Loosely based off the book The Snow Queen.
     Once upon a time, there lived an evil sprite (or demon) that created a magic mirror. But rather than seeing the good and beauty in everything, this mirror showed everything to be ugly. He takes this mirror all over the world and delights in the way in distorts everything. He attempts to even carry it up to Heaven to mock the angels but it shatters into a million pieces.
     The pieces scatter all over the world, some of them get into the hearts and eyes of people, freezing their hearts and turning their eyes into that of the mirror, seeing everything distorted and ugly.
     Years later, there lived a boy named Kai and a girl named Gerda. They lived in houses that were very close together and were close enough to practically be like brother and sister.
     They hear a story about the Snow Queen who has an army of snow bees. Much like bees need a queen, she is their queen. She can be found where the snowflakes cluster most.
     That summer, splinters of the troll-mirror get into Kai's heart and eyes and he becomes cruel. He openly hates Gerda and his grandmother because they have suddenly become ugly and evil in his eyes. The only thing he finds beautiful anymore are the snowflakes.
     That winter, Kai hitches up his sled to a curious white sleigh driven by the Snow Queen who appears as a woman in a white fur coat. Outside the city, she reveals her true identity and kisses him twice. The first time to keep him numb. The second to make him forget his family. If she had kissed him a third time, he would've died.
    She takes him to her home. Meanwhile, everyone believes that Kai died in the nearby river. Gerda is heartbroken and decides to go out and look for him. She questions everyone she sees if they'd seen him and even offers her new red shoes to the river in exchange for Kai. The river explains that Kai did not die.
     Next, Gerda goes to visit a witch who has a beautiful garden of eternal summer. The witch wants Gerda to stay forever so makes her forget all about Kai.
     (What is with these witches and using amnesia spells on people?)
     One day, however, Gerda sees a rose which reminds her of Kai and she begins to cry. Her tears raise one bush above the ground that can see all who died and Kai is not among them.
     Gerda flees from the witch and meets a crow that tells her Kai is in the princess' palace. Gerda goes to the palace and meets the prince and princess. She tells them her story and they provide her with warm clothes and a beautiful coach.
     While riding in the coach, she is captured by robbers who take her to their palace where she befriends a little robber girl whose pet doves tell her that they saw Kai get taken by the Snow Queen. The captive reindeer takes her to Lapland, his hometown. They made two stops: first at the Lapp woman's home then at the Finn woman's home.
     The Finn woman tells the reindeer that the secret to Gerda's unique power is her innocent heart.
     When Gerda reaches the palace, she is stopped by the Snow Queen's snowflakes. She prays the Lord's prayer and her breath takes the shape of angels who resist the snowflakes.
     Gerda finds Kai almost completely immobilized on a frozen lake called the "Mirror of Reason". He is currently trying to solve a complicated puzzle given to him by the Snow Queen. If he can solve it, she will release him from her power and give him a pair of skates.
     Gerda runs up to Kai and kisses him, breaking him from the spell. Gerda weeps warm tears on him, melting his heart and burning away the splinter of the troll-mirror. As a result, Kai cries tears of joy, removing the splinter from his eye. Kai solves the Snow Queen's puzzle and he and Gerda leave the Snow Queen's domain.
     When they arrive home, they learn that they are now grown up and it is once again summertime.

     There is another version of the Snow Queen and it is much different than the other.

     Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful woman known as the Snow Queen. She lived in a beautiful castle made of ice upon a high mountain. She heart was as cold as ice and she cared not for the many men who would travel to her castle and beg for her hand in marriage.
     Everytime a man did this, she would give the word and trolls would appear and throw the would-be suitor down into the abyss.
     One day, another man came to see the Snow Queen but he was very shy, unlike the rest. The moment he saw her, he froze and could not speak a word to her for she was very beautiful.
     The Snow Queen was confused by his behavior so did not call for her trolls as she normally would have. Finally, growing worried for their mistress, the trolls took matters into their own hands. Like with others, they threw him into the abyss.
     But the man had touched something in her heart and it melted. Then she broke down and wept at the loss of the one who changed her.