Long ago, in a kingdom wrapped in soft hills and silver forests, a queen sat by a winter window sewing. As she looked at the falling snow, she wished for a child as fair as snow, with lips as red as rose petals and hair as dark as ebony wood.
When her wish came true, she named the baby Snow White.
But the good queen did not live to see her daughter grow. In time the king married again. The new queen was beautiful, but her heart was cold with envy. Every morning she asked her magic mirror:
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
And every morning the mirror answered, “You, my queen, are the fairest.”
Years passed. Snow White grew kind and gentle. She shared bread with birds, smiled at servants, and spoke softly even when she was sad. One morning the mirror said something new.
“You are fair, my queen, it is true. But Snow White is fairer than you.”
The queen’s face tightened. Jealousy filled her like a storm cloud. She ordered a huntsman to take Snow White deep into the forest and leave her there.
The huntsman led Snow White among the trees. When he saw her trusting eyes, his anger melted. “I cannot harm you,” he whispered. “Run, little one. Run far and do not return.”
Snow White ran until her legs ached. Evening painted the sky purple. At last she found a tiny cottage tucked between roots and stones.
Inside were seven little beds, seven little plates, and seven little chairs. Everything was neat, but dusty from a long day’s work. Snow White was so tired that she tasted a crumb of bread, sipped a drop of water, and fell asleep across the beds.
When night came, seven dwarfs returned from the mountains where they mined glittering stones. They found the cottage door ajar and a girl asleep like a quiet dream.
“Who is this?” whispered one.
“She looks kind,” said another.
They let her sleep until morning. When Snow White woke, she told them her story. The dwarfs listened carefully.
“You may stay with us,” they said. “Keep the cottage warm and safe. But be careful of strangers. Envy has long arms.”
Snow White stayed. She swept the floors, sang to the kettle, and filled the cottage with laughter. The dwarfs grew fond of her. Each evening they returned with stories of sparkling caves, and Snow White told them about birds and flowers.
Far away, the queen asked her mirror again. When she learned Snow White still lived, she disguised herself as an old peddler woman. She carried a basket of pretty things into the forest.
“Pretty laces for a pretty girl,” she called.
Snow White, polite as always, opened the door a little. The woman laced her dress so tightly that Snow White grew dizzy and sank to the floor. Luckily the dwarfs came home early. They loosened the lace, and Snow White breathed again.
“Do not open the door!” they begged.
But the queen tried once more. This time she brought a shining apple, half rosy red and half pale gold.
“A gift for you, my dear,” she smiled. “The red side is the sweetest.”
Snow White remembered the dwarfs’ warning. Still, the apple looked harmless, and the woman’s voice was soft. Snow White took one small bite of the red side.
At once she fell into a deep, strange sleep.
When the dwarfs found her, they could not wake her. They wept, then built a clear crystal bed so they could still see her gentle face. They watched over her day and night, taking turns beside the cottage path.
One spring morning a traveling prince rode through the forest. He saw Snow White sleeping like a snowflake held in glass. He spoke kindly to the dwarfs and asked to help protect her.
As they carefully moved the crystal bed, the piece of apple slipped from Snow White’s lips. She drew a long breath and opened her eyes.
“Where am I?” she asked softly.
“You are safe,” said the dwarfs, dancing with joy.
News of her waking traveled farther than birdsong. The jealous queen’s power faded when the kingdom learned the truth of her cruelty. Snow White forgave what could be forgiven and chose kindness again.
She visited the dwarfs often, bringing cakes and stories. And on quiet nights, when the moon hung above the silver forest, the seven friends still hummed the songs Snow White had taught them.
And so Snow White lived surrounded by friendship, and the cottage in the woods remained a place where goodness was always welcome.
The end.
Based on the public domain tale by the Brothers Grimm, gently adapted for bedtime.
