第1章LittleSnow-White

第1章littlesnow-white

onceuponatimeinthemiddleofwinter,whentheflakesofsnowwerefallinglikefeathersfromthesky,aqueensatatawindowsewing,andtheframeofthewindowwasmadeofblackebony.andwhilstshewassewingandlookingoutofthewindowatthesnow,sheprickedherfingerwiththeneedle,andthreedropsofbloodfelluponthesnow.andtheredlookedprettyuponthewhitesnow,andshethoughttoherself:“wouldthatihadachildaswhiteassnow,asredasblood,andasblackasthewoodofthewindowframe.”soonafterthatshehadalittledaughter,whowasaswhiteassnow,andasredasblood,andherhairwasasblackasebony;andshewasthereforecalledlittlesnow-white.andwhenthechildwasborn,thequeendied.

afterayearhadpassedthekingtooktohimselfanotherwife.shewasabeautifulwoman,butproudandhaughty,andshecouldnotbearthatanyoneelseshouldsurpassherinbeauty.shehadawonderfullooking-glass,andwhenshestoodinfrontofitandlookedatherselfinit,andsaid:

looking-glass,looking-glass,onthewall,

whointhislandisthefairestofall?

thelooking-glassanswered:

thou,oqueen,artthefairestofall!

thenshewassatisfied,forsheknewthatthelooking-glassspokethetruth.

butsnow-whitewasgrowingup,andgrewmoreandmorebeautiful;andwhenshewassevenyearsoldshewasasbeautifulastheday,andmorebeautifulthanthequeenherself.andoncewhenthequeenaskedherlooking-glass:

looking-glass,looking-glass,onthewall,

whointhislandisthefairestofall?

itanswered:

thouartfairerthanallwhoarehere,ladyqueen.

butmorebeautifulstillissnow-white,asiween.

thenthequeenwasshocked,andturnedyellowandgreenwithenvy.fromthathour,whenevershelookedatsnow-white,herheartheavedinherbreast,shehatedthegirlsomuch.

andenvyandpridegrewhigherandhigherinherheartlikeaweed,sothatshehadnopeacedayornight.shecalledahuntsman,andsaid:“takethechildawayintotheforest;iwillnolongerhaveherinmysight.killher,andbringmebackherlungandliverasatoken.”thehuntsmanobeyed,andtookheraway;butwhenhehaddrawnhisknife,andwasabouttopiercesnow-white'sinnocentheart,shebegantoweep,andsaid:“ah,dearhuntsman,leavememylife!iwillrunawayintothewildforest,andnevercomehomeagain.”

andasshewassobeautifulthehuntsmanhadpityonherandsaid:“runaway,then,youpoorchild.”“thewildbeastswillsoonhavedevouredyou,”thoughthe,andyetitseemedasifastonehadbeenrolledfromhisheartsinceitwasnolongerneedfulforhimtokillher.andasayoungboarjustthencamerunningbyhestabbedit,andcutoutitslungandliverandtookthemtothequeenasproofthatthechildwasdead.thecookhadtosaltthem,andthewickedqueenatethem,andthoughtshehadeatenthelungandliverofsnow-white.

butnowthepoorchildwasallaloneinthegreatforest,andsoterrifiedthatshelookedatalltheleavesonthetrees,anddidnotknowwhattodo.thenshebegantorun,andranoversharpstonesandthroughthorns,andthewildbeastsranpasther,butdidhernoharm.

sheranaslongasherfeetwouldgountilitwasalmostevening;thenshesawalittlecottageandwentintoittorestherself.everythinginthecottagewassmall,butneaterandcleanerthancanbetold.therewasatableonwhichwasawhitecover,andsevenlittleplates,andoneachplatealittlespoon;moreover,thereweresevenlittleknivesandforks,andsevenlittlemugs.againstthewallstoodsevenlittlebedssidebyside,andcoveredwithsnow-whitecounterpanes.

littlesnow-whitewassohungryandthirstythatsheatesomevegetablesandbreadfromeachplateanddrankadropofwineoutofeachmug,forshedidnotwishtotakeallfromoneonly.then,asshewassotired,shelaidherselfdownononeofthelittlebeds,butnoneofthemsuitedher;onewastoolong,anothertooshort,butatlastshefoundthattheseventhonewasright,andsosheremainedinit,saidaprayerandwenttosleep.

whenitwasquitedarktheownersofthecottagecameback;theyweresevendwarfswhoduganddelvedinthemountainsforore.theylittheirsevencandles,andasitwasnowlightwithinthecottagetheysawthatsomeonehadbeenthere,foreverythingwasnotinthesameorderinwhichtheyhadleftit.

thefirstsaid:“whohasbeensittingonmychair?”

thesecond:“whohasbeeneatingoffmyplate?”

thethird:“whohasbeentakingsomeofmybread?”

thefourth:“whohasbeeneatingmyvegetables?”

thefifth:“whohasbeenusingmyfork?”

thesixth:“whohasbeencuttingwithmyknife?”

theseventh:“whohasbeendrinkingoutofmymug?”

thenthefirstlookedroundandsawthattherewasalittlehollowonhisbed,andhesaid:“whohasbeengettingintomybed?”theotherscameupandeachcalledout:“somebodyhasbeenlyinginmybedtoo,”buttheseventhwhenhelookedathisbedsawlittlesnow-whitewhowaslyingasleeptherein.andhecalledtheothers,whocamerunningup,andtheycriedoutwithastonishment,andbroughttheirsevenlittlecandlesandletthelightfallonlittlesnow-white.“oh,heavens!oh,heavens!”criedthey,“whatalovelychild!”andtheyweresogladthattheydidnotwakeherup,butlethersleeponinthebed.andtheseventhdwarfsleptwithhiscompanions,onehourwitheach,andsopassedthenight.

whenitwasmorninglittlesnow-whiteawoke,andwasfrightenedwhenshesawthesevendwarfs.buttheywerefriendlyandaskedherwhathernamewas.“mynameissnow-white,”sheanswered.“howhaveyoucometoourhouse?”saidthedwarfs.thenshetoldthemthatherstepmotherhadwishedtohaveherkilled,butthatthehuntsmanhadsparedherlife,andthatshehadrunforthewholeday,untilatlastshehadfoundtheirdwelling.thedwarfssaid:“ifyouwilltakecareofourhouse,cook,makethebeds,wash,sew,andknit,andifyouwillkeepeverythingneatandclean,youcanstaywithusandyoushallwantfornothing.”“yes,”saidsnow-white,“withallmyheart,”andshestayedwiththem.shekeptthehouseinorderforthem;inthemorningstheywenttothemountainsandlookedforcopperandgold,intheeveningstheycameback,andthentheirsupperhadtobeready.thegirlwasalonethewholeday,sothegooddwarfswarnedherandsaid:“bewareofyourstepmother,shewillsoonknowthatyouarehere;besuretoletnoonecomein.”

butthequeen,believingthatshehadeatensnow-white'slungandliver,couldnotbutthinkthatshewasagainthefirstandmostbeautifulofall;andshewenttoherlooking-glassandsaid:

looking-glass,looking-glass,onthewall,

whointhislandisthefairestofall?

andtheglassanswered:

oh,queen,thouartfairestofallisee,

butoverthehills,wherethesevendwarfsdwell,

snow-whiteisstillaliveandwell,

andnoneissofairasshe.

thenshewasastounded,forsheknewthatthelooking-glassneverspokefalsely,andsheknewthatthehuntsmanhadbetrayedher,andthatlittlesnow-whitewasstillalive.

andsoshethoughtandthoughtagainhowshemightkillher,forsolongasshewasnotthefairestinthewholeland,envyletherhavenorest.andwhenshehadatlastthoughtofsomethingtodo,shepaintedherface,anddressedherselflikeanoldpedlarwoman,andnoonecouldhaveknownher.inthisdisguiseshewentoverthesevenmountainstothesevendwarfs,andknockedatthedoorandcried:“prettythingstosell,verycheap,verycheap.”littlesnow-whitelookedoutofthewindowandcalledout:“goodday,mygoodwoman,whathaveyoutosell?”“goodthings,prettythings,”sheanswered;“staylacesofallcolours,”andshepulledoutonewhichwaswovenofbrightcolouredsilk.“imaylettheworthyoldwomanin,”thoughtsnow-white,andsheunboltedthedoorandboughttheprettylaces.“child,”saidtheoldwoman,“whatafrightyoulook;come,iwilllaceyouproperlyforonce.”snow-whitehadnosuspicion,butstoodbeforeher,andletherselfbelacedwiththenewlaces.buttheoldwomanlacedsoquicklyandlacedsotightlythatsnow-whitelostherbreathandfelldownasifdead.“nowiamthemostbeautiful,”saidthequeentoherself,andranaway.

notlongafterwards,intheevening,thesevendwarfscamehome,buthowshockedtheywerewhentheysawtheirdearlittlesnow-whitelyingontheground,andthatsheneitherstirrednormoved,andseemedtobedead.theyliftedherup,and,astheysawthatshewaslacedtootightly,theycutthelaces;thenshebegantobreathealittle,andafterawhilecametolifeagain.whenthedwarfsheardwhathadhappenedtheysaid:“theoldpedlarwomanwasnooneelsethanthewickedqueen;takecareandletnoonecomeinwhenwearenotwithyou.”

butthewickedwomanwhenshehadreachedhomewentinfrontoftheglassandasked:

looking-glass,looking-glass,onthewall,

whointhislandisthefairestofall?

anditansweredasbefore:

oh,queen,thouartfairestofallisee,

butoverthehills,wherethesevendwarfsdwell,

snow-whiteisstillaliveandwell,

andnoneissofairasshe.

whensheheardthat,allherbloodrushedtoherheartwithfear,forshesawplainlythatlittlesnow-whitewasagainalive.“butnow,”shesaid,“iwillthinkofsomethingthatshallreallyputanendtoyou,”andbythehelpofwitchcraft,whichsheunderstood,shemadeapoisonouscomb.thenshedisguisedherselfandtooktheshapeofanotheroldwoman.soshewentoverthesevenmountainstothesevendwarfs,knockedatthedoor,andcried:“goodthingstosell,cheap,cheap!”littlesnow-whitelookedoutandsaid:“goaway;icannotletanyonecomein.”“isupposeyoucanlook,”saidtheoldwoman,andpulledthepoisonouscomboutandhelditup.itpleasedthegirlsowellthatsheletherselfbebeguiled,andopenedthedoor.whentheyhadmadeabargaintheoldwomansaid:“nowiwillcombyouproperlyforonce.”poorlittlesnow-whitehadnosuspicion,andlettheoldwomandoasshepleased,buthardlyhadsheputthecombinherhairthanthepoisoninittookeffect,andthegirlfelldownsenseless.“youparagonofbeauty,”saidthewickedwoman,“youarefinishednow,”andshewentaway.