RUDY AND BABETTE, or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest, by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Helen Stratton. This book also contains 3 complimentary stories by Andersen. Towards the end of “The Ice Maiden” Andersen tells the tale of Rudy, a boy who lost both his parents and goes to live with his uncle. Rudy grows up to become a skilled mountain climber and huntsman. He falls in love with the miller's daughter, Babette, however the miller disapproves of the relationship. He gives Rudy the impossible task of climbing to the top of a dangerous mountain and bringing back a live baby eaglet. While Babette was off visiting her godmother, she catches the attention of her cousin and flirts with him, which makes Rudy jealous. They have a disagreement and she tells him to leave. On his way home, Rudy comes across a beautiful maiden who really is the Ice Maiden in disguise. He soon finds himself kissing the Ice Maiden. In his shame, he returns to Babette and begs her forgiveness. Their wedding day nears and they travel to the godmother's house to be wed. The night after their arrival Babette has an awful dream that she cheats on Rudy with her cousin. One night before the wedding, Babette decides she wants to go to a small island with just enough room for the two of them to dance. As they sit and talk, Babette notices the boat is slipping away. Rudy swims after it, but the Ice Maiden kisses him one last time and he drowns. Babette is left alone on the island crying over the death of her loved one, but nobody can hear her over the wind. ======================== Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H. C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality. ======================== KEYWORDS/TAGS: Rudy and Babette, Switzerland, Alps, Alpine, Annette, avalanche, beautiful, bells, blue cloak, canton, cat, chamois, climb, crevasse, death, deep, eagle, eaglet, Englishman, eyes, fortune, French, Giddy, glacier, good, grandfather, great, Grindelwald, high, Ice-Maiden, Interlaken, island, journey, kiss, lake, mill, miller, mountain, mountains, nest, parlor, Rhone river, snow, spirits, Vallais, valleys, Aare river, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, France, Italy,