ONCE upon a time in the middle of winter, when flakes of snow were falling like feathers from the sky, a queen sat sewing at a window with a black ebony frame. While 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. 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, with lips as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony. She was therefore called little Snow White. Alas, 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 should surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful looking glass, and when she stood in front of it and looked at herself in it, she said,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
Then the looking glass would answer,
“You, O Queen, are 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 becoming more and more beautiful. When she reached seven years old, she was as beautiful as the day, more beautiful than the queen herself. Then, when the queen asked her looking glass,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
it answered,
“You are fairer than most, ’tis true.
But fairer still is Snow White than you!”
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 with the force of her hatred.
Gradually, envy and pride grew higher and higher in her heart like a weed so that she had no peace, day or night. Until one day 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 heart as a token.”
The huntsman obeyed and took Snow White 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.”
As she was so beautiful, the huntsman pitied her and said, “Run away, then, you poor child.” The wild beasts will soon have devoured you, thought he. Yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart since it was no longer needful for him to kill her. A young boar just then came running by and he stabbed it, cut out its heart, and took it to the queen as proof that the child was dead. The cook had to salt this, and the wicked queen ate it, believing that she had eaten the heart of Snow White.
But now the poor child was all alone in the great forest, and so terrified that she looked at every leaf of every tree and did not know what to do. Then she began to run, and ran over sharp stones and through thorns. 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 upon which was a white cover and seven little plates, and upon 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, covered with sheets as white as snow.
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 and another too short. 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 lighted 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 in my chair?”
“Who has been eating off my plate?” said the second.
“Who has been taking some of my bread?” said the third.
“Who has been eating my vegetables?” said the fourth.
“Who has been using my fork?” said the fifth.
“Who has been cutting with my knife?” said the sixth.
“Who has been drinking out of my mug?” said the seventh.
Then the first looked around and saw that there was a little dent in his sheets, 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. He called the others, who came running up and 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!” 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 they got through 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?” asked the dwarfs.
Then she told them that her stepmother 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 their supper had to be ready. The girl was alone the whole day, so the good dwarfs were careful to warn her.
“Beware of your stepmother; she will soon know that you are here. Be sure to let no one come in.”
Meanwhile, the queen, believing that she had eaten Snow White’s heart, could not but think that she was again the first and most beautiful of all. She went to her looking glass confidently and said,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
The glass answered—
“Oh, Queen, you may possess a beauty quite rare,
But over the hills, in the seven dwarfs’ care,
Dwells young Snow White and she is most fair
For none with her beauty will ever compare.”
Then the queen was astounded, for she knew that the looking glass never spoke falsely, which meant that the huntsman had betrayed her and that little Snow White was still alive.
And so the queen thought and thought again how she might kill her stepdaughter, for so long as she was not the fairest in the whole land, envy let her have no rest. When she had at last thought of something to do, she painted her face and dressed herself like an old peddler-woman, so no one could have known her.
In this disguise she went over the seven mountains to the house of the seven dwarfs, 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. “Laces of all colors.” She pulled out one woven of brightly colored silk. I will 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. “Now I am once again the fairest in the land,” said the queen to herself, and ran away.
Not long afterward, in the evening, the seven dwarfs came home. How shocked they were when they saw their dear little Snow White lying upon the ground! She neither stirred nor moved and seemed to be dead. They lifted her up and soon saw that she was laced too tightly. Miraculously, when they cut the laces, 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 peddler-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,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
And it answered as before,
“Oh, Queen, you may possess a beauty quite rare,
But over the hills, in the seven dwarfs’ care,
Dwells young Snow White and she is most fair
For none with her beauty will ever compare.”
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 put an end to you.” Then, by the help of witchcraft, which she understood, she made a poisonous comb and disguised herself in the shape of another old woman. Once again 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 would come home. When they saw Snow White lying as if dead upon the ground they at once suspected the stepmother, and they looked and found the poisoned comb in the young girl’s hair. Scarcely had they taken it out when Snow White came to, and told them what had happened. They warned her once more to be upon her guard and to open the door to no one.
The queen, back at the palace, went again in front of the glass and said,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
Then it answered as before,
“Oh, Queen, you may possess a beauty quite rare,
But over the hills, in the seven dwarfs’ care,
Dwells young Snow White and she is most fair
For none with her beauty will ever compare.”
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, into which 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 would surely die.
When the apple was ready she painted her face and dressed herself up as a country-woman, and she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs.
Once again, 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. She 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, laughed aloud, and said, “White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again.”
And when she asked of her looking glass at home,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
It answered at last,
“Oh, Queen, in this land you are 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 around 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.” Instead, they had a transparent coffin of glass made, so that she could be seen from all sides. They laid her in it and wrote her name, and that she was a king’s daughter, upon it in golden letters. 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.
Snow White lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she did not change, but looked as if she were asleep. She was as white as snow, with lips 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 upon 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.
Then, the king’s son had the glass coffin carried away by his servants upon their shoulders, and it happened that they stumbled over a tree stump and shook Snow White’s bier. With the jolt, the poisonous piece of apple which Snow White had bitten off came out of her throat. 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.” 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.”
Snow White was willing, and went with him. Their wedding was held with great show and splendor. But Snow White’s wicked stepmother was also bidden to the feast. When she had arrayed herself in beautiful clothes, she went before the looking glass, and said,
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?”
The glass answered,
“You are fairer than most, ’tis true
But fairer still is the young queen than you.”
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 could have no peace until she saw the young queen. When she went in she knew Snow White; and she stood still with rage and fear, and could not stir.
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.