![]() ![]() The dwarves said: "If you will keep house for us, cook and make the beds, wash and sew and knit, and if you will keep everything tidy and clean, you can stay with us and you shall lack for nothing." "Yes," said Snow White, "with all my heart," and she stayed with them. Then she told them the story of how her stepmother had wanted to have her killed, but the huntsman had spared her life, and then she had run and run all day long until at last she had found their little house. "How did you come to be in our house?" the dwarves asked again. But they were friendly, asking: "What's your name?" "My name is Snow White," she replied. When morning came Snow White woke, and when she saw the seven dwarves she was startled. As for the seventh dwarf, he slept with his fellows, an hour apiece with each of them. "What a beautiful child!" And they were so joyful that they didn't wake her up, but let her go on sleeping in the little bed. They fetched their seven little lanterns and threw their light on Snow White. Then he called the others, who came running up, and they cried out in amazement. The first said: "Who's been sitting on my chair?" The second: "Who's been eating from my plate?" The third: "Who's taken some of my bread?" The fourth: "Who's eaten some of my greens?" The fifth: "Who's been using my fork?" The sixth: "Who's been using my knife?" The seventh: "Who's been drinking from my cup?" Then the first turned round and, seeing that there was a little dent on his bed, he said: "Who's tried out my bed?" The others ran up, and cried: "Somebody's been lying in my bed too." But when the seventh looked at his bed, he saw Snow White lying there asleep. They lit their seven little lanterns, and as it grew bright in the little house they saw that somebody had been there, for everything was not in the order they had left it in. They were the seven dwarves who dug and mined for ore in the mountains. When it had grown quite dark the masters of the little house arrived. So she remained lying on that one, entrusted herself to God, and fell asleep. Afterwards, because she was so tired, she lay down on one of the little beds, but none of them was the right size for her: this one was too long, that one too short, until at last the seventh was just right. ![]() Because Snow White was so hungry and thirsty she ate some bread and greens from each little plate, and drank a drop of wine from each little cup, for she didn't want to take it all from just one. Against the wall there were seven little beds, arranged side by side and covered with sheets as white as snow. There was a little table with a white cloth, laid with seven little plates, each plate with its little spoon, seven little knives and forks as well, and seven little cups. Everything in the little house was very small, but I just can't tell you how neat and clean it was. Then she saw a little house, and she went inside to rest. ![]() She ran for as long as her feet could carry her, until it was nearly evening. And so she began to run, and she ran over the sharp stones and through the thorns, and the wild animals leapt past her, but they did her no harm. Now the poor child was all alone in the great forest, and she grew so frightened that she gazed at all the leaves on the trees and didn't know what to do to save herself. The cook was commanded to stew them in salt, and the wicked woman ate them up, imagining it was Snow White's lungs and liver she had eaten. And as a young boar-piglet came leaping by just at that moment, he stabbed him, took out his lungs and liver, and brought them to the queen as a token. And just as he had drawn his hunting knife and was about to stab Snow White in her innocent heart, she began to cry, saying: "Oh, huntsman dear, spare my life I'll run away into the wild wood and never come home again." And because she was so fair, the huntsman took pity on her and said: "Run away then, you poor child." The wild animals will soon have eaten you up, he thought, but even so he felt as if a stone had been lifted from his heart because he didn't need to kill her. You are to kill her, and bring me her lungs and liver as a token." The huntsman obeyed and led the child out into the forest. So she called a huntsman to her and told him: "Take the child out into the forest. And envy and arrogance grew in her heart like a weed, taller and taller, so that day and night she no longer had any peace. From that hour, whenever she saw Snow White her heart would turn over in her body, she hated the girl so much. This horrified the queen, who turned yellow and green with envy. The Huntsman takes Snow White deep into the forest. ![]()
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