Grimm's Household Tales

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. While 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 on the snow. The red looked pretty on the white snow, and she thought to herself, “I wish 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. She was therefore called Little Snow-white. When the child was born, the Queen died.

After a year had passed, the King took 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 mirror, and when she stood in front of it and looked at herself in it, she said:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

The mirror answered:

“You, O Queen, are the fairest of all!”

Then she was satisfied, for she knew that the mirror 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. Once when the Queen asked her mirror:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

it answered:

“You are fairer than all who are here, Lady Queen, / But Snow-white is still more beautiful, I believe.”

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.

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 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, let me live! I will run away into the wild forest and never come home again.”

Because she was so beautiful, the huntsman had pity on her and said, “Run away, then, you poor child.” “The wild animals will soon have devoured you,” he thought, and yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart, since he no longer needed to kill her. A young boar just then came running by. He stabbed it, cut out its heart, and took it to the Queen as proof that the child was dead. The cook had to salt it, 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 she was so terrified that she looked at every leaf of every tree and did not know what to do. Then she began to run. She ran over sharp stones and through thorns, and the wild animals ran past her but did her no harm.

She ran as long as her feet would carry her, until it was almost evening. Then she saw a little cottage and went into it to rest. Everything in the cottage was small, but neater and cleaner than words can tell. There was a table with a white cover on it, and seven little plates, and on each plate a little spoon. There were also seven little knives and forks and seven little mugs. Against the wall stood seven little beds side by side, covered with snow-white bedspreads.

Little Snow-white was so hungry and thirsty that she ate some vegetables and bread from each plate and drank a drop of wine from each mug, for she did not wish to take everything from just one. Then, because she was so tired, she lay 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 stayed 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 inside 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 said, “Who has been eating off my plate?”

The third said, “Who has been taking some of my bread?”

The fourth said, “Who has been eating my vegetables?”

The fifth said, “Who has been using my fork?”

The sixth said, “Who has been cutting with my knife?”

The seventh said, “Who has been drinking out of my mug?”

Then the first looked around and saw that there was a little dent in 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 in it. He called the others, who came running up, and they cried out in astonishment and brought their seven little candles and let the light fall on little Snow-white. “Oh, heavens! Oh, heavens!” they cried. “What a lovely child!” 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 did you come to our house?” said the dwarfs. Then she told them that her stepmother 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 will lack 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, and 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 stepmother. 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 only think that she was again the first and most beautiful of all, and she went to her mirror and said:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

and the mirror answered:

“Oh, Queen, you are the 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 mirror never spoke falsely, and she knew that the huntsman had betrayed her and that little Snow-white was still alive.

She thought and thought again how she might kill her, for as long as she was not the fairest in the whole land, envy let her have no rest. 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, 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. “Laces of all colors,” and she pulled out one that was woven of bright-colored 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 afterward, 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, neither stirring nor moving, and seeming to be dead. They lifted her up, and when they saw that she was laced too tightly, they cut the laces. Then she began to breathe a little, and after a while she came back to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, “The old peddler woman was no one else but 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 mirror and asked:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

and it answered as before:

“Oh, Queen, you are the 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 alive again. “But now,” she said, “I will think of something that will put an end to you.” 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 anyone come in.” “I suppose you can look,” said the old woman, and she pulled the poisonous comb out and held it up. It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be tricked and opened the door. When they had made a bargain, the old woman said, “Now I will comb your hair properly for once.” Poor little Snow-white had no suspicion and let the old woman do as she pleased, but she had hardly put the comb in her hair when the poison in it took effect, and the girl fell down unconscious. “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 on the ground as if dead, they at once suspected the stepmother, and they looked and found the poisoned comb. They had scarcely taken it out when Snow-white came to herself and told them what had happened. Then they warned her once more to be on her guard and to open the door to no one.

The Queen, at home, went in front of the mirror and said:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

then it answered as before:

“Oh, Queen, you are the 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 mirror speak this way, she trembled and shook with rage. “Snow-white shall die,” she cried, “even if it costs me my life!”

Then 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 would 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 anyone in. The seven dwarfs have forbidden me.” “It is all the same to me,” answered the woman. “I will soon get rid of my apples. Here, 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 she stretched out her hand and took the poisonous half. But she had hardly a bit of it in her mouth when 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! This time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again.”

When she asked the mirror at home:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

it answered at last:

“Oh, Queen, in this land you are the fairest of all.”

Then her envious heart had rest, as much rest as an envious heart can have.

The dwarfs, when they came home in the evening, found Snow-white lying on the ground. She no longer breathed and was dead. They lifted her up, looked to see whether they could find anything poisonous, loosened her laces, combed her hair, and washed her with water and wine, but it was all of no use. The poor child was dead and remained dead. They laid her on a bier, and all seven of them sat around it and wept for her, and they wept for three days.

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 cannot bury her in the dark ground.” They had a transparent glass coffin made, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her in it and wrote her name on it in golden letters, along with the words that she was a king’s daughter. Then they put the coffin out on the mountain, and one of them always stayed by it and watched it. Birds came too and wept for Snow-white, first an owl, then a raven, and last a dove.

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 he read what was written on 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 honor and prize her as my dearest possession.” When he spoke in this way, the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin.

And now the King’s son had it carried away by his servants on their shoulders. They stumbled over a tree stump, and with the shock the poisonous piece of apple that Snow-white had bitten off came out of her throat. Before long she opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the coffin, sat up, and was alive again. “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 he said, “I love you more than everything in the world. Come with me to my father’s palace. You shall be my wife.”

Snow-white was willing and went with him, and their wedding was held with great show and splendor. Snow-white’s wicked stepmother was also invited to the feast. When she had dressed herself in beautiful clothes, she went before the mirror and said:

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, / Who in this land is the fairest of all?”

the mirror answered:

“Oh, Queen, of all here you are the fairest, / But the young Queen is far fairer, I believe.”

Then the wicked woman uttered a curse and was so wretched, so utterly wretched, that she did not know what to do. At first she would not go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace and had to go and see the young Queen. When she went in, she recognized Snow-white, and she stood still with rage and fear and could not move. But iron slippers had already been put in 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.