Snow White

A princess named Snow White had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as night.Her stepmother, the queen, had a magic mirror, and every day she asked it, "Mirror, mirror, who is the fairest of all?"For years the mirror answered, "You are" — until one day it said, "Snow White is fairer than you."

The jealous queen ordered a huntsman to take Snow White deep into the forest and leave her there.But the huntsman felt sorry for the girl, and he whispered, "Run away, child, and never come back."Alone and frightened, Snow White ran through the dark trees until she came to a tiny cottage.

Inside stood a table with seven little plates and, along the wall, seven little beds.She ate a little food, lay down, and fell asleep, and that evening seven dwarfs came home from the mountain where they dug for gold.When they heard her story they said, "Stay with us and keep house, but let no one in while we are away."

The queen soon learned from her mirror that Snow White was still alive.She dressed as an old woman, walked to the cottage, and offered Snow White a beautiful red apple.Snow White took one bite, fell to the floor, and lay as still as if she were dead.

The dwarfs could not wake her, and they wept for three days.Because she still looked so lovely, they would not bury her, but laid her in a coffin made of glass on the hillside.One day a prince rode by, saw her through the glass, and begged the dwarfs to let him take the coffin to his castle.

As the servants lifted the coffin, they stumbled, the piece of apple fell from Snow White's lips, and she opened her eyes.The prince took her home to be his wife, and the cruel queen was never seen in that land again.