'Stick': the Snow Queen

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

9 uses of 'stick'

The Snow Queen

Jonny Hello, I'm Jonny and today's story is a chilly one. It involves an ice-cold Queen and the struggle between good and evil. It's a famous fairy tale that you might find familiar.

The story begins a long time ago. There's a wicked goblin who has a magic mirror – but not one you would want for everything that is good and beautiful reflects back as bad and ugly. Then one day the mirror breaks and the shattered pieces of glass fall onto a small village where two friends Kay and Gerda live. They are young and happy and always stick up for each other even when one of them is in trouble. They love playing outside but unfortunately this means Kay gets hit by some of the falling pieces of mirror – one bit sticks in his eye and another bit sticks in his heart – and from then on Kay becomes horrible and nasty and no longer thinks of Gerda as his friend. But she can't understand his strange behaviour. Then one day, Kay is offered a ride on a huge sledge. He is a bit nervous, but the driver says stick with me and you'll be fine. Foolishly he agrees to ride on the sledge across the snowy landscape. The driver of the sledge transforms himself into a woman wearing a white flowing gown and a crown made of ice – she is the Snow Queen – and she takes him off to a distant land. Gerda is back in the village waiting for Kay, despite his bad behaviour she still wants to stick by him. When he doesn't return, she decides to look for him and takes a boat down a long river – hoping it will lead to Kay. Unfortunately, it doesn't. She gets caught by a robber girl with a reindeer. Gerda pours out her heart with her sad story and the robber girl takes pity on her and admits that she has seen the Snow Queen heading off to Lapland with a boy. Gerda sets off for Lapland, where she meets a magician who waves a stick in the air, looks into a crystal ball and sees that Kay is at the Snow Queen's palace, which - by the way - is made of ice! Because of the piece of mirror stuck in Kay's heart, he sees the evil palace as a fantastic place to live. Gerda sets off to change his mind and win her friend back. She breaks into the Snow Queen's palace and finds Kay half-frozen in ice. She can't stick the evil queen and fights her, and her love for Kay gives her strength and she wins. She runs and embraces him. Her warm tears fall down her cheeks and stick to Kay's body. Gradually the tears cause him to warm up and also wash away the splinters of glass. Now he can see properly again and realise his love for Gerda – and they promise to stick together forever!

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I do love a happy ending. If only all fairy tales could come true, except for the bit about being half-frozen in ice! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story and see you again soon. Bye for now! Definitions stick up for (C2) support sticks (B2) goes into stick with (B2) stay close to stick by (C2) continue to support stick (B1) a long, thin piece of wood stuck (B2) unable to move can't stick (C1) hates stick (B2) become attached stick together (B2) support each other

KEY A1 = Beginner A2 = Elementary B1 = Lower Intermediate B2 = Higher Intermediate C1 = Towards Advanced C2 = Advanced