Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Once upon a time, in the heart of a beautiful kingdom, there lived a queen who longed for a child. One winter's day, as she sat by her window sewing, she pricked her finger with the needle. A single drop of blood fell on the snow-covered windowsill, and as she gazed at the red against the white, she whispered, “I wish I had a daughter, with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.”

Her wish was soon granted, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The princess had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. The queen named her Snow White. But the queen's joy was short-lived, for she fell ill and passed away not long after Snow White was born.

Time passed, and the king remarried. His new queen was beautiful but vain and wicked. She possessed a magic mirror, and every day, she would stand before it and ask, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror always replied, “You, my queen, are the fairest of them all,” which pleased the queen greatly.

However, as Snow White grew older, her beauty blossomed, and soon she became even more beautiful than the queen herself. One day, when the queen asked her mirror the usual question, the mirror replied, “You, my queen, are fair, it’s true. But Snow White is even fairer than you.”

The queen’s heart filled with rage and jealousy. She could not bear the thought of anyone being more beautiful than herself. Determined to rid herself of Snow White, the queen summoned a huntsman and gave him a terrible order. “Take Snow White into the forest,” she commanded, “and kill her. Bring me her heart as proof.”

The huntsman, though loyal to the queen, could not bring himself to harm the innocent girl. Deep in the forest, as Snow White wept in fear, the huntsman spoke. “Run, Snow White, and never return to the castle. The queen wants you dead. I cannot harm you, so flee and save yourself.”

Terrified and heartbroken, Snow White ran deeper into the forest. She ran until her legs ached and she could no longer see the path. As night fell, she stumbled upon a tiny cottage nestled among the trees. Desperate for shelter, she knocked on the door, but no one answered. Gently pushing the door open, she entered the cottage and found it strangely small. There were seven little chairs, seven little beds, and seven sets of dishes on the table.

Exhausted from her long journey, Snow White collapsed onto the nearest bed and fell fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the cottage belonged to seven dwarfs who worked in the nearby mountains, mining for jewels and precious stones. When they returned home that evening, they were surprised to find their cottage different—someone had eaten from their plates and drank from their cups. But what shocked them the most was the sight of Snow White sleeping peacefully in their beds.

The dwarfs were kind-hearted and gentle. When Snow White woke, she told them her story—how her stepmother, the queen, had ordered her death, and how she had run away to save her life. Moved by her tale, the dwarfs offered her a place to stay. “Stay with us, Snow White,” they said. “You will be safe here, and we will protect you from the queen.”

Snow White gratefully accepted their offer and soon settled into life with the dwarfs. She cleaned their cottage, cooked meals, and in return, they treated her like a sister.

Back at the castle, the wicked queen once again stood before her mirror and asked, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” To her horror, the mirror replied, “You, my queen, are fair, it’s true. But Snow White, beyond the mountains with the seven dwarfs, is a thousand times fairer than you.”

Furious that Snow White was still alive, the queen decided to take matters into her own hands. Using dark magic, she disguised herself as an old peddler woman and set off for the dwarfs’ cottage with a basket of laced bodices. When she arrived, she knocked on the door, and Snow White, seeing only a harmless old woman, let her in.

“My dear, let me help you lace up this beautiful bodice,” the old woman said sweetly. She pulled the laces so tight that Snow White could not breathe and collapsed. Believing she had finally succeeded, the queen left.

But when the dwarfs returned home, they found Snow White unconscious. They quickly loosened the laces, and Snow White gasped for air, waking up from the spell. “The queen was here,” they warned her. “You must be careful and never let anyone in while we are away.”

However, the queen did not give up easily. The next time, she disguised herself as an old woman selling combs. The comb she offered Snow White was enchanted with poison. Once again, Snow White trusted the old woman, and as soon as the comb touched her hair, she fell into a deep sleep. The dwarfs found her just in time and removed the comb, breaking the spell once more.

Finally, in her most wicked plan yet, the queen crafted a poisoned apple. Disguised as an old peasant woman, she knocked on the door of the cottage one last time. This time, Snow White hesitated. “I cannot take anything from strangers,” she said.

“Ah, but surely you wouldn’t refuse an old woman just one bite of an apple?” the queen cackled, offering the fruit. Snow White, thinking one bite would not harm her, took the apple. As soon as she bit into it, she fell to the ground, as lifeless as a doll.

When the dwarfs returned home, they were devastated. This time, no matter what they tried, they could not wake Snow White. Believing her to be dead, they placed her in a glass coffin and mourned their loss.

Seasons passed, and one day, a handsome prince came across the glass coffin while riding through the forest. He was captivated by Snow White’s beauty and asked the dwarfs if he could take her to his palace. As his servants lifted the coffin, they accidentally dislodged the piece of poisoned apple from Snow White’s throat. She gasped for breath and opened her eyes, alive once more.

The prince was overjoyed and declared his love for Snow White. They returned to his kingdom, where they were married in a grand celebration. As for the wicked queen, when she learned of Snow White’s revival, her rage consumed her. She fled the kingdom, never to be seen again.

Snow White and the prince lived happily ever after, and the seven dwarfs remained her loyal friends, always visiting her in her new home.