Snow White
Once
upon a time the snow was falling like feathers from the clouds. A queen sat at
her castle window, which had an ebony black frame. She was sewing. While she
looked away to see the snow she pricked her finger. Three drops of blood fell
upon the snow.
Now
the red looked so nice on the white that she thought to herself, “Oh, that I
had a child as white as this snow, as red as this blood, and as black as the
wood of this frame!” Soon a little daughter came to her. She was as white as
snow, and had cheeks as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. And so her
mother named her “Snow-White.” And at the same time the queen died.
About
a year later the king married another wife. She was very beautiful, but so
proud that she could not stand it if anyone was prettier than she was. She had
a wonderful mirror. When she stepped before it and said:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
it said:
“The
queen is the fairest of the day.”
Then
she was pleased. She knew that the mirror always told the truth.
But
Snow-White grew up, and became prettier and prettier. When she was seven years
old she was as fair as the day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. When
the queen now asked her mirror:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
it said:
“The
queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White
is the fairest, now, they say.”
Then
the queen became yellow with envy. From then on, she hated the little girl. Her
envy and jealousy grew so that she did not sleep. Finally she said to a
huntsman, “Take the child away into the forest. I will never look at her again.
You must kill her, and bring me her heart and tongue to show me you have done
it.”
The
huntsman listened and took the girl away. But when he drew out his knife to
kill her, she began to cry. She said, “Don’t kill me! I will run into the
forest, and never come home again.”
This
speech softened the hunter’s heart, and he said, “Well, run away then, poor
child.” But he thought to himself, “The wild beasts will soon eat you.” Still
he felt as if a stone had been lifted from his heart, because he had not had to
kill her. Just then a wild pig came along. The huntsman caught and killed it.
He took its tongue and heart to the queen.
But
now poor little Snow-White was left alone, lost in the woods. She ran till her
feet would not go farther. It was getting dark, and she saw a little house
near, so she went in to rest. In this house everything was very small, but very
neat. In the middle stood a little table with a white cloth over it, and seven
little plates on it. Each plate had a spoon and a knife and a fork, and there
were also seven little mugs. Against the wall were seven little beds in a row.
Each was covered with snow-white sheets.
Little
Snow-White ate a little bit of porridge out of each plate, and drank a drop or
two of wine out of each mug. She did not want to eat all of anyone’s food.
After that she lay down on one bed, but it was too soft. She tried another, but
that was too long. Another was too short, and another too hard. But the seventh
was just the thing. She tucked herself up in it and went to sleep, first saying
her prayers as usual.
When
it was dark the owners of the house came home. They were seven dwarfs, who dug
for gold and silver in the mountains. They first lit seven little lamps. They
saw at once that somebody had been in. Everything was not the way they had left
it.
The
first asked, “Who has been sitting on my chair?”
The
second, “Who has been eating off my plate?”
The
third said, “Who has been nibbling at my bread?”
The
fourth, “Who has been at my porridge?”
The
fifth, “Who has been meddling with my fork?”
The
sixth grumbled out, “Who has been cutting with my knife?”
The
seventh said, “Who has been drinking out of my mug?”
Then
the first, looking round, began again, “Who has been lying on my bed?” he
asked, for he saw that the sheets were messed up. At these words the others
came, and looking at their beds cried out too, “Someone has been lying in our
beds!” But the seventh little man, running up to his, saw Snow-White sleeping
in it. So he called the others, who shouted with wonder and held up their seven
lamps, so that the light fell upon the little girl.
“Oh,
heavens! oh, heavens!” they said, “how beautiful she is!” And they were so
happy that they left her to sleep. The seventh dwarf slept with each of his
fellows one hour, and so passed the night.
As
soon as morning came Snow-White awoke. She was frightened when she saw the
seven little men, but they were very friendly. They asked her what she was
called.
“My
name is Snow-White,” she said.
“Why
have you come into our house?” they asked.
So
she told them what had happened.
When
her tale was done the dwarfs said, “Will you look after our house? You can be
our cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit for us, and keep everything neat.
If so, we will keep you here, and you will have everything you need.”
And
Snow-White answered, “Yes, with all my heart and will.” And so she stayed with
them, and kept their house neat.
In
the morning the dwarfs went into the mountains and searched for silver and
gold, and in the evening they came home and found their meals ready for them.
During the day the girl was left alone, and so the good dwarfs warned her, “Be
careful of your stepmother, who will soon know of your being here. So let
nobody enter the house.”
The
queen, meanwhile, thought that she had eaten the heart and tongue of her
stepdaughter. And so she believed that she was now the most beautiful woman in
the world. One day she stepped before her mirror, and said:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
And
it said:
“The
queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White
is fairest now, they say.
The
dwarfs protect her from thy sway
Amid
the forest, far away.”
This
surprised her, but she knew that the mirror always spoke the truth. Then she
knew that the huntsman had tricked her, and that Snow-White was still alive. So
she dyed her face and dressed herself as a peddler woman, so that no one would know
who she was. She went over the seven hills to the house of the seven dwarfs.
She knocked at the door of the hut, and called out, “Fine goods for sale!
Beautiful goods for sale!”
Snow-White
peeped out of the window and said, “Good day, my good woman. What do you have
to sell?”
“Fine
goods, beautiful goods!” she said. “Dress-ties of all colors.” And she held up
a pair which were made of silk.
“I
may let in this good woman,” thought Snow-White. She unbolted the door and
asked for one pair of ties.
“They
look beautiful on you!” said the old woman. “Come, let me lace them up for
you.”
Snow-White
let her do as she wished. But the old woman laced her up so quickly and so
tightly that she couldn’t breathe. She fell down like she was dead. “Now am I
the most beautiful of all!” thought the old woman to herself. She hurried away.
In
the evening the seven dwarfs came home. They were frightened at seeing the girl
lying on the ground, not moving or breathing, as if she were dead. They raised
her up. When they saw that she was laced too tight they cut the ties to pieces.
Soon she began to breathe again. Little by little she woke up. When the dwarfs heard
what had taken place, they said, “The old peddler woman was no other than your
wicked stepmother. Take more care of yourself, and don’t let anyone in when we
are not with you.”
Meanwhile,
the queen had reached home. She said to her mirror:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
And
it said as before:
“The
queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White
is fairest now, they say.
The
dwarfs protect her from thy sway
Amid
the forest, far away.”
As
soon as it was done, all her blood rushed to her heart. She was angry to hear
that Snow-White was still alive. “Now,” thought she to herself, “I will make
something which shall really destroy her.” So she made a poisoned comb, and
then disguised herself as old widow. She went over the seven hills to the house
of the seven dwarfs. Knocking at the door, she called out, “Fine goods to sell
today!”
Snow-White
peeped out and said, “You must go farther, for I dare not let you in.”
“But
still you may look,” said the old woman. She took out her poisoned comb and held
it up. It was so pretty that Snow-White opened the door. When she had bought
something the old woman said, “Now let me for once comb your hair well.”
Snow-White told her she could. The comb was barely in her hair when the poison
began to work, and the girl fell down again.
“Ha!”
cried the wicked Queen. “It is all over with you.” And she left.
Luckily,
evening soon came. The seven dwarfs came back, and as soon as they saw
Snow-White lying upon the ground, they knew it was the queen. Seeing the
poisoned comb, they quickly took it out. Then the girl woke up and told them
what had happened. So again they warned her against the wicked stepmother, and
told her not to let anyone in.
Meanwhile
the queen had again reached home and had again talked to her mirror, and gotten
the same answer as twice before. This made her tremble and foam with rage and
jealousy. She swore that Snow-White should die if it cost her her own life.
Then she went into an inner secret room where no one could go. She made an
apple of the worst poison. It had had rosy cheeks that would make anyone long
for it, but whoever ate the smallest piece of it would surely die. As soon as
the apple was ready the queen again dyed her face. This time she dressed like a
poor woman. Then over the seven mountains to the house of the seven dwarfs she
made her way.
She
knocked at the door, and Snow-White stretched out her head and said, “I cannot
let anyone enter. The seven dwarfs have told me not to.”
“That
is hard on me,” said the old woman, “for I must take back my apples, but there
is one which I will give you.”
“No,”
answered Snow-White, “no, I must not take it.”
“Are
you afraid of it?” cried the old woman. “See—I will cut the apple in half. You
eat the red cheeks, and I will eat the core.” (The apple was made so the red
cheeks alone were poisoned.) Snow-White very much wished for the beautiful
apple, and when she saw the woman eating the core she stretched out her hand,
and took the poisoned part. She had barely put a piece in her mouth when she
fell down dead upon the ground. Then the queen looked at her and laughed.
“White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time the dwarfs cannot wake
you back up.”
When
she reached home she spoke to her mirror:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
It
answered:
“The
queen is fairest of the day.”
Then
her envious heart was at rest, if an envious heart can rest.
When
the little dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snow-White lying on the
ground, and she seemed to be quite dead. They raised her up, and looked for
anything poisonous. They unlaced her, and even uncombed her hair, and washed
her with water and with wine. But nothing helped. The child was really and
truly dead.
Then
they laid her on a table. All seven stood by it. They wept and wept for three
days without stopping. Then they got ready to bury her. But she looked still
fresh and life-like. Even her cheeks were still red. They said to one another,
“We cannot bury her in the black ground.” Then they had a case made of glass.
In this they could see the body on all sides. The dwarfs wrote her name with
golden letters upon the glass, saying that she was a king’s daughter. Now they
placed the glass case on a rock, and one of them always stayed by it to watch.
Even the birds cried: first came an owl, then a raven, and last of all a dove.
For
a long time Snow-White lay in her case. She didn’t change. She looked like she
were just asleep. She was still white as snow, red as blood, and black as
ebony. One day a king’s son was in the forest. He came to the dwarfs’ house to
pass the night. He soon saw the glass case on the rock, and the beautiful girl
lying in it. He read also the golden words.
When
he had looked at it, he said to the dwarfs, “Let me have this case, and I will
pay what you like for it.”
But
the dwarfs said, “We will not sell it for all the gold in the world.”
“Then
give it to me,” said the prince, “for I cannot live without Snow-White. I will
care for her as long as I live.”
When
the dwarfs saw that he was telling the truth they gave him the case. The prince
had it carried away by his servants. Soon they tripped over a rut. The bump
made the piece of apple in Snow-White’s mouth fall out. Then she opened her
eyes, and, raising the lid of the glass case, she rose up and asked, “Where am
I?”
Full
of joy, the prince answered, “You are safe with me.” And he told to her what
had happened, and how he would rather have her than any other for his wife. He
asked her to go with him to his castle. Snow-White agreed. When they got there
they were married.
Snow-White’s
stepmother was invited to the wedding. She dressed in all her finery to go. But
first she stepped in front of her mirror and asked:
“Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who
is the fairest of us all?”
And
it said:
“The
queen was fairest yesterday;
The
prince’s bride is now, they say.”
At
these words the queen was in a fury. She didn’t want to go to the wedding, but
she wanted to see the princess. So she went. As soon as she saw the bride she
knew it was Snow-White. She was so angry that she rushed out of the castle and
was never heard of again.
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