Once upon a time, in the middle of a deep winter, a Queen sat sewing by an ebony-black window frame. As she watched the snow fluttering down like feathers, she pricked her finger with her needle. Three drops of red blood fell onto the white snow. It looked so beautiful that she made a wish. "I wish for a child as white as snow, as red as roses, and as black as this ebony wood," she whispered. Soon after, her wish came true! She had a baby girl and named her Snow White. But sadly, the good Queen passed away, and the King married a new wife. This new Queen was very beautiful, but she was also very proud and knew magic. She had a special mirror on her wall that could speak. One morning, the new Queen stood before it and asked, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" The mirror’s face swirled with smoke, preparing to answer.

For many years, the mirror always answered, "You, my Queen, are the fairest of them all." This made the Queen smile, for she knew the mirror never lied. But years went by, and Snow White grew up. She was kind, gentle, and more beautiful every single day. One morning, when the Queen asked her famous question — "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" — the mirror gave a different answer. "You, my Queen, are fair, it is true. But Snow White is a thousand times fairer than you." The Queen turned green with jealousy! She could not bear to be second best. She called for her Royal Huntsman, a big man with a deep voice. She pointed a long finger at him and gave a terrible order: "Take the princess into the forest," she hissed, "and make sure she never comes back!" The Huntsman bowed and took Snow White by the hand.

The Huntsman led Snow White deep into the forest, where the trees were thick and the shadows were long. When they reached a quiet glade, he stopped. He looked at the sweet princess, who was picking wildflowers, and his heart softened. He could not hurt her. "Run away, poor child!" the Huntsman cried, dropping to his knee. "Run into the woods and hide. The Queen wants to hurt you. You must never go home!" Snow White was terrified. She turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran over sharp stones and through thorny bushes. The wind howled, and the trees seemed to reach out with grabby branches. Just as the sun began to set, she saw a strange little shape in the distance. It wasn't a rock, and it wasn't a tree. It looked like a tiny roof with a tiny chimney.

Snow White crept closer. It was a sweet little cottage with round windows and a thatched roof. She knocked on the door — tap, tap, tap — but no one answered. She pushed the door open and peeked inside. Everything in the house was incredibly small! There was a low table set with seven little plates, seven little spoons, and seven little mugs. Against the wall stood seven little beds, all covered in crisp white sheets. Snow White was so hungry and tired. She ate a tiny bit of vegetables from each plate and took a sip from each mug. Then, she felt so sleepy that she curled up across the seven little beds and fell fast asleep. But the house wasn't empty. As the moon rose, seven bright lanterns bobbed through the trees. The owners of the cottage were coming home from work!

It was the seven Dwarfs! They marched into their house, singing a happy song. But as soon as they held up their lanterns, they stopped. "Who has been sitting on my stool?" asked the first dwarf. "Who has been eating off my plate?" asked the second. "Who has been drinking from my cup?" asked the third. They tiptoed toward their bedroom. There, sleeping soundly across their beds, was Snow White. She looked so peaceful that they didn’t want to wake her. They let her sleep until morning. When the sun came up, Snow White opened her eyes and saw seven bearded faces staring right at her! She gasped and sat up, pulling the blanket to her chin. Were these little men friendly, or would they be angry that she ate their dinner?

The Dwarfs were wonderful! When Snow White told them her sad story, they wiped their eyes. "You can stay with us!" they said. "You can cook and keep the house tidy while we dig for gold in the mountains." Snow White was very happy. But she had to be careful. "Don't let anyone in," the oldest dwarf, Doc, warned her. "The wicked Queen knows magic." Back at the castle, the Queen walked up to her mirror, thinking she was the most beautiful woman again. She asked, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" The mirror replied, "Over the seven jeweled hills, beyond the seventh fall, in the cottage of the seven dwarfs, dwells Snow White, fairest of them all." The Queen smashed her fist on the table! She knew exactly what to do. She painted her face to look like an old peddler woman and wrapped herself in a dark cloak. She grabbed a basket of poisoned gifts and headed for the woods.

Snow White was cleaning the cottage when she heard a scratchy voice outside. "Good wares for sale! Pretty things!" Snow White peeked out the window. She didn't see her stepmother; she only saw a harmless old woman selling colorful ribbons. "I suppose I can let her in," Snow White thought. She unbolted the door. "Oh, look at this pretty red lace for your dress," the old woman croaked. "Let me tie it for you properly." Snow White stood still. The old woman laced the bodice quickly and pulled it tight — so tight that Snow White couldn't breathe! She gasped and fell to the floor in a faint. "Now I am the fairest!" cackled the Queen, and she ran away. Snow White lay on the floor without moving. The Dwarfs were still miles away at the mine.

Luckily, the Dwarfs came home early! They saw Snow White on the floor, cut the tight lace, and she took a deep breath. She was safe! They warned her again, "Open the door for no one!" But the Queen asked her mirror the question again, and again it said Snow White was the fairest. The Queen was furious! She went into a secret room and made a terrible poison. She dipped a beautiful red apple into the bubbling pot. The apple looked delicious, but one bite would make someone sleep forever. Disguised as a sweet farmer's wife, the Queen went back to the cottage. She knocked on the window. "I have tasty apples," she whispered. "I dare not let you in," Snow White said. "You don't have to let me in," the woman smiled, holding the apple through the window. "Just take this one as a gift. Look how red it is." Snow White was hungry, and the apple looked so good. She reached out her hand.

Snow White took the apple. She took one small bite — crunch. Suddenly, the room spun. She fell to the floor and did not wake up. The Queen laughed a wicked laugh, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time, the dwarfs cannot wake you!" When the Dwarfs came home, they tried everything. They loosened her laces, combed her hair, and washed her face with water, but Snow White lay still. They cried and cried for three whole days. She looked so beautiful, as if she were just sleeping, that they could not bury her in the dark earth. Instead, they built a coffin made of clear glass so they could always see her. They placed it on a hill and took turns guarding it. Seasons changed. Winter came and went. Then, one sunny afternoon, a Prince rode his white horse through the forest. He saw the glass coffin and stopped. He climbed off his horse and walked toward it.

The Prince looked through the glass and saw Snow White. He fell in love with her immediately. "Please," he said to the Dwarfs, "let me take her to my castle. I will honor and protect her forever." The Dwarfs saw that the Prince was kind and true, so they agreed. They lifted the glass coffin onto their shoulders to carry it to the Prince's horse. But as they walked, one of the Dwarfs stumbled over a tree root! Bump! The coffin shook violently. The piece of poisoned apple that was stuck in Snow White's throat dislodged and flew out of her mouth. Snow White’s eyes fluttered. She took a deep breath and sat up. The lid of the coffin opened. She looked around in amazement and saw the Prince kneeling before her. "Where am I?" she asked. The Prince took her hand gently.

"You are safe with me," the Prince said, smiling. He told her everything that had happened and how much he loved her. "Will you come with me to my father's castle and be my wife?" Snow White looked at the kind Prince and the cheering Dwarfs. "Yes," she said with a smile as bright as the sun. They rode to the Prince's kingdom with the Dwarfs following close behind. There was a grand wedding with music, dancing, and cake. The wicked Queen, hearing that Snow White was alive and marrying a Prince, was so angry that she ran away and was never seen again. Snow White and her Prince lived in the castle, and the Seven Dwarfs visited them every Sunday. And they all lived happily ever after.