Once upon a time, in the depths of winter, a queen sat by her ebony-framed window, sewing as snowflakes fell gently outside. As she worked, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow. Captivated by the contrast, she wished for a child with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. Soon after, she gave birth to a daughter who embodied these very features and named her Snow White. Tragically, the queen died shortly after the child’s birth.
A year later, the king remarried a woman of great beauty but immense pride. She possessed a magic mirror to which she would daily ask, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror unfailingly replied, “You are, my queen.” This pleased her, as she knew the mirror spoke the truth.
As Snow White grew, she became increasingly beautiful, surpassing even the queen. One day, when the queen questioned her mirror, it responded, “Queen, you are full fair, ’tis true, but Snow White fairer is than you.” Consumed by jealousy, the queen’s heart turned against Snow White, and she plotted to eliminate her. She ordered a huntsman to take the young princess into the forest and kill her, demanding he bring back Snow White’s heart as proof.
The huntsman led Snow White deep into the woods but, moved by her innocence and beauty, couldn’t commit the deed. He spared her life, instructing her to flee and never return. To deceive the queen, he killed a wild boar and presented its heart as Snow White’s.
Alone and frightened, Snow White wandered through the forest until she discovered a small cottage. Inside, she found seven tiny beds and, exhausted, fell asleep. The cottage belonged to seven dwarfs who, upon returning home, were surprised to find the young maiden. Moved by her tale and plight, they invited her to stay, warning her to be cautious of her stepmother.
Meanwhile, the queen, believing Snow White was dead, once again consulted her mirror. To her horror, it revealed that Snow White was still alive and residing with the seven dwarfs. Enraged, the queen devised a plan to kill Snow White herself. Disguising herself as an old peddler woman, she visited the dwarfs’ cottage and offered Snow White a beautifully laced bodice. Trusting the woman, Snow White allowed her to lace it, but the queen tightened it so much that Snow White collapsed, seemingly lifeless. The queen departed, convinced of her success.
That evening, the dwarfs returned and found Snow White unconscious. Noticing the tight laces, they cut them, allowing her to breathe again. Upon revival, she recounted the encounter, and the dwarfs cautioned her to trust no strangers.
Back at the castle, the queen learned from her mirror that Snow White still lived. Furious, she crafted a poisoned comb, disguised herself differently, and returned to the cottage. She persuaded Snow White to let her comb her hair, and as soon as the comb touched her scalp, the poison took effect, and Snow White fell unconscious. The dwarfs, upon their return, removed the comb, and Snow White revived. They warned her again about the dangers of strangers.
Undeterred, the queen prepared a poisoned apple, disguising herself once more. This time, she offered the apple to Snow White, who hesitated. To allay her fears, the queen cut the apple, eating the unpoisoned half herself and giving the poisoned half to Snow White. Trusting her, Snow White took a bite and immediately fell into a death-like sleep. This time, the dwarfs could not revive her, and, believing her dead, placed her in a glass coffin.
Time passed, and one day, a prince traveling through the forest came upon the coffin. Enchanted by Snow White’s beauty, he pleaded with the dwarfs to let him take her to his castle. As his servants carried the coffin, they stumbled, dislodging the piece of poisoned apple from Snow White’s throat. She awakened, and the prince declared his love for her. They returned to his kingdom and were married in a grand ceremony.
The wicked queen, upon learning from her mirror that Snow White was alive and now a queen herself, was consumed by rage and despair. Unable to bear the reality, she fled the kingdom, never to be seen again.
Snow White and the prince lived happily ever after, their love a testament to the triumph of good over evil.