LITMIR.BIZ

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      And his heart felt lighter because he hadn’t had to do the deed himself. And 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. And the wicked woman had them stewed in salt, and ate them up, thinking she had made an end of Snowdrop for ever.

      Now 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. Then 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. She ran as far as her legs would carry her, and as evening approached she saw a little house, and she stepped inside to rest. Everything was very small in the little house, but cleaner and neater than anything you can imagine. In 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. Side by side against the wall there were seven little beds, covered with snow-white counterpanes. Snowdrop 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. Then 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. So she lay down upon it, said her prayers like a good child, and fell fast asleep.

      When it got quite dark the masters of the little house returned. They were seven dwarfs who worked in the mines, right down deep in the heart of the mountain. They 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.

      The first said:

      ‘Who’s been sitting on my little chair?’

      The second said:

      ‘Who’s been eating my little loaf?’

      The third said:

      ‘Who’s been tasting my porridge?’

      The fourth said:

      ‘Who’s been eating out of my little plate?’

      The fifth said:

      ‘Who’s been using my little fork?’

      The sixth said:

      ‘Who’s been cutting with my little knife?’

      The seventh said:

      ‘Who’s been drinking out of my little tumbler?’

      Then the first Dwarf looked round and saw a little hollow in his bed, and he asked again:

      ‘Who’s been lying on my bed?’

      The others came running round, and cried when they saw their beds:

      ‘Somebody has lain on ours too.’

      But when the seventh came to his bed, he started back in amazement, for there he beheld Snowdrop fast asleep. Then 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.

      ‘Goodness gracious!’ they cried, ‘what a beautiful child!’

      And they were so enchanted by her beauty that they did not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed. But the seventh Dwarf slept with his companions one hour in each bed, and in this way he managed to pass the night.

      In the morning Snowdrop awoke, but when she saw the seven little Dwarfs she felt very frightened. But they were so friendly and asked her what her name was in such a kind way, that she replied:

      ‘I am Snowdrop.’

      ‘Why did you come to our house?’ continued the Dwarfs.

      Then 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. The Dwarfs, when they had heard her sad story, asked her:

      ‘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.’

      ‘Yes,’ answered Snowdrop, ‘I will gladly do all you ask.’

      And so she took up her abode with them. Every 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. But during the day the girl was left quite alone, so the good Dwarfs warned her, saying:

      ‘Beware of your step-mother. She will soon find out you are here, and whatever you do don’t let anyone into the house.’

      Now 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:

      ‘Mirror, mirror, hanging there,

       Who in all the land’s most fair?’

      and the mirror replied:

      ‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ‘tis true, But Snowdrop is fairer far than you. Snowdrop, who dwells with the seven little men, Is as fair as you, as fair again.’

      When 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. She 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. At last she hit upon a plan. She stained her face and dressed herself up as an old peddler wife, so that she was quite unrecognisable. In this guise she went over the seven hills till she came to the house of the seven Dwarfs. There she knocked at the door, calling out at the same time:

      ‘Fine wares to sell, fine wares to sell!’

      Snowdrop peeped out of the window, and called out:

      ‘Good-day, mother, what have you to sell?’

      ‘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.

      ‘Surely I can let the honest woman in,’ thought Snowdrop; so she unbarred the door and bought the pretty lace.

      ‘Good gracious! child,’ said the old woman, ‘what a figure you’ve got. Come! I’ll lace you up properly for once.’

      Snowdrop, 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.

      ‘Now you are no longer the fairest,’ said the wicked old woman, and then she hastened away.

      In 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. They 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. When the Dwarfs heard what had happened, they said:

      ‘Depend upon it, the old peddler wife was none other than the old Queen. In future you must be sure to let no one in, if we are not at home.’

      As soon as the wicked old Queen got home she went straight to her mirror, and said:

      ‘Mirror, mirror, hanging there,

       Who in all the land’s most fair?’

      and the mirror answered as before:

      ‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ‘tis true,

       But Snowdrop is fairer far than you.

       Snowdrop, who dwells with the seven little men,

       Is as fair as you, as fair again.’

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