SnowWhite Alongtimeago,andfarawaytherelivedaKingandaQueen.Theywereveryhappy,exceptforonething--theybothlongedforachild. TheQueensatsewingbyherwindowonewinter'sdaywhenshesuddenlyprickedherfinger.Adropofbloodfellonthesnowbythewindow. "Oh,IwishIhadadaughterwithskinaswhiteassnow,hairasblackasebonyandred,redlips,"shesighed. HappilytheQueen'swishcametrue.Intheautumnthatyearababygirlwasborn.Sadly,theQueendiedsoonafter. ThelittlePrincesswascalledSnowWhiteandshegrewtobealovelygirl. AftermanyyearstheKingmarriedagain.Hisnewwifewasbeautifulandproud.Shelikedtousemagicandhadamagicmirror.Shewouldsay: "Mirror,mirroronthewall,whoisthefairestofthemall?" Andthemirrorwouldanswer: "You,Queen,arethefairestintheland." TheQueenwasveryproud. OnedaytheQueenspoketothemirrorasusual,butthistimetheanswerwasdifferent. "You,Queen,arefair,butthefairestofallisSnowWhite." TheQueenwasveryangrytohearthis.SheplottedandschemedanddecidedtokillSnowWhite. "Huntsman,"shesaid,oneday."IwantyoutotakeSnowWhiteintotheforestandkillher.Bringbackherhearttoprovesheisdead." "YourMajesty,"saidthehuntsman,bowing.Hewashorrified.Hedidn'twanttokillthePrincess. "Come,"hesaidtoSnowWhite."Wearegoingintotheforest."HetookSnowWhitedeeperanddeeperintotheforest,thenhespoketoher. "Bewareofyoustepmother,"hesaid."Shewantsyoukilled.Thoseweremyorders.ButIcan'tkillyou.Godeeperintotheforestandonedayyouwillbeabletoreturn.Butbecareful.Shemayfindoutthatyou'realive." Thehuntsmanthenkilledasmalldeerandtookitsheartbacktothequeen.TheQueenwasveryhappy.Shewasnowthefairestintheland. Meanwhile,SnowWhiterandeeperanddeeperintotheforest.Finally,whenitwasgrowingdarkshecametoasmallcottage. Sheknockedbuttherewasnoanswer. "Iwonderwholiveshere,"shesaid.Shepushedthedooropen. Whatasightmethereyes!Thelittlehousewasveryuntidy,platesandcupswerewaitingtobewashedupandthetablewasstilllaidforbreakfast. "Whatamess,"saidSnowWhite,andshebustledaroundandcleanedthehousefromtoptobottom.Shewasverysurprisedtofindthattherewassevenofeverything:sevencups,sevenplates,sevenknives,sevenforksandsevenbedsandchairs. ThenSnowWhitehadsomebreadandcheese.Shewasverytired,soshewentupstairstothenewlycleanedbedroom,andfellasleepononeofthebeds. Lateron,whentheownersofthecottagereturned,theycouldn'tbelievetheireyes!Theirlittlehomewasspotless. "Whocanhavedonethis?"theyasked. Theylookedaround.Dinnerwascookingintheovenandthetablewaslaid. "It'sagirl,"calledone,fromthetopofthestairs."She'sasleepinourroom." SnowWhitewokeuptofindsevenlittlemenstandingbythebed.Theyweresevendwarfsandtheyworkedinamineinthenearbyhills. "Don'tbescared,"theytoldher."Howdidyoufindthisplace?We'realongwayintotheforest." SnowWhitetoldherstory.Thedwarfswerehorrified. "Youmuststayhere,"theysaid."You'llbesafehere." "Thankyou,"saidSnowWhite. SnowWhitewasveryhappyintheforest,andthedwarfsweredelightedtolookafterher.Formanydaysonlysixdwarfswenttowork,becauseonewouldstaybehindwithSnowWhite,butafterawhileSnowWhiteconvincedthemthatshewouldbeallright. "Promiseusthatyouwillkeepthedoorlocked,"saidthedwarfs."TheQueenmayfindoutthatyou'rewithusandtrytoharmyou." "Thedoorwillstayshutallthetime,"saidSnowWhite."Iwon'topenittoanyone." Thedwarfswerehappywiththisandtheyallwentofftotheirworkinthemine. Meanwhile,theQueen,SnowWhite'sstepmother,washappyintheknowledgethatshewasthefairestintheland,butonedayshethoughtshe'djustmakesure. "Mirror,mirroronthewall,whoisthefairestofthemall?"sheasked. "You,Queen,arefair,butSnowWhiteisthefairestofall."ThemirrorshowedapictureofSnowWhitedeepintheforest,withthesevendwarfs. TheQueenwasfurious.Thehuntsmanhadliedtoher. "I'llfindhermyself,"mutteredtheQueen.Sheusedalittlemagictomakeherselflookveryold.Thenshedressedherselfinpeasantclothesandmadeherwaytotheforest. Whenshewasthere,shewaitedforthesevendwarfstogoofftothemine.SnowWhitestayedinsidethehouseasshe'dpromisedthedwarfs. "Combsforsale!Combsandribbonsforsale!"calledanoldpeasantwoman. "Oh,howlovely,"saidSnowWhite."PleasemayIseeyourcombs." "Comeoutintothelovelysunshine,"saidthepeasantwoman. "Ican't,Ipromisedthedwarfs,"saidSnowWhite."CanIlookatthemoverthewindowsill?" "Ofcourse,"saidthewoman."Here'saprettyone.Itwillsuityourlovelydarkhair." "Ihavenomirror,"saidSnowWhite."Canyouputitinforme?" "Ofcourse,"saidthewoman."Turnaround." SnowWhiteturnedandthewickedQueenpushedthecombhardintoSnowWhite'shair.ItwaspoisonedandSnowWhitefelltothefloor. "NomoreprettySnowWhite,"saidtheQueen,changingbacktohernormalself."Goodbyemydear." ThedwarfsreturnedhomeearlythatnighttofindSnowWhiteonthefloor,lookingquitedead.Theyrushedtoherpullingherupright. "Weshouldneverhavelefther,"saidone. "ItmusthavebeenthewickedQueen,"saidanother. "Look!"onesuddenlysaid."She'swakingup."Thecombhadbeendislodgedandthepoisonnolongerworked. SnowWhitewokeuptofindherselfsurroundedbythedwarfs. "Youmustbeverycareful,"theytoldher."ThisistheworkofthewickedQueen." TheQueenhadarrivedbackatthepalaceandwentatonetothemirror. Shewasveryangrywiththeanswerthemirrorgaveher.HowcouldSnowWhitestillbealive? "Thistimeshewilldie,"saidthewickedQueen.Shespentmanydayspreparingthepoisonshewoulduse. SnowWhitewasfeelingmuchbetterandpromisedshewouldnottalktoanyone.Severalweekspassedandeveryonefeltsafe. Thedwarfswenttowork,andintotheforestwalkedanoldwomancollectingsticks. "She'ssellingnothing,"saidSnowWhite,"butIwillstillbecareful." AknockatthedoortookSnowWhitetothewindow. "MayIhaveadrink?"askedtheoldwoman. "There'snoharminthat,"saidSnowWhite."Waitthere."Shehandedaglassofwatertothewoman. "Wouldyoulikeanapple?"askedtheoldwoman. "Nothankyou,"saidSnowWhite. "They'relovelyandripe,"saidthewoman."Trysomeofmine."Shecutapiecefromtheappleshewaseating. 'Itmustbesafe,'thoughtSnowWhite.'She'seatingtheappletoo.' TheQueenhadverycleverlypoisonedjustonehalfoftheapple--thehalfshecutofforSnowWhite. SnowWhitetookonebiteandfell,asifdead,ontothefloor. TheoldwomanturnedbackintothewickedQueen. "Thistimeyourfriendswon'tbeabletohelpyou,"laughedtheQueen."Good-bye!" ThesevendwarfsreturnedfromtheminetofindSnowWhitelyingonthefloor.Thistimetheycouldn'treviveher.SnowWhitewasdead. Theywereverysadandtheycouldn'tbearthethoughtofburyingherintheground,sotheymadeaglasscoffinandfilleditwithsweet-smellingflowers. Theyputitinasunnygladeintheforest,keepingguardoveritdayafterday.SnowWhiteseemedtobesleepingratherthandead. TheQueenhadspokentohermirrorandwasonceagainthefairestintheland. OnedayayoungPrincerodethroughtheforest.HereachedthegladeandsawSnowWhiteinherglasscoffin. "She'sbeautiful,"hesaidandhecouldthinkofnothingelsebutSnowWhite. "Sheissobeautiful,"hesaidtothedwarfs."MayItakeherwithme.IpromiseIwillalwayslookafterher." ThedwarfscouldseethatthePrincemeantit,andagreed.JustastheservantswereliftingtheglasscoffinoneofthemtrippedandjoltedSnowWhite.Itwasenoughtomakethepieceofapplefalloutofhermouth.Withinmomentsshewaswakingup. ThePrinceandthesevendwarfsweredelighted. "Willyoumarryme?"askedthePrince.Theypreparedtoreturntohiskingdom. Meanwhile,thewickedQueenwaslookinginhermirror. "You,Queen,arefair,butSnowWhitewithherPrinceisthefairestofall." ThemirrorshowedtheQueenapictureofthePrincewithSnowWhite. ThistimetheQueenwassoangrythatthemagicinsideherboiledupandkilledher.SnowWhitewouldneverhavetoworryaboutheragain.