Once upon a time in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow
were falling like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window
sewing, and the frame of the window was made of black ebony. And
whilst she was sewing and looking out of the window at the snow,
she pricked her finger with the needle, and three drops of blood
fell upon the snow. And the red looked pretty upon the white snow,
and she thought to herself, would that I had a child as white as
snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the
window-frame.
Soon after that she had a little daughter, who was as white as
snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony, and
she was therefore called little Snow White. And when the child was
born, the queen died.
After a year had passed the king took to himself another wife. She
was a beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not
bear that anyone else chould surpass her in beauty. She had a
wonderful looking-glass, and when she stood in front of it and
looked at herself in it, and said,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
The looking-glass answered,
"Thou, o queen, art the fairest of all."
Then she was satisfied, for she knew that the looking-glass spoke
the truth.
But Snow White was growing up, and grew more and more beautiful,
and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as the day,
and more beautiful than the queen herself. And once when the queen
asked her looking-glass,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
It answered,
"Thou art fairer than all who are here, lady queen.
But more beautiful still is Snow White, as I ween."
Then the queen was shocked, and turned yellow and green with envy.
From that hour, whenever she looked at Snow White, her heart
heaved in her breast, she hated the girl so much. And envy and
pride grew higher and higher in her heart like a weed, so that she
had no peace day or night.
She called a huntsman, and said, "Take the child away into the
forest. I will no longer have her in my sight. Kill her, and bring
me back her lung and liver as a token."
The huntsman obeyed, and took 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, leave me my life. I
will run away into the wild forest, and never come home again."
And as she was so beautiful the huntsman had pity on her and said,
"Run away, then, you poor child."
"The wild beasts will soon have devoured you," thought he, and yet
it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart since it
was no longer needful for him to kill her.
And as a young bear just then came running by he stabbed it, and
cut out its lung and liver and took them to the queen as proof
that the child was dead. The cook had to salt them, and the wicked
queen ate them, and thought she had eaten the lung and liver of
Snow White.
But now the poor child was all alone in the great forest, and so
terrified that she looked at all the leaves on the trees, and did
not know what to do. Then she began to run, and ran over sharp
stones and through thorns, and the wild beasts ran past her, but
did her no harm.
She ran as long as her feet would go until it was almost evening,
then she saw a little cottage and went into it to rest herself.
Everything in the cottage was small, but neater and cleaner than
can be told. There was a table on which was a white cover, and
seven little plates, and on each plate a little spoon, moreover,
there were seven little knives and forks, and seven little mugs.
Against the wall stood seven little beds side by side, and covered
with snow-white counterpanes.
Little Snow White was so hungry and thirsty that she ate some
vegetables and bread from each plate and drank a drop of wine out
of each mug, for she did not wish to take all from one only. Then,
as she was so tired, she laid herself down on one of the little
beds, but none of them suited her, one was too long, another too
short, but at last she found that the seventh one was right, and
so she remained in it, said a prayer and went to sleep.
When it was quite dark the owners of the cottage came back. They
were seven dwarfs who dug and delved in the mountains for ore.
They lit their seven candles, and as it was now light within the
cottage they saw that someone had been there, for everything was
not in the same order in which they had left it.
The first said, "Who has been sitting on my chair?"
The second, "Who has been eating off my plate?"
The third, "Who has been taking some of my bread?"
The fourth, "Who has been eating my vegetables?"
The fifth, "Who has been using my fork?"
The sixth, "Who has been cutting with my knife?"
The seventh, "Who has been drinking out of my mug?"
Then the first looked round and saw that there was a little hollow
on his bed, and he said, "Who has been getting into my bed?"
The others came up and each called out, "Somebody has been lying
in my bed too."
But the seventh when he looked at his bed saw little Snow White,
who was lying asleep therein. And he called the others, who came
running up, and they cried out with astonishment, and brought
their seven little candles and let the light fall on little Snow
White.
"Oh, heavens, oh, heavens," cried they, "what a lovely child."
And they were so glad that they did not wake her up, but let her
sleep on in the bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with his
companions, one hour with each, and so passed the night.
When it was morning little Snow White awoke, and was frightened
when she saw the seven dwarfs.
But they were friendly and asked her what her name was.
"My name is Snow White," she answered.
"How have you come to our house, said the dwarfs.
Then she told them that her step-mother had wished to have her
killed, but that the huntsman had spared her life, and that she
had run for the whole day, until at last she had found their
dwelling.
The dwarfs said, "If you will take care of our house, cook, make
the beds, wash, sew and knit, and if you will keep everything neat
and clean you can 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 to
the mountains and looked for copper and gold, in the evenings they
came back, and then their supper had to be ready.
The girl was alone the whole day, so the good dwarfs warned her
and said, "Beware of your step-mother, she will soon know that you
are here, be sure to let no one come in."
But the queen, believing that she had eaten Snow White's lung and
liver, could not but think that she was again the first and most
beautiful of all, and she went to her looking-glass and said,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
And the glass answered,
"Oh, queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well,
And none is so fair as she."
Then she was astounded, for she knew that the looking-glass never
spoke falsely, and she knew that the huntsman had betrayed her,
and that little Snow White was still alive.
And so she thought and thought again how she might kill her, for
so long as she was not the fairest in the whole land, envy let her
have no rest. And when she had at last thought of something to do,
she painted her face, and dressed herself like an old
pedlar-woman, and no one could have known her.
In this disguise she went over the seven mountains to the seven
dwarfs, and knocked at the door and cried, "Pretty things to sell,
very cheap, very cheap."
Little Snow White looked out of the window and called out,
"Good-day my good woman, what have you to sell?"
" Good things, pretty things," she answered, "stay-laces of all
colors," and she pulled out one which was woven of bright-colored
silk.
"I may let the worthy old woman in," thought Snow White, and she
unbolted the door and bought the pretty laces.
"Child," said the old woman, "what a fright you look, come, I will
lace you properly for once."
Snow White had no suspicion, but stood before her, and let herself
be laced with the new laces. But the old woman laced so quickly
and so tightly that Snow White lost her breath and fell down as if
dead.
"You were the most beautiful," said the queen to herself, and ran
away.
Not long afterwards, in the evening, the seven dwarfs came home,
but how shocked they were when they saw their dear little Snow
White lying on the ground, and that she neither stirred nor moved,
and seemed to be dead. They lifted her up, and, as they saw that
she was laced too tightly, they cut the laces, then she began to
breathe a little, and after a while came to life again.
When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said, "The old
pedlar-woman was no one else than the wicked queen, take care and
let no one come in when we are not with you."
But the wicked woman when she had reached home went in front of
the glass and asked,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
And it answered as before,
"Oh, queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well,
And none is so fair as she."
When she heard that, all her blood rushed to her heart with fear,
for she saw plainly that little Snow White was again alive.
"But now," she said, "I will think of something that shall really
put an end to you." And by the help of witchcraft, which she
understood, she made a poisonous 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 things to sell, cheap, cheap."
Little Snow White looked out and said, "Go away, I cannot let
anyone come in."
"I suppose you can look," said the old woman, and pulled the
poisonous comb out and held it up.
It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be beguiled, and
opened the door. When they had made a bargain the old woman said,
"Now I will comb you properly for once."
Poor little Snow White had no suspicion, and let the old woman do
as she pleased, but hardly had she put the comb in her hair than
the poison in it took effect, and the girl fell down senseless.
"You paragon of beauty," said the wicked woman, "you are done for
now, and she went away."
But fortunately it was almost evening, when the seven dwarfs came
home. When they saw Snow White lying as if dead upon the ground
they at once suspected the step-mother, and they looked and found
the poisoned comb. Scarcely had they taken it out when Snow White
came to herself, and told them what had happened. Then they warned
her once more to be upon her guard and to open the door to no one.
The queen, at home, went in front of the glass and said,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
Then it answered as before,
"Oh, queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well,
And none is so fair as she."
When she heard the glass speak thus she trembled and shook with
rage.
"Snow White shall die," she cried, "even if it costs me my life."
Thereupon she went into a quite secret, lonely room, where no one
ever came, and there she made a very poisonous apple. Outside it
looked pretty, white with a red cheek, so that everyone who saw it
longed for it, but whoever ate a piece of it must surely die.
When the apple was ready she painted her face, and dressed herself
up as a farmer's wife, 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 me."
"It is all the same to me," answered the woman, "I shall soon get
rid of my apples. There, 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 pieces, you eat the red cheek, and I will eat the
white."
The apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was
poisoned. Snow White longed for the fine apple, and when she saw
that the woman ate part of it she could resist no longer, and
stretched out her hand and took the poisonous half. But hardly had
she a bit of it in her mouth than she fell down dead.
Then the queen looked at her with a dreadful look, and laughed
aloud and said, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony-wood,
this time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again."
And when she asked of the looking-glass at home,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
And it answered at last,
"Oh, queen, in this land thou art fairest of all."
Then her envious heart had rest, so far as an envious heart can
have rest.
The dwarfs, when they came home in the evening, found Snow White
lying upon the ground, she breathed no longer and was dead. They
lifted her up, looked to see whether they could find anything
poisonous, unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and
wine, but it was all of no use, the poor child was dead, and
remained dead. They laid her upon a bier, and all seven of them
sat round it and wept for her, and wept three days long. Then they
were going to bury her, but she still looked as if she were
living, and still had her pretty red cheeks.
They said, "We could not bury her in the dark ground," and they
had a transparent coffin of glass made, so that she could be seen
from all sides, and they laid her in it, and wrote her name upon
it in golden letters, and that she was a king's daughter. Then
they put the coffin out upon the mountain, and one of them always
stayed by it and watched it. And birds came too, and wept for Snow
White, first an owl, then a raven, and last a dove.
And now Snow White lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she
did not change, but looked as if she were asleep, for she was as
white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair was as black as
ebony.
It happened, however, that a king's son came into the forest, and
went 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.
Then he said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin, I will give
you whatever you want for it."
But the dwarfs answered, "We will not part with it for all the
gold in the world."
Then he said, "Let me have it as a gift, for I cannot live without
seeing Snow White. I will honor and prize her as my dearest
possession."
As he spoke in this way the good dwarfs took pity upon him, and
gave him the coffin. And now the king's son had it carried away by
his servants on their shoulders. And it happened that they
stumbled over a tree-stump, and with the shock the poisonous piece
of apple which Snow White had bitten off came out of her throat.
And before long she opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the
coffin, sat up, and was once more alive.
"Oh, heavens, where am I?" she cried.
The king's son, full of joy, said, "You are with me." And he told
her what had happened, and said, "I love you more than everything
in the world, come with me to my father's palace, you shall be my
wife."
And Snow White was willing, and went with him, and their wedding
was held with great show and splendor. But Snow White's wicked
step-mother was also bidden to the feast. When she had arrayed
herself in beautiful clothes she went before the looking-glass,
and said,
"Looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
The glass answered,
"Oh, queen, of all here the fairest art thou,
But the young queen is fairer by far as I trow."
Then the wicked woman uttered a curse, and was so wretched, so
utterly wretched that she knew not what to do. At first she would
not go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace, and had to go
to see the young queen. And when she went in she recognized Snow
White, and she stood still with rage and fear, and could not stir.
But iron slippers had already been put upon the fire, and they
were brought in with tongs, and set before her. Then she was
forced to put on the red-hot shoes, and dance until she dropped
down dead.
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