第 四十九 章 · Little Snow-white

. Little Snow-white

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.

The Queen, at home, went in front of the glass and said—

“Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,

Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

then 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 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, where 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 must surely die.

When the apple was ready she painted her face, and dressed herself up

as a country-woman, and so she went over the seven mountains to the

seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow-white put her head out of

the window and said, “I cannot let any one 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, and 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, and

laughed aloud and said, “White as snow, red as blood, black as

ebony-wood! this time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again.”

And when she asked of the Looking-glass at home—

“Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,

Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

it answered at last—

“Oh, Queen, in this land thou art 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 round 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,” and they had a transparent coffin of

glass made, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her

in it, and wrote her name upon it in golden letters, and that she was a

king’s daughter. Then 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.

And now Snow-white lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she did not

change, but looked as if she were asleep; for she was as white as snow,

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 on 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 honour 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.

And now the King’s son had it carried away by his servants on their

shoulders. And it happened that they stumbled over a tree-stump, and

with the shock the poisonous piece of apple which Snow-white had bitten

off came out of her throat. And 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,” and 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.”

And Snow-white was willing, and went with him, and their wedding was

held with great show and splendour. But Snow-white’s wicked step-mother

was also bidden to the feast. When she had arrayed herself in beautiful

clothes she went before the Looking-glass, and said—

“Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,

Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

the glass answered—

“Oh, Queen, of all here the fairest art thou,

But the young Queen is fairer by far as I trow.”

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 had no peace, and must go to see the young

Queen. And when she went in she knew Snow-white; and she stood still

with rage and fear, and could not stir. But 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.