swstory4

"Oh! No," said Snow-White. "For I must not take it."

"Surely you are not afraid of poison?" said the woman. "See, I will cut one in two. The rosy cheek you shall take and the white cheek I will eat myself."

Now the apple had been so cleverly made that only the rose-cheeked side contained the poison. Snow-White longed for the delicious-looking fruit and when she saw that the woman ate half of it, she thought there could be no danger and stretched out her hand and took the other part. But no sooner had she tasted it than she fell down dead.

The wicked Queen laughed aloud with joy as she gazed at her. "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony," she said. "This time the dwarves cannot awaken you." And she went straight home and asked her mirror, "Mirror, mirror upon the wall. Who is the fairest of all?

And at length it answered, "Thou, O Queen, art fairest of all!"

So her envious heart had peace as an envious heart can have.

When the little dwarves came home at night they found Snow-White lying upon the ground. No breath came from her part lips, for she was dead. They lifted her tenderly and sought for some poisonous object which might have caused the mischief, unlaced her frock, combed her hair and washed her with wine and water, but all in vain. Dead she was and dead she remained. They laid her upon a bier and all seven of them sat round about it and wept as though their hearts would break for three whole days.

When the time came that she should be laid in the ground they could not bear to part from her. Her pretty cheeks were still rosy red, and she looked just as though she were still living.

"We cannot hide her away in the dark earth," said the dwarves and so they made a transparant coffin of shining glass and laid her in it and wrote her name upon it in letters of gold. Also they wrote that she was a King's daughter. Then they placed the coffin upon the mountain-top and took it in turns to watch beside it.

All the animals came and wept for Snow-White. Fir an owl, then a raven and then a little dove. For a long, long time Snow-White lay in the coffin but her form did not wither. She only looked as though she slept, for she was still as white as snow, as red as blood and as black as ebony.

It chanced that a King's son came into the wood and went to the dwarves' house, meaning to spend the night there. He saw the coffin upon the mountain-top with little Snow-White lying within it and he read the words that were written upon it in letters of gold.

And he said to the dwarves, "If you will but let me have the coffin, you may ask of me what you will and I will give it to you."

But the dwarves answered, "We would not sell it for all the gold in the world."

Then said the prince, "Let me have it as a gift, I pray you, for I cannot live without seeing little Snow-White and I will prize your gift as the dearest of my possessions."

The good little dwarves pitied him when they heard these words and so gave him the coffin. The King's son then bade his servants place it upon their shoulders and carry it away, but as they went they stumbled over the stump of a tree and the biolent shaking shook the piece of poisonous apple which had lodged in Snow-White's throat out again so that she opened her eyes, raised the lid of the coffin and sat up! Alive once more!

"Where am I?" she cried and the happy Prince answered, "Thou art with me, dearest." Then he told her all that had happened and how he loved her better than the whole world and begged her to go with him to his father's palace and be his wife. Snow-White consented and went with him and the wedding was celebrated with great splendor and magnificence!

And they lived happily ever after!