Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

The Snow Queen

arts Maturity 5-7 supernatural Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: supernatural. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

"The Snow Queen" is a famous fairy tale about good and evil.

Snow Queen 01
Snow Queen 01

It was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. He first published the story on December 21, 1844. This tale is one of his longest and most loved works. Unlike his other stories, it is written like a novel. It is divided into seven different chapters. Many people enjoy reading it in beautiful illustrated books.

Snow Queen 02
Snow Queen 02

The story begins with a magic mirror made by a troll. This mirror was very bad because it changed how things looked. It did not show beauty, but it made everything look ugly. The mirror eventually shattered into billions of tiny pieces. Some pieces flew into people's eyes and hearts. These splinters made people feel cold and bitter. One such piece enters the heart of a boy named Kai. Because of this, Kai becomes mean to his best friend, Gerda.

Snow Queen 04
Snow Queen 04

Gerda and Kai live in a large city. They are as close as siblings and play in window gardens.

Snow Queen 03
Snow Queen 03

When Kai is taken by the Snow Queen, Gerda starts a long journey. She meets many different people to find him. She meets a princess and a little robber girl. A reindeer named Bae helps her travel to the north. A Finn woman tells Gerda that her kind heart is her greatest power. Gerda must travel through many lands to reach the frozen palace.

Gerda finally finds Kai in the palace of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen by Elena Ringo
The Snow Queen by Elena Ringo

The Snow Queen is the ruler of the "snow bees," which are snowflakes. Kai is sitting on a frozen lake called the Mirror of Reason. He is trying to spell the word "eternity" using pieces of ice. This is a hard task that the Queen gave him. Gerda finds him and cries warm tears. Her tears melt the ice in his heart and his eye. Kai is finally happy and healthy again.

Many people have made movies based on this story. In 1957, a Soviet studio made an animated film. Later, a British animated version came out in 1995. Some believe Andersen wrote the icy Queen about a singer named Jenny Lind. He met her in 1840, but she did not love him back. This story shows how love can be very strong. It connects to the idea that kindness can overcome coldness. Even after their big adventure, Gerda and Kai return home as grown adults.

399 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Rudolf Koivu - Lumikuningatar.jpg
Rudolf Koivu - Lumikuningatar.jpg
File:Snow Queen 02.jpg
Snow Queen 02.jpg
File:Snow Queen 04.jpg
Snow Queen 04.jpg
File:Snow Queen 01.jpg
Snow Queen 01.jpg
File:Snow Queen 03.jpg
Snow Queen 03.jpg
File:The Snow Queen by Elena Ringo.jpg
The Snow Queen by Elena Ringo.jpg
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.