|
|
|
German Tales |
|
 |
 |
Once upon a time
in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow were falling
like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window sewing, and
the frame of the window was made of black ebony. And whilst she
was sewing and looking out of the window at the snow, she
pricked her finger with the needle, and three drops of blood
fell upon the snow. And the red looked pretty upon the white
snow,
and she thought to herself, would that I had a child as white as
snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the
window-frame.
Soon after that she had a little daughter, who was as white as
snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony,
and she was therefore called little
snow-white. And when the child was born, the queen died. After a
year had passed the king took to himself another wife. She was a
beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not bear
that anyone else chould surpass her in
beauty. She had a wonderful looking-glass, and when she stood in
front of it and looked at herself in it, and said,
looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall, who in this land is
the fairest of all. The looking-glass answered, thou, o queen,
art the fairest of all. Then she was
satisfied, for she knew that the looking-glass spoke the
truth.But snow-white was growing up, and grew more
and more beautiful, and when she
was seven years old she was as beautiful |
as the day, and
more beautiful than the queen herself. And once when the queen
asked her looking-glass, looking-glass, looking-glass, on the
wall, who in this land is the fairest of all.
It answered, thou art fairer than all who are here, lady queen.
But more beautiful still is snow-white, as I ween. Then the
queen was shocked, and turned yellow and green with envy. From
that hour, whenever she looked at snow-white, her heart heaved
in her breast, she hated the girl so much. And envy and pride
grew higher and higher in her heart like a weed, so that she had
no peace day or night. She called a huntsman, and said, take the
child away into the forest. I will no longer have her in my
sight. Kill her, and bring me back her lung and liver as a
token. The huntsman obeyed, and took her away but when he had
drawn his knife, and was
about to pierce snow-white's innocent heart, she began to weep,
and said, ah dear huntsman, leave me my life. I will run away
into the wild forest, and never come home again.
And as she was so beautiful the huntsman had pity on her and
said, run away, then, you poor child. The wild beasts will soon
have devoured you, thought he, and yet it seemed as if a stone
had been rolled from his heart since it was no longer needful
for him to kill her. And as a young
bear just then came running by he stabbed it, and cut out its
lung and liver and took them to the queen as proof that the
child was dead. The cook had to salt them, and the wicked queen
ate them, and thought she had eaten the lung and liver of
snow-white. But now the poor child was all alone in the great
forest, and so terrified that she looked at all the
leaves on the trees, and did
not know what to do. Then she began to run, and ran over sharp
stones and through thorns, and the wild beasts ran past her, but
did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet would go
until it was almost evening, then she saw a little cottage and
went into it to rest herself. Everything in the cottage was
small, but neater and cleaner than can be told. There was a
table on which was a white cover, and seven little plates, and
on each plate a little spoon, moreover, there were seven little
knives and forks, and seven little mugs.
Against the wall stood seven little beds side by side, and
covered with snow-white counterpanes. Little snow-white was so
hungry and thirsty that she ate some vegetables and bread from
each plate and drank a drop of wine out of each mug, for she did
not wish to take all from one only. Then, as she was so tired,
she laid herself down on one of the little beds, but none of
them suited her, one was too long, another too short, but at
last she found that the seventh one was right, and so she
remained in it, said a prayer and went to
sleep. When it was quite dark the owners of the cottage came
back. They were seven dwarfs who dug and delved in the mountains
for ore. They lit their seven candles,
and as it was now light within the cottage they saw that someone
had been there, for everything was not in
the same order in which they had left it. The first said, who
has been sitting on my chair. The second, who has been eating
off my plate. The third, who has been taking some of my bread.
The fourth, who has been eating my vegetables. The fifth, who
has been using my fork. The sixth,
who has been cutting with my knife. The seventh, who has been
drinking out of my mug. Then the first
looked round and saw that there was a little hollow on his bed,
and he said, who has been getting into my bed. The others came
up and each called out, somebody has been lying in my bed too.
But the seventh when he looked at his bed saw little snow-white,
who was lying asleep therein. And he called the others, who came
running up, and they cried out with astonishment, and brought
their seven little candles and let the light fall on little
snow-white. Oh, heavens, oh, heavens, cried they, what a lovely
child. And they were so glad that they did not wake her up, but
let her sleep on in the bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with
his companions, one hour with each, and so passed the night.
When it was morning little snow-white awoke, and was frightened
when she saw the seven dwarfs. But they were friendly and asked
her what her name was. My name is snow-white, she answered. How
have you come to our house, said
the dwarfs. Then she told them that her step-mother had wished
to have her killed, but that the huntsman had spared her life,
and that she had run for the whole day, until at last she had
found their dwelling. The dwarfs said, if you will take care of
our house, cook, make the beds, wash, sew and knit, and if you
will keep everything neat and clean you can stay with us and you
shall want for nothing. Yes, said snow-white, with all my heart.
And she stayed with them. She kept the house in order for them.
In the mornings they went to the
mountains and looked for copper and gold, in the evenings they
came back, and then their supper had to be ready.
The girl was alone the whole day, so the good dwarfs
warned her and said, beware of your step-mother, she will soon
know that you are here, be sure to let no
one come in. But the queen, believing
that she had eaten snow-white's lung and liver, could not but
think that she was again the first and most
beautiful of all, and she went to her looking-glass and
said, looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall, who in this
land is the fairest of all. And the glass answered, oh, queen,
thou art fairest of all I see, but over the hills, where the
seven dwarfs dwell, snow-white is still alive and well, and none
is so fair as she. Then she was astounded, for she knew that the
looking-glass never spoke falsely, and she knew that the
huntsman had betrayed her, and that little snow-white was still
alive. And so she thought and thought again how she might kill
her for so long as she was not the fairest in the whole land,
envy let her have no rest. And when she had at last thought of
something to do, she painted her face, and dressed herself like
an old pedlar-woman, and no one could have known her. In this
disguise she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs,
and knocked at the door and cried, pretty things to sell, very
cheap, very cheap. Little snow-white
looked out of the window and called out, good-day my good woman,
what have you to sell. Good things, pretty things, she answered,
stay-laces of all colors, and she pulled out one which was woven
of bright-colored silk. I may let the
worthy old woman in, thought snow-white, and she unbolted the
door and bought the pretty laces. Child, said the old woman,
what a fright you look, come, I will lace you properly
for once. Snow-white had no suspicion, but stood before her, and
let herself be laced with the new laces.
But the old woman laced so quickly and so tightly that
snow-white lost her breath and fell down as
if dead. Now I am the most beautiful, said the queen to
herself, and ran away. Not long afterwards, in the evening, the
seven dwarfs came home, but how shocked they were when they saw
their dear little snow-white lying on the ground, and that she
neither stirred nor moved, and seemed to be dead. They lifted
her up, and, as they saw that she was laced too tightly, they
cut the laces, then she began to breathe
a little, and after a while came to life again. When the dwarfs
heard what had happened they said, the old
pedlar-woman was no one else than the wicked queen, take
care and let no one come in when we are not with you. But the
wicked woman when she had reached home went in front of the
glass and asked, looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall, who
in this land is
the fairest of all. And it answered as before, oh, queen, thou
art fairest of all I see, but over the hills, where the seven
dwarfs dwell, snow-white is still alive
and well, and none is so fair as she. When she heard that, all
her blood rushed to her heart with fear,
for she saw plainly that little snow-white was again alive. But
now, she said, I will think of something that shall really put
an end to you. And by the help of witchcraft, which she
understood, she made a poisonous comb. Then she disguised
herself and took the shape of another old woman. So she went
over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked at the
door, and cried, good things
to sell, cheap, cheap. Little snow-white looked out and said, go
away, I cannot let anyone come in. I suppose you can look, said
the old woman, and pulled the poisonous comb out and held it up.
It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be beguiled,
and opened the door. When they had made a bargain the old woman
said, now I will comb you properly for once. Poor little
snow-white had no suspicion, and let the old woman do as she
pleased, but hardly had she put the comb in her hair than the
poison in it took effect, and the girl fell down senseless. You
paragon of beauty, said the wicked woman, you are done for now,
and she went away. But fortunately it was almost evening, when
the seven dwarfs came home. When they saw snow-white lying as if
dead upon the ground they at once suspected the step-mother, and
they looked and found the poisoned comb. Scarcely had they taken
it out when
snow-white came to herself, and told them what had happened.
Then they warned her once more to be upon her guard and to open
the door to no one. The queen, at home, went in front of
the glass and said, looking-glass, looking-glass, on the wall,
who in this land
is the fairest of all. Then it answered as before, oh, queen,
thou art fairest of all I see, but over the hills, where the
seven dwarfs dwell, snow-white is still alive and well, and none
is so fair as she. When she heard the glass speak thus she
trembled and shook with rage. Snow-white
shall die, she cried, even if it costs me my life. Thereupon she
went into a quite secret, lonely room, where no
one ever came, and there she made a very poisonous apple.
Outside it looked pretty, white with a red cheek, so that
everyone who saw it longed for it, but whoever ate a piece of it
must surely die. When the apple was ready she painted her face,
and dressed herself up as a farmer's
wife, and so she went over the seven mountains to the seven
dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow-white put her head out of
the window and said, I cannot let anyone in, the seven dwarfs
have forbidden me. It is all the same to me, answered the
woman, I shall soon get rid of my apples. There, I will give you
one. No, said snow-white, I dare not take anything. Are you
afraid of poison, said the old woman,
look, I will cut the apple in two pieces, you eat the red cheek,
and I will eat the white. The apple was
so cunningly made that only the red cheek was poisoned.
Snow-white longed for the fine apple, and when she saw that the
woman ate part of it she could resist no longer, and stretched
out her hand and took the poisonous half. But hardly had she a
bit of it in her mouth than she fell down dead. Then the queen
looked at her with a dreadful look, and laughed aloud and said,
white as snow, red as blood, black as ebony-wood, this time the
dwarfs cannot wake you up again.
And when she asked of the looking-glass at home, looking-glass,
looking-glass, on the wall, who in this land is the fairest of
all.
And it answered at last, oh, queen, in this land thou art
fairest of all. Then her envious heart had rest, so far as an
envious heart can have rest. The dwarfs,
when they came home in the evening, found snow-white lying upon
the ground, she breathed no longer and was dead. They lifted her
up, looked to see whether they could find anything poisonous,
unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her
with water and wine, but it was all of no use, the poor child
was dead, and remained dead. They laid her upon a bier, and all
seven of them sat round it and wept for her, and wept three days
long. Then they were going to bury her, but she still looked as
if she
were living, and still had her pretty red cheeks. They said, we
could not bury her in the dark ground, and they had a
transparent coffin of glass made, so that she could be seen from
all sides, and they laid her in it, and wrote her name upon it
in golden letters, and that she was a king's daughter. Then they
put the coffin out upon the mountain, and one of them always
stayed by it and watched it. And birds came too, and wept for
snow-white, first an owl, then a raven, and last a dove.
And now snow-white lay a long, long time in the coffin,
and she did not change, but looked as if she were asleep, for
she was as white as snow, as red as
blood, and her hair was as black as ebony. It happened, however,
that a king's son came into the forest, and went to the dwarfs,
house to spend the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain, and
the beautiful snow-white within it, and read
what was written upon it in golden letters. Then he said
to the dwarfs, let me have the coffin, I will give you whatever
you want for it. But the dwarfs answered, we will not part with
it for all the gold in the world. Then he said, let me have it
as a gift, for I cannot live without seeing snow-white. I will
honor and prize her as my dearest possession. As he spoke in
this way the good dwarfs took pity upon him, and gave him the
coffin. And now the king's son had it carried away by his
servants on their shoulders. And it happened that they stumbled
over atree-stump, and with the shock the poisonous piece of
apple which snow-white had bitten off came out of her throat.
And before long she opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the
coffin, sat up, and was once more alive. Oh, heavens, where am
I, she cried. The king's son, full of joy, said, you are with
me. And told her what had happened, and said, I love you more
than everything in the world, come with me to my father's
palace, you shall be my wife. And snow-white was willing, and
went with him, and their wedding was held with great show and
splendor. But snow-white's wicked step-mother was also bidden to
the feast. When she had arrayed herself in beautiful clothes she
went before the looking-glass, and said, looking-glass,
looking-glass, on the wall, who in this land is the fairest of
all. The glass answered, oh, queen, of all here the fairest art
thou, but the young queen is fairer by far as I trow. Then the
wicked woman uttered a curse, and was so wretched, so utterly
wretched that she knew not what to do. At first she
would not go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace,
and had to go to see the young queen. And when she went in she
recognized snow-white, and she stood still with rage and fear,
and could not stir. But iron slippers had already been put upon
the fire, and they were brought in with tongs, and set before
her. Then she was forced to put on the red-hot shoes, and dance
until she dropped down dead. |
|
|
|
