Bushy Bride · page 21 2 3101SNOWDROP102Once upon a time, in the middle of winter when the snow-flakes were falling like feathers on the earth, a Queen sat at a window framed in black ebony and sewed.103And as she sewed and gazed out to the white landscape, she pricked her finger with the needle, and three drops of blood fell on the snow outside, and because the red showed out so well against the white she thought to herself:104‘Oh! what wouldn’t I give to have a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony!’105And her wish was granted, for not long after a little daughter was born to her, with a skin as white as snow, lips and cheeks as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.106They called her Snowdrop, and not long after her birth the Queen died.checked by a teacher107After a year the King married again.108His new wife was a beautiful woman, but so proud and overbearing that she couldn’t stand any rival to her beauty.109She possessed a magic mirror, and when she used to stand before it gazing at her own reflection and ask:110‘Mirror, mirror, hanging there, Who in all the land’s most fair?’111it always replied:112‘You are most fair, my Lady Queen, None fairer in the land, I ween.’113Then she was quite happy, for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth.114But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as she could be, and fairer even than the Queen herself.115One day when the latter asked her mirror the usual question, it replied:116‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ‘tis true, But Snowdrop is fairer far than you.’117Then the Queen flew into the most awful passion, and turned every shade of green in her jealousy.118From this hour she hated poor Snowdrop like poison, and every day her envy, hatred, and malice grew, for envy and jealousy are like evil weeds which spring up and choke the heart.119At last she could endure Snowdrop’s presence no longer, and, calling a huntsman to her, she said:120‘Take the child out into the wood, and never let me see her face again.121You must kill her, and bring me back her lungs and liver, that I may know for certain she is dead.’122The Huntsman did as he was told and led Snowdrop out into the wood, but as he was in the act of drawing out his knife to slay her, she began to cry, and said:123‘Oh, dear Huntsman, spare my life, and I will promise to fly forth into the wide wood and never to return home again.’124And because she was so young and pretty the Huntsman had pity on her, and said:125‘Well, run along, poor child.’126For he thought to himself: ‘The wild beasts will soon eat her up.’127And his heart felt lighter because he hadn’t had to do the deed himself.128And as he turned away a young boar came running past, so he shot it, and brought its lungs and liver home to the Queen as a proof that Snowdrop was really dead.129And the wicked woman had them stewed in salt, and ate them up, thinking she had made an end of Snowdrop for ever.130Now when the poor child found herself alone in the big wood the very trees around her seemed to assume strange shapes, and she felt so frightened she didn’t know what to do.131Then she began to run over the sharp stones, and through the bramble bushes, and the wild beasts ran past her, but they did her no harm.132She ran as far as her legs would carry her, and as evening approached she saw a little house, and she stepped inside to rest.133Everything was very small in the little house, but cleaner and neater than anything you can imagine.134In the middle of the room there stood a little table, covered with a white tablecloth, and seven little plates and forks and spoons and knives and tumblers.135Side by side against the wall there were seven little beds, covered with snow-white counterpanes.136Snowdrop felt so hungry and so thirsty that she ate a bit of bread and a little porridge from each plate, and drank a drop of wine out of each tumbler.137Then feeling tired and sleepy she lay down on one of the beds, but it wasn’t comfortable; then she tried all the others in turn, but one was too long, and another too short, and it was only when she got to the seventh that she found one to suit her exactly.138So she lay down upon it, said her prayers like a good child, and fell fast asleep.139When it got quite dark the masters of the little house returned.140They were seven dwarfs who worked in the mines, right down deep in the heart of the mountain.141They lighted their seven little lamps, and as soon as their eyes got accustomed to the glare they saw that someone had been in the room, for all was not in the same order as they had left it.142The first said:143‘Who’s been sitting on my little chair?’144The second said:145‘Who’s been eating my little loaf?’146The third said:147‘Who’s been tasting my porridge?’148The fourth said:149‘Who’s been eating out of my little plate?’150The fifth said:151‘Who’s been using my little fork?’152The sixth said:153‘Who’s been cutting with my little knife?’154The seventh said:155‘Who’s been drinking out of my little tumbler?’156Then the first Dwarf looked round and saw a little hollow in his bed, and he asked again:157‘Who’s been lying on my bed?’158The others came running round, and cried when they saw their beds:159‘Somebody has lain on ours too.’160But when the seventh came to his bed, he started back in amazement, for there he beheld Snowdrop fast asleep.161Then he called the others, who turned their little lamps full on the bed, and when they saw Snowdrop lying there they nearly fell down with surprise.162‘Goodness gracious!’ they cried, ‘what a beautiful child!’163And they were so enchanted by her beauty that they did not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed.164But the seventh Dwarf slept with his companions one hour in each bed, and in this way he managed to pass the night.checked by a teacher165In the morning Snowdrop awoke, but when she saw the seven little Dwarfs she felt very frightened.166But they were so friendly and asked her what her name was in such a kind way, that she replied:167‘I am Snowdrop.’168‘Why did you come to our house?’ continued the Dwarfs.169Then she told them how her stepmother had wished her put to death, and how the Huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day till she had come to their little house.170The Dwarfs, when they had heard her sad story, asked her:171‘Will you stay and keep house for us, cook, make the beds, the washing, sew and knit? and if you give satisfaction and keep everything neat and clean, you shall want for nothing.’172‘Yes,’ answered Snowdrop, ‘I will gladly do all you ask.’173And so she took up her abode with them.174Every morning the Dwarfs went into the mountain to dig for gold, and in the evening, when they returned home, Snowdrop always had their supper ready for them.175But during the day the girl was left quite alone, so the good Dwarfs warned her, saying:176‘Beware of your step-mother.177She will soon find out you are here, and whatever you do don’t let anyone into the house.’178Now the Queen, after she thought she had eaten Snowdrop’s lungs and liver, never dreamed but that she was once more the most beautiful woman in the world; so stepping before her mirror one day she said:179‘Mirror, mirror, hanging there, Who in all the land’s most fair?’180and the mirror replied:181‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ‘tis true, But Snowdrop is fairer far than you.182Snowdrop, who dwells with the seven little men, Is as fair as you, as fair again.’183When the Queen heard these words she was nearly struck dumb with horror, for the mirror always spoke the truth, and she knew now that the Huntsman must have deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still alive.184She pondered day and night how she might destroy her, for as long as she felt she had a rival in the land her jealous heart left her no rest.185At last she hit upon a plan.186She stained her face and dressed herself up as an old peddler wife, so that she was quite unrecognisable.187In this guise she went over the seven hills till she came to the house of the seven Dwarfs.188There she knocked at the door, calling out at the same time:189‘Fine wares to sell, fine wares to sell!’190Snowdrop peeped out of the window, and called out:191‘Good-day, mother, what have you to sell?’192‘Good wares, fine wares,’ she answered; ‘laces of every shade and description,’ and she held one up that was made of some gay coloured silk.193‘Surely I can let the honest woman in,’ thought Snowdrop; so she unbarred the door and bought the pretty lace.194‘Good gracious! child,’ said the old woman, ‘what a figure you’ve got.195Come!196I’ll lace you up properly for once.’197Snowdrop, suspecting no evil, stood before her and let her lace her bodice up, but the old woman laced her so quickly and so tightly that it took Snowdrop’s breath away, and she fell down dead.198‘Now you are no longer the fairest,’ said the wicked old woman, and then she hastened away.199In the evening the seven Dwarfs came home, and you may think what a fright they got when they saw their dear Snowdrop lying on the floor, as still and motionless as a dead person.200They lifted her up tenderly, and when they saw how tightly laced she was they cut the lace in two, and she began to breathe a little and gradually came back to life.1 2 3← previousMother Holle, part 3next →The Golden Goose↑ back to The Red Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg540/47/page/2/