Snow White
Years ago, in a far off land, a beautiful Princess was born with hairs as black as midnight, skin as white as snow and lips as the colour of rubies. She was called Snow White.
As the little princess grew, she became more and more beautiful. Her stepmother, the Queen, was also beautiful. The Queen was very proud of her beauty. She had a magical mirror, and every day she looked in the mirror and asked,
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is fairest of us all?”
Upon which the mirror answer,
“You my queen are fairest in the land.”
And the queen would be pleased, because she knew it was true.
But one day, when Snow White had grown into a young beautiful girl, the vain Queen asked,
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is fairest of us all?”
The mirror answered,
“You, my Queen may be lovely,
But Snow White is fairer still than thee.”
The Queen got angry because she could not bear anyone prettier than her. From that day on, the Queen hated Snow White. When she could no longer stand the beauty of the Princess, she ordered a woodman to take Snow White away and kill her.
The woodman took the Princess deep into the forest but could not bring himself to kill her. So he let her in the forest alone and returned.
Snow White was scared in the dark woods, and frightened with strange noises, and she began to run. She ran as fast as she could. Suddenly she came across a little cottage with a yellow roof. Snow White went inside the cottage, when her Knocks were not answered.
Inside she found a little table set with seven plates and seven little beds which were all lined up against the wall.
As Princess was very hungry, she ate a bit of food from each plate and then, she fell asleep on the seventh bed.
The cottage belonged to seven dwarfs. Soon they returned from their work, and were surprised to find beautiful Snow White in their house.
The next morning they asked Snow White how she had found their cottage that was so deep in the woods. When they learnt Snow White’s tale, they felt sorry for her and asked her to stay with them, she took care of the cottage and the dwarfs gave her their love. Snow White was happy to live with them.
Back at the castle when the Queen asked again,
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is fairest of us all?”
The mirror answered,
“You, my queen, may be lovely.
But Snow White is fairest still than thee.”
The Queen knew that Snow White was still alive and she decided to kill the girl herself. The Queen disguised herself as an ugly woman and went to the dwarf’s cottage. She called out, “Buy my pretty scarfs.”
Snow White opened the door and let the old lady in not knowing it was the Queen. Then Snow White tried one of the silk scarfs. Suddenly the Queen tied the scarf so tight around the Princes’ throat that she fell down as if she were dead.
When the dwarfs returned, they saw Snow White lying on the floor. Quickly, they ripped the scarf with knife as it was too tight; she began to breathe again and told them everything.
The dwarfs realised that the old lady must have been the evil Queen and warned Snow White not to open the door for anyone in and to be careful.
Meanwhile, at the Castle, the Queen once again asked the mirror,
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?
The mirror replied,
“You, my queen may be lovely,
But Snow White is fairest still than thee.”
Hearing this Queen got very angry and vowed to kill Snow White this time. The Queen once again set out to the cottage in a new guise.
This time through the window, the Queen offered to sell combs to Snow White. She put the comb in Snow White’s hair. The Princess fell right where she was standing as the comb was poisoned.
When the dwarfs came home they realised at once that the comb was poisoned and quickly removed it from Snow White’s hair. Back at the castle, the Queen once again asked,
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?
When the mirror again answered that it was Snow White. The Queen realised that the Princess was still alive. She became very angry and decided to use her magic powers to make a poisoned apple.
This time the Queen dressed herself as a poor woman. She offered the Princess the apple at her cottage and Snow White could not resist it, as part of the apples magic was that whoever saw it must taste it also. Snow White bit into the fruit and instantly fell down as if she were dead.
When the Queen returned to the castle, she asked the mirror, the same question. And this time she was pleased to hear the answer.
“Queen, thou are fairest of us all!”
Back at the cottage the dwarfs could not wake Snow White from her sleep. So they laid her in a glass case.
One day, a Prince was hunting in the woods, when he suddenly came across the dwarf’s cottage and saw Snow White lying in the glass case. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He fell in love with her instantly.
He opened the glass case and lifted Snow White in his arms. As he picked up Snow White, the piece of poisoned apple fell from her mouth and she woke from her long sleep. Snow White slowly opened her eyes to find herself in the arms of a handsome Prince.
The dwarfs were happy that Snow White was alive and agreed that she should marry the Prince.
As far as the Queen was concerned, she had smashed her magic mirror in anger, as she had become ugly due to her hatred and could no longer bear to see herself in the mirror.
