Branches Book

BRANCHES

After a while, the river briskly turned and pushed the boat to the shore. Gerda understood that it was time for her to get out for she had arrived where the river was taking her. From the shore, she was able to spot someone’s house in the distance. Seeing a boat from her house, an old lady in a big hat with flowers stepped out. “Poor girl! Why are you alone in a boat?” inquired the old woman as she approached, helping Gerda out of it. “Will you pray tell me how you wound up here?” Gerda told this old woman all that had happened to her. “Have you seen my beloved Kay?” asked the girl. “Not yet, but I think he will definitely show up here. Don’t you cry, better you try some succulent sour cherries that have ripened in my wonderful garden!” the old woman said in order to pacify Gerda. She took Gerda by the hand and led her to her house. Gerda took a seat as the old woman brushed her beautiful golden locks. “I have always wished that I would have such a charming little girl!” the old woman kept repeating. The longer she brushed Gerda’s beautiful hair, the more Gerda forgot about Kay—for this old woman was an enchantress. The old woman worried that if she saw the roses in her garden, the girl would be reminded of Kay. So she touched her cane to a rose bush and, in that same instant, all the roses in the garden vanished. The old woman then led Gerda into the garden that was located right outside the house. With such an extravagant variety of flowers, Gerda could not think of the one that was missing - and they all bloomed so perfectly fragrant. Never in her life had Gerda seen such stunning beauty. The next morning, the enchantress allowed the girl to play in the wonderful flower garden once more. This became the routine for the next few days until, one day, the girl found the old lady’s big hat - on which was left a single rose. The enchantress had forgotten to get rid of it with all the others. “Why are there no roses in the garden?” wondered Gerda. Then she remembered her own rose bush and began to cry. In the place where her tears fell, a rose bush sprung up. “Why am I here when I need to find Kay?” thought Gerda and instantly headed to the edge of the garden. On the gate hung a rusty lock that the girl broke off with no effort. She ran away barefoot. Finding herself outside the fence of the enchantress’s garden, where the sun always shone and flowers always bloomed, the girl noticed that the leaves on the trees had all blown away and the puddles on the ground were beginning to cover in frost. “How long must I have been there!” eerily realized Gerda as she continued in the opposite direction of the garden.

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