Then the first dwarf looked about, and saw that there was a slight
hollow in his bed, so he asked, "Who has been lying in my little bed?"
The others came running, and each called out, "Some one has also been
lying in my bed."
But the seventh, when he looked in his bed, saw Snowdrop there, fast
asleep. He called the others, who flocked round with cries of
surprise, fetched their seven candles, and cast the light on Snowdrop.
"Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!" and were so pleased
that they would not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed.
The seventh dwarf slept with all his companions in turn, an hour with
each, and so they spent the night. When it was morning Snowdrop woke
up, and was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. They were very
friendly, however, and inquired her name.
"Snowdrop," answered she.
"How have you found your way to our house?" further asked the dwarfs.
So she told them how her stepmother had tried to kill her, how the
huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day
through, till at last she had found their little house.
Then the dwarfs said, "If thou wilt keep our house, cook, make the
beds, wash, sew and knit, and make all neat and clean, thou canst stay
with us and shalt want for nothing."
"I will, right willingly," said Snowdrop. So she dwelt with them, and
kept their house in order. Every morning they went out among the
mountains, to seek iron and gold, and came home ready for supper in
the evening.
The maiden being left alone all day long, the good dwarfs warned her,
saying, "Beware of thy wicked stepmother, who will soon find out that
thou art here; take care that thou lettest nobody in."
[Illustration: "Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!"]
The queen, however, after having, as she thought, eaten Snowdrop's
lungs and liver, had no doubt that she was again the first and fairest
woman in the world; so she walked up to her mirror, and said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
The mirror replied:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here you are fairest of them all;
But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
She trembled, knowing that the mirror never told a falsehood; she felt
sure that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still
alive. She pondered once more, late and early, early and late, how
best to kill Snowdrop; for envy gave her no rest, day or night, while
she herself was not the fairest lady in the land. When she had planned
what to do she painted her face, dressed herself like an old
pedler-woman, and altered her appearance so much that no one could
have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven hills to
where the seven dwarfs dwelt, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good
wares, cheap!--very cheap!"
Snowdrop looked out of the window and cried, "Good-morning, good
woman. What have you to sell?"
"Good wares, smart wares," answered the queen--"bodice laces of all
colors;" and drew out one which was woven of colored silk.
"I may surely let this honest dame in!" thought Snowdrop; so she
unfastened the door, and bought for herself the pretty lace.
"Child," said the old woman, "what a figure thou art! Let me lace thee
for once properly." Snowdrop feared no harm, so stepped in front of
her, and allowed her bodice to be fastened up with the new lace.
But the old woman laced so quick and laced so tight that Snowdrop's
breath was stopped, and she fell down as if dead. "Now I am fairest at
last," said the old woman to herself, and sped away.
The seven dwarfs came home soon after, at eventide, but how alarmed
were they to find their poor Snowdrop lifeless on the ground! They
lifted her up, and, seeing that she was laced too tightly, cut the
lace of her bodice; she began to breathe faintly, and slowly returned
to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, "The old
pedler-woman was none other than the wicked queen. Be careful of
thyself, and open the door to no one if we are not at home."
The cruel stepmother walked up to her mirror when she reached home,
and said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
To which it answered, as usual:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here you are fairest of them all;
But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
When she heard this she was so alarmed that all the blood rushed to
her heart, for she saw plainly that Snowdrop was still alive.
"This time," said she, "I will think of some means that shall destroy
her utterly;" and with the help of witchcraft, in which she was
skilful, she made a poisoned comb. Then she changed her dress and took
the shape of another old woman.
Again she crossed the seven hills to the home of the seven dwarfs,
knocked at the door, and cried, "Good wares, very cheap!"