The Snow Queen

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PLAYS LILTING TUNE

Mother, look - a boy.

- Come on, Gerda - it's far too cold.

- But he looks so unhappy.

Well, here -

give him this.

It looks so soft, the snow -

- as if it should be warm.

- Colder than a devil's kiss,

your grandfather used to say.

And every bit as deadly.

In to bed with you, Gerda.

It's late.

That poor boy out there - won't you let him come in, just for tonight?

Enough, enough.

Go to sleep.

BIRDSONG:

# A boy and a girl

# An ordinary world

# Of secret dreams and make-believe

# A friendship made strong

# Through laughter and song

# And stories of great palaces And queens

# Just Gerda

# And Kay

# Happy day by day

# Lost in pleasures

# Innocent and true

# Ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah... #

What friends they've become, those two. I've never seen Gerda so happy.

Such appetites! That boy will eat me out of house and home!

It was good of you to take him in.

He's a different lad with some meat on his bones.

Like a million bees swarming.

There should be a queen bee, then.

Hmm, there is.

She's called the Snow Queen.

She'll be flying about, where the swarm's busiest.

I've seen her.

No, you haven't!

I have.

She's beautiful -

all in white fur and jewels.

You'll see when she comes again. I'll open the window and let her in.

Then I shall just put her on the stove and she'll melt.

You wait.

You'll see.

WIND HOWLS:

# The Snow Queen

# Imagine birds in flight

# Wrapped in the darkest night. #

Aagh! There's something in my eye!

What are you doing?

It's freezing in here.

- Kay?

- Leave me alone!

- Kay?

- Go away, you stupid girl!

Let me sleep, can't you?

- Ride it, Kay.

- Go boy, go!

What happened? Where's Kay?

What have you done?!

He's gone.

Toward the river.

KAY!

KAY!

- SHE SOBS

- Kay...

BIRDSONG:

# Do not stand

# At my grave and weep

# I am not there

# I do not sleep

# I am a thousand winds that blow

# I am the diamond in some snow

# I am the sunlight on ripened grain

# I am the gentle autumn rain. #

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there.

I did not die.

# I am

# A thousand winds that blow

# I am the diamond

# In some snow

# I am the sunlight

# On ripened grain

# I am

# The gentle autumn rain. #

Pins and needles...

Pins and needles.

Gracious, child...

What are you doing here all alone in this gloomy place?

- Thinking of Kay.

- Kay?

You see! It's so long since he went away, you can't even remember him!

So much fuss and bother.

Who knows what happened to that rascal.

But they found my old sled in the river this morning.

I expect he just threw it away when he left, my dear.

Too heavy to steal.

- Do you think so?

- Well, of course.

A typical thing for a naughty, ungrateful boy to do.

CLOCK TICKS:

TICKING STOPS:

How I wish the river could speak.

I can speak.

- What's the matter with you?

- My friend is dead.

- The river took him.

- Not this river. I live here. I see everything.

Then where is he?

- Where did he go?

- Who knows? Try downstream.

Wait!

What do you mean?

Follow the river.

Go north.

# Cruel winter, relentless and cold

# Left Gerda alone

# Kay's story untold

# North said the birds

# And the spring sunshine

# Kay is not dead

# It is not yet his time

# She dried her eyes

# And implored the river

# If precious care it could deliver

# Its silent reply

# It carried her far

# To an enchanted garden

# Under a distant star. #

There you are, my dear!

Sit down! Sit down.

Pins and needles -

never fails. Always tells me when company's coming.

Pins and needles all day long!

Do sit down, my dear.

Now, then - you must tell me who you are

and how you come to be here.

My name is Gerda.

I'm searching for my friend.

I think he might have passed this way.

Do you? Well, my dear,

I haven't seen him yet,

but I'm sure he'll be here soon.

You must stay a while and keep me company until he arrives.

No!

Silly!

No knife to cut the cake!

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS:

Little girl!

- Where are you?

- Here we are.

All around you.

- Have you seen my friend? Has Kay been here?

- Let the soft wind blow.

Let the quiet rain fall.

Let the sunlight glow.

We grow sweet and tall.

ALL:
We have come from the earth, where the dead must rest.

We say your friend lives, and we know best.

Little girl, come closer.

Listen to me...

Kay lies in a palace, but is no longer free.

SHE HISSES:

Your rose...

that rose...she told me...

Did she, indeed?

Well, you'll get no sense out of that one.

Too vain to see beyond her own pretty petals.

But she seemed so certain.

Oh, flowers! What do they know?

Come, now - sit down with me again.

- You're hurting me!

- Run, Gerda! Run!

Agh! Agh!

Get off me!

You wicked, wicked...! Agh!

AAAAGH!

# She ran through the maze

# Like a horrible dream

# In the realm of the Snow Queen... #

Ow!

- I see a palace.

- A palace?

- It's grand enough to be a palace.

- The flowers were right.

Follow me. Hurry up! It's getting dark.

BOTH:
Yield!

By order of his Majesty, only those invited to the betrothal may pass.

What is your business?

I'm looking for my friend, Kay.

I think he's in the palace.

A young boy did come this way -

before the spring.

He is to marry the King's only daughter.

Pass, friend of royalty.

But make haste. Court is assembled.

The feast begins.

A ragged boy with raven hair

sits by a princess in a castle fair.

# Let this be Kay

# The heart is wild

# She begs her friend to find this child

# Off with the girl through the galloping road

# To the distant bustling Believe this now

# Girl on high as the truth unfolds

# Stupid boy, does he stand before a prince?

# But the princess

# Golden and fair

# The prince and the princess

# Starlight in their hair.

# The prince and the princess

# Ah-ah-ah-ah. #

Kay!

# The fugitive is Gerda's joy

# He is not Kay, but another boy

# Through wretched tears she tells her tale

# How the Snow Queen must not prevail. #

And in her eyes, they see the fire

that only true love can inspire.

And the flowers, they spoke to me.

They know everything.

And the old lady, she was so scary.

She frightened me.

- And our banquet was ruined for this!

- Ssh, ssh, ssh!

But I have to find my friend.

He's been taken to a palace somewhere to the north.

There is only one palace north of here.

- The Snow Queen?

- Queen indeed!

Oh, I do hope not, Gerda. How vexing for you.

I'm told she sits on a throne made of ice.

Not even a cushion! Imagine that!

Queen! Ha!

In royal circles, we refer to that person as the Winter Witch.

If what you've told us is true,

then your friend Kay went with her quite willingly.

She must have bewitched him.

She cast a spell...and he changed.

He was suddenly unkind and cruel.

I sense a darker truth at work here.

What can he mean?

No matter. Tonight, you shall be our guest, Gerda.

Tomorrow, I shall see that you have the proper clothes for your journey.

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