Gerda Sneaks into the Palace at Night to Find Kay

Gerda Sneaks into the Palace at Night to Find Kay is a turning point in Gerda’s search: a hopeful account of a young man who resembles Kay draws her into the Palace of the Prince and Princess, where the likeness proves misleading. The night journey brings her close to the object of her quest without finding him, but it also earns her new allies and the means to travel onward. Its movement from rumor, to clandestine entry, to recognition and practical aid makes hope itself the scene’s changing force.

Background and the Crow’s Account

The Forest crow explains that the Princess has decided to marry, but only a man who can answer her intelligently when spoken to will please her. She is described as extraordinarily clever: she has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them, and she announces her intention to marry after singing a song about why she should not. The court publishes notices inviting handsome young men to visit the palace and speak with her; the suitor who speaks best will be chosen as her husband.

The public contest turns out to be more daunting than its announcement suggests. Crowds arrive, but the young men who speak easily in the streets lose their composure inside the palace. The silver-uniformed guards, gold-liveried servants, illuminated halls, and imposing court make them falter until they can only repeat the Princess’s last words. The waiting line stretches from the town gate to the palace, and the visitors are left hungry and thirsty; some bring bread and butter but keep it to themselves, hoping hunger might somehow improve their chances.

On the third day, a poor young traveler arrives without horses or a carriage, carrying a small object on his back. The Forest crow reports that he passes the guards and servants without embarrassment, remarking on the tiresome work of standing on the stairs before continuing inside. His boots creak as he walks, a detail Gerda recognizes from Kay’s new boots. The resemblance seems persuasive: he has sparkling eyes and long hair, and he moves through the palace confidently. Gerda takes the report as proof that Kay has been found and asks to be taken to the palace.

The crow cannot promise that a child will be admitted through the front entrance. His Tame crow sweetheart, who moves freely in the palace and has supplied the account, may know another way. When the Forest crow returns late that evening, he brings bread taken from the kitchen and explains that the guards and servants would bar Gerda from the public entrance. His sweetheart knows a back staircase leading to the sleeping apartments and can find its key. The route is not authorized, but Gerda’s purpose is simply to discover whether Kay is there.

The Night Entry

The Forest crow leads Gerda through the palace garden along a broad avenue. Leaves fall one after another, while lights in the palace are extinguished, marking the hour and heightening the secrecy of their approach. At the open back door, Gerda’s heart beats with anxiety and longing. She imagines Kay recognizing her, smiling as he did at home among the roses, and being glad to learn how far she has traveled and how sorrowfully his absence has been felt.

Inside, the Tame crow waits in a small closet at the top of the stairs, where a lamp is burning. Gerda curtseys as Grandmother taught her. The Tame crow greets her kindly and leads the way with the lamp, promising a route on which they are unlikely to meet anyone. As they proceed, shadowy riders, hunters, ladies, and gentlemen seem to pass along the walls. The Tame crow explains that they are dreams, coming to fetch the thoughts of important people out hunting. The strange procession makes the hidden route feel like a passage through the palace’s sleeping imagination, while the two guides continue toward the bedrooms.

The first hall is hung with rose-colored satin embroidered with artificial flowers. Dreams flit through it too quickly for Gerda to distinguish the royal figures. Each hall is more splendid than the last, until the succession of lavish interiors threatens to bewilder her. At last, she reaches a bedroom with a ceiling like a palm tree, its leaves made of costly crystal. Two beds shaped like lilies hang from golden stems over the center of the floor: the Princess lies in the white bed, and the red bed is where Gerda expects to find Kay.

Misrecognition and Discovery

Gerda pushes aside a red lily leaf and sees a little brown neck. In the lamplight, she calls Kay’s name aloud. The dreams rush back into the room on horseback, and the sleeper wakes. The resemblance collapses at the crucial moment: he is not Kay, but the Prince, who is similar to Kay only in the neck. Gerda’s nighttime search has brought her to a lookalike, not to the missing boy.

The Princess wakes and asks what has happened. Gerda weeps and recounts her story, including the Crows’ efforts to help her. The Prince and Princess pity her rather than punishing her for entering secretly. They praise the Crows and say that, although the breach must not happen again, the birds deserve a reward for their help. The scene shifts from fear of discovery to welcome: Gerda is heard, and the two palace residents respond to her need rather than treating her as an intruder.

The Princess offers the Crows a choice between freedom and an appointment as court crows, with whatever remains in the kitchen available to them. They ask for a fixed position, explaining that provision for old age would make them comfortable. Their decision turns temporary assistance into a lasting arrangement. The Prince gives up his bed so Gerda can sleep; she folds her hands, reflects on the kindness she has received from people and animals, and falls asleep.

Departure and Significance

Gerda dreams that Angels bring Kay to her on a little sledge and nod to her, but the reunion vanishes when she wakes. The dream grants a brief image of the outcome she longs for without changing the facts: Kay is still missing. The contrast between dreamed reunion and waking absence preserves the urgency of the quest even after the palace has offered safety and comfort.

The Prince and Princess dress Gerda in silk and velvet and invite her to remain at the palace for several days. She asks instead for boots, a carriage, and a horse so that she can continue into the wide world to seek Kay. She receives boots and a muff, and the hosts provide the Golden Carriage of the Prince and Princess, with their coat of arms shining on it. The Prince and Princess help her into the carriage and wish her success.

The Forest crow accompanies Gerda for the first three miles, unable to bear riding backward, while the Tame crow stays at the palace, unwell after her new appointment. The carriage carries sweet cakes, fruit, and gingerbread nuts. When the Forest crow finally says farewell, Gerda and the crow both weep; he flies to a tree and flaps his wings as long as the glittering carriage remains in sight. The departure closes the palace episode with gratitude and separation, but its central result is practical: although Gerda has not found Kay, the failed identification does not end her search. The night’s hospitality equips her to resume it.