The Snow Queen

I have always loved all kinds of fairy tales, and even as a grown-up I have an extensive collection of them from around the world. There are many I cherish, but by far my favorite has always been The Snow Queen by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. I’m not the only one who loves this story. It has been told in many forms from plays, ballets, operas, and even a video game.

It is the story of a little boy and girl who grow up next to one another and are very close. But the boy is struck by a very tiny and evil splinter in his eye and his heart. It makes him cold and mean. His vision is twisted so he only sees the evil in people. While out in the snow playing with his friends, he is taken by the Snow Queen to her Ice Palace, far up north. The girl travels for a very long time and over many lands to find him. Her tears of joy and sadness melt his heart and wash away the splinters. They are reunited and he is able to love her again.

What captivates me the most every time I reread this story is the steadfast love the little girl has for her friend. She must escape the eternal Spring of a witch, convince a Robber Girl to help her, and travel on the back of a reindeer to a cold and scary Ice Palace. But she never wavers in her journey to save him.

I would like to think I would do the same for those I love. My family and friends are the most important part of my life, and even if they were somehow hit by a flying splinter of a magical mirror that makes them see the world in a twisted way, I would love them anyway. I would never give up on them.