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 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, 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 heart 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 boar just then came running by he stabbed it, and 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, and thought 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, 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 hole 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 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?” 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 heart, 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 peddler-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 colours,” and she pulled out one which was woven of
bright-coloured 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. “Now I am 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 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—
“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 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 any one
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.