Chapter 14
Chapter 14 of Grimm's Fairy Tales, retold in one-syllable words. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Katie Rose Martin. Grimm's Fairy Tales, retold in one-syllable words by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
Chapter 14, Little Snowdrop. Once upon a time, in the depth of winter, when the flakes of snow fell like feathers from the clouds, a queen sat sewing at her palace window, which had a carved frame of black wood. While she sewed, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell on the snow. The bright red looked so well on the white snow that the queen thought, oh, that I had a child as white as this snow, as red as this blood, and with hair as black as the wood of this frame.
It soon came to pass that the queen had a girl child who was as white as snow, as red as blood, and with hair as black as the window frame. She looked like a snowdrop, and hence was called by that name. And when the child was born, the mother died. When less than a year had passed, the king took a new wife, who was most fair, but so proud that she could not bear to think that anyone else came near her in beauty. She had a magic glass, and when she stepped in front of it
and said, Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? It would say, Thou art the fairest lady queen. Then she was pleased, for she knew the glass spoke the truth. But as Snowdrop grew up, she became fairer and fairer, till she reached the age of eight, and then was more lovely than the queen. The queen was vexed and went to her glass. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest one of all? The mirror replied, thou wert the fairest, lady queen. Snowdrop is
fairest now, I wean. The queen was shocked and turned green with envy. From that hour, the sight of Snowdrop filled her heart with hate, and the hate grew so strong and fierce that she had no rest, night or day. At last she called a hunter to her and said, Take this child to the woods. I cannot bear the sight of her. Kill her and bring me her heart and tongue as proof that you have done what I bid you. The hunter took the child to the woods, but when he drew his knife to
kill her, she begged him to spare her life. I will run into the woods and not be seen anymore, she said. This speech touched the man's heart, and he took pity on her and let her go. Just then, a young boar came to the spot, and as soon as he saw it, the man caught and killed it. Then he took its heart and tongue, and brought them to the queen, and told her they were Snowdrops. But now poor Snowdrop was left alone, and knew not which way to turn. She ran through the woods, and saw some wild beasts,
but none of them harmed her. She ran on till dark, and then she came to a small hut, into which she went. There was no one inside, but a table was set with food for seven persons. Snowdrop was in dire need of food. So she ate a small speck of what was on each plate and drank a drop or two of wine out of each glass, for she did not wish to take the whole share of anyone. There were seven small beds ranged in a row, each covered with snow white sheets. Then Snowdrop, because she was tired,
lay down in one of the beds, but it did not suit. Then she tried the next, but that was too long. the third was too short, the fourth too hard, and so on till she came to the seventh, which was just right. So she tucked herself up in it, and when she had prayed to God to take care of her, she went to sleep. By and by the lords of the house came home. They were seven dwarfs, who delved all day in the hills for gold. They saw that someone had been in the room,
that it was not just as they had left it. The first one said, who has sat in my chair? The second, who has eaten from my plate? The third, who has nibbled at my bread? The fourth, who has been at my broth? The fifth, who has used my fork? The sixth, who has been cutting with my knife. The seventh, who was drunk out of my cup? Then the first one, looking at his bed, saw that a dent had been made in it, and he cried out, who has stepped on my bed? They all ran, each one, to
his bed, and cried, one after the other. Someone has been in my bed. But the seventh one, on looking at his, saw snowdrop. He called his brothers, who ran to the bed with their lamps in their hands. They looked at her in wonder. What a beauty she is, they said. And they were so much pleased that they would not wake her, but left her to sleep.
And the seventh dwarf, in whose bed she was, slept one hour with each of his fellows, and so the night passed. When Snowdrop woke in the morning and saw the dwarfs, she was frightened. But they were friendly and asked her how she had come to their house. Then she told them how her stepmother would have had her killed, and how her life had been spared. The dwarfs told her that if she would keep house for them, she might stay with them and should want for nothing.
I will do all this gladly, said Snowdrop, and so she stayed with them. The dwarfs went out each day to dig for gold, and they told Snowdrop to take great care not to let a soul in the house while they were not there. It will not be long, said they, till your stepmother will know you are here. The queen, in the meantime, had not thought but that Snowdrop was dead, and that once more she was the fairest person in the world.
She went to her glass one day and said, Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest one of all? And it replied, Thou wert the fairest, Lady Queen. Snowdrop is Ferris now, I wean. Amid the forest darkly green, she lives with dwarfs, the hills
between. Then the queen knew the hunter had not told her the truth. She thought and thought how she could kill Snowdrop, and at last she hit on a plan. She stained her face and put on a dress of a peddler woman, and went over the hills to the dwarf's house. She knocked, and Snowdrop looked out, and thinking she was some poor woman, let her in and bought a stay lace from her. Come, said the old woman, let me lace your pretty waist right, and Snowdrop let her do so. But she
drew the lace so tight that Snowdrop could not breathe and fell down as if dead. Then the queen sped away. When the dwarfs came home, they found their dear Snowdrop lying on the floor. They raised her up, and when they saw that she was laced too tight, they cut the stays, and in a short time she began to breathe. When they heard what had taken place, they knew the queen had been there, and they warned Snowdrop to take more care and let no one come in the house
when they were not with her. When the queen reached home, she went to her glass and said the same words, mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest, one of all? And it replied once more, thou wert the fairest, lady queen, Snowdrop is fairest, now I wean. Amid the forest, darkly green, she lives with dwarfs, the hills between. Her rage was great, and she set her wits to work again to plan Snowdrop's death. By the aid of witchcraft, she made a poisoned comb and dressed as an old
woman and set out once more over the hills. She knocked at the door of the dwarf's house, calling, nice goods for sale. Snowdrop peeped out and said, you need not stop here. I shall let no one in. But still you may look, said the old woman, and she held up the comb. The child was so much pleased with the pretty comb that she forgot her fears and opened the door. Now, said the peddler, let me show you how to use it, and she began to comb Snowdrop's hair. The poison worked at once,
and Snowdrop fell to the floor senseless. By good luck, the dwarf soon came home, and when they saw Snowdrop lying on the floor, they knew the stepmother had been there again. As they raised Snowdrop, they saw the comb in her hair, and as soon as they drew it out, she revived. When the queen reached home, she went again to her glass and got it from the same reply as twice before. This made her wild with rage.
Snowdrop shall die, she cried, even if it cost me my life. She went to a secret room which no one else could enter, and there made a deadly, poisoned apple. Then she again stained her face and dressed as a peasant's wife, and went a third time to the dwarf's house. She knocked, but Snowdrop looked out of the window and said, I dare not open the door, for the dwarfs have told me to let no one in. That is hard for me, said the woman, for I must
take back my apples, but there is one which I will give you, and she held up an apple. No, said Snowdrop, I dare not take it. What, are you afraid of it? Cried the woman. There, see, I will cut it in two,
and you can have the red half, and I will take the white. The apple had been made so that the red side alone was poisoned. Snowdrop longed for the fruit, and when she saw the woman eat her half,
she could not resist, but took the poisoned part. She took but one bite and fell down dead. The queen looked at her with cruel eyes and laughed. The dwarfs will not be able to rouse you this time, she said. And when she reached home and went to her glass, it answered, Thou art the fairest, Lady Queen. When the dwarfs came home, they tried all means to bring Snowdrop to life, but this time she seemed to be dead beyond recall.
They laid her on a bier and sat by her and wept for three days. They would have buried her, but she looked so fair and lifelike they could not bear to put her in the earth. So they had a case made of clear glass in which one could view the body from all sides, and in this they placed her. Then they put the glass case upon the ledge of a rock, and one of them always stayed by to watch. Snowdrop lay in the case a long time and showed no signs of decay.
By and by, a young prince passed through the woods one day and saw the case on the rock and the fair girl within it. When he had looked at it, he said to the dwarfs, Let me have this case and I will pay you what you like for it. The dwarfs said, We will not sell the case for all the gold in the world. But when they saw that the prince loved Snowdrop truly, they gave him the case.
The prince had his servants lift it and take it away. As they went through the woods, one of the men stumbled, and the jar caused the piece of poisoned fruit to roll out of Snowdrop's mouth. Soon she opened her eyes, raised the top of the case, and sat up. Where am I? she cried.
You are with me, said the prince, full of joy. and he told her all that had come to pass. You are more dear to me than all else in the world. Come with me to my father's palace and be my wife. Snowdrop loved the kind young prince and went with him and soon after their marriage took place with great splendor. Snowdrop's stepmother was asked to the wedding and when she was dressed in her fine clothes to go she went to her glass and asked
Mirror, mirror on the wall Who's the fairest one of all? And it replied Thou wert the fairest, lady queen The prince's bride is more fair, I wean
In her anger, the queen at first thought she would not go to the wedding But in the end, she could not resist her wish to see the bride As soon as she entered, she knew Snowdrop And in her rage and fear seemed rooted to the spot Just then a pair of red hot iron shoes were brought with tongs and set in front of her
and these she was forced to put on and dance in till she fell down dead. End of chapter 14 Little Snowdrop
