But Snow-White grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven
years old, she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen
herself. Then the glass one day answered queen, when she went to consult
it as usual--
"Thou, Queen, may'st fair and beauteous be,
But Snow-White is lovelier far than thee?"
When the queen heard this she turned pale with rage and envy; and
calling to one of her servants said, "Take Snow-White away into the wide
wood, that I may never see her more." Then the servant led the little
girl away; but his heart melted when she begged him to spare her life,
and he said, "I will not hurt thee, thou pretty child." So he left her
there alone; and though he thought it most likely that the wild beasts
would tear her to pieces, he felt as if a great weight were taken off
his heart when he had made up his mind not to kill her, but leave her to
her fate.
Then poor Snow-White wandered along through the wood in great fear; and
the wild beasts roared around, but none did her any harm. In the evening
she came to a little cottage, and went in there to rest, for her weary
feet would carry her no further. Everything was spruce and neat in the
cottage: on the table was spread a white cloth, and there were seven
little plates with seven little loaves and seven little glasses with
wine in them; and knives and forks laid in order, and by the wall stood
seven little beds. Then, as she was exceedingly hungry, she picked a
little piece off each loaf, and drank a very little wine out of each
glass; and after that she thought she would lie down and rest. So she
tried all the little beds; and one was too long, and another was too
short, till, at last, the seventh suited her; and there she laid herself
down and went to sleep. Presently in came the masters of the cottage,
who were seven little dwarfs that lived among the mountains, and dug and
searched about for gold. They lighted up their seven lamps, and saw
directly that all was not right. The first said, "Who has been sitting
on my stool?" The second, "Who has been eating off my plate?" The third,
"Who has been picking at my bread?" The fourth, "Who has been meddling
with my spoon?" The fifth, "Who has been handling my fork?" The sixth,
"Who has been cutting with my knife?" The seventh, "Who has been
drinking my wine?" Then the first looked around and said, "Who has been
lying on my bed?" And the rest came running to him, and every one cried
out that somebody had been upon his bed. But the seventh saw Snow-White,
and called upon his brethren to come and look at her; and they cried out
with wonder and astonishment, and brought their lamps and gazing upon
her, they said, "Good heavens! what a lovely child she is!" And they
were delighted to see her, and took care not to waken her; and the
seventh dwarf slept an hour with each of the other dwarfs in turn, till
the night was gone.
In the morning Snow-White told them all her story, and they pitied her,
and said if she would keep all things in order, and cook and wash, and
knit and spin for them, she might stay where she was, and they would
take good care of her. Then they went out all day long to their work,
seeking for gold and silver in the mountains; and Snow-White remained at
home; and they warned her, saying, "The queen will soon find out where
you are, so take care and let no one in." But the queen, now that she
thought Snow-White was dead, believed that she was certainly the
handsomest lady in the land; so she went to her glass and said--
"Tell me, glass, tell me true!
Of all the ladies in the land,
Who is fairest? tell me who?"