My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales | Page 4

on one side, and
the true one on the other; but nobody knew her, for she was quite
dazzling to their eyes, and was not at all like the little goose-girl, now
that she had her brilliant dress.
When they had eaten and drunk, and were very merry, the old king told
all the story, as one that he had once heard of, and asked the true
waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would
behave thus.
"Nothing better," said this false bride, "than that she should be thrown
into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses
should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she is
dead."
"Thou art she!" said the old king; "and since thou hast judged thyself, it
shall be so done to thee."
And the young king was married to his true wife, and they reigned over
the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives.

[Illustration]
LITTLE SNOW-WHITE
It was in the middle of winter, when the broad flakes of snow were
falling around, that a certain queen sat working at the window, the
frame of which was made of fine black ebony; and as she was looking
out upon the snow, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell
upon it. Then she gazed thoughtfully upon the red drops which
sprinkled the white snow, and said, "Would that my little daughter may
be as white as that snow, as red as the blood, and as black as the ebony
window-frame!" And so the little girl grew up: her skin was as white as
snow, her cheeks as rosy as blood, and her hair as black as ebony; and

she was called Snow-White.
But this queen died; and the king soon married another wife, who was
very beautiful, but so proud that she could not bear to think that any
one could surpass her. She had a magical looking-glass, to which she
used to go and gaze upon herself in it, and say,
"Tell me, glass, tell me true! Of all the ladies in the land. Who is fairest?
Tell me who?"
And the glass answered, "Thou, Queen, art fairest in the land."
But Snow-White grew more and more beautiful; and when she was
seven years old, she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen
herself. Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went to
consult it as usual:
"Thou, Queen, may'st fair and beauteous be, But Snow-White is
lovelier far than thee!"
When she heard this she turned pale with rage and envy; and calling to
one of her servants said, "Take Snow-White away into the wide wood,
that I may never see her more." Then the servant led her away; but his
heart melted when she begged him to spare her life, and he said, "I will
not hurt thee, thou pretty child." So he left her by herself, and though
he thought it most likely that the wild beasts would tear her to pieces,
he felt as if a great weight were taken off his heart when he had made
up his mind not to kill her, but leave her to her fate.
[Illustration]
Then poor Snow-White wandered along through the wood in great fear;
and the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm. In the
evening she came to a little cottage, and went in there to rest herself,
for her weary feet would carry her no further. Everything was spruce
and neat in the cottage: on the table was spread a white cloth, and there
were seven little plates with seven little loaves and seven little glasses
with wine in them; and knives and forks laid in order, and by the wall
stood seven little beds. Then, as she was very hungry, she picked a little
piece off each loaf, and drank a very little wine out of each glass; and
after that she thought she would lie down and rest. So she tried all the
little beds; and one was too long, and another was too short, till at last
the seventh suited her; and there she laid herself down and went to
sleep. Presently in came the masters of the cottage, who were seven
little dwarfs that lived among the mountains, and dug and searched

about for gold. They lighted up their seven lamps, and saw directly that
all was not right. The first said, "Who has been sitting on my stool?"
The second, "Who has been eating off my plate?" The third, "Who has
been picking at my bread?" the fourth, "Who has been meddling with
my spoon?" The fifth, "Who has been handling my fork?" The sixth,
"Who