One day in
the middle of
winter, when the snowflakes fell from the sky like feathers, a queen
sat
at a window netting. Her netting-needle was of black ebony, and as she
worked, and the snow glittered, she pricked her finger, and three drops
of blood fell into the snow. The red spots looked so beautiful in the
white
snow that the queen thought to herself: "Oh, if I only had a little
child,
I should like it to be as fair as snow, as rosy as the red blood, and
with
hair and eyes as black as ebony."
Very soon
after this the
queen had a little daughter who was very fair, had rosy cheeks, and
hair
as black as ebony; and they gave her the name of Snow-white. But at the
birth of the little child the queen died.
When
Snow-white was a year
old, the king took another wife. She was very handsome, but so proud
and
vain that she could not endure that anyone should surpass her in
beauty.
She possessed a wonderful mirror, and when she stood before it to look
at herself she would say:
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Am I most
beautiful of all?"
Then the
mirror would reply:
"Young
queen, thou are so
wondrous fair,
None can with
thee at all
compare."
Then she
would go away quite
contented, for she knew the magic mirror could speak only the truth.
Years went
by, and as Snow-white
grew up, she became day after day more beautiful, till she reached the
age of seven years, and then people began to talk about her, and say
that
she would be more lovely even than the queen herself. So the proud
woman
went to her magic looking-glass, and asked:
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Am I most
beautiful of all?"
But the
mirror answered:
"Queen,
thou are lovely still
to see,
But Snow-white
will be
A thousand
times more beautiful
than thee."
Then the
queen was terrified,
and turned green and yellow with jealousy. If she had caught sight of
Snow-white
at that moment, she would have been ready to tear her heart out of her
body, she hated the maiden so fiercely.
And this
jealousy and envy
grew every day stronger and stronger in her heart, like a disease, till
she had no rest day or night.
At last she
sent for a hunter,
who lived near a forest, and said to him, "Hunter, I want to get rid of
that child. Take her out into the wood, and if you bring me some proofs
that she is dead, I will reward you handsomely. Never let her appear
before
my eyes again."
So the
hunter enticed the
child into the wood; but when he took out his hunting-knife to thrust
into
Snow-white's innocent heart, she fell on her knees and wept, and said,
"Ah, dear hunter, leave me my life; I will run away into the wild wood,
and never, never come home any more."
She looked
so innocent and
beautiful as she knelt, that the hunter's heart was moved with
compassion:
"Run away, then, thou poor child," he cried; "I cannot harm thee."
Snow-white
thanked him so
sweetly, and was out of sight in a few moments.
"She will
be devoured by
wild beasts," he said to himself. But the thought that he had not
killed
her was as if a stone-weight had been lifted from his heart.
To satisfy
the queen, he
took part of the inside of a young fawn, which the wicked woman thought
was poor little Snow-white, and was overjoyed to think she was dead.
But the
poor little motherless
child, when she found herself alone in the wood, and saw nothing but
trees
and leaves, was dreadfully frightened, and knew not what to do. At last
she began to run over the sharp stones and through the thorns, and
though
the wild beasts sprang out before her, they did her no harm. She ran on
as long as she could till her little feet became quite sore; and
towards
evening she saw, to her great joy, a pretty little house. So she went
up
to it, and found the door open and no one at home.
It was a
tiny little house,
but everything in it was so clean and neat and elegant that it is
beyond
description. In the middle of the room stood a small table, covered
with
a snow-white table-cloth, ready for supper. On it were arranged seven
little
plates, seven little spoons, seven little knives and forks, and seven
mugs.
By the wall stood seven little beds, near each other, covered with
white
quilts.
Poor
Snow-white, who was
hungry and thirsty, ate a few vegetables and a little bread from each
plate,
and drank a little drop of wine from each cup, for she did not like to
take all she wanted from one alone. After this, feeling very tired, she
thought she would lie down and rest on one of the beds, but she found
it
difficult to choose one to suit her. One was too long, another too
short;
so she tried them all till she came to the seventh, and that was so
comfortable
that she laid herself down, and was soon fast asleep.
When it was
quite dark the
masters of the house came home. They were seven little dwarfs, who dug
and searched in the mountains for minerals. First they lighted seven
little
lamps, and as soon as the room was full of light they saw that some one
had been there, for everything did not stand in the order in which they
had left it.
Then said
the first, "Who
has been sitting in my little chair?"
The second
exclaimed, "Who
has been eating from my little plate?"
The third
cried, "Some one
has taken part of my bread."
"Who has
been eating my vegetables?"
said the fourth.
Then said
the fifth, "Some
one has used my fork."
The sixth
cried, "And who
has been cutting with my knife?"
"And some
one has been drinking
out of my cup," said the seventh.
Then the
eldest looked at
his bed, and, seeing that it looked tumbled, cried out that some one
had
been upon it. The others came running forward, and found all their beds
in the same condition. But when the seventh approached his bed, and saw
Snow-white lying there fast asleep, he called the others, who came
quickly,
and holding their lights over their heads, cried out in wonder as they
beheld the sleeping child. "Oh, what a beautiful little child!" they
said
to each other, and were so delighted that they would not awaken her,
but
left her to sleep as long as she liked in the little bed, while its
owner
slept with one of his companions, and so the night passed away.
In the
morning, when Snow-white
awoke, and saw all the dwarfs, she was terribly frightened. But they
spoke
kindly to her, till she lost all fear, and they asked her name.
"I am
called Snow-white,"
she replied.
"But how
came you to our
house?" asked one.
Then she
related to them
all that had happened; how her stepmother had sent her into the wood
with
the hunter, who had spared her life, and that, after wandering about
for
a whole day, she had found their house.
The dwarfs
talked a little
while together, and then one said, "Do you think you could be our
little
housekeeper, to make the beds, cook the dinner, and wash and sew and
knit
for us, and keep everything neat and clean and orderly? If you can,
then
you shall stay here with us, and nobody shall hurt you."
"Oh yes, I
will try," said
Snow-white. So they let her stay, and she was a clever little thing.
She
managed very well, and kept the house quite clean and in order. And
while
they were gone to the mountains to find gold, she got their supper
ready,
and they were very happy together.
But every
morning when they
left her, the kind little dwarfs warned Snow-white to be careful. While
the maiden was alone they knew she was in danger, and told her not to
show
herself, for her stepmother would soon find out where she was, and
said,
"Whatever you do, let nobody into the house while we are gone."
After the
wicked queen had
proved, as she thought, that Snow-white was dead, she felt quite
satisfied
there was no one in the world now likely to become so beautiful as
herself,
so she stepped up to her mirror and asked:
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who is most
beautiful of
all?"
To her
vexation the mirror
replied:
"Fair
queen, at home there
is none like thee,
But over the
mountains is
Snow-white free,
With seven
little dwarfs,
who are strange to see;
A thousand
times fairer
than thou is she."
The queen
was furious when
she heard this, for she knew the mirror was truthful, and that the
hunter
must have deceived her, and that Snow-white still lived. So she sat and
pondered over these facts, thinking what would be best to do, for as
long
as she was not the most beautiful woman in the land, her jealousy gave
her no peace. After a time, she decided what to do. First, she painted
her face, and whitened her hair; then she dressed herself in old
woman's
clothes, and was so disguised that no one could have recognised her.
Watching an
opportunity,
she left the castle, and took her way to the wood near the mountains,
where
the seven little dwarfs lived. When she reached the door, she knocked,
and cried, "Beautiful goods to sell; beautiful goods to sell."
Snow-white,
when she heard
it, peeped through the window, and said, "Good-day, old lady. What have
you in your basket for me to buy?"
"Everything
that is pretty,"
she replied; "laces, and pearls, and earrings, and bracelets of every
colour;"
and she held up her basket, which was lined with glittering silk.
"I can let
in this respectable
old woman," thought Snow-white; "she will not harm me." So she unbolted
the door, and told her to come in. Oh, how delighted Snow-white was
with
the pretty things; she bought several trinkets, and a beautiful silk
lace
for her stays, but she did not see the evil eye of the old woman who
was
watching her. Presently she said, "Child, come here; I will show you
how
to lace your stays properly." Snow-white had no suspicion, so she
placed
herself before the old woman that she might lace her stays. But no
sooner
was the lace in the holes than she began to lace so fast and pull so
tight
that Snow-white could not breathe, and presently fell down at her feet
as if dead.
"Now you
are beautiful indeed,"
said the woman, and, fancying she heard footsteps, she rushed away as
quickly
as she could.
Not long
after, the seven
dwarfs came home, and they were terribly frightened to see dear little
Snow-white lying on the ground without motion, as if she were dead.
They
lifted her up, and saw in a moment that her stays had been laced too
tight
Quickly they cut the stay-lace in two, till Snow-white began to breathe
a little, and after a time was restored to life. But when the dwarfs
heard
what had happened, they said: "That old market-woman was no other than
your wicked stepmother. Snow-white, you must never again let anyone in
while we are not with you."
The wicked
queen when she
returned home, after, as she thought, killing Snow-white, went to her
looking-glass
and asked:
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Am I most
beautiful of all?"
Then
answered the mirror:
"Queen,
thou art not the
fairest now;
Snow-white
over the mountain's
brow
A thousand
times fairer
is than thou."
When she
heard this she was
so terrified that the blood rushed to her heart, for she knew that
after
all she had done Snow-white was still alive. "I must think of something
else," she said to herself, "to get rid of that odious child."
Now this
wicked queen had
some knowledge of witchcraft, and she knew how to poison a comb, so
that
whoever used it would fall dead. This the wicked stepmother soon got
ready,
and dressing herself again like an old woman, but quite different from
the last, she started off to travel over the mountains to the dwarfs'
cottage.
When
Snow-white heard the
old cry, "Goods to sell, fine goods to sell," she looked out of the
window
and said:
"Go away,
go away; I must
not let you in."
"Look at
this, then," said
the woman; "you shall have it for your own if you like," and she held
up
before the child's eyes the bright tortoise-shell comb which she had
poisoned.
Poor
Snow-white could not
refuse such a present, so she opened the door and let the woman in,
quite
forgetting the advice of the dwarfs. After she had bought a few things,
the old woman said, "Let me try this comb in your hair; it is so fine
it
will make it beautifully smooth and glossy."
So
Snow-white, thinking no
wrong, stood before the woman to have her hair dressed; but no sooner
had
the comb touched the roots of her hair than the poison took effect, and
the maiden fell to the ground lifeless.
"You
paragon of beauty,"
said the wicked woman, "all has just happened as I expected," and then
she went away quickly.
Fortunately
evening soon
arrived, and the seven dwarfs returned home. When they saw Snow-white
lying
dead on the ground, they knew at once that the stepmother had been
there
again; but on seeing the poisoned comb in her hair they pulled it out
quickly,
and Snow-white very soon came to herself, and related all that had
passed.
Again they
warned her not
to let anyone enter the house during their absence, and on no account
to
open the door; but Snow-white was not clever enough to resist her
clever
wicked stepmother, and she forgot to obey.
The wicked
queen felt sure
now that she had really killed Snow-white; so as soon as she returned
home
she went to her looking-glass, and inquired:
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who is most
beautiful of
all?"
But the
mirror replied:
"Queen,
thou art the fairest
here,
But not when
Snow-white
is near;
Over the
mountains still
is she,
Fairer a
thousand times
than thee."
As the
looking-glass thus
replied, the queen trembled and quaked with rage. "Snow-white shall
die,"
cried she, "if it costs me my own life!"
Then she
went into a lonely
forbidden chamber where no one was allowed to come, and poisoned a
beautiful
apple. Outwardly it looked ripe and tempting, of a pale green with rosy
cheeks, so that it made everyone's mouth water to look at it, but
whoever
ate even a small piece must die.
As soon as
this apple was
ready, the wicked queen painted her face, disguised her hair, dressed
herself
as a farmer's wife, and went again over the mountains to the dwarfs'
cottage.
When she
knocked at the door,
Snow-white stretched her head out of the window, and said, "I dare not
let you in; the seven dwarfs have forbidden me."
"But I am
all right," said
the farmer's wife. "Stay, I will show you my apples. Are they not
beautiful?
let me make you a present of one."
"No, thank
you," cried Snow-white;
"I dare not take it."
"What!"
cried the woman,
"are you afraid it is poisoned? Look here now, I will cut the apple in
halves; you shall have the rosy-cheek side, and I will eat the other."
The apple
was so cleverly
made that the red side alone was poisonous. Snow-white longed so much
for
the beautiful fruit as she saw the farmer's wife eat one half that she
could not any longer resist, but stretched out her hand from the window
and took the poisoned half. But no sooner had she taken one mouthful
than
she fell on the ground dead.
Then the
wicked queen glanced
in at the window with a horrible look in her eye, and laughed aloud as
she exclaimed:
"White as
snow, red as blood,
and black as ebony; this time the dwarfs will not be able to awake
thee."
And as soon
as she arrived
at home, and asked her mirror who was the most beautiful in the land,
it
replied:
"Fair
queen, there is none
in all the land
So beautiful
as thou."
Then had
her envious heart
rest, at least such rest as a heart full of envy and malice ever can
have.
The little
dwarfs, when they
came home in the evening, found poor Snow-white on the ground; but
though
they lifted her up, there were no signs of breath from her mouth, and
they
found she was really dead. Yet they tried in every way to restore her;
they tried to extract the poison from her lips, they combed her hair,
and
washed it with wine and water, but all to no purpose: the dear child
gave
no signs of life, and at last they knew she was dead. Then they laid
her
on a bier, and the seven dwarfs seated themselves round her, and wept
and
mourned for three days. They would have buried her then, but there was
no change in her appearance; her face was as fresh, and her cheeks and
lips had their usual colour. Then said one, "We cannot lay this
beautiful
child in the dark, cold earth."
So they
agreed to have a
coffin made entirely of glass, transparent all over, that they might
watch
for any signs of decay, and they wrote in letters of gold her name on
the
lid, and that she was the daughter of a king. The coffin was placed on
the side of the mountain, and each of them watched it by turns, so that
it was never left alone. And the birds of the air came near and mourned
for Snow-white; first the owl, then the raven, and at last the dove.
Snow-white
lay for a long, long time in the glass coffin, but showed not the least
signs of decay. It seemed as if she slept; for her skin was snow white,
her cheeks rosy red, and her hair black as ebony.
It happened
one day that
the son of a king, while riding in the forest, came by chance upon the
dwarfs' house and asked for a night's lodging. As he left the next
morning
he saw the coffin on the mountain-side, with beautiful Snow-white lying
in it, and read what was written upon the lid in letters of gold.
Then he
said to the dwarfs,
"Let me have this coffin, and I will give you for it whatever you ask."
But the
elder dwarf answered,
"We would not give it thee for all the gold in the world."
But the
prince answered,
"Let me have it as a gift, then. I know not why, but my heart is drawn
towards this beautiful child, and I feel I cannot live without her. If
you will let me have her, she shall be treated with the greatest honour
and respect as one dearly beloved."
As he thus
spoke the good
little dwarfs were full of sympathy for him, and gave him the coffin.
Then
the prince called his servants, and the coffin was placed on their
shoulders,
and they carried it away, followed by the king's son, who watched it
carefully.
Now it happened that one of them made a false step and stumbled. This
shook
the coffin, and caused the poisoned piece of apple which Snow-white had
bitten to roll out of her mouth. A little while after she suddenly
opened
her eyes, lifted up the coffin-lid, raised herself and was again alive.
"Oh! where
am I?" she cried.
Full of
joy, the king's son
approached her, and said, "Dear Snow-white, you are safe; you are with
me."
Then he
related to her all
that had happened, and what the little dwarfs had told him about her,
and
said at last, "I love you better than all in the world besides, dear
little
Snow-white, and you must come with me to my father's castle and be my
wife."
Then was
Snow-white taken
out of the coffin and placed in a carriage to travel with the prince,
and
the king was so pleased with his son's choice that the marriage was
soon
after celebrated with great pomp and magnificence.
Now it
happened that the
stepmother of Snow-white was invited, among other guests, to the
wedding-feast.
Before she left her house she stood in all her rich dress before the
magic
mirror to admire her own appearance, but she could not help saying;
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Am I most
beautiful of all?"
Then to her
surprise the
mirror replied:
"Fair
queen, thou art the
fairest here,
But at the
palace, now,
The bride will
prove a thousand
times
More beautiful
than thou."
Then the
wicked woman uttered
a curse, and was so dreadfully alarmed that she knew not what to do. At
first she declared she would not go to this wedding at all, but she
felt
it impossible to rest until she had seen the bride, so she determined
to
go. But what was her astonishment and vexation when she recognised in
the
young bride Snow-white herself, now grown a charming young woman, and
richly
dressed in royal robes! Her rage and terror were so great that she
stood
still and could not move for some minutes. At last she went into the
ballroom,
but the slippers she wore were to her as iron bands full of coals of
fire,
in which she was obliged to dance. And so in the red, glowing shoes she
continued to dance till she fell dead on the floor, a sad example of
envy
and jealousy.
|