Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More (24 page)

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 honour 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 a tree-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 splendour.

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.”