Collected by Alexander Afansyev, adapted by Erica Furgiuele

While the narrator talks, a pantomime: the Frost King stands with the Mother and Daughter, a family portrait. Slowly, they separate, until the Stepfather and son have replaced the Frost King in the portrait.)
Not very long ago, in a small village in Russia, there lived a mother with her daughter. The girl’s beloved father had recently died, and the mother longed for another companion. When she did find a new husband, she was happy to make her family whole again. But she didn’t know what malice her new spouse was capable of. The wind blows but stops blowing at times. A wicked person never knows how to stop their wickedness.
The stepfather had a son of his own, who was dear to him, on whom he lavished all of his affection. Consequently, there was only reproach and scorn for his stepdaughter.
Slowly, the family portrait stretched and stretched until it began to crack.
(The stepfather destroys the crown the daughter is making during the following.)

THE WOOD AT NIGHT
Blow winter wind
Blow winter snow
Take me back home
Where my heart longs to go
No king on his throne
He is lost in the wood
And the wind cannot tell
Between evil and good

One day, the stepfather said to his wife, “Now, mother, I want thee to take thy daughter away from my eyes, away from my ears. Thou shalt not take her to thy people into a warm hut. Thou shalt take her into the wide, wide fields to the crackling frost.”
The mother pleaded with her husband to relent. But the storm inside him was insistent.  With a heavy heart, the mother helped her daughter into the sleigh.
And so the mother went with her lovely daughter into the wide, wide fields and drove her nearly to the woods. With a heavy heart, she left her there alone, and speedily drove away.

LOST
The world so wide
So wide and dark
Stares down wondrous eyes
I don’t know how to look away
I carry no disguise

I’ll stare right back
and won’t let go
Of all that I’ve been taught
It’s all I have to keep me warm
When love has been for naught

DAUGHTER
Hello there?

FROST KING
Who are you? Go away.

DAUGHTER
Is this tree your home?

FROST KING
What does it matter to you?

DAUGHTER
Well, whenever I’m sad, I always feel better if I’m at home.

FROST KING
This entire forest is part of my home. I reign as King of this land.

DAUGHTER
If you’re a King, why don’t you have a crown?

FROST KING
I lost it.

DAUGHTER
How do people know that you’re a King if you don’t have a crown?

FROST KING
Because I’m intimidating.  

DAUGHTER
I don’t think so.

FROST KING
Why don’t you leave me alone?

DAUGHTER
Would you like a crown? I can make you one.

FROST KING
Out of what?

DAUGHTER
I’ve brought some flowers from home.

(She pulls flowers from her apron and begins weaving them together.)

FROST KING
Those flowers aren’t going to last very long.  

DAUGHTER
This way you’ll be a real King.

FROST KING
I’m ALREADY a King.

DAUGHTER
It won’t take long.

(She continues weaving them together.)

FROST KING
Go on, shoo. Shoo!
(She takes no notice of him.)
What good is being King if no one will leave you alone?

DAUGHTER
It’s finished. Would you like to try it on?

FROST KING
No.

DAUGHTER
You don’t have many visitors to your tree, do you?

FROST KING
I don’t have visitors. I have subjects. Greedy ones. They only come to me when they need something.

DAUGHTER
That’s why you’re so lonely.

FROST KING
What?

DAUGHTER
And angry.

FROST KING
I AM NOT ANGRY!

DAUGHTER
Anger makes people cold.

(The Frost King notices that the girl is shivering.)

FROST KING
Are you cold?

DAUGHTER
Yes.

(Pause.)

FROST KING
Then you should leave.

DAUGHTER
But I have nowhere to go!

FROST KING
And I have nothing to give you!

DAUGHTER
I don’t want anything.

(She holds out the crown.)

FROST KING
You had better give it to someone else. Everything I touch turns to ice.

(The girl offers the crown anyway. The Frost King hesitates. He gingerly takes the crown, expecting it to freeze, but it didn’t. The flowers remain full and soft. The Frost King gives the crown back to the girl and kneels down in front of her. The girl bestows it gently on his head. Only then does the King stand.)

FROST KING
I have reigned King here for so long, I forgot there were older, gentler kinds of magic. Come with me.

DAUGHTER
Where are we going?

FROST KING
You have restored me to my rightful place. Now I’m going to restore you to yours.  

Back at the family home, the mother dug a grave for her beloved daughter. Each shovel of dirt felt like a thousand stones. The stepfather was busy making pancakes for the traditional ceremony of the dead. The dogs in the corner began howling mournfully.

(The dogs begin to howl. The stepfather shushes them but they are insistent. Their howling acquires a mournful drone quality. They begin to chant, panting between lines:)

DOGS (sung)
Gold and jewels cannot disguise
Malicious ways that minds devise

(The stepfather begins to twitch again. He throws his shoe at the dogs. They yelp but do not stop.)

DOGS
Her daughter’s clad in silver and gold
His son will soon lie still and cold

(The stepfather gets up to kick the dogs. They giggle maniacally and run around the stage, singing:)

DOGS
Kindness melts a frozen heart
Evil rends it all apart

“Now, mother,” said the husband to the wife, “go down to the wide fields and bring the body of thy daughter; we will bury her.”
The mother set off for the woods, but when she came to the edge of the field, she was surprised to find her daughter clad in silver and gold, with a fine headdress, and beside her sat the Frost King.

FROST KING
I return your daughter to you more resplendent than before, mother. Take care that you do not let her out of your sight again.

MOTHER
Thank you, highness. You have given me a great gift.

FROST KING
You must not let the wickedness of others pierce your heart.

MOTHER
I shall not, from this day on.

FROST KING
You are familiar to me.

MOTHER
Am I?

FROST KING
I feel the warm blush of a memory. A home. A family.

MOTHER
I have a new family now.

(Pause.)

FROST KING
I see.  

DAUGHTER
Can he come back home with us, Mother?

FROST KING
No, child. My place is here.

MOTHER
Say goodbye.

DAUGHTER
Goodbye, highness.

FROST KING
Goodbye.

The mother and daughter returned to their home. The Frost King watched them go. Back home, the stepfather could not believe his eyes.

“Mother!” called the stepfather, impatiently; “hitch our best horses to our best sleigh, and drive my son to the very same place in the wide, wide fields.”
The mother obeyed, placing the stepson in the sleigh.

DOGS (sung)
Shadows lurk on every wall
Won’t be long before the fall

In the forest, the boy shivered violently. He saw a shadow through the trees and went towards it.

SON
Is there anywhere I can take shelter from the cold?

FROST KING
Who are you?

SON
I am the brother of the girl who was here before. You gave her fine gold and clothes. Our father has sent me here so you may bestow the same gifts upon me.

FROST KING
Your father?

SON
Yes.

(Pause.)

FROST KING
Well, you will get no such favors from me.

SON
My father will be most displeased.

FROST KING
Imagine my disappointment.

SON
All I really want is shelter from the cold.

(Pause.)

FROST KING
Take my cloak.

SON
Are you sure?

FROST KING
Quite sure. Go on.

The wind stops blowing at times, but a wicked person cannot stop their wickedness.

Back at the house, the stepfather said, “mother, go for my son; take the best horses; be careful; do not upset the sleigh; do not lose the trunk.”

DOGS
Father barks and brays commands
That even dogs can’t understand!

STEPFATHER
Hush, you mongrels!

When the mother came upon her stepson, the Frost King was still grasping his cloak; the other half was stiff in the dead boy’s hands.  

MOTHER
Why have you done this? You gave my daughter fine clothes and jewels, and now this poor boy has perished because of you!

FROST KING
He tried to steal my cloak.

MOTHER
When you should have offered it in the first place?

FROST KING
Your daughter is rich and beautiful. Why do you care what happens to him?

MOTHER
Because he is my son. Was.

(Pause.)

FROST KING
You have much of your daughter in you.

The mother looked at the Frost King and saw a flicker of something, but it was soon gone.

MOTHER
She never lets the wickedness of others pierce her heart.
(Pause.)
I must return the boy to his father.

FROST KING
I will help you.

MOTHER
No. You’ve done enough.

FROST KING
Wait!

(The mother pauses. The Frost King takes his crown from his head and places it on the boy.)

AWAY FROM HOME
Blow winter wind
Fall winter snow
Let me be free
If home I cannot go

(Erica oohs over his lyrics)

Crowns made of flow’rs
And sceptres of ice
Though given freely
Do come with a price

(spoken) What good is it being king if you’re always alone?

FROST KING

Storms come and go
Winds rise and fall
Love never fails
To make fools of us all

          THE END