Gerda and Kai are inseparable friends until Kai is struck by splinters from a cursed mirror that lodge in his heart and eye, causing his heart to freeze and his perception to distort. The once excitable and loving boy becomes cynical and spiteful. As the Snow Queen takes him away to her icy palace, Gerda sets out to rescue him armed only with her love for little Kai. The Snow Queen was first published in 1844 in Danish as "Snedronningen" and is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most enduring and beloved stories, embodying themes of love, bravery, coming of age, and the triumph of light over darkness.