‘Here’s what you asked for!’ said Rudy, coming into the miller’s house in Bex and putting a large cage down on the floor. He removed the cloth covering it, and two yellow, black-encircled eyes glared out, so brilliant and so savage, as if eager to burn and take hold wherever they looked. The short, strong beak was opening to bite, the neck was red and downy.
‘The eaglet!’ the miller exclaimed. Babette gave a scream and jumped to one side, but she could not keep her eyes either from Rudy or from the young eagle.
‘Well, you didn’t let yourself get scared!’ said the miller.
‘And you’re somebody who always keeps his word,’ said Rudy, ‘everyone’s got his own special characteristic!’
‘But how come you didn’t break your neck?’ asked the miller.
‘Because I held on tight,’ replied Rudy, ‘and that’s what I’m still doing. I’m holding on tight to Babette.’
‘Why don’t you see first whether you’ve got her!’ said the miller, and laughed, and that was a good sign, Babette knew.
‘Let’s take the young eagle out of his cage. It’s dangerous just to look at the way he glowers! However did you catch him?’’
And Rudy had to tell the story, and the miller’s eyes got bigger and bigger as he did so.
‘With your guts and your good luck you could provide for three wives,’ said the miller.
‘Thank you, thanks a lot!’ exclaimed Rudy.
‘Yes, but you still don’t have Babette yet,’ said the miller, and he clapped Rudy on the shoulder in jest.
‘Do you know the news from the mill?’ said the Parlour Cat to the Kitchen Cat, ‘Rudy’s brought us a young eagle, and is now taking Babette in exchange. They’ve kissed one another, and in front of Father! It’s as good as an engagement. The Old Man didn’t do any kicking, he’s drawn in his claws, and has now taken an after-dinner nap and left the two of them to sit and spoon. They have such a lot to talk about, they won’t be through by Christmas.’
And they weren’t through by Christmas! The wind whirled the brown leaves, the snow drifted into the valley from the high mountains. The Ice Virgin sat in her splendid palace, which expands in size in winter-time. The rock-walls stood with black ice coating and icicles thick as your arm and as heavy as an elephant, there where in summer the mountain stream waves its watery veils. Ice garlands formed by fantastic crystals shone above the snow-powdered spruce trees.
The Ice Virgin went riding on the tearing wind across the deepest valleys. The carpet of snow stretched out all the way down to Bex. She was able to come and peer in on Rudy who was indoors far more than he was ever used to being; he was making himself at home at Babette’s. The wedding would take place in the summer. So frequently did their friends talk about it that the pair’s ears would often be buzzing. Sunshine came, the loveliest Alpine rose glowed, that is to say the happy, laughing Babette herself, delightful as the spring, which duly arrived, spring which made all the birds sing till summer-time about the wedding-day.
‘How can the two of them just sit there and breathe down each other’s necks!’ said the Parlour Cat, ‘I’m even bored with miaowing now!’