Listen to Snow White while you read along! 



Part 1: Mirror, Mirror

ONCE UPON A TIME, a Princess named Snow White lived in a castle with her father the King and her Stepmother the Queen. Her father always reminded his daughter that above all else, a royal family must be fair. He said, “People over all the land come to the castle to settle disputes. The ruler must hear each side and make a decision that’s fair.”

The Queen, Snow White’s stepmother, knew how important being fair was to her husband. She went to her magic mirror and asked, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

“Snow White is the fairest of them all!” said the Magic Mirror.

“What?!” shouted the Queen in surprise.  “No one is more fair than I!  The Queen must be the best at everything.  What’s more fair than that?”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Snow White is the fairest of them all!” stated the Magic Mirror again.

The Queen shook her fists.  “What do you know? – you’re a mirror!”  She threw a blanket over the mirror and stormed off. 

Still, the Queen was bothered.  So much so, that the Queen decided to be rid of the girl, once and for all. 

“I cannot wait another day to deal with her!” she resolved.  The Queen called for her servant, a huntsman.  Pointing her long fingernail at him she said, “Tomorrow, find a reason to take Snow White deep into the woods. And kill her.”

The huntsman was shocked!  But she was the Queen – what could he do?  The next day he took Snow White into the woods.  As he drew his knife to slay her, Snow White turned around.

“Look,” she said. She took from her pocket six perfect animal shapes carved of wood. “I made them for you.”

“Snow White,” cried the huntsman, dropping to his knees.  “I cannot do this!”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“You must accept them, they are a gift,” said Snow White.

“That’s not what I meant!” said the servant.  “How can I say this?  The Queen, your stepmother, ordered me to kill you.” The huntsman dropped to his knees.  “But I cannot!”

“She what?” Snow White called out with alarm.

“You must run away!” said the huntsman.  “Far away.  Now!  And never go back to the castle!”

Snow White turned and ran into the woods as fast as she could. 

 


Part 2: The Dark Woods

Deeper and deeper into the darkening woods she ran.  Wolves were starting to howl.  She tripped and tore her skirt, but kept running.  Tall tree branches seemed to reach down to the very ground to grab her, but she kept running.  She was scratched, bleeding, and scared, but ran on till she could run no more.

All of a sudden, a light blinked far in the distance.  Who would live so deep in the woods?  She stepped up closer to the light.  It came from a cottage, yet no sound came from the cottage, only the flickering light from the windows.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Hello?” she said, knocking softly on the door.  “Hello?” No answer.  The door was a little bit open.  She opened it some more and stepped in.  “Hello, is anyone home?” 

She looked around.  What a mess!  

“Maybe if I clean up around here,” she thought, “The ones who live here will let me stay here tonight.”

As she cleaned, she thought of someone.  Before her father married the Queen her stepmother, she and a Prince who lived in a nearby kingdom were spending time together.  When he visited, they would take walks in the royal garden, tell each other stories of life at court, and laugh at all the oddities that was the life they led.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

However once her father re-married, the Stepmother made a new rule – no more visitors.  It wasn’t seemly, she said in a firm voice.  Now the Prince had to slip over the castle gate in secret. The Prince would call out to her from under her bedroom window and they could talk a bit that way. They had to keep their voices low so it wasn’t as good as walking in the royal garden, but it was the best they could manage.  

She fretted, if she never returned again to the castle would she ever see him again?  What would he think of her when he came to visit and she was no longer there?

 


Part 3: What Kind of Magic is This?

After Snow White cleaned up the living room, she climbed a ladder to the attic.  Upstairs seven little beds, sized as if for children, were lined up in a row.  Tired from cleaning, Snow White yawned and lay directly across all seven beds.  Before she could even stretch out her arms she was fast asleep.

In the meantime, the Seven Dwarfs were headed home from a long day of working in the jewel mines.  When they opened their door, you can imagine their surprise when they saw their cottage, glistening!

“What kind of magic is this?” said one of the Dwarfs, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.  He was Grumpy.


“What kind of magic is this?” said one of the Dwarfs, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.


“I wouldn’t mind more magic like this!” said another of the Dwarfs with a grin.  He was Dopey.

“We’d better check the attic,” said another Dwarf.  His name was Doc.  “Something is strange around here, take my word for it.  Well, we might as well go upstairs and see what we find.”

Much to their surprise, lying across all their beds was a young lady with a sweet face, fast asleep. 

“Who are you?” said all the Dwarfs at once. 

Snow White bolted awake.  The Seven Dwarfs could tell she was as surprised as they were.  When everyone calmed down, they told their stories. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White learned their names – Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. She told them about life in the castle, and her stepmother.  That her stepmother had tried to get the huntsman to kill her.  That the huntsman had told her she must escape into the woods.  And that she could never go back home again.

“Stay here with us,” said Bashful. 

“How nice of you,” said Snow White, “but if I were to stay here, I would have to do something for all of you.”

“You already cleaned up,” said Sneezy, and then sneezed. 

“It looks like there’s more dusting to do,” said Snow White.  “We could keep the house tidy as long as everyone pitches in.  I can teach everyone so they know what to do.  And I’ll do my share too, of course.”

“That’s fair,” said Happy. 

“You bet,” Snow White nodded.

“There must be something else I can do for you,” said Snow White.

The Seven Dwarfs shrugged.

“Do you know how to read?” said Doc.  “We have books with wonderful pictures and would love to be able to read them.” So it was agreed that Snow White would teach them all to read.   

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

To celebrate their new friendship, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sang and danced the night away. 

 


Part 4: Do Not Open The Door

The next morning before they left for work, the Seven Dwarfs warned Snow White that she must not open the door to anyone.  After all, who knows what evil her Stepmother might do?  The Princess nodded, and the Dwarfs left the house.  The Princess prepared her first reading lesson. She also prepared a good hot meal for the Seven Dwarfs for when they returned home later that night.  And so the day passed.

Back at the castle, the Queen marched up to her Magic Mirror.  “Mirror, mirror on the wall,” she demanded.  “Who is the fairest of them all?”

“Snow White is the fairest of them all!” said the Magic Mirror.

“That is impossible!” screamed the Queen.  “The girl is no longer alive!”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Snow White lives!” said the Magic Mirror.  An image on the mirror showed Snow White living in the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.

Rage filled the Queen’s body.  She screamed, “Snow White will not get away with this!”

 


Part 5: The Apple, The Coffin, and The Prince

At the cottage of the Dwarfs the next afternoon, when the Seven Dwarfs were away at work, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” said Snow White.  She remembered the warning of the Seven Dwarfs not to open the door to anyone.

“It’s only a poor old woman,” came a squeaky voice, “selling apples.” Yet in fact, it was the evil Queen disguised as an old woman.  “It’s raining outside, dearie,” said her voice through the door.  “Please let me in.”

“Poor thing,” thought Snow White, “having to go door to door selling apples in the rain.”  She opened the door.  “That’s odd,” she said, looking around, “no rain.”

“Just stopped,” said the old woman, who as you know was really the Queen in disguise. “Take a look at this big red apple.” She put the apple in front of Snow White’s face.  “Lovely, my dear, isn’t it?  For only a few coins, it is yours.”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“I would like very much to buy your apple,” said Snow White. “But I have no money.”

“That fine comb in your hair will make a good trade,” said the old woman.

“All right then!” said Snow White.  She gave her comb to the old woman, and took the apple in return.  Snow White took a big bite but alas! the fruit was poisoned.  At once, Snow White swooned to the ground where she fell into a very deep sleep. 

“She is down!” shouted the Queen, pumping the air with her fists. 

Just then the door flew open.  In marched the Seven Dwarfs, home from the day’s work.  Shocked indeed they were to find Snow White lying on the floor and what must be her Stepmother beside her, laughing with all her might!


In marched the Seven Dwarfs, home from the day’s work.


The Seven Dwarfschased the evil Queen out the door and into the storm.  Up to the very top of a mountain they chased her, when all of a sudden, lightning hit the mountain.  The Queen fell!  And she was never seen again.

But nothing could help poor Snow White.  She stayed absolutely still in her deep sleep.  The Seven Dwarfs gently lifted her into a glass coffin.  Day and night they kept watch over her, weeping for sorrow.

One day, the Prince happened to ride by the Dwarf’s cottage.  Ever since he learned that Snow White was missing at the castle, he knew something must be terribly wrong.  He hopped on his horse and had been searching for her ever since.  Now he finally found her, but in such a state! The Prince lifted the lid to the glass coffin.  Her face seemed so fresh, even in that deep sleep. 

The Prince gently took one of Snow White’s hands in his own and kissed it.  At once, Snow White’s eyes opened. With Love’s First Kiss, the evil Queen’s spell was gone forever! The Seven Dwarfs let out a big cheer.  The Prince and Snow White leaned towards each other.  Delighted to find each other again, they smiled.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Now nothing stood in the way for Snow White and the Prince to be together.  They bid a fond farewell to the Seven Dwarfs and returned to the Prince’s kingdom, where they could be safe and live free.  Before long they were married and lived happily ever after.

 

end