Snow-white and the seven dwarfs part three

PART THREE

When the wicked woman got home she went to her mirror and said, “magic mirror upon the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" The mirror answered as before, “Queen, thou art of beauty rare, but Snow-White living in the glen with the seven little men is a thousand times more fair." When she heard that she was so shocked that all the blood left her heart, for she knew that Snow-white must still be living. “But this time,” she said, “I will do something that will be her ruin.” And by witchcraft she made a poisoned comb. Then she disguised herself as yet another old woman, different from the first, and went to the house of the seven dwarfs again, she knocked at the door crying, “beautiful combs for sale!” Snow-white looked out and said, “Sorry, please go away, I must not let anybody inside the house.”

“But you are not forbidden to look,” said the wicked Queen, taking out the poisoned comb and holding it up. It pleased Snow-White so much that she opened the door, (foolish girl) and when the bargain was made the old woman said, “Now, your hair shall be properly combed.” Poor Snow-white, thinking no harm, let the old woman do as she would, (rather silly of her, I think, don’t you?) Sure enough, no sooner was the comb put in her hair than the poison began to work, and the poor girl fell down senseless.

“Now, you paragon of beauty,” said the wicked woman, “this is the end of you,” and off she went, laughing that laugh again.

By good luck it was now near evening, and the seven dwarfs came home. When they saw Snow-white lying on the ground as though dead, they knew that it was the wicked Queen’s doing, one of them found the poisoned comb, and no sooner had they taken it out of her hair than Snow-white recovered, and told them all that had happened. They warned her once more to be on her guard, and never again to let anyone in the house.

Back in the palace, the Queen stood before the looking-glass and said, “magic mirror upon the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" The mirror answered as before, “Queen, thou art of beauty rare, But Snow-white living in the glen with the seven little men is a thousand times more fair." When she heard the mirror say this, she trembled and shook with anger. “Snow-white shall die,” she cried, “even if it should cost me my own life!” She went to a secret chamber, where no one was likely to come, and there she made a poisonous apple. It was beautiful to look upon, this lush, red and green apple, anyone who should see it must long for it, but whoever ate even a little bit of the poisoned part, would die. When the apple was ready she painted her face and clothed herself like a peasant woman and went to where the seven dwarfs lived.

When she knocked at the door Snow-white put her head out of the window and said, “I dare not let anybody in; the seven dwarfs told me not to.” “Alright,” answered the woman; “I can easily get rid of my apples elsewhere. Here, I will give you this one.”

“No,” answered Snow-white, “I dare not take anything.”

“Are you afraid of poison?” said the woman, “look here, I will cut the apple in two pieces; you shall have the red side, I will have the green one.” For the apple was so cunningly made, that all the poison was in the rosy half of it. Snow-white longed for the delicious looking apple, and as she saw the peasant woman eating a piece of it she could no longer resist and took the poisoned half. No sooner had she bitten into it than she fell to the ground as though dead. And the Queen, her beautiful face twisted into a mask of vile horror, laughed aloud, and cried, “As white as snow, as red as blood, as black as ebony! This time the dwarfs will not be able to bring you to life again.” And she laughed like the mad woman she was as she made her way back to the palace.