LITTLESNOWWHITE

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　　Grimm'sFairyTales.TranslatedbyL.L.Weedon.Illus.byAdaDennisandE.StuartHardyandOthers.London:ErnestNister,[1898],pp.9-20.

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　　Long,longago,inthewinter-time,whenthesnowflakeswerefallinglikelittlewhitefeathersfromthesky,abeautifulQueensatbesideherwindow,whichwasframedinblackebony,andstitched.Assheworked,shelookedsometimesatthefallingsnow,andsoithappenedthatsheprickedherfingerwithherneedle,sothatthreedropsofbloodfelluponthesnow.Howprettytheredbloodlookeduponthedazzlingwhite!TheQueensaidtoherselfasshesawit,"Ahme!IfonlyIhadadearlittlechildaswhiteasthesnow,asrosyastheblood,andwithhairasblackastheebonywindow-frame."

　　Soonafterwardsalittledaughtercametoher,whowaswhiteassnow,rosyastheblood,andwhosehairwasasblackasebony--soshewascalled"LittleSnow-White."

　　Butalas!Whenthelittleonecame,thegoodQueendies.

　　Ayearpassedaway,andtheKingtookanotherwife.Shewasverybeautiful,butsoproudandhaughtythatshecouldnotbeartobesurpassedinbeautybyanyone.Shepossessedawonderfulmirrorwhichcouldanswerherwhenshestoodbeforeitandsaid-

　　"Mirror,mirroruponthewall,Whoisthefairestofall?"

　　Themirroranswered-

　　"Thou,OQueen,artthefairestofall,"

　　andtheQueenwascontented,becausesheknewthemirrorcouldspeaknothingbutthetruth.

　　Butastimepassedon,LittleSnow-Whitegrewmoreandmorebeautiful,untilwhenshewassevenyearsold,shewasaslovelyasthebrightday,andstillmorelovelythantheQueenherself,sothatwhentheladyonedayaskedhermirror-

　　"Mirror,mirroruponthewall,Whoisthefairestfairofall?"

　　itanswered-

　　"OLadyQueen,thoughfairyebe,Snow-Whiteisfairerfartosee."

　　TheQueenwashorrified,andfromthatmomentenvyandpridegrewinherheartlikerankweeds,untilonedayshecalledahuntsmanandsaid"Takethechildawayintothewoodsandkillher,forIcannolongerbearthesightofher.Andwhenyoureturnbringwithyouherheart,thatImayknowyouhaveobeyedmywill."

　　Thehuntsmandarednotdisobey,soheledSnow-Whiteoutintothewoodsandplacedanarrowinhisbowtopierceherinnocentheart,butthelittlemaidbeggedhimtospareherlife,andthechild'sbeautytouchedhisheartwithpity,sothathebadeherrunaway.

　　Thenasayoungwildboarcamerushingby,hekilledit,tookoutitsheart,andcarriedithometotheQueen.

　　PoorlittleSnow-Whitewasnowallaloneinthewildwood,andsofrightenedwasshethatshetrembledateveryleafthatrustled.Soshebegantorun,andranonandonuntilshecametoalittlehouse,whereshewentintorest.

　　Inthelittlehouseeverythingshesawwastiny,butmoredaintyandcleanthanwordscantell.

　　Uponawhite-coveredtablestoodsevenlittleplatesanduponeachplatelayalittlespoon,besideswhichthereweresevenknivesandforksandsevenlittlegoblets.Againstthewall,andsidebyside,stoodsevenlittlebedscoveredwithsnow-whitesheets.

　　Snow-Whitewassohungryandthirstythatshetookalittlefoodfromeachofthesevenplates,anddrankafewdropsofwinefromeachgoblet,forshedidnotwishtotakeever