Andersen’s Fairy Tales
by
Hans Christian Andersen
The Snow Queen – 01:13:38 – Read by: Alice Elizabeth Still
First Story
Which Treats of the Mirror and of the Spinters
Where we are at the end of the story, we should know more that we know now: but to begin.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked sprite, indeed he was the most mischievous of all sprites. One day he was in a very good humor, for he had made a mirror with the power of causing all that was good and beautiful when it was reflected therein, to look poor and mean; but that which was good-for-nothing and looked ugly was shown magnified and increased in ugliness. In this mirror the most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach, and the best persons were turned into frights, or appeared to stand on their heads; their faces were so distorted that they were not to be recognised; and if anyone had a mole, you might be sure that it would be magnified and spread over both nose and mouth.
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