” hatinya berkata-kata pada dirinya sendiri.

“Ya Allah..aku pernah mencintainya dan merinduinya. Aku tak pasti…aku mencintai kerana apa atau kerana akhlak dan pekertinya. Ampunkanlah aku sekiranya ini membawa dosa kerana hatiku kembali mengingati seseorang yang aku tak pasti di mana atau tak mungkin ku milikinya jika dia bukan jodohku,” Air matanya menitis lagi. Dia yakin sekali lelaki itu mungkin kini sudah berumahtangga dan mengecapi kebahagiaan yang indah.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Suara azan Asar telah berkumandang dari surau An-Nur, Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud. Sungguh gemersik dan syahdu. Dia tahu, suara itu selalu diminatinya, iaitu suara yang sama membaca al-Quran sebelum solat Maghrib semalam. Entah kenapa dia jatuh hati pada suara itu. Sering dia bertanya pada Anis, rakan sebiliknya tentang pemilik suara itu. Kata Anis, dia senior mereka di tingkatan 5 Alpha. Orangnya tinggi,berkulit sawo matang dan rakan-rakan memanggilnya Najmi. Tetapi, tetap dia tidak dapat meneka yang mana satu orangnya. Manakan tidak, wajah dan nama semua pelajar lelaki tingkatan 3 pada masa itu pun tidak dapat diingatnya, inikan pula pelajar tingkatan 5. Sememangnya matanya jarang memandang lelaki, apatah lagi bercakap dengan lelaki.

Walaupun hanya di sekolah sains biasa, dia gembira kerana sekolah itu menekankan aspek keagamaan terhadap pelajarnya. Melalui program usrah muslimat yang diketuai oleh kak Fauzana, Maria mula mempelajari ilmu agama secara mendalam. Dia bersyukur kerana rahmat Allah sentiasa bersamanya. Semakin hari dia dapat rasakan perasaan aneh dalam dirinya. Semakin lama dia mendengar suara itu, hatinya semakin jatuh cinta pada suara itu. Segera dia beristighfar kerana bimbang hatinya terleka dari Allah.

“Aku rasa kan Maria, kau ni bukan saja dah jatuh cinta pada suara abang Najmi tu, tapi juga orangnya kan?” gurau Anis padanya. Dia hanya menidakkannya dan mengatakan tumpuannya kini pada pelajaran.

Pernah dia menemani Kak Fauzana ke bilik pengurusan badan dakwah semasa menjadi AJK Sambutan Maulidur Rasul dulu, dan ketika itu dia mula mengenali wajah orangnya. Sememangnya wajahnya cukup tenang. Ketika itu mereka berkerjasama dalam kumpulan untuk menjayakan program tersebut, secara tak langsung Najmi mengetahui nama panggilannya..Maria.

Namun, cukuplah masa itu sahaja, sesama mereka berdua juga tidak pernah bersapa. Cukup hanya semasa mengutarakan idea semasa perbincangan umum. Bagi Maria, batas pergaulan harus dijaga, sekiranya tiada urusan penting..tiada guna dia bersapa mesra dengan lelaki bukan mahramnya.. walaupun ternyata hatinya mengidami pendamping soleh seperti Najmi suatu masa kelak..

Dia masih ingat kata Kak Fauzana.. “Kita kini hanyalah seorang pelajar. Dan tanggungjawab kita adalah belajar dan rasa cinta dan sayang kita haruslah pada Allah, rasul serta ibu bapa kita. Buat masa ini, cinta kita bukan lagi untuk lelaki kerana mereka tak berhak dicintai selagi mereka belum bergelar suami kita. Namun, sekiranya perasaan cinta itu tetap datang, Islam menyuruh kita supaya bernikah untuk mengelakkan daripada zina dan fitnah. Jika itu tidak dapat dilakukan lagi kerana kita masih seorang pelajar, harus kita elakkan daripada timbul rasa cinta dan syahwat”. Maria memilih untuk membuang perasaan itu, walaupun ternyata nama itu tersimpan jauh dalam lubuk hatinya.

*********

Assalamualaika ya akhi…Najmi, Maaf kiranya saudara agak terkejut dengan kedatangan surat ini. Saya kagum dengan sikap saudara, suara saudara mengalunkan ayat-ayat Allah selama di Sekolah Menengah Sains. Maafkan saya..harus saya akui, saya juga hanya insan biasa yang tak mampu melawan fitrah di hati ini.. saudara muslimin yang baik, saya doakan agar saudara sentiasa dilimpahi rahmatNya Saya tahu ini bukan masanya kita bercakap tentang ini, soal hati dan perasaan. Saya yakin Allah beserta dengan orang yang sabar dan Allah sedang menguji hati saya ketika ini. Anggaplah hadiah pemberian saya tanda ucapan tahniah dari saya sempena melanjutkan pelajaran ke oversea.Iinsyallah, perasaan ini akan hilang bersama pemberian saya kepada saudara. Terimalah dengan ikhlas.Maat taufiq wa najjah M.Qibtiah

Muzammil kembali teringat isi surat ringkas yang diterimanya sebelum dia berangkat ke Ireland. Surat yang disisipkan pada mafela biru tua yang dikaitkan nama..NAJMI. Bungkusan itu diterima melalui seorang rakan yang juga tidak tahu dari siapa. Dia memang dapat rasakan gadis itu mencintainya.

Memang ramai yang dikenali meminatinya dahulu tapi tidak satu pun yang dilayannya. Tapi gadis ini cukup berbeza, terlalu ‘low profile’ sehingga orangnya pun dia tak tahu siapa. Biasanya, mereka akan memberi nombor telefon lah, e-mel lah.. tapi satu pun dia tak pernah contact balik. Baginya pada masa itu bukanlah waktu mengejar cinta tapi cita-citanya sebagai doktor menjadi keutamaan.

Selepas menamatkan MBBSnya di Ireland, Muzammil berhasrat untuk bertugas di sana untuk menimba pengalaman. Tidak disangka-sangka, anak pemilik rumah yang disewanya sangat mencintainya. Christina James namanya. Minatnya terhadap Islam memungkinkan Muzammil untuk berdakwah dan menariknya untuk memeluk Islam. Jadi, dia berkeputusan menikahinya.Tetapi, hampir dua tahun berkahwin, Christina ternyata tidak dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan agama barunya.

Paling menyedihkan, sedikit kata-kata Muzammil tidak lagi diambil peduli. Muzammil mula faham, Christina hanya menunjukkan minat pada Islam semasa ingin mendapatkannya dahulu. Dia yang bersikap keanak-anakan itu, kembali meneguk arak semasa Muzammil sibuk di hospital. Akhirnya, Muzammil terpaksa menceraikannya setelah Christina memutuskan untuk bersama lelaki lain dan ingin kembali ke agama asal.

Dengan penuh kepiluan, dia pulang ke tanah air setelah berjaya menuntut anaknya, Mardhiya Qistina…itulah permata hatinya kini, diberi nama mengikut huruf pangkal nama gadis yang tidak dikenali, yang tulus mencintainya dahulu…

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Maria menyapa Dr Bahtiar yang melewati di luar wad yang dilawat olehnya. Dia juga berasa hairan kerana terlalu menyayangi dan mengambil berat terhadap anak itu. Lantas menyebabkan dia sedikit risau.

“ Kami dah bincang tentang penyakit dia berdasarkan penelitian diagnosis.Bayangan gelombang jantungnya menunjukkan dia menghidapi sakit jantung secara semulajadi. Pada mulanya saya sangka ia bahaya. Tapi, persen pengaliran darahnya 25% sahaja, sedangkan pembedahan biasa memerlukan 30% atau ke atas. Juga tiada kemunculan tekanan darah pada paru-paru, menunjukkan tiada tanda bahaya.Walaupun pembedahan dilakukan, keadaan badannya yang kecil dan lemah memungkinkan adanya komplikasi lain. Jadi, asalkan mendapat rawatan susulan di bawah jabatan perubatan, ia akan pulih secara perlahan-lahan semasa pesakit membesar,” kata doktor bedah utama pembedahan Dhiya itu.

Ditunjukkan kepada Maria hasil diagnosis untuk dipastikannya sendiri. “Alhamdulillah, anak kecil itu tidak perlu dibedah,”hatinya melafazkan kata syukur. Laporan perubatan Dhiya di tangan Dr Bahtiar diteliti oleh Maria. Nama penuh Dhiya ditelitinya berkali-kali. MARDHIYA QISTINA BINTI MUZAMMIL NAJMI. Najmi.. Mungkinkah nama Najmi ialah Muzammil Najmi?? Maria terkesima.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Mil pernah jumpa doktor perempuan yang kadang-kadang ada datang melawat Dhiya tak?” Puan Nuraini tiba-tiba bersuara setelah lama menyepi di dalam kereta. Dia dalam perjalanan ke hospital semula bersama anaknya setelah pulang sebentar pada pagi itu untuk memasak bubur kegemaran Dhiya.

“Tak ada la Mi. Saya selalu jumpa kawan saya, Dr Bahtiar je. Kenapa?”

“Manis sangat orangnya….macam nama tuannya, Dr Maria Qibtiah. Dia selalu pakai jubah. Orangnya masih bujang lagi Mil, hari tu mak tanya.Takkan Mil tak pernah jumpa?” Muzammil terkesima mendengar nama itu. Maria Qibtiah. M Qibtiah. Dia cuba memastikan dari ibunya.

“Dia pernah tanya pasal Mil tak, Mi?”

“Takde pun. Ummi pernah cerita pun pasal anak Ummi pun doktor dan pasal Dhiya.tu je.Kenapa Mil kenal dia ke?”

“Entah la..”Jawab Muzammil acuh tak acuh.Fikirannya masih memikirkan soal tadi, dan hatinya dapat mengagak sesuatu.

“Eh, pelik pula jawapan budak ni,”.Puan Nuraini mengerutkan dahi tanda hairan.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Susuk tubuh berkot putih itu masih di tepi Dhiya yang masih tidur. Dia kini memegang mafela di tangan Dhiya, diperhatikannya…dan di tepinya, tertulis nama NAJMI. Maria menangis lagi. Dia menangis lagi, marah kepada diri sendiri kerana masih mencintai lelaki itu walaupun sudah bertahun-tahun berlalu, hatinya tetap menafikan.

Dia terlalu mengidami lelaki sesoleh Najmi sejak dahulu lagi. Dia tahu, Najmi mungkin tidak tahu sama sekali tentang dirinya.. dan dialah pemberi mafela itu.

“Mustahil dia mencintaiku, bahkan tidak akan memandang diriku. Sedangkan tentang diri aku pun dia tak tahu. Pemberianku mungkin dianggap seperti dari sesiapa saja dikenalinya. Astaghfirullahalazim..maafkan aku ya Allah kiranya aku berfikir bukan-bukan,”

“Doktor ada di sini rupanya” Puan Nuraini segera mendekatinya selepas menutup pintu. Segera dilapkan air matanya dan memberi ruang untuk Puan Nuraini duduk. Dia memohon untuk pergi dengan alasan mempunyai urusan lain, khuatir perasaannya diketahui oleh orang tua itu.

Belum sempat dia membuka pintu,, sesusuk tubuh sasa dan tinggi lampai masuk…dan Maria memandang wajahnya. Mereka saling berpandangan. Namun, segera wajahnya ditunduk. Dia masih dapat mengecam wajah itu,wajah lelaki yang pernah dicintainya tak banyak berbeza…hanya sedikit berkumis. Dipaksa dirinya untuk senyum dan segera dia mengatur langkah untuk keluar. Rasa kaget bercampur malu kini menyelubungi hatinya. Dia tak pasti, lelaki itu mengenalinya atau tidak.

Muzammil tahu, itulah Maria yang pernah dikenalinya, pelajar tingkatan 3 dahulu yang pernah mencuri hatinya. Namun, dia tidak pernah menganggap dirinya setanding untuk gadis sebaik dan sesolehah Maria. Sekarang, Muzammil pasti, dialah Maria…Maria Qibtiah, dan kini sudah jelas, gadis yang dicintainya dulu rupa-rupanya mencintainya..Dia pasti tidak berdiam diri lagi, kerana dia yakin tidak bertepuk sebelah tangan..

“Maria, tunggu dulu!” Maria berhenti tanpa membalikkan tubuhnya kearah Muzammil.

“Saya tahu awak masih kenal saya. Saya Najmi..Muzammil Najmi yang awak pernah kenali dahulu. Kenapa awak lari dari saya….awak takut saya tahu yang awak bagi mafela tu? Atau awak takut jatuh cinta pada saya lagi? Maaf, saya tak tahu nama penuh awak Maria Qibtiah..ibu saya dah beritahu saya tentang awak. Saya tahu saya ada peluang kali ni. Saya tahu apa tersirat di hati awak, Sekiranya awak sudi…dan Allah izinkan, kita segera taaruf dan saya akan melamar awak.” Maria memejamkan matanya. Air mata syukurnya gugur ke bumi.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Majlis berjalan dengan lancar. Suasana agak sunyi selepas ramai tetamu sudah pulang. Maria menitiskan air mata lagi…air mata kesyukuran ke hadrat illahi. Dia tahu, Allah menyayanginya,memelihara kesuciannya sehingga dia bertemu kembali dan diijabkabul dengan lelaki yang dicintainya kerana Allah. Rahmat dari Tuhan iyang dilimpahkan sangat dirasainya kerana kini memiliki suami soleh dan sekaligus anak solehah seperti Dhiya.

“Sayang, kenapa menangis ni?”Muzammil mendekatinya.

“Terima kasih abang…kerana menikahi Maria”. Air matanya jatuh perlahan-lahan.

“Kenapa cakap macam ni.?Abang nikahi Maria kerana mencintaimu kerana Allah, dan Maria isteri solehah yang abang idamkan. Abang sepatutnya berterima kasih pada Dhiya yang sanggup menerima abang dan Dhiya.Abang cintaimu selama-lamanya..Insyallah,Doakan agar Allah sentiasa mencurahkan rahmahNya kepada kita.”

Kelihatan Dhiya mengintai mereka dari tepi pintu kamarnya. Dia beransur sihat kini di bawah jagaan Maria yang kini bekerja bersama suaminya di Muzammil Medical Centre. Cepat-cepat Maria meleraikan pelukan suaminya itu. Dhiya meluru masuk memeluk ibu barunya..

“Papa, papa kena tidur kat rumah ibu ke malam ni? Boleh Dhiya tidur sama ngan ibu dan papa tak? ” soal Dhiya sambil tersengih. Maria tersenyum menantikan jawapan Muzammil. Agak lama menantikan sebelum Muzammil menjawab.

“ Malam esok boleh kan sayang?Malam esok balik rumah kita nanti , papa janji kita tidur sama-sama ok,” jawab Muzammil memerhatikan reaksi puterinya.

“Ibu pun janji!” Maria menambah.

“Tapi mana papa letak mafela Dhiya ye?”

“Oh.. ada kat bilik papa. Nanti Dhiya ambik kat bilik papa ye sayang,” Muzammil menjawab sambil tersenyum.

Dia faham Dhiya selalunya tidak boleh tidur tanpa mafela itu. Mafela itu seolah-olah pengganti dirinya semasa ketiadaannya. Memang tidak hairan Dhiya begitu sayangkan mafela itu.

“Alright,papa.Good night papa! Good night ibu!” Dhiya tersenyum tanda setuju lalu keluar setelah bersalam dan mencium pipi papa dan ibunya.

“Kenapa ada kat bilik abang? Mafela tu kan dah jadi Dhiya punya?” Maria sengaja bertanya.

“Semalam Dhiya tidur kat bilik abang. Jadi, ada kat bilik abang lah. Tapi, walaupun abang bagi pada Dhiya, ia tetap mafela kesayangan abang… sebab ia dari seseorang yang abang cintai tanpa abang sedari. Dan sekarang …abang dah milikinya,” kata-kata Muzammil menyebabkan Maria tersentuh. Dia tertunduk malu.

“Kesian pulak kat Dhiya, tak boleh tidur dengan abang malam ni.” Maria cuba mengalih topik.

“Habis tu, sayang tak kesiankan abang?” Maria faham maksud kata-kata Muzammil itu. Malam itu sememangnya milik mereka berdua. Malam yang indah yang mereka sinari dengan cahaya ibadah cinta dalam hubungan mahabbah yang suci dan diredhai olehNya. -layyinul qalbi-

J!H@d c!nT@ d@M!@...

“Apa salah Mia, mama? Mia tutup aurat, Mia solat..tiap-tiap hari Mia doakan kesejahteraan keluarga kita ma, tapi kenapa Tuhan balas Mia begini??!” Damia berada erat dalam dakapan ibunya, Faridah.

Sejak anaknya menjadi mangsa kerakusan lelaki tidak berhati perut, sejak itulah hidup anaknya seakan gelap. Tiada lagi senyum dan tawa yang menghiasi satu-satunya anak perempuan kesayangannya. Tercabar jua naluri keibuannya. Entah apa lagi yang harus dilakukan untuk mengembalikan semangat puteri kesayangannya. Pujukan dengan kata-kata seakan lemah buat Damia. Hanya doa yang mampu Faridah titipkan agar Damia kembali positif dalam hidupnya.

’Andai ibu diberi pilihan, biarlah ibu yang menanggung deritamu, Mia,’ bisik hati kecilnya.
Damia bukan lagi seperti dulu. Perwatakannya jauh berbeza dari sebelumnya. Kalau dulu pada awal subuh dan selepas maghrib akan terdengar alunan bacaan Al-Quran yang merdu menghiasi kamarnya. Namun kali ini cuma esakan yang menjadi ganti suasana itu. Ah,rindunya pada Damia yang dulu! Terkadang hampir sahaja keluar sumpah serana dari bibirnya untuk lelaki tak bertamadun itu. Kalau ikutkan hati, biarlah lelaki itu mati ditangannya!

“Mama tak tahu lagi nak buat apa..mak tak sanggup tengok adik kamu terus menangis macam ni. Sekarang dah hampir tiga bulan Johan. Tiga bulan! Tengoklah apa lelaki keparat tu dah buat dengan adik kamu! Makan pun payah, solat pun dia dah abaikan, asyik menangis..menangis…menangis. Jumpa doktor psikologi pun tak ada sembuhnya!” perasaannya berbaur marah dan kecewa.

Ujian apakah yang menimpa keluarganya? Cukuplah dia melalui zaman perit bersama bekas suaminya dulu, cukuplah hanya dia yang menanggung derita dan kecewanya terhadap seorang lelaki. Kenapa ‘lelaki’ juga yang memusnahkan hidup anaknya, Damia?!

“Ma, Jo tahu apa yang menimpa Damia memang teruk dan tak pernah terfikir pun ia akan berlaku. Tapi Jo yakin setiap kejadian ada hikmahnya, ma. Mama pernah ajar Jo kan, kita tak boleh putus asa dalam hidup ni sedangkan Allah masih tidak pernah putus menghulurkan pemberian-Nya. Allah masih memberi kita waktu untuk bernafas di udara-Nya, memberi waktu untuk mengingati-Nya, memohon pada-Nya. Mama juga pernah kata,tiap perbuatan ada balasannya. Selagi kita berhambakan Allah untuk hidup, dan bukan berhambakan hidup untuk Allah, kita pasti akan menemui kebahagiaan. Entah dunia atau akhirat…” Matang bicara Johan.

Jatuh jua air mata Faridah, bersyukur memiliki anak seperti Johan. Saat dia hampir rebah, dia punya anak yang memapah. Wajarkah dia berputus asa pada rahmat-Nya?

“Alhamdulillah…terima kasih sedarkan mama, Jo. Kita sama-sama berdoa, semoga adik kamu tabah dan mendapat hidayah-Nya.” Johan tersenyum sambil memegang erat tangan ibunya.

Jam hampir menunjukkan jam 8.20 malam. Bising. Satu-persatu buku dari rak yang tersusun kemas dibiarkan berselerak diatas lantai. Apa sahaja objek dihadapan mata Mia seakan tidak kena pada tempatnya. Pasu bunga yang dibiarkan jatuh dan pecah dihadapannya seakan menghiburkan hati. Lantas jari-jemarinya bermain dengan serpihan kaca yang berterabur di sekitar permukaan lantai. Tiada perkataan ‘luka’ yang wujud pada deria rasa saat Mia menyentuh serpihan-serpihan kaca oleh jemarinya. Baginya tidak ada gunanya lagi dia menghargai jasad yang sudah menjadi mangsa nafsu hamba dunia. Kotor! Jijik!

“Astaghfirullah..Mia!” Faridah berlari mendapatkan Mia. Johan pantas menarik tangan adiknya yang sudah dibasahi darah kerana luka dari serpihan kaca yang disentuhnya.

“Mia! Kau sedar tak apa yang kau buat ni?!!”
“Johan, janganlah marah adik kamu..dia masih tak stabil,” ujar Faridah sambil berusaha menghentikan pendarahan dari kedua tapak tangan anaknya.

“Mia dah melampau ma! Kita berusaha untuk kembalikan semangatnya..kita berdoa untuk dia tapi dia pula berusaha membunuh diri! Apa yang kau nak Mia? Kau nak biarkan lelaki tu rampas kesucian hati kau pula? Jangan pernah salahkan takdir Mia..Jangan pernah kesalkan hidup. Kau tak sedar ke berapa ramai lagi mangsa rogol diluar sana yang tak berpeluang meneruskan hidup macam kau? Jangan biarkan kebodohan lelaki tu pun buat kau bodoh!” Damia terdiam walau air matanya terus membasahi pipi gebunya.

Faridah hanya mampu diam, membiarkan Johan meneruskan kata-katanya dengan harapan dapat menyedarkan Damia.

“Berapa ramai lagi yang diuji diluar sana, sampai cacat pendengaran, buta pandangan tapi masih ada keinginan meneruskan hidup! Masih menghargai nyawa yang dianugerahi Allah. Abang tak kata dugaan kau tak sehebat mereka, tapi abang nak kau sedar Mia, betapa hebat pun ujian dan dugaan yang kita terima semuanya berpaksikan kembali pada Allah. Mengingati Allah.” Johan tunduk menyelindungkan wajahnya yang dibasahi airmata.

Bukan niatnya untuk memburukkan Damia, tidak terdetik sedikitpun niat untuk melemparkan semua kesilapan di bahu Damia. Hati kecilnya turut tercalar dengan peristiwa yang menimpa adiknya. Perasaan bersalah menyelubungi dirinya yang mengakui tidak menjaga Damia sebaiknya. Andai sahaja dia tahu akan berlaku sesuatu, pasti Johan sanggup membatalkan niatnya untuk pergi mesyuarat. Aku tak patut biarkan Damia balik bersendirian!

“Maafkan Mia..mama, abang Johan..”

“Mia tak pernah salah dengan mama, sayang.” Faridah menyeka airmata Damia.
“Mia..jasad ni milik Allah. Apa yang berlaku semua ada hikmah. Abang minta maaf tak lindungi Mia sebaiknya..”

Keluarga mereka bersatu dalam pelukan, bersatu dalam tangisan. Berdoa semoga ada sinar harapan yang cerah untuk mereka, semoga titik-titik luka tidak akan memutuskan ikatan silaturrahim yang sekian lama terbina. Semoga harapan itulah yang menghidupkan kembali keyakinan pada Mia. Semoga ada kesabaran yang subur pada jiwa Damia.


"Dan sungguh akan Kami berikan cobaan kepadamu, dengan sedikit ketakutan, kelaparan, kekurangan harta, jiwa dan buah-buahan. Dan berikanlah berita gembira kepada orang-orang yang sabar." (Al-Baqarah : 155)

************

10 Ramadhan..
Setahun berlalu. Hari ini Mia akanberdepan dengan peperiksaan akhir sem. Awal subuh tadi dia terdengar Mia membaca al-Mathurat sebagai permulaan hari yang baik untuk Mia menghadapi peperiksaannya. Hatinya semakin tenang saat melihat senyuman yang sentiasa terukir di wajah Damia.

“Mama doakan Mia dapat jawab yang terbaik nanti. Jangan lupa, sebelum jawab soalan…”
“Hadiahkan Al-fatihah buat diri sendiri, pemeriksa dan saudara kita..serta selawat untuk nabi,” pintas Mia menyambung pesanan ibunya yang meresap diruang fikirannya.

“Pandai pun anak mama ni. Johan pun hati-hati memandu tu..jangan nak cepat sampai je.”

“Baik ma..InsyaAllah..” jawab Johan perlahan.
"Beruntung Mia dapat jawab exam dalam bulan ramadhan ni. InsyaAllah dapat keberkatan, sambil berjihad dengan nafsu, berjihad pula dengan ilmu.” Tambah mama terus memberikan semangat buat Damia.

“InsyaAllah, betul tu Mia..untung Mia tau. Asalkan niat betul, Allah pasti memelihara,” sambung Johan sambil bersalam dengan ibunya dan diikuti Mia.



“Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang beriman ialah mereka yang bila disebut nama Allah gementarlah hati mereka, dan apabila dibacakan ayat-ayatNya bertambahlah iman mereka (kerananya), dan hanya kepada Tuhanlah mereka bertawakkal." (Al-Anfaal : 2)

**********

'Banyak lagi persoalan yang belum terjawab. Masih ada masa untuk Haris memikirkan kembali keputusannya. Aku keliru. Benarkah dia benar-benar cintakan aku? Kenapa dia tidak mempersoalkan sedikitpun tentang kisah lalu aku? Maisarah menemaniku menemui Haris. Abang Johan dan mama pun tidak tahu pertemuan yang ku rancang dua hari sebelum tarikh pernikahan. Sepanjang menunggu kedatangan Haris, hati yang menanti penuh debaran diisi zikrullah. Semoga Allah memberi kekuatan dan ketenangan buatku. Maisarah tidak putus-putus memberikan nasihat agar aku mengawal emosi bertemu dengan lelaki yang belum lagi mempunyai ikatan sah denganku. Malah,ini adalah kali pertama aku akan bertemu dengan seorang lelaki yang membicarakan soal perasaan, soal diri masing-masing.'

“Haris dah datang.” Bisikan Maisarah seperti menusuk ke ruang hati.
“Assalamualaikum..” sapa Haris dan terus duduk berhadapan Damia. Mereka tidak tahu, Haris juga pertama kali duduk semeja dengan perempuan yang pertama menyentuh naluri lelakinya, Damia. Malah tidak terfikir pun, gadis muda berusia 21 tahun dihadapannya akan menjadi permaisuri hatinya, dunia akhirat. InsyaAllah..

“Waalaikumussalam..” jawab Damia dan Maisarah serentak. Setelah itu, diam merajai suasana tatkala masing-masing menunggu pihak mana yang akan bersuara. Damia tunggu Haris. Haris pula menunggu Damia. Maisarah? Akhirnya Maisarah juga yang memulakan perbualan setelah minuman yang dipesan telah tiba.

“Awak..awak masih ada masa nak ubah fikiran, Ris,” ujar Maisarah.

‘Thanks Mai! Tapi bukan aku ke sepatutnya cakap dialog tu?’ getus hati kecil Damia.
“Nak ubah fikiran? Kenapa Damia? Awak tak setuju ke?” soal Haris, bingung sambil merenung Damia, mengharapkan jawapan.

“Bukan tak setuju..tapi,tapi..saya tak seperti perempuan lain. Awak kena faham tu”
“Ya. Saya faham Mia, awak tak sama dengan perempuan di luar sana. Awak gadis tabah yang tetap teguh di jalan Allah walaupun Dia sentiasa menguji awak.”

“Tapi..”
“Damia, dengar sini. Bukan kecantikan jasad awak yang membangkitkan rasa cinta saya pada awak, kerana bagi saya semua wanita ciptaan Allah dicipta dengan kecantikan tersendiri. Tapi kecantikan hati dan keperibadian awak yang mengagumkan saya. Kerana tak semua wanita mampu bangun dan terus berpegang teguh pada takdir-Nya setelah rebah dengan dugaan atau musibah. Saya cintakan awak bukan untuk dunia je, tapi akhirat. Serahkan laluan cinta pada Allah, bukan saya semata..InsyaAllah. Awak akan lebih tenang..”

Terdiam. Bibir seakan terkunci rapat untuk bersuara. Lidah seakan kelu untuk berbicara. Hanya satu yang ku tekadkan dalam hati. Aku redha atas ketentuan-Nya. Hanya dia yang tahu apa yang terbaik.

**********
Skrin komputer riba ditatap lama. Puisi itu benar-benar menyentuh jiwanya. Blog ‘An-Nisaa’ yang menjadi tatapan Haris kini menarik perhatian. Penuh dengan puisi keagamaan. Siapakah yang diilhami Allah SWT untuk menulis puisi yang begitu indah pada iman. Semoga setiap pembacanya mendapat manfaat dan menghayati tiap bait-bait ayat yang begitu menggegarkan jiwa khalifah. Walau siapa pun penulisnya, semoga Allah merahmatinya.

CINTA..
Andai saja kau bisa merasa getaran HATIku,
Kau akan tahu betapa aku sangat meRINDUimu..
Andai saja kau bisa menadah AIR MATAku,
Kau akan tahu betapa aku takut keHILANGanmu..
Andai saja kau JAUH dari diriku,
Kau akan lihat betapa KOSONGnya hidupku..
Andai saja kau HILANG dariku..
Berjuta nyawa pun tak mampu menghidupkan JIWAku!

Cinta..
Jatuhnya aku pada kekuatan cinta tanpa melihatmu..
Butanya aku pada dugaan yang menguji kasihku..
Biar nyawa jadi taruhan asalkan cinta ini dipertahankan..
Biar harta dan jasad terkorban..
Kerana cinta ini yang ku damba!

Cinta..
Menyebut namamu takkan pernah jemu..
Mengingatimu takkan pernah lupa..
Memujimu takkan pernah rapuh..
Janjimu sentiasa teguh..
Cinta sehidup dan selepas mati..
Cinta yang sentiasa bahagia walau derita..
Aku menyintai sesuatu kerana cinta itu!
Aku hidup kerana cinta itu!
AKu mati kerana cinta itu!

Cukup bagiku cintamu..
Itulah pelindung yang memeliharaku..
Itulah ketenangan yang mententeramkan aku..
Itulah kebahagiaan yang menyinariku..

Engkau yang selalu ada..
Engkau yang sentiasa bersama..
Saat suka dan duka..
Aku cinta padamu..
Aku cinta pada takdirmu..
Aku cinta pada jalanmu..

Atas nama cinta..
"Aku naik saksi tiada Tuhan selain Allah,dan Nabi Muhammad itu pesuruh Allah.."
Atas nafas cinta...
Subhanallah..
Alhamdulillah..
Allahu Akhbar..
Jihad cinta buatMu ya Rabb...
Pelihara nadiku untuk sentiasa mengingatiMu..
Pelihara hatiku untuk sentiasa beriman padaMu..

Puisi ‘Aku jatuh cinta’ dibacanya berulangkali. Sesekali airmata yang jatuh disekanya segera. Bibirnya meniti istighfar. Puisi itu seakan merasuk kamar emosinya. Menerjah diruang fikirannya. Lantas jasadnya bangun menyucikan diri dengan wudhu. Tenang. Jiwanya dibalut ketenangan usai sahaja solat tahajudnya tengah malam itu. Subhanallah..Alhamdulillah..Allahu Akhbar..zikir berlagu pada bibir, jiwa dan meresap di hati.

**************

“Terima kasih kak Mia, selama ni akak dah banyak bagi dorongan dan nasihat pada Alia, kalau tak..entahlah apa yang akan jadi.”

Wajah Alia ditatap lama. Bukan kerana simpati yang membakar semangatnya untuk membantu Alia, tetapi gadis belasan tahun yang baru memasuki pusat perlindungan Anisa itu benar-benar menyentuh naluri wanitanya. Alia menjadi mangsa rogol manusia tak berperikemanusiaan. Kejam. Satu-satunya ayat yang layak menggambarkan derita gadis ini. Mujur Allah memberi rahmat dan petunjuk pada hambanya yang lemah. Biar jasad ditindas, tapi iman sedikitpun tidak akan tercalar.

“Syukur pada ALLAH SWT, hanya dia yang memberi sinar pada jiwa kita. Kakak cuma jalankan tanggungjawab sebagai seorang muslim, Lia.”

“Semalam cikgu Haris beri ceramah sekejap je, tapi kali ini lebih banyak mendengar dan menghayati..tak seperti selalu.”

“Kenapa, dia cakap tentang apa?”
“Kebanyakan penghuni yang ada disini lemas kerana cinta nafsu, ditindas kerana cinta dunia..Tapi semalam, bila cikgu Haris berikan puisi ni..kita sebagai wanita semua hanya terdiam. Dalam diam, semuanya ingin berubah dan bersihkan niat dalam hati, kak.” Sayu ucapan Alia sambil tangan kanannya lantas menghulur kertas putih yang berada digenggamannya tadi.

Mata membaca setiap bait ayat, menerjah ruang minda dan mencari sudut jiwa. Lantas bibir menguntum senyuman.

“Kenapa akak senyum semacam je, akak pernah baca puisi ni ke?” Alia bingung.

“Puisi ni sangat dekat dengan akak, Lia..sentiasa rapat dihati akak..”

“Puisi ni diambil dari…”

“Blog An-Nisa.” Sambung Damia.
Tepat sangkaannya, getus Alia. “Kakak penulis puisi yang selama ni cikgu Haris beri pada kami?” soal Alia terus.

Namun Damia hanya memberikan senyuman sebagai jawapan. Menyembunyikan sedikit emosinya yang masih terkejut kerana suaminya menggunakan nukilan puisi dalam blognya sebagai bahan kaunseling. Tidak menyangka Haris turut menyelami curahan jiwanya dan menyampaikannya dalam corak bimbingan kaunseling.

“Cikgu Haris tak tahulah selama ni yang tulis puisi kegemarannya ialah isterinya sendiri.” Usik Alia.

“Akak pun tak sangka suami akak boleh terjah blog akak. Sebelum ni memang ada yang minta izin copy semua karya akak melalui emel, tapi akak tak tahu yang minta izin tu suami akak sendiri,” ujarnya sedikit tergelak. Subhanallah..

Kertas yang dicetak dari laman blognya ditatap bersama Alia.

Pilihanku..
Bukannya pada paras rupa yang menawan hati..
Kerana cintaku bukan pada pandangan semata..
Takut jika diwarnai kegelapan..
Kita buta hilang arah..

Pilihanku..
Bukannya pada manis tutur kata bermadah..
Kerana cintaku bukan pada janji yang bermaharajalela..
Andainya suara dikaburi fitnah,
Kita rebah tiada bermaya..

Pilihanku..
Bukan pada banyaknya harta dunia,
Kerana cintaku bukannya ternilai dengan harga..
Bimbang kemewahan membawa leka..
Menghilangkan cinta kita padaNya..
Lalu dimanakah bahagia?


Pilihanku itu..
seorang yang buta..
Buta menilai paras rupa..
Sesungguhnya syahadahnya menggegar seluruh jiwaku..
Keikhlasannya melakar cinta yang diredha..
Tongkatnya pada akidah yang menyinari laluan bahagia

Pilihanku itu...
Seorang yang bisu..
Bisu mengungkapkan janji yang tiada pasti..
Kerana harapan disandarkan pada Illahi..
Pendiriannya menusuk nurani hawa..
Bait-bait kesyukurannya lahir pada sujud seorang hamba

Pilihanku itu..
Seorang yang papa dan hina...
Papa dengan takbur yang mengubur
Hina kerana sederhana..
Iman memujuk jiwanya..
Cintanya pada agama mengikat tali ukhwah..
Lalu disimpul teguh pada tiang pernikahan..

Pilihan kami..
Pada agama yang memelihara
Pada Syahadah yang mengiringi
Pada Alquran yang membimbing..

Biar..
Cinta kami pada maha Menyintai..
Kerana janjiNya yang pasti
Cinta kami pada kekasih Illahi
kerana memimpin ke jalan bahagia yang hakiki
Kasih isteri pada cinta yang diberi..
Biarlah sampai ke akhirat nanti...
kerana yang sebenarnya ku mahukan padanya..
Bukan cuma kekasih duniawi..
Tapi teman menuju syurgawi..

'Ramai yang mencari cinta tetapi tertipu olehnya,
Ramai yang kecewa kerana cinta dan putus asa pada rahmat-Nya,
Ramai yang membenci cinta dan membenci nyawanya.'

"Cinta yang dicari tanpa melalui Pencipta adalah cinta yang tiada batasnya. Cinta tanpa batasan hanya cinta sekadar hiburan. Hiburan yang bukan hanya melalaikan jiwa, menggelapkan hati malah buta pada Pencipta. Apabila musibah melanda, mula salahkan Tuhan kerana tidak menyedarkan daripada leka. Hati kita yang lemah, sentiasa digodai nafsu, sebab itu kita kena berpegang pada sandaran yang kukuh, Allah SWT. Adanya iman..apapun cabaran kita tetap mara ke hadapan. InsyaAllah.” Panjang bicara Damia.

Hilang kata-kata dari Alia, mereka berdakapan. Terusik dengan kata-kata Damia. Kenapalah sebelum ini aku tidak menghargai nyawa, terlalu awal untuk menyerah dengan kehidupan? Sedangkan Allah tidak putus-putus memberi kesempatan. Air mata mengalir dipipi gebu Alia. Hatinya terlalu akrab dengan Damia.

“Kenapa akak memahami Lia? Adik dan ibu Alia sendiri tak dapat nak faham Lia..situasi Lia. Akak pun…pernah lalui masa derita macam Lia juga ke?”

Damia tersenyum, biarlah Alia mentafsirkan sendiri makna senyumannya kali ini. Alia memandang Damia dengan pandangan berkaca dan bibirnya turut menguntum senyuman walau soalannya tidak terjawab dengan lisan.

“Bukanlah masa ‘derita’ Lia..tetapi masa yang terlalu berharga. Airmata yang menangis buat Pencipta, melihat putaran kehidupan dengan mencari hikmah yang tersembunyi dari Allah, rindu untuk terus sujud mengharapkan bantuan dan menyandarkan harapan pada-Nya. Istilah ‘derita’ itu patut digantikan dengan ‘tarbiyah’..Kita belajar dan diajar melalui kehidupan, Alia. Jadi, jangan anggap ini masa derita buat Alia, belum tentu orang yang bahagia ikhlas mengingati Allah. Saat yang dianggap derita itulah kita sentiasa bertemankan doa.”

“Ya..Alhamdulillah, terima kasih kak. Kakak terlalu banyak sedarkan Alia. Alia jahil dengan dunia kak.”

“Alhamdulillah..semuanya dari Allah..” Damia tersentak.
Sejak bila suaminya berada dihadapan mereka? Tabir yang memisahkan jemaah lelaki dan wanita yang terselak ditiup angin menampakkan jasad Haris yang benar-benar berada dihadapan. Dengarkah dia semua bicaranya pada Alia?

Selesai berjemaah solat Asar, Haris terus mendekati isterinya. Tapi kali ini lain panggilan yang keluar dari mulutnya.

“Nampaknya hari ni biar abang yang masak untuk makan malam, khas buat isteri yang tersayang, An-Nisa” Senyuman Haris memerangkap emosinya. Tapi…

“Abang sebut Nisa tu, nama madu buat Mia ke?” Damia sengaja mengusik.
“Amboi, tak payah nak sorok lagi..lepas ni abang nak bukukan karya tulisan isteri abang. Tak payahlah nak hantar emel nak minta izin kan?” Sah, Haris dengar tadi! Siap menyindir pula.

“Yelah abang, maaflah sebab berahsia dengan abang.”
“Takdelah..Alhamdulillah, abang beruntung berjumpa dengan penulis puisi kegemaran abang yang selama ni dekat dengan abang, dan dapat tahu rahsia sayang pun kat tempat kegemaran abang, kat surau rumah Anisa. Kenapalah abang tak boleh agak selama ni? Rupanya nama yang sayang beri untuk rumah perlindungan ni pun sama dengan nama blog sayang kan?”

Rumah perlindungan untuk wanita yang tertindas diberi nama Anisa, walaupun masih baru tetapi berjaya memberi sinar baru buat penghuni-penghuninya. Alhamdulillah,itulah harapan mereka. Itulah Jihad cinta Damia.

“Eh, kata nak masak untuk isteri tersayang, jomlah balik rumah cepat, nanti traffic jammed lambat pula.”

“Sebelum tu…nak tahu tak rahsia abang tak?”

“Apa?” ucap Damia tidak sabar.
“Puisi ‘Aku jatuh cinta’ tu lah yang buat abang terus menyintai sayang kerana Allah..” bisik Haris. Bisikan yang membawa manik-manik ketenangan apalagi saat Haris menyebut nama Allah. Lantas zikrullah menghiasi kamar hatinya sambil menatap wajah suami tercintanya Haris.

Jihad cinta buat-Mu ya Rabb. Pelihara nadiku untuk sentiasa mengingati-Mu. Pelihara hatiku untuk sentiasa beriman pada-Mu.

TeNt@nG pEr@s@@Nku...

Aku takkan lelah menunggu
Hingga waktu ajal menjemputku
Takkan pernah ada sesalku untuk menunggumu

Aku harus tetap menunggu
Hingga nanti aku berbaring
Sampai mati aku akan tetap menunggumu

Ingin ku gapai bulan dan ku petik bintang
Ingin ku berikan semua hanya untukmu
Agar kau tahu besarnya cintaku kepada dirimu

Ku ingin kau tahu tentang perasaanku
Ku ingin kau tahu besar cinta padamu
Ingin ku berikan sisa waktuku
Dan sisa umurku sampai mati

Aku harus tetap menunggu
Hingga nanti aku berbaring
Sampai mati aku akan tetap akan tetap menunggumu

Ingin ku gapai bulan dan ku petik bintang
Ingin ku berikan semua hanya untukmu
Agar kau tahu besarnya cintaku kepada dirimu

Ku ingin kau tahu tentang perasaanku
Ku ingin kau tahu besar cinta padamu
Ingin ku berikan sisa waktuku
Dan sisa umurku

Ingin ku gapai bulan dan ku petik bintang
Ingin ku berikan semua hanya untukmu
Agar kau tahu besarnya cintaku kepada dirimu

Ingin ku gapai bulan dan ku petik bintang
Ingin ku berikan semua hanya untukmu
Agar kau tahu besarnya cintaku kepada dirimu

Ku ingin kau tahu tentang perasaanku
Ku ingin kau tahu besar cinta padamu Ingin ku berikan sisa waktuku
Dan sisa umurku sampai mati

b@g@!k@n L@nG!T...

Bagaikan langit di sore hari
Berwarna biru sebiru hatiku
Menanti kabar yang aku tunggu
Peluk dan cium, hangat 'kan untukku

Bagaikan langit di sore hari
Berwarna biru sebiru hatiku
Menanti kabar yang aku tunggu
Peluk dan cium, hangat 'kan untukku

Oh asmara yang terindah
Mewarnai bumi yang kucinta
Menjanjikan aku terbang ke atas
Ke langit ketujuh, bersamamu

Bagaikan langit di sore hari
Berwarna biru sebiru hatiku
Menanti kabar yang aku tunggu
Peluk dan cium, hangat 'kan untukku

Bagaikan langit di sore hari
Berwarna biru sebiru hatiku
Menanti kabar yang aku tunggu
Peluk dan cium, hangat 'kan untukku

Oh asmara yang terindah
Mewarnai bumi yang kucinta
Menjanjikan aku terbang ke atas
Ke langit ketujuh, bersamamu

Oh dewi cinta, sandarkan aku
Di bahumu, ada kurasa
Tingginya hati, teredakan sudah
Hadirmu sayang, tenangkan diriku

Oh asmara yang terindah
Mewarnai bumi yang kucinta
Menjanjikan aku terbang ke atas
Ke langit ketujuh, bersamamu, oh oh...

Oh asmara yang terindah
Mewarnai bumi yang kucinta
Menjanjikan aku terbang ke atas
Ke langit ketujuh, bersamamu

Oh dewi cinta, sandarkan aku
Di bahumu, ada kurasa
Tingginya hati, teredakan sudah
Hadirmu sayang, tenangkan diriku

Oh asmara yang terindah
Mewarnai bumi yang kucinta
Menjanjikan aku terbang ke atas
Ke langit ketujuh, bersamamu

sleeping beauty...................

A long time ago there were a king and queen who said every day, "Ah, if only we had a child," but they never had one.
But it happened that once when the queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter."

What the frog had said came true, and the queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the king could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast. He invited not only his kindred, friends and acquaintances, but also the wise women, in order that they might be kind and well disposed towards the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but, as he had only twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, one of them had to be left at home.

The feast was held with all manner of splendor and when it came to an end the wise women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby - one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for.

When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at anyone, she cried with a loud voice, "The king's daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead." And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room.

They were all shocked, but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, it shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.

The king, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. Meanwhile the gifts of the wise women were plenteously fulfilled on the young girl, for she was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that everyone who saw her was bound to love her.

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the king and queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow winding staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax.

"Good day, old mother," said the king's daughter, "what are you doing there?"

"I am spinning," said the old woman, and nodded her head.

"What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily," said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it.

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them. The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall, even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind fell, and on the trees before the castle not a leaf moved again.

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof. But the story of the beautiful sleeping Briar Rose, for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings' sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death.

After long, long years a king's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar Rose, had been asleep for a hundred years, and that the king and queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings, sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death.

Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar Rose." The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words.

But by this time the hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Briar Rose was to awake again. When the king's son came near to the thorn hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt, then they closed again behind him like a hedge. In the castle yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying asleep, on the roof sat the pigeons with their heads under their wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going to pluck.

He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the court lying asleep, and up by the throne lay the king and queen. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Briar Rose was sleeping.

There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar Rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.

Then they went down together, and the king awoke, and the queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. And the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves, the hounds jumped up and wagged their tails, the pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country, the flies on the wall crept again, the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat, the joint began to turn and sizzle again, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that he screamed, and the maid finished plucking the fowl.

And then the marriage of the king's son with Briar Rose was celebrated with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days.
The End

Poems??????

I asked God for water, and he gave me an ocean.
I asked God for a flower,and he gave me a garden.
I asked God for a tree, and he gave me a forest.
I asked God for a friend, and he gave me you

THE SNOW QUEEN

First Story
Which Describes a
Looking-Glass and the Broken Fragments

You must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now about a very wicked hobgoblin; he was one of the very worst, for he was a real demon.

One day, when he was in a merry mood, he made a looking-glass which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever.

The most lovely landscapes appeared like boiled spinach, and the people became hideous, and looked as if they stood on their heads and had no bodies. Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth. The demon said this was very amusing. When a good or pious thought passed through the mind of any one it was misrepresented in the glass; and then how the demon laughed at his cunning invention.

All who went to the demon's school for he kept a school talked everywhere of the wonders they had seen, and declared that people could now, for the first time, see what the world and mankind were really like. They carried the glass about everywhere, till at last there was not a land nor a people who had not been looked at through this distorted mirror.

They wanted even to fly with it up to heaven to see the angels, but the higher they flew the more slippery the glass became, and they could scarcely hold it, till at last it slipped from their hands, fell to the earth, and was broken into millions of pieces. But now the looking-glass caused more unhappiness than ever, for some of the fragments were not so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about the world into every country. When one of these tiny atoms flew into a person's eye, it stuck there unknown to him, and from that moment he saw everything through a distorted medium, or could see only the worst side of what he looked at, for even the smallest fragment retained the same power which had belonged to the whole mirror.

Some few persons even got a fragment of the looking-glass in their hearts, and this was very terrible, for their hearts became cold like a lump of ice. A few of the pieces were so large that they could be used as window-panes; it would have been a sad thing to look at our friends through them. Other pieces were made into spectacles; this was dreadful for those who wore them, for they could see nothing either rightly or justly.

At all this the wicked demon laughed till his sides shook, it tickled him so to see the mischief he had done. There were still a number of these little fragments of glass floating about in the air, and now you shall hear what happened with one of them.
Second Story
Little Boy and a Little Girl

In a large town, full of houses and people, there is not room for everybody to have even a little garden, therefore they are obliged to be satisfied with a few flowers in flower-pots. In one of these large towns lived two poor children who had a garden something larger and better than a few flower-pots.

They were not brother and sister, but they loved each other almost as much as if they had been. Their parents lived opposite to each other in two garrets, where the roofs of neighboring houses projected out towards each other and the water-pipe ran between them. In each house was a little window, so that any one could step across the gutter from one window to the other.

The parents of these children had each a large wooden box in which they cultivated kitchen herbs for their own use, and a little rose-bush in each box, which grew splendidly. Now after a while the parents decided to place these two boxes across the water-pipe, so that they reached from one window to the other and looked like two banks of flowers.

Sweet-peas drooped over the boxes, and the rose-bushes shot forth long branches, which were trained round the windows and clustered together almost like a triumphal arch of leaves and flowers.

The boxes were very high, and the children knew they must not climb upon them, without permission, but they were often, however, allowed to step out together and sit upon their little stools under the rose-bushes, or play quietly.

In winter all this pleasure came to an end, for the windows were sometimes quite frozen over. But then they would warm copper pennies on the stove, and hold the warm pennies against the frozen pane; there would be very soon a little round hole through which they could peep, and the soft bright eyes of the little boy and girl would beam through the hole at each window as they looked at each other.

Their names were Kay and Gerda. In summer they could be together with one jump from the window, but in winter they had to go up and down the long staircase, and out through the snow before they could meet.

See there are the white bees swarming, said Kay's old grandmother one day when it was snowing.

Have they a queen bee? asked the little boy, for he knew that the real bees had a queen.

To be sure they have, said the grandmother. She is flying there where the swarm is thickest. She is the largest of them all, and never remains on the earth, but flies up to the dark clouds. Often at midnight she flies through the streets of the town, and looks in at the windows, then the ice freezes on the panes into wonderful shapes, that look like flowers and castles.

Yes, I have seen them, said both the children, and they knew it must be true.

Can the Snow Queen come in here? asked the little girl.

Only let her come, said the boy, I'll set her on the stove and then she'll melt.

Then the grandmother smoothed his hair and told him some more tales. One evening, when little Kay was at home, half undressed, he climbed on a chair by the window and peeped out through the little hole. A few flakes of snow were falling, and one of them, rather larger than the rest, alighted on the edge of one of the flower boxes. This snow-flake grew larger and larger, till at last it became the figure of a woman, dressed in garments of white gauze, which looked like millions of starry snow-flakes linked together.

She was fair and beautiful, but made of ice, shining and glittering ice. Still she was alive and her eyes sparkled like bright stars, but there was neither peace nor rest in their glance.

She nodded towards the window and waved her hand. The little boy was frightened and sprang from the chair; at the same moment it seemed as if a large bird flew by the window.

On the following day there was a clear frost, and very soon came the spring. The sun shone; the young green leaves burst forth; the swallows built their nests; windows were opened, and the children sat once more in the garden on the roof, high above all the other rooms. How beautiful the roses blossomed this summer. The little girl had learnt a hymn in which roses were spoken of, and then she thought of their own roses, and she sang the hymn to the little boy, and he sang too:

Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.


Then the little ones held each other by the hand, and kissed the roses, and looked at the bright sunshine, and spoke to it as if the Christ-child were there. Those were splendid summer days. How beautiful and fresh it was out among the rose-bushes, which seemed as if they would never leave off blooming.

One day Kay and Gerda sat looking at a book full of pictures of animals and birds, and then just as the clock in the church tower struck twelve, Kay said, Oh, something has struck my heart! and soon after, There is something in my eye.

The little girl put her arm round his neck, and looked into his eye, but she could see nothing.

I think it is gone, he said. But it was not gone; it was one of those bits of the looking-glass that magic mirror, of which we have spoken, the ugly glass which made everything great and good appear small and ugly, while all that was wicked and bad became more visible, and every little fault could be plainly seen.

Poor little Kay had also received a small grain in his heart, which very quickly turned to a lump of ice. He felt no more pain, but the glass was there still. Why do you cry? said he at last; it makes you look ugly. There is nothing the matter with me now. Oh, see! he cried suddenly, that rose is worm-eaten, and this one is quite crooked. After all they are ugly roses, just like the box in which they stand, and then he kicked the boxes with his foot, and pulled off the two roses.

Kay, what are you doing? cried the little girl; and then, when he saw how frightened she was, he tore off another rose, and jumped through his own window away from little Gerda.

When she afterwards brought out the picture book, he said, It was only fit for babies in long clothes, and when grandmother told any stories, he would interrupt her with but; or, when he could manage it, he would get behind her chair, put on a pair of spectacles, and imitate her very cleverly, to make people laugh.

By-and-by he began to mimic the speech and gait of persons in the street. All that was peculiar or disagreeable in a person he would imitate directly, and people said, That boy will be very clever; he has a remarkable genius. But it was the piece of glass in his eye, and the coldness in his heart, that made him act like this.

He would even tease little Gerda, who loved him with all her heart. His games, too, were quite different; they were not so childish.

One winter's day, when it snowed, he brought out a burning-glass, then he held out the tail of his blue coat, and let the snow-flakes fall upon it. Look in this glass, Gerda, said he; and she saw how every flake of snow was magnified, and looked like a beautiful flower or a glittering star. Is it not clever? said Kay, and much more interesting than looking at real flowers. There is not a single fault in it, and the snow-flakes are quite perfect till they begin to melt.

Soon after Kay made his appearance in large thick gloves, and with his sledge at his back. He called up stairs to Gerda, I've got to leave to go into the great square, where the other boys play and ride. And away he went.

In the great square, the boldest among the boys would often tie their sledges to the country people's carts, and go with them a good way. This was capital. But while they were all amusing themselves, and Kay with them, a great sledge came by; it was painted white, and in it sat some one wrapped in a rough white fur, and wearing a white cap.

The sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay fastened his own little sledge to it, so that when it went away, he followed with it. It went faster and faster right through the next street, and then the person who drove turned round and nodded pleasantly to Kay, just as if they were acquainted with each other, but whenever Kay wished to loosen his little sledge the driver nodded again, so Kay sat still, and they drove out through the town gate.

Then the snow began to fall so heavily that the little boy could not see a hand's breadth before him, but still they drove on; then he suddenly loosened the cord so that the large sled might go on without him, but it was of no use, his little carriage held fast, and away they went like the wind.

Then he called out loudly, but nobody heard him, while the snow beat upon him, and the sledge flew onwards. Every now and then it gave a jump as if it were going over hedges and ditches. The boy was frightened, and tried to say a prayer, but he could remember nothing but the multiplication table.

The snow-flakes became larger and larger, till they appeared like great white chickens. All at once they sprang on one side, the great sledge stopped, and the person who had driven it rose up. The fur and the cap, which were made entirely of snow, fell off, and he saw a lady, tall and white, it was the Snow Queen.

We have driven well, said she, but why do you tremble? Here, creep into my warm fur. Then she seated him beside her in the sledge, and as she wrapped the fur round him he felt as if he were sinking into a snow drift.

Are you still cold, she asked, as she kissed him on the forehead. The kiss was colder than ice; it went quite through to his heart, which was already almost a lump of ice; he felt as if he were going to die, but only for a moment; he soon seemed quite well again, and did not notice the cold around him.

My sledge! Don't forget my sledge, was his first thought, and then he looked and saw that it was bound fast to one of the white chickens, which flew behind him with the sledge at its back. The Snow Queen kissed little Kay again, and by this time he had forgotten little Gerda, his grandmother, and all at home.

Now you must have no more kisses, she said, or I should kiss you to death.

Kay looked at her, and saw that she was so beautiful, he could not imagine a more lovely and intelligent face; she did not now seem to be made of ice, as when he had seen her through his window, and she had nodded to him. In his eyes she was perfect, and she did not feel at all afraid.

He told her he could do mental arithmetic, as far as fractions, and that he knew the number of square miles and the number of inhabitants in the country. And she always smiled so that he thought he did not know enough yet, and she looked round the vast expanse as she flew higher and higher with him upon a black cloud, while the storm blew and howled as if it were singing old songs.

They flew over woods and lakes, over sea and land; below them roared the wild wind; the wolves howled and the snow crackled; over them flew the black screaming crows, and above all shone the moon, clear and bright,and so Kay passed through the long winter's night, and by day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen.
Third Story
The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Could Conjure

But how fared little Gerda during Kay's absence? What had become of him, no one knew, nor could any one give the slightest information, excepting the boys, who said that he had tied his sledge to another very large one, which had driven through the street, and out at the town gate. Nobody knew where it went; many tears were shed for him, and little Gerda wept bitterly for a long time. She said she knew he must be dead; that he was drowned in the river which flowed close by the school. Oh, indeed those long winter days were very dreary. But at last spring came, with warm sunshine. Kay is dead and gone, said little Gerda.

I don't believe it, said the sunshine.

He is dead and gone, she said to the sparrows.

We don't believe it, they replied; and at last little Gerda began to doubt it herself. I will put on my new red shoes, she said one morning, those that Kay has never seen, and then I will go down to the river, and ask for him. It was quite early when she kissed her old grandmother, who was still asleep; then she put on her red shoes, and went quite alone out of the town gates toward the river. Is it true that you have taken my little playmate away from me? said she to the river. I will give you my red shoes if you will give him back to me. And it seemed as if the waves nodded to her in a strange manner. Then she took off her red shoes, which she liked better than anything else, and threw them both into the river, but they fell near the bank, and the little waves carried them back to the land, just as if the river would not take from her what she loved best, because they could not give her back little Kay. But she thought the shoes had not been thrown out far enough. Then she crept into a boat that lay among the reeds, and threw the shoes again from the farther end of the boat into the water, but it was not fastened. And her movement sent it gliding away from the land.

When she saw this she hastened to reach the end of the boat, but before she could so it was more than a yard from the bank, and drifting away faster than ever. Then little Gerda was very much frightened, and began to cry, but no one heard her except the sparrows, and they could not carry her to land, but they flew along by the shore, and sang, as if to comfort her, Here we are! Here we are! The boat floated with the stream; little Gerda sat quite still with only her stockings on her feet; the red shoes floated after her, but she could not reach them because the boat kept so much in advance. The banks on each side of the river were very pretty. There were beautiful flowers, old trees, sloping fields, in which cows and sheep were grazing, but not a man to be seen. Perhaps the river will carry me to little Kay, thought Gerda, and then she became more cheerful, and raised her head, and looked at the beautiful green banks; and so the boat sailed on for hours.

At length she came to a large cherry orchard, in which stood a small red house with strange red and blue windows. It had also a thatched roof, and outside were two wooden soldiers, that presented arms to her as she sailed past. Gerda called out to them, for she thought they were alive, but of course they did not answer; and as the boat drifted nearer to the shore, she saw what they really were. Then Gerda called still louder, and there came a very old woman out of the house, leaning on a crutch. She wore a large hat to shade her from the sun, and on it were painted all sorts of pretty flowers. You poor little child, said the old woman, how did you manage to come all this distance into the wide world on such a rapid rolling stream? And then the old woman walked in the water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to land, and lifted Gerda out. And Gerda was glad to feel herself on dry ground, although she was rather afraid of the strange old woman. Come and tell me who you are, said she, and how came you here.

Then Gerda told her everything, while the old woman shook her head, and said, Hem-hem; and when she had finished, Gerda asked if she had not seen little Kay, and the old woman told her he had not passed by that way, but he very likely would come. So she told Gerda not to be sorrowful, but to taste the cherries and look at the flowers; they were better than any picture-book, for each of them could tell a story. Then she took Gerda by the hand and led her into the little house, and the old woman closed the door. The windows were very high, and as the panes were red, blue, and yellow, the daylight shone through them in all sorts of singular colors. On the table stood beautiful cherries, and Gerda had permission to eat as many as she would. While she was eating them the old woman combed out her long flaxen ringlets with a golden comb, and the glossy curls hung down on each side of the little round pleasant face, which looked fresh and blooming as a rose.

I have long been wishing for a dear little maiden like you, said the old woman, and now you must stay with me, and see how happily we shall live together. And while she went on combing little Gerda's hair, she thought less and less about her adopted brother Kay, for the old woman could conjure, although she was not a wicked witch; she conjured only a little for her own amusement, and now, because she wanted to keep Gerda. Therefore she went into the garden, and stretched out her crutch towards all the rose-trees, beautiful though they were; and they immediately sunk into the dark earth, so that no one could tell where they had once stood. The old woman was afraid that if little Gerda saw roses she would think of those at home, and then remember little Kay, and run away. Then she took Gerda into the flower-garden. How fragrant and beautiful it was! Every flower that could be thought of for every season of the year was here in full bloom; no picture-book could have more beautiful colors. Gerda jumped for joy, and played till the sun went down behind the tall cherry-trees; then she slept in an elegant bed with red silk pillows, embroidered with colored violets; and then she dreamed as pleasantly as a queen on her wedding day.

The next day, and for many days after, Gerda played with the flowers in the warm sunshine. She knew every flower, and yet, although there were so many of them, it seemed as if one were missing, but which it was she could not tell. One day, however, as she sat looking at the old woman's hat with the painted flowers on it, she saw that the prettiest of them all was a rose. The old woman had forgotten to take it from her hat when she made all the roses sink into the earth. But it is difficult to keep the thoughts together in everything; one little mistake upsets all our arrangements.

What, are there no roses here? cried Gerda; and she ran out into the garden, and examined all the beds, and searched and searched. There was not one to be found. Then she sat down and wept, and her tears fell just on the place where one of the rose-trees had sunk down. The warm tears moistened the earth, and the rose-tree sprouted up at once, as blooming as when it had sunk; and Gerda embraced it and kissed the roses, and thought of the beautiful roses at home, and, with them, of little Kay.

Oh, how I have been detained! said the little maiden, I wanted to seek for little Kay. Do you know where he is? she asked the roses; do you think he is dead?

And the roses answered, No, he is not dead. We have been in the ground where all the dead lie; but Kay is not there.

Thank you, said little Gerda, and then she went to the other flowers, and looked into their little cups, and asked, Do you know where little Kay is? But each flower, as it stood in the sunshine, dreamed only of its own little fairy tale of history. Not one knew anything of Kay. Gerda heard many stories from the flowers, as she asked them one after another about him.

And what, said the tiger-lily? Hark, do you hear the drum? Turn, turn,there are only two notes, always, turn, turn. Listen to the women's song of mourning! Hear the cry of the priest! In her long red robe stands the Hindu widow by the funeral pile. The flames rise around her as she places herself on the dead body of her husband; but the Hindu woman is thinking of the living one in that circle; of him, her son, who lighted those flames. Those shining eyes trouble her heart more painfully than the flames which will soon consume her body to ashes. Can the fire of the heart be extinguished in the flames of the funeral pile?

I don't understand that at all, said little Gerda.

That is my story, said the tiger-lily.

What, says the Convolvulus? Near yonder narrow road stands an old knight's castle; thick ivy creeps over the old ruined walls, leaf over leaf, even to the balcony, in which stands a beautiful maiden. She bends over the balustrades, and looks up the road. No rose on its stem is fresher than she; no apple-blossom, wafted by the wind, floats more lightly than she moves. Her rich silk rustles as she bends over and exclaims, Will he not come?

Is it Kay you mean? asked Gerda.

I am only speaking of a story of my dream, replied the flower.

What, said the little snow-drop? Between two trees a rope is hanging; there is a piece of board upon it; it is a swing. Two pretty little girls, in dresses white as snow, and with long green ribbons fluttering from their hats, are sitting upon it swinging. Their brother who is taller than they are, stands in the swing; he has one arm round the rope, to steady himself; in one hand he holds a little bowl, and in the other a clay pipe; he is blowing bubbles. As the swing goes on, the bubbles fly upward, reflecting the most beautiful varying colors. The last still hangs from the bowl of the pipe, and sways in the wind. On goes the swing; and then a little black dog comes running up. He is almost as light as the bubble, and he raises himself on his hind legs, and wants to be taken into the swing; but it does not stop, and the dog falls; then he barks and gets angry. The children stoop towards him, and the bubble bursts. A swinging plank, a light sparkling foam picture, that is my story.

It may be all very pretty what you are telling me, said little Gerda, but you speak so mournfully, and you do not mention little Kay at all.

What do the hyacinths say? There were three beautiful sisters, fair and delicate. The dress of one was red, of the second blue, and of the third pure white. Hand in hand they danced in the bright moonlight, by the calm lake; but they were human beings, not fairy elves. The sweet fragrance attracted them, and they disappeared in the wood; here the fragrance became stronger. Three coffins, in which lay the three beautiful maidens, glided from the thickest part of the forest across the lake. The fire-flies flew lightly over them, like little floating torches. Do the dancing maidens sleep, or are they dead? The scent of the flower says that they are corpses. The evening bell tolls their knell.

You make me quite sorrowful, said little Gerda; your perfume is so strong, you make me think of the dead maidens. Ah! is little Kay really dead then? The roses have been in the earth, and they say no.

Cling, clang, tolled the hyacinth bells. We are not tolling for little Kay; we do not know him. We sing our song, the only one we know.

Then Gerda went to the buttercups that were glittering amongst the bright green leaves.

You are little bright suns, said Gerda; tell me if you know where I can find my play-fellow.

And the buttercups sparkled gayly, and looked again at Gerda. What song could the buttercups sing? It was not about Kay.

The bright warm sun shone on a little court, on the first warm day of spring. His bright beams rested on the white walls of the neighboring house; and close by bloomed the first yellow flower of the season, glittering like gold in the sun's warm ray. An old woman sat in her arm chair at the house door, and her granddaughter, a poor and pretty servant-maid came to see her for a short visit. When she kissed her grandmother there was gold everywhere: the gold of the heart in that holy kiss; it was a golden morning; there was gold in the beaming sunlight, gold in the leaves of the lowly flower, and on the lips of the maiden. There, that is my story, said the buttercup.

My poor old grandmother! sighed Gerda; she is longing to see me, and grieving for me as she did for little Kay; but I shall soon go home now, and take little Kay with me. It is no use asking the flowers; they know only their own songs, and can give me no information.

And then she tucked up her little dress, that she might run faster, but the narcissus caught her by the leg as she was jumping over it; so she stopped and looked at the tall yellow flower, and said, Perhaps you may know something.

Then she stooped down quite close to the flower, and listened; and what did he say?

I can see myself, I can see myself, said the narcissus. Oh, how sweet is my perfume! Up in a little room with a bow window, stands a little dancing girl, half undressed; she stands sometimes on one leg, and sometimes on both, and looks as if she would tread the whole world under her feet. She is nothing but a delusion. She is pouring water out of a tea-pot on a piece of stuff which she holds in her hand; it is her bodice. Cleanliness is a good thing, she says. Her white dress hangs on a peg; it has also been washed in the tea-pot, and dried on the roof. She puts it on, and ties a saffron-colored handkerchief round her neck, which makes the dress look whiter. See how she stretches out her legs, as if she were showing off on a stem. I can see myself, I can see myself.

What do I care for all that, said Gerda, you need not tell me such stuff. And then she ran to the other end of the garden. The door was fastened, but she pressed against the rusty latch, and it gave way. The door sprang open, and little Gerda ran out with bare feet into the wide world. She looked back three times, but no one seemed to be following her. At last she could run no longer, so she sat down to rest on a great stone, and when she looked round she saw that the summer was over, and autumn very far advanced. She had known nothing of this in the beautiful garden, where the sun shone and the flowers grew all the year round.

Oh, how I have wasted my time? said little Gerda; it is autumn. I must not rest any longer, and she rose up to go on. But her little feet were wounded and sore, and everything around her looked so cold and bleak. The long willow-leaves were quite yellow. The dew-drops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees, the sloe-thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour, and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared!
Fourth Story
The Prince and Princess

Gerda was obliged to rest again, and just opposite the place where she sat, she saw a great crow come hopping across the snow toward her. He stood looking at her for some time, and then he wagged his head and said, Caw, caw; good-day, good-day. He pronounced the words as plainly as he could, because he meant to be kind to the little girl; and then he asked her where she was going all alone in the wide world.

The word alone Gerda understood very well, and knew how much it expressed. So then she told the crow the whole story of her life and adventures, and asked him if he had seen little Kay.

The crow nodded his head very gravely, and said, Perhaps I have it may be.

No! Do you think you have? cried little Gerda, and she kissed the crow, and hugged him almost to death with joy.

Gently, gently, said the crow. I believe I know. I think it may be little Kay; but he has certainly forgotten you by this time for the princess.

Does he live with a princess? asked Gerda.

Yes, listen, replied the crow, but it is so difficult to speak your language. If you understand the crows' language then I can explain it better. Do you?

No, I have never learnt it, said Gerda, but my grandmother understands it, and used to speak it to me. I wish I had learnt it.

It does not matter, answered the crow; I will explain as well as I can, although it will be very badly done; and he told her what he had heard. In this kingdom where we now are, said he, there lives a princess, who is so wonderfully clever that she has read all the newspapers in the world, and forgotten them too, although she is so clever. A short time ago, as she was sitting on her throne, which people say is not such an agreeable seat as is often supposed, she began to sing a song which commences in these words:
Why should I not be married?

Why not indeed? said she, and so she determined to marry if she could find a husband who knew what to say when he was spoken to, and not one who could only look grand, for that was so tiresome. Then she assembled all her court ladies together at the beat of the drum, and when they heard of her intentions they were very much pleased. We are so glad to hear it, said they, we were talking about it ourselves the other day. You may believe that every word I tell you is true, said the crow, for I have a tame sweetheart who goes freely about the palace, and she told me all this.

Of course his sweetheart was a crow, for birds of a feather flock together, and one crow always chooses another crow.

Newspapers were published immediately, with a border of hearts, and the initials of the princess among them. They gave notice that every young man who was handsome was free to visit the castle and speak with the princess; and those who could reply loud enough to be heard when spoken to, were to make themselves quite at home at the palace; but the one who spoke best would be chosen as a husband for the princess. Yes, yes, you may believe me, it is all as true as I sit here, said the crow. The people came in crowds. There was a great deal of crushing and running about, but no one succeeded either on the first or second day. They could all speak very well while they were outside in the streets, but when they entered the palace gates, and saw the guards in silver uniforms, and the footmen in their golden livery on the staircase, and the great halls lighted up, they became quite confused. And when they stood before the throne on which the princess sat, they could do nothing but repeat the last words she had said; and she had no particular wish to hear her own words over again. It was just as if they had all taken something to make them sleepy while they were in the palace, for they did not recover themselves nor speak till they got back again into the street. There was quite a long line of them reaching from the town-gate to the palace. I went myself to see them, said the crow. They were hungry and thirsty, for at the palace they did not get even a glass of water. Some of the wisest had taken a few slices of bread and butter with them, but they did not share it with their neighbors; they thought if they went in to the princess looking hungry, there would be a better chance for themselves.

But Kay! tell me about little Kay! said Gerda, was he amongst the crowd?

Stop a bit, we are just coming to him. It was on the third day, there came marching cheerfully along to the palace a little personage, without horses or carriage, his eyes sparkling like yours; he had beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very poor.

That was Kay! said Gerda joyfully. Oh, then I have found him; and she clapped her hands.

He had a little knapsack on his back, added the crow.

No, it must have been his sledge, said Gerda; for he went away with it.

It may have been so, said the crow; I did not look at it very closely. But I know from my tame sweetheart that he passed through the palace gates, saw the guards in their silver uniform, and the servants in their liveries of gold on the stairs, but he was not in the least embarrassed. It must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs, he said. I prefer to go in. The rooms were blazing with light. Councilors and ambassadors walked about with bare feet, carrying golden vessels; it was enough to make any one feel serious. His boots creaked loudly as he walked, and yet he was not at all uneasy.

It must be Kay, said Gerda, I know he had new boots on, I have heard them creak in grandmother's room.

They really did creak, said the crow, yet he went boldly up to the princess herself, who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinning wheel, and all the ladies of the court were present with their maids, and all the cavaliers with their servants; and each of the maids had another maid to wait upon her, and the cavaliers' servants had their own servants, as well as a page each. They all stood in circles round the princess, and the nearer they stood to the door, the prouder they looked. The servants' pages, who always wore slippers, could hardly be looked at, they held themselves up so proudly by the door.

It must be quite awful, said little Gerda, but did Kay win the princess?

If I had not been a crow, said he, I would have married her myself, although I am engaged. He spoke just as well as I do, when I speak the crows' language, so I heard from my tame sweetheart. He was quite free and agreeable and said he had not come to woo the princess, but to hear her wisdom; and he was as pleased with her as she was with him.

Oh, certainly that was Kay, said Gerda, he was so clever; he could work mental arithmetic and fractions. Oh, will you take me to the palace?

It is very easy to ask that, replied the crow, but how are we to manage it? However, I will speak about it to my tame sweetheart, and ask her advice; for I must tell you it will be very difficult to gain permission for a little girl like you to enter the palace.

Oh, yes; but I shall gain permission easily, said Gerda, for when Kay hears that I am here, he will come out and fetch me in immediately.

Wait for me here by the palings, said the crow, wagging his head as he flew away.

It was late in the evening before the crow returned. Caw, caw, he said, she sends you greeting, and here is a little roll which she took from the kitchen for you; there is plenty of bread there, and she thinks you must be hungry. It is not possible for you to enter the palace by the front entrance. The guards in silver uniform and the servants in gold livery would not allow it. But do not cry, we will manage to get you in; my sweetheart knows a little back-staircase that leads to the sleeping apartments, and she knows where to find the key.

Then they went into the garden through the great avenue, where the leaves were falling one after another, and they could see the light in the palace being put out in the same manner. And the crow led little Gerda to the back door, which stood ajar. Oh! how little Gerda's heart beat with anxiety and longing; it was just as if she were going to do something wrong, and yet she only wanted to know where little Kay was. It must be he, she thought, with those clear eyes, and that long hair. She could fancy she saw him smiling at her, as he used to at home, when they sat among the roses. He would certainly be glad to see her, and to hear what a long distance she had come for his sake, and to know how sorry they had been at home because he did not come back. Oh what joy and yet fear she felt! They were now on the stairs, and in a small closet at the top a lamp was burning. In the middle of the floor stood the tame crow, turning her head from side to side, and gazing at Gerda, who curtseyed as her grandmother had taught her to do.

My betrothed has spoken so very highly of you, my little lady, said the tame crow, your life-history, Vita, as it may be called, is very touching. If you will take the lamp I will walk before you. We will go straight along this way, then we shall meet no one.

It seems to me as if somebody were behind us, said Gerda, as something rushed by her like a shadow on the wall, and then horses with flying manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback, glided by her, like shadows on the wall.

They are only dreams, said the crow, they are coming to fetch the thoughts of the great people out hunting.

All the better, for we shall be able to look at them in their beds more safely. I hope that when you rise to honor and favor, you will show a grateful heart.

You may be quite sure of that, said the crow from the forest.

They now came into the first hall, the walls of which were hung with rose-colored satin, embroidered with artificial flowers. Here the dreams again flitted by them but so quickly that Gerda could not distinguish the royal persons. Each hall appeared more splendid than the last, it was enough to bewilder any one. At length they reached a bedroom. The ceiling was like a great palm-tree, with glass leaves of the most costly crystal, and over the center of the floor two beds, each resembling a lily, hung from a stem of gold. One, in which the princess lay, was white, the other was red; and in this Gerda had to seek for little Kay. She pushed one of the red leaves aside, and saw a little brown neck. Oh, that must be Kay! She called his name out quite loud, and held the lamp over him. The dreams rushed back into the room on horseback. He woke, and turned his head round, it was not little Kay! The prince was only like him in the neck, still he was young and pretty. Then the princess peeped out of her white-lily bed, and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda wept and told her story, and all that the crows had done to help her.

You poor child, said the prince and princess; then they praised the crows, and said they were not angry for what they had done, but that it must not happen again, and this time they should be rewarded.

Would you like to have your freedom? asked the princess, or would you prefer to be raised to the position of court crows, with all that is left in the kitchen for yourselves?

Then both the crows bowed, and begged to have a fixed appointment, for they thought of their old age, and said it would be so comfortable to feel that they had provision for their old days, as they called it. And then the prince got out of his bed, and gave it up to Gerda, he could do no more; and she lay down. She folded her little hands, and thought, How good everyone is to me, men and animals too; then she closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep. All the dreams came flying back again to her, and they looked like angels, and one of them drew a little sledge, on which sat Kay, and nodded to her. But all this was only a dream, and vanished as soon as she awoke.

The following day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet, and they invited her to stay at the palace for a few days, and enjoy herself, but she only begged for a pair of boots, and a little carriage, and a horse to draw it, so that she might go into the wide world to seek for Kay. And she obtained, not only boots, but also a muff, and she was neatly dressed; and when she was ready to go, there, at the door, she found a coach made of pure gold, with the coat-of-arms of the prince and princess shining upon it like a star, and the coachman, footman, and outriders all wearing golden crowns on their heads. The prince and princess themselves helped her into the coach, and wished her success. The forest crow, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles; he sat by Gerda's side, as he could not bear riding backwards. The tame crow stood in the door-way flapping her wings. She could not go with them, because she had been suffering from headache ever since the new appointment, no doubt from eating too much. The coach was well stored with sweet cakes, and under the seat were fruit and gingerbread nuts. Farewell, farewell, cried the prince and princess, and little Gerda wept, and the crow wept; and then, after a few miles, the crow also said Farewell, and this was the saddest parting. However, he flew to a tree, and stood flapping his black wings as long as he could see the coach, which glittered in the bright sunshine.
Fifth Story
Little Robber-Girl

The coach drove on through a thick forest, where it lighted up the way like a torch, and dazzled the eyes of some robbers, who could not bear to let it pass them unmolested.

It is gold! it is gold! cried they, rushing forward, and seizing the horses. Then they struck the little jockeys, the coachman, and the footman dead, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

She is fat and pretty, and she has been fed with the kernels of nuts, said the old robber-woman, who had a long beard and eyebrows that hung over her eyes. She is as good as a little lamb; how nice she will taste! and as she said this, she drew forth a shining knife, that glittered horribly. Oh! screamed the old woman the same moment; for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear. She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly thing, and had not time to kill Gerda.

She shall play with me, said the little robber-girl; she shall give me her muff and her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed. And then she bit her mother again, and made her spring in the air, and jump about; and all the robbers laughed, and said, See how she is dancing with her young cub.

I will have a ride in the coach, said the little robber-girl; and she would have her own way; for she was so self-willed and obstinate.

She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little robber-girl was about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had broader shoulders and a darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and she had a mournful look. She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,

They shall not kill you as long as you don't make us vexed with you. I suppose you are a princess.

No, said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how fond she was of little Kay.

The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly, and said, They shan't kill you, even if I do get angry with you; for I will do it myself. And then she wiped Gerda's eyes, and stuck her own hands in the beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.

The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber's castle, the walls of which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were not allowed to bark. In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was burning on the stone floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up to the ceiling, and found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.

You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night, said the robber-girl, after they had something to eat and drink. So she took Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets were laid down. Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved slightly when the two little girls came near them. These all belong to me, said the robber-girl; and she seized the nearest to her, held it by the feet, and shook it till it flapped its wings. Kiss it, cried she, flapping it in Gerda's face. There sit the wood-pigeons, continued she, pointing to a number of laths and a cage which had been fixed into the walls, near one of the openings. Both rascals would fly away directly, if they were not closely locked up. And here is my old sweetheart Ba; and she dragged out a reindeer by the horn; he wore a bright copper ring round his neck, and was tied up. We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away from us also. I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife, which frightens him very much. And then the robber-girl drew a long knife from a chink in the wall, and let it slide gently over the reindeer's neck. The poor animal began to kick, and the little robber-girl laughed, and pulled down Gerda into bed with her.

Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep? asked Gerda, looking at it in great fright.

I always sleep with the knife by me, said the robber-girl. No one knows what may happen. But now tell me again all about little Kay, and why you went out into the world.

Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept. The little robber-girl put one arm across Gerda's neck, and held the knife in the other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. But Gerda could not close her eyes at all; she knew not whether she was to live or die. The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the old woman stumbled about. It was a terrible sight for a little girl to witness.

Then the wood-pigeons said, Coo, coo; we have seen little Kay. A white fowl carried his sledge, and he sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, which drove through the wood while we were lying in our nest. She blew upon us, and all the young ones died excepting us two. Coo, coo.

What are you saying up there? cried Gerda. Where was the Snow Queen going? Do you know anything about it?

She was most likely travelling to Lapland, where there is always snow and ice. Ask the reindeer that is fastened up there with a rope.

Yes, there is always snow and ice, said the reindeer; and it is a glorious place; you can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains. The Snow Queen has her summer tent there, but her strong castle is at the North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.

Oh, Kay, little Kay! sighed Gerda.

Lie still, said the robber-girl, or I shall run my knife into your body.

In the morning Gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said; and the little robber-girl looked quite serious, and nodded her head, and said, That is all talk, that is all talk. Do you know where Lapland is? she asked the reindeer.

Who should know better than I do? said the animal, while his eyes sparkled. I was born and brought up there, and used to run about the snow-covered plains.

Now listen, said the robber-girl; all our men are gone away, only mother is here, and here she will stay; but at noon she always drinks out of a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while; and then, I'll do something for you. Then she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round the neck, and pulled her by the beard, crying, My own little nanny goat, good morning. Then her mother flipped her nose till it was quite red; yet she did it all for love.

When the mother had drunk out of the bottle, and was gone to sleep, the little robber-maiden went to the reindeer, and said, I should like very much to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look so funny; but never mind, I will untie your cord, and set you free, so that you may run away to Lapland; but you must make good use of your legs, and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen, where her play-fellow is. You have heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening.

Then the reindeer jumped for joy; and the little robber-girl lifted Gerda on his back, and had the forethought to tie her on, and even to give her her own little cushion to sit on.

Here are your fur boots for you, said she; for it will be very cold; but I must keep the muff; it is so pretty. However, you shall not be frozen for the want of it; here are my mother's large warm mittens; they will reach up to your elbows. Let me put them on. There, now your hands look just like my mother's.

But Gerda wept for joy.

I don't like to see you fret, said the little robber-girl; you ought to look quite happy now; and here are two loaves and a ham, so that you need not starve. These were fastened on the reindeer, and then the little robber-maiden opened the door, coaxed in all the great dogs, and then cut the string with which the reindeer was fastened, with her sharp knife, and said, Now run, but mind you take good care of the little girl. And then Gerda stretched out her hand, with the great mitten on it, towards the little robber-girl, and said, Farewell, and away flew the reindeer, over stumps and stones, through the great forest, over marshes and plains, as quickly as he could. The wolves howled, and the ravens screamed; while up in the sky quivered red lights like flames of fire. There are my old northern lights, said the reindeer; see how they flash. And he ran on day and night still faster and faster, but the loaves and the ham were all eaten by the time they reached Lapland.
Sixth Story
The Lapland Woman and the Finland Woman

They stopped at a little hut; it was very mean looking; the roof sloped nearly down to the ground, and the door was so low that the family had to creep in on their hands and knees, when they went in and out. There was no one at home but an old Lapland woman, who was cooking fish by the light of a train-oil lamp. The reindeer told her all about Gerda's story, after having first told his own, which seemed to him the most important, but Gerda was so pinched with the cold that she could not speak. Oh, you poor things, said the Lapland woman, you have a long way to go yet. You must travel more than a hundred miles farther, to Finland. The Snow Queen lives there now, and she burns Bengal lights every evening. I will write a few words on a dried stock-fish, for I have no paper, and you can take it from me to the Finland woman who lives there; she can give you better information than I can.

So when Gerda was warmed, and had taken something to eat and drink, the woman wrote a few words on the dried fish, and told Gerda to take great care of it. Then she tied her again on the reindeer, and he set off at full speed. Flash, flash, went the beautiful blue northern lights in the air the whole night long. And at length they reached Finland, and knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman's hut, for it had no door above the ground. They crept in, but it was so terribly hot inside that woman wore scarcely any clothes; she was small and very dirty looking. She loosened little Gerda's dress, and took off the fur boots and the mittens, or Gerda would have been unable to bear the heat; and then she placed a piece of ice on the reindeer's head, and read what was written on the dried fish. After she had read it three times, she knew it by heart, so she popped the fish into the soup saucepan, as she knew it was good to eat, and she never wasted anything. The reindeer told his own story first, and then little Gerda's, and the Finlander twinkled with her clever eyes, but she said nothing. You are so clever, said the reindeer; I know you can tie all the winds of the world with a piece of twine. If a sailor unties one knot, he has a fair wind; when he unties the second, it blows hard; but if the third and fourth are loosened, then comes a storm, which will root up whole forests. Cannot you give this little maiden something which will make her as strong as twelve men, to overcome the Snow Queen?

The Power of twelve men! said the Finland woman; that would be of very little use. But she went to a shelf and took down and unrolled a large skin, on which were inscribed wonderful characters, and she read till the perspiration ran down from her forehead. But the reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked at the Finland woman with such beseeching tearful eyes, that her own eyes began to twinkle again; so she drew the reindeer into a corner, and whispered to him while she laid a fresh piece of ice on his head, Little Kay is really with the Snow Queen, but he finds everything there so much to his taste and his liking, that he believes it is the finest place in the world; but this is because he has a piece of broken glass in his heart, and a little piece of glass in his eye. These must be taken out, or he will never be a human being again, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.

But can you not give little Gerda something to help her to conquer this power?

I can give her no greater power than she has already, said the woman; don't you see how strong that is? How men and animals are obliged to serve her, and how well she has got through the world, barefooted as she is. She cannot receive any power from me greater than she now has, which consists in her own purity and innocence of heart. If she cannot herself obtain access to the Snow Queen, and remove the glass fragments from little Kay, we can do nothing to help her. Two miles from here the Snow Queen's garden begins; you can carry the little girl so far, and set her down by the large bush which stands in the snow, covered with red berries. Do not stay gossiping, but come back here as quickly as you can. Then the Finland woman lifted little Gerda upon the reindeer, and he ran away with her as quickly as he could.

Oh, I have forgotten my boots and my mittens, cried little Gerda, as soon as she felt the cutting cold, but the reindeer dared not stop, so he ran on till he reached the bush with the red berries; here he set Gerda down, and he kissed her, and the great bright tears trickled over the animal's cheeks; then he left her and ran back as fast as he could.

There stood poor Gerda, without shoes, without gloves, in the midst of cold, dreary, ice-bound Finland. She ran forwards as quickly as she could, when a whole regiment of snow-flakes came round her; they did not, however, fall from the sky, which was quite clear and glittering with the northern lights. The snow-flakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came to her, the larger they appeared. Gerda remembered how large and beautiful they looked through the burning-glass. But these were really larger, and much more terrible, for they were alive, and were the guards of the Snow Queen, and had the strangest shapes. Some were like great porcupines, others like twisted serpents with their heads stretching out, and some few were like little fat bears with their hair bristled; but all were dazzlingly white, and all were living snow-flakes.

Then little Gerda repeated the Lord's Prayer, and the cold was so great that she could see her own breath come out of her mouth like steam as she uttered the words. The steam appeared to increase, as she continued her prayer, till it took the shape of little angels who grew larger the moment they touched the earth. They all wore helmets on their heads, and carried spears and shields. Their number continued to increase more and more; and by the time Gerda had finished her prayers, a whole legion stood round her. They thrust their spears into the terrible snow-flakes, so that they shivered into a hundred pieces, and little Gerda could go forward with courage and safety. The angels stroked her hands and feet, so that she felt the cold less, and she hastened on to the Snow Queen's castle.

But now we must see what Kay is doing. In truth he thought not of little Gerda, and never supposed she could be standing in the front of the palace.
Seventh Story
Of the Palace of the Snow Queen
and What Happened There At Last

The walls of the palace were formed of drifted snow, and the windows and doors of the cutting winds. There were more than a hundred rooms in it, all as if they had been formed with snow blown together. The largest of them extended for several miles; they were all lighted up by the vivid light of the aurora, and they were so large and empty, so icy cold and glittering! There were no amusements here, not even a little bear's ball, when the storm might have been the music, and the bears could have danced on their hind legs, and shown their good manners. There were no pleasant games of snap-dragon, or touch, or even a gossip over the tea-table, for the young-lady foxes. Empty, vast, and cold were the halls of the Snow Queen. The flickering flame of the northern lights could be plainly seen, whether they rose high or low in the heavens, from every part of the castle. In the midst of its empty, endless hall of snow was a frozen lake, broken on its surface into a thousand forms; each piece resembled another, from being in itself perfect as a work of art, and in the center of this lake sat the Snow Queen, when she was at home. She called the lake The Mirror of Reason, and said that it was the best, and indeed the only one in the world.

Little Kay was quite blue with cold, indeed almost black, but he did not feel it; for the Snow Queen had kissed away the icy shivering, and his heart was already a lump of ice. He dragged some sharp, flat pieces of ice to and fro, and placed them together in all kinds of positions, as if he wished to make something out of them; just as we try to form various figures with little tablets of wood which we call a Chinese puzzle. Kay's fingers were very artistic; it was the icy game of reason at which he played, and in his eyes the figures were very remarkable, and of the highest importance; this opinion was owing to the piece of glass still sticking in his eye. He composed many complete figures, forming different words, but there was one word he never could manage to form, although he wished it very much. It was the word Eternity. The Snow Queen had said to him, When you can find out this, you shall be your own master, and I will give you the whole world and a new pair of skates. But he could not accomplish it.

Now I must hasten away to warmer countries, said the Snow Queen. I will go and look into the black craters of the tops of the burning mountains, Etna and Vesuvius, as they are called, I shall make them look white, which will be good for them, and for the lemons and the grapes. And away flew the Snow Queen, leaving little Kay quite alone in the great hall which was so many miles in length; so he sat and looked at his pieces of ice, and was thinking so deeply, and sat so still, that any one might have supposed he was frozen.

Just at this moment it happened that little Gerda came through the great door of the castle. Cutting winds were raging around her, but she offered up a prayer and the winds sank down as if they were going to sleep; and she went on till she came to the large empty hall, and caught sight of Kay; she knew him directly; she flew to him and threw her arms round his neck, and held him fast, while she exclaimed, Kay, dear little Kay, I have found you at last.

But he sat quite still, stiff and cold.

Then little Gerda wept hot tears, which fell on his breast, and penetrated into his heart, and thawed the lump of ice, and washed away the little piece of glass which had stuck there. Then he looked at her, and she sang

Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.


Then Kay burst into tears, and he wept so that the splinter of glass swam out of his eye. Then he recognized Gerda, and said, joyfully, Gerda, dear little Gerda, where have you been all this time, and where have I been? And he looked all around him, and said, How cold it is, and how large and empty it all looks, and he clung to Gerda, and she laughed and wept for joy. It was so pleasing to see them that the pieces of ice even danced about; and when they were tired and went to lie down, they formed themselves into the letters of the word which the Snow Queen had said he must find out before he could be his own master, and have the whole world and a pair of new skates.

Then Gerda kissed his cheeks, and they became blooming; and she kissed his eyes, and they shone like her own; she kissed his hands and his feet, and then he became quite healthy and cheerful. The Snow Queen might come home now when she pleased, for there stood his certainty of freedom, in the word she wanted, written in shining letters of ice.

Then they took each other by the hand, and went forth from the great palace of ice. They spoke of the grandmother, and of the roses on the roof, and as they went on the winds were at rest, and the sun burst forth. When they arrived at the bush with red berries, there stood the reindeer waiting for them, and he had brought another young reindeer with him, whose udders were full, and the children drank her warm milk and kissed her on the mouth.

Then they carried Kay and Gerda first to the Finland woman, where they warmed themselves thoroughly in the hot room, and she gave them directions about their journey home. Next they went to the Lapland woman, who had made some new clothes for them, and put their sleighs in order. Both the reindeer ran by their side, and followed them as far as the boundaries of the country, where the first green leaves were budding. And here they took leave of the two reindeer and the Lapland woman, and all said Farewell.

Then the birds began to twitter, and the forest too was full of green young leaves; and out of it came a beautiful horse, which Gerda remembered, for it was one which had drawn the golden coach. A young girl was riding upon it, with a shining red cap on her head, and pistols in her belt. It was the little robber-maiden, who had got tired of staying at home; she was going first to the north, and if that did not suit her, she meant to try some other part of the world. She knew Gerda directly, and Gerda remembered her: it was a joyful meeting.

You are a fine fellow to go gadding about in this way, said she to little Kay, I should like to know whether you deserve that any one should go to the end of the world to find you.

But Gerda patted her cheeks, and asked after the prince and princess.

They are gone to foreign countries, said the robber-girl.

And the crow? asked Gerda.

Oh, the crow is dead, she replied; his tame sweetheart is now a widow, and wears a bit of black worsted round her leg. She mourns very pitifully, but it is all stuff. But now tell me how you managed to get him back.

Then Gerda and Kay told her all about it.

Snip, snap, snare! it's all right at last, said the robber-girl.

Then she took both their hands, and promised that if ever she should pass through the town, she would call and pay them a visit. And then she rode away into the wide world. But Gerda and Kay went hand-in-hand towards home; and as they advanced, spring appeared more lovely with its green verdure and its beautiful flowers. Very soon they recognized the large town where they lived, and the tall steeples of the churches, in which the sweet bells were ringing a merry peal as they entered it, and found their way to their grandmother's door.

They went upstairs into the little room, where all looked just as it used to do. The old clock was going tick, tick, and the hands pointed to the time of day, but as they passed through the door into the room they perceived that they were both grown up, and become a man and woman. The roses out on the roof were in full bloom, and peeped in at the window; and there stood the little chairs, on which they had sat when children; and Kay and Gerda seated themselves each on their own chair, and held each other by the hand, while the cold empty grandeur of the Snow Queen's palace vanished from their memories like a painful dream. The grandmother sat in God's bright sunshine, and she read aloud from the Bible, Except ye become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God. And Kay and Gerda looked into each other's eyes, and all at once understood the words of the old song,

Roses bloom and cease to be,
But we shall the Christ-child see.


And they both sat there, grown up, yet children at heart; and it was summer, warm, beautiful summer.


The End