Princess

The Princess is introduced as an unusually clever ruler who puts speech and understanding above handsome appearance. Her public search for a husband turns that preference into a test before the court; later, when Gerda arrives in the Palace of the Prince and Princess searching for Kay, the Princess meets the child’s distress with sympathy and helps her continue the search. Her story moves from a comic royal competition to a consequential act of generosity.

Identity and Introduction

The account of the Princess first reaches Gerda through the Forest crow, who says he has heard what happened at court from his Tame crow sweetheart, who moves freely about the palace. The Forest crow presents the story as trustworthy, but it remains information relayed through animal witnesses rather than an episode Gerda has seen for herself. This framing makes the court’s customs part of the story’s chain of animal assistance: the crow’s knowledge is what gives Gerda a possible lead to Kay.

The Princess is described as so clever that she has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them too. The comic exaggeration characterizes her not as a solemn figure of inaccessible authority but as someone associated with restless intelligence. As she sits on her throne, she sings a song that leads her to consider marriage. Her decision is framed as a practical choice: she wants a husband who can answer when spoken to, not someone who merely looks grand. The distinction establishes the standard that governs the public competition and gives her a preference of her own within a formal royal setting.

The Suitor Competition

The Princess gathers her court ladies by a drumbeat and tells them of her intention to marry; they welcome the announcement and say they had recently been discussing it themselves. Newspapers are issued at once, decorated with a border of hearts and the Princess’s initials. The notice invites handsome young men to visit the castle and speak with her. Candidates must be able to answer loudly enough to be heard, and the man who speaks best will be chosen as her husband.

The competition draws crowds, but the setting proves more daunting than the public invitation suggests. On the first two days, no candidate succeeds. Outside the palace, the young men can speak well; inside, the silver-uniformed guards, gold-liveried footmen, illuminated halls, and the sight of the Princess on her throne unsettle them. When she speaks, they can only repeat her final words. Their failure gives the Princess’s stated criterion a pointed consequence: grand appearance and public confidence do not amount to the responsive conversation she seeks. The candidates’ discomfort also has a material detail—the palace offers them no water, and some bring bread and butter but keep it to themselves rather than share it with their neighbors.

Gerda at Court

Gerda’s arrival is not the successful appearance of a suitor but a nighttime search for Kay. In the bedroom, she sees the Prince asleep in a red bed and mistakes him for Kay because of the resemblance of his neck. When she calls out, the dreams in the room rush back on horseback; the Prince wakes, and the Princess peers out of her white bed to ask what has happened. The mistaken identification ends in disappointment: the Prince resembles Kay only in that one feature. Gerda weeps and explains her journey and the Crows’ help.

The Princess and Prince respond by pitying Gerda and praising the Crows. They are not angry about the Crows’ part in the events, but make clear that it must not happen again. The Princess then offers the pair a choice between freedom and appointment as court crows, with the food left in the kitchen as their provision. They ask for fixed positions because they want security in old age, and the court grants that request. The exchange makes the Princess’s kindness practical rather than merely ceremonial: she recognizes the help they gave Gerda, offers a concrete reward, and allows them to choose the form of it, while still setting a limit on their conduct.

Aid for Gerda and Narrative Role

The following day, Gerda is dressed in silk and velvet and invited to remain at court for several days. She declines the comfortable stay because her purpose remains finding Kay; she asks instead for boots, a small carriage, and a horse. The court provides more than she requests: boots and a muff, and the Golden Carriage of the Prince and Princess, with the royal coat of arms shining on it. The Princess and Prince help Gerda into the carriage and wish her success. It carries sweet cakes, fruit, and gingerbread nuts, turning the departure into both a send-off and a provision for the road.

The Forest crow accompanies Gerda for the first three miles, while the Tame crow stays behind, unable to travel after suffering a headache since her new appointment. At the parting, the Princess and Prince call farewell; Gerda and the Forest crow weep, and the crow eventually leaves her, watching the bright carriage from a tree. The episode gives the Princess’s generosity a clear boundary and a lasting effect: she cannot return Kay to Gerda, but she converts the girl’s brief refuge at court into resources and onward passage. In the larger search, the Princess’s court is a temporary place of safety, and her willingness to help ensures that Gerda leaves still moving toward her goal.