Snow-White

Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the snowflakes were falling from the sky like feathers, a queen sat sewing at a window with a frame of black ebony. And as she sewed and looked up at the snow, she pricked her finger with the needle, and three drops of blood fell upon the snow. The red looked so lovely against the white that she thought to herself, "If only I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this window-frame."

Soon after, she had a little daughter who was as white as snow, as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony; and so she was named Snow-White. And when the child was born, the queen died.

After a year had passed, the king took another wife. She was a beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not bear that anyone should surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful mirror, and when she stood before it and looked at herself, she would say:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And the mirror would answer:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest of all."

Then she was satisfied, for she knew the mirror spoke the truth.

But Snow-White grew, and grew more and more beautiful, and by the time she was seven years old she was as lovely as the bright day, and lovelier than the queen herself. And once, when the queen asked her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

it answered:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest here, but Snow-White is a thousand times fairer, I fear."

Then the queen was shocked, and turned yellow and green with envy. From that hour on, whenever she looked at Snow-White, her heart turned over in her breast, so much did she hate the girl. And envy and pride grew like weeds in her heart, higher and higher, until she had no peace by day or night. So she called a huntsman and said, "Take the child out into the forest; I will not have her in my sight any longer. Kill her, and bring me back her lungs and liver as proof."

The huntsman obeyed and led her away, but when he had drawn his knife and was about to pierce Snow-White's innocent heart, she began to weep and said, "Ah, dear huntsman, let me live! I will run away into the wild forest and never come home again."

And because she was so beautiful, the huntsman took pity on her and said, "Run away, then, you poor child." "The wild beasts will soon devour you," he thought, and yet it seemed as if a stone had rolled from his heart, since he no longer had to kill her. And just then a young boar came bounding by, so he stabbed it, cut out its lungs and liver, and brought them to the queen as proof. The cook had to salt and cook them, and the wicked woman ate them, believing she had eaten Snow-White's lungs and liver.

But now the poor child was all alone in the great forest, and so frightened that she stared at every leaf on every tree and did not know what to do. So she began to run, over sharp stones and through thorns, and the wild beasts sprang past her but did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet would carry her, until it was almost evening. Then she saw a little cottage and went inside to rest.

Everything in the cottage was small, but neater and cleaner than words can tell. There stood a little table with a white cloth and seven little plates, and beside each plate a little spoon; and there were seven little knives and forks and seven little cups. Against the wall stood seven little beds side by side, all covered with snow-white sheets.

Snow-White was so hungry and thirsty that she ate a little of the vegetables and bread from each plate, and drank a drop of wine from each cup, for she did not want to take all of anything from just one. Then, because she was so tired, she lay down in one of the little beds, but none of them fit; one was too long, another too short, until at last the seventh one was just right. So she stayed there, said her prayers, and fell asleep.

When it was quite dark, the masters of the cottage came home. They were seven dwarfs, who dug and hacked for ore in the mountains. They lit their seven little candles, and when the cottage grew bright they saw that someone had been there, for things were not just as they had left them.

The first said, "Who has been sitting on my little chair?"

The second, "Who has been eating from my little plate?"

The third, "Who has been taking some of my little loaf?"

The fourth, "Who has been eating my little vegetables?"

The fifth, "Who has been using my little fork?"

The sixth, "Who has been cutting with my little knife?"

The seventh, "Who has been drinking from my little cup?"

Then the first looked around and saw a little dent in his bed, and he said, "Who has been getting into my bed?" And the others came running and each cried out, "Someone has been lying in mine too." But when the seventh looked at his bed, he saw Snow-White lying there fast asleep. He called the others, who came running and cried out in wonder, and they fetched their seven little candles and let the light fall on Snow-White. "Oh, goodness! Oh, goodness!" they cried. "What a beautiful child!" And they were so glad that they did not wake her, but let her go on sleeping in the little bed. The seventh dwarf slept with his companions, an hour with each, and so the night passed.

When morning came, Snow-White woke, and she was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. But they were friendly, and asked, "What is your name?" "My name is Snow-White," she answered. "How did you come to our house?" asked the dwarfs. Then she told them how her stepmother had wanted her killed, but the huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day long until at last she found their little house. The dwarfs said, "If you will keep house for us — cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit — and keep everything neat and clean, then you may stay with us, and you shall want for nothing." "Yes," said Snow-White, "with all my heart," and she stayed with them.

She kept the house in order for them. In the mornings they went off to the mountains to look for copper and gold, and in the evenings they came back, and their supper had to be ready. All day long the girl was alone, so the good little dwarfs warned her: "Beware of your stepmother. She will soon know that you are here. Let no one in."

Now the queen, believing she had eaten Snow-White's lungs and liver, was certain that she was once again the first and most beautiful of all. She stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And the mirror answered:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest here, but over the hills where the seven dwarfs dwell, Snow-White is living, alive and well — a thousand times fairer than you, I fear."

Then she was aghast, for she knew the mirror never lied, and she saw that the huntsman had deceived her and that Snow-White was still alive. And she thought and thought again how she might kill her, for as long as she was not the fairest in all the land, envy gave her no rest.

At last she thought of something. She painted her face and dressed herself like an old peddler-woman, so that no one could have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked at the door, and called, "Fine wares for sale! For sale!" Snow-White looked out of the window and called, "Good day, dear woman, what do you have to sell?" "Good wares, pretty wares," she answered. "Laces of every color," and she pulled out one that was woven of bright silk. "I can let the honest woman in," thought Snow-White, and she unbolted the door and bought the pretty lace. "Child," said the old woman, "what a sight you are! Come, let me lace you up properly for once." Snow-White had no suspicion, but stood before her and let herself be laced with the new lace. But the old woman laced so quickly and so tightly that Snow-White lost her breath and fell down as if dead. "Now you were the fairest," said the queen, and hurried away.

Not long afterward, in the evening, the seven dwarfs came home, and how frightened they were to see their dear Snow-White lying on the ground, not stirring or moving, as if she were dead. They lifted her up, and seeing that she was laced too tightly, they cut the lace in two. Then she began to breathe a little, and bit by bit she came back to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, "That old peddler-woman was no one but the wicked queen. Take care, and let no one in when we are not with you."

But when the wicked woman got home, she went before her mirror and asked:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And it answered as before:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest here, but over the hills where the seven dwarfs dwell, Snow-White is living, alive and well — a thousand times fairer than you, I fear."

When she heard that, all her blood rushed to her heart with fright, for she saw plainly that Snow-White was alive again. "This time," she said, "I will think of something that will finish you." And with the witchcraft she knew, she made a poisoned comb. Then she disguised herself and took the shape of another old woman. So she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good wares for sale! For sale!" Snow-White looked out and said, "Go away; I cannot let anyone in." "Surely you may at least look," said the old woman, and pulled out the poisoned comb and held it up. It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be fooled and opened the door. When they had struck their bargain, the old woman said, "Now I will comb your hair properly for once." Poor Snow-White suspected nothing and let the old woman do as she pleased, but scarcely had the comb touched her hair than the poison took effect, and the girl fell down senseless. "You marvel of beauty," said the wicked woman, "now you are done for," and away she went.

But by good fortune it was almost evening, when the seven little dwarfs came home. When they saw Snow-White lying as if dead upon the ground, they suspected the stepmother at once. They searched and found the poisoned comb, and no sooner had they pulled it out than Snow-White came to herself and told them what had happened. Then they warned her once more to be on her guard and to open the door to no one.

At home, the queen stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And it answered as before:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest here, but over the hills where the seven dwarfs dwell, Snow-White is living, alive and well — a thousand times fairer than you, I fear."

When she heard the mirror speak so, she trembled and shook with rage. "Snow-White shall die," she cried, "even if it costs me my own life!" Then she went into a hidden, lonely room where no one ever came, and there she made a poisoned apple. On the outside it looked lovely, white with a red cheek, so that anyone who saw it longed for it; but whoever ate a bite of it would surely die.

When the apple was ready, she painted her face and dressed herself as a peasant woman, and so she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow-White put her head out of the window and said, "I cannot let anyone in; the seven dwarfs have forbidden it." "That is all the same to me," answered the peasant woman. "I shall get rid of my apples soon enough. Here, I will give you one." "No," said Snow-White, "I dare not take anything." "Are you afraid of poison?" said the old woman. "Look, I will cut the apple in two. You eat the red cheek, and I will eat the white." But the apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek held the poison. Snow-White longed for the beautiful apple, and when she saw the peasant woman eat part of it, she could resist no longer, and she reached out her hand and took the poisoned half. But hardly had she a bite of it in her mouth than she fell down dead. Then the queen looked at her with a dreadful stare, laughed aloud, and said, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time the dwarfs cannot wake you again."

And when she asked her mirror at home:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

it answered at last:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest of all."

Then her envious heart had rest, so far as an envious heart can ever have rest.

When the dwarfs came home in the evening, they found Snow-White lying on the ground, and no breath came from her mouth, and she was dead. They lifted her up, searched for anything poisonous, unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but nothing helped; the dear child was dead, and stayed dead. They laid her upon a bier, and all seven of them sat around it and wept for her, and they wept for three whole days.

Then they meant to bury her, but she still looked as fresh as a living person, and still had her pretty red cheeks. They said, "We cannot lower her into the dark earth," and they had a coffin of clear glass made, so that she could be seen from every side. They laid her in it and wrote her name upon it in golden letters, and that she was a king's daughter. Then they set the coffin out upon the mountain, and one of them always stayed beside it to keep watch. And the animals came too, and wept for Snow-White — first an owl, then a raven, and last of all a little dove.

Now Snow-White lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she did not decay, but looked as if she were only sleeping, for she was still as white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair as black as ebony.

Then it happened that a king's son wandered into the forest and came to the dwarfs' house to spend the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain, and the beautiful Snow-White within it, and read what was written upon it in golden letters. And he said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin; I will give you whatever you ask for it." But the dwarfs answered, "We will not part with it for all the gold in the world." Then he said, "Then give it to me as a gift, for I cannot live without seeing Snow-White. I will honor and cherish her as my dearest treasure." As he spoke so, the good little dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin.

The king's son had his servants carry it away on their shoulders. And it happened that they stumbled over a bush, and with the jolt the piece of poisoned apple that Snow-White had bitten off came out of her throat. Before long she opened her eyes, lifted the lid of the coffin, sat up, and was alive once more. "Oh, heavens, where am I?" she cried. The king's son said, full of joy, "You are with me," and he told her all that had happened, and said, "I love you more than anything in all the world. Come with me to my father's palace, and you shall be my wife." Snow-White found that she loved him, and she went with him, and their wedding was arranged with great splendor and rejoicing.

But Snow-White's wicked stepmother was also invited to the feast. When she had dressed herself in her fine clothes, she stepped before the mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

The mirror answered:

"You, my Queen, are the fairest here, but the young Queen is a thousand times fairer, I fear."

Then the wicked woman let out a curse, and grew so frightened, so utterly frightened, that she did not know what to do. At first she would not go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace; she had to go and see the young queen. And when she came in, she recognized Snow-White, and she stood there stiff with fear and dread and could not move. But iron slippers had already been heated over glowing coals, and they were brought in with tongs and set before her. Then she was forced to step into the red-hot shoes and dance until she fell down dead.