AND
THE  SEVEN LITTLE DWARFS

Rewritten by Lin Stone in 2011 CE.

As Inspired from an original story
Edited by Watty Piper in 1922 CE.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Once upon a time there was a pretty little princess with a heart so pure and sweet that everyone called her SnowFlake.  She was very happy most of the time, but she had a wicked mistress named Lady "Gertrude" that made her study hard in a cold little room at the top of the windy castle where the cold wind whistled; it blew so hard that it almost shrieked.

Everyone knew Gertrude was the fairest woman in King Henry's court.  She used the costliest beauty creams in the world and she had two hair dressers to wait on her hand and foot.  Every time she appeared in King Henry's court all the knights and princes would bow to her in honor of her fair beauty.

She longed to sit beside King Henry and be his Queen, but he was a very wise man and knew of her wiles and ways.  Years ago he had married Gertrude's mother, Lorali, a kind and beautiful widow, because she would be the perfect mother for tiny SnowFlake, who was just a babe back then.

Her father's name was Henry and he was King over all the realm, so, many other kings would come to see him to help them on matters of state.  SnowFlake loved to dance for King Henry and no one could dance as smoothly on the King's marble floor, or spin around on their toes as quickly as SnowFlake could.

When the best crowned heads of the world came to visit King Henry it sometimes happened that tempers frayed and angry words were spoken.  When that happened  they always asked for the privilege of seeing SnowFlake dance.  Then around and around she would spin with her white gown spinning out like a huge white fan that tilted up, then slowly down, like a snowflake settling softly to the earth. 

Applause would swell and rattle the rafters.  Then gold coins would ring around her feet because the crowned heads loved to see SnowFlake swirl from high to low and scoop up the gold coins, one by one, and hide them away in a special purse. 

When her purse was full she would ask a duchess to take her riding in the King's royal carriage.  They would stop every time they saw a poor lad out tending his sheep and SnowFlake would ask the lad for a few strands of the whitest wool he had, then give him a gold coin for the purchase.

Gertrude was already grown when her mother married King Henry, from strange ailment.  Gertrude had thought she would become the queen when her mother died, but King Henry was not pleased with her ambitions. 

He always frowned when he saw Gertrude smile because that smile only curled her lips, while her eyes turned icy cold. So Gertrude pretended to be happy in her role as Prime Mistress of the King's castle.

She was jealous of every woman with a fair face that came to King Henry's court.  They didn't stay long.  Most of all, Gertrude was jealous of SnowFlake because of her youthful beauty, and because she couldn't make SnowFlake leave as she had done with the other women.

Gertrude had a magic mirror in her private bedroom.  It could answer all her vain questions because it could see all of King Henry's realm and warn her of troubles before they got too big. 

When Gertrude peered into her magic mirror and asked it who was the fairest lady in all the land the mirror always clouded up, then it would say, "You are, Gertrude.  In all the land you are the fairest lady of them all."

Gertrude was very beautiful indeed; but as little SnowFlake began to become a young lady the magic mirror had to cloud up longer and longer each time before it could decide who was the fairest of them all.  Then her mirror spoke and said, "You are, Lady Gertrude.  In all the land you are still the fairest lady of them all."

Gertrude studied each fair lady that appeared in court and she changed her hair styles twice a day and sometimes more often.  Then she tried more beauty creams and sent away for gowns that were ever more costly.

But finally, there came the day that her magic mirror clouded up in judgment and said, "Lady SnowFlake is the fairest lady in this land."

"Lady?" Gertrude asked in shock.  "When did SnowFlake become a lady?"

It was hard to believe it had happened without her knowing, so Gertrude climbed the long stairwell that led to SnowFlake's bedroom and she peeped inside.  SnowFlake had a frown on her lovely face right then because she was scolding her doll for its make-believe bad manners at her make-believe tea.

But Gertrude looked beyond the frown and her eyes told her the mirror had spoken the truth; SnowFlake had indeed become a fair young lady.  When the child smiled she was very, very fair and beautiful.

Gertrude closed her eyes and her chin trembled.  "I cannot allow this to continue."

After long and careful thought, Gertrude ordered her huntsmaster to take SnowFlake away and kill her where she would never be found; but when the huntsmaster saw the pure beauty of SnowFlake his heart melted within him and he shrank from the wicked task he had been given.

They were riding in the King's carriage and the miles flew swiftly beneath them until they were far, far from home.  "Oh, Look!" SnowFlake cried.  "There is a poor lad tending his sheep.  I must have some of his whitest wool."

The huntsmaster did not know about Gertrude's magic mirror.  He looked across the meadow and a cunning plan came into his mind. He pulled the fine carriage to a stop and SnowFlake stepped out.  The lad was a ways off and she almost changed her mind about walking that far, but the huntsmaster leaned out of the carriage and said.  "Send the lad to see me while you choose his finest wool."

SnowFlake hurried out to see the lad's sheep.  She knew at once that this lad was more than a herdsman, for his sheep had fleece that was as white as snow.  "The huntsmaster wishes to speak with you while I choose your best sheep."

It was a hard decision for SnowFlake to make because all the sheep were very much alike, young, healthy, and all of them had very fine wool.  First she tracked this one, then she tracked that one.

"You must be a very fine shepherd," said SnowFlake when the young lad returned. "All of your sheep show tender and loving care.  But I believe I'd like to have a handful of fleece from that young lamb there."

The young lad groaned.  "That is the young lamb that I love most.  Come with me and I will let you help me shear her choicest fleece."

So just then, SnowFlake glanced around to let the huntsmaster know what she would be doing.  But, lo, to her surprise the carriage was gone.  "What have you done?" she demanded.  "Where is my carriage?"

"I have saved your life," said the young lad.  "I had to promise the huntsmaster that I would never let you return to the castle alive until Lady Gertrude is gone."

SnowFlake wailed and wept at the betrayal for many days.  But finally she came to know that she loved going from pasture to pasture with the shepherd.  "I think I could live here forever," she said with sparkling eyes; she loved the clean streams and dleecy clouds, fresh, tender grass, and your sheep love me very much, don't they?"

"They do indeed," said the shepherd.  Then he turned and looked another way for now HE was the one that wanted to wail and weep.  He loved SnowFlake very much.

Believing she was once again the fairest lady in all the realm, it was almost a year before Gertrude asked the magic mirror if anyone was fairer in all the land than she was. 

The magic mirror laughed at her.  "Now there are two maidens more fair than you are, for SnowFlake still lives."

Lady Gertrude was so angry she pulled out huge tufts of her hair.  Then she screamed for the huntsmaster.  "Fine fellow you are. SnowFlake still lives.  You have one week to kill her or I shall kill you!"

The huntsmaster hurried out and went to find the shepherd.  "Look you to find a safe place to hide SnowFlake for Lady Gertrude now knows that she still lives.  I shall flee to a distant land and will not know where you have taken her."

So the shepherd hurried SnowFlake many miles away to the house of seven dwarfs,  "No one will think to look for the Princess as your housekeeper." and they were so kind as to take her in and let her live with them.

Every morning while the birds sang in the tree tops and little animals ran across the roof she would make up their seven little beds, and prepare seven little meals for the seven little dwarfs, and they were all quite happy -- until Gertrude came back from her mission to kill the other maiden fairer than she was, and she was furious when she found out from her magic mirror that her huntsmaster had not killed SnowFlake this time either.  "There is a certain young shepherd who lives on the edge of the dark forest.  He will lead you to SnowFlake if you watch him closely."

Following the directions from her magic mirror Gertrude found the young shepherd and she hid behind a bush every day for 40 days.  At last he set off into the dark forest and he hid behind a large tree so he could watch SnowFlake sing and dance without letting her see him.

One look at SnowFlake's radiant face in the window and Lady Gertrude knew this was where SnowFlake lived.  Back to the castle she flew and bid her hair dressers dye her hair.  Then she dressed up like an old pedlar, and in this disguise she went back to the home of the seven dwarfs when they were gone off to work, and she called out, "Laces for sale. Laces for sale.  Please help an old lady find her comfort; buy some lace today."

SnowFlake was very frightened for she truly knew that if Lady Gertrude ever found her that her life would end.  So she hid for the longest time.

Lady Gertrude pretended to grow older and feebler.  She pressed her weak hand to her wet brow and said, "Oh dear.  Dear me.  This day shall see the end of me."

SnowFlake was struck to the heart with sympathy.  She  peeped out of the window and said, "Good-day, mother; what did you say that you had for sale?"

"Good laces, fine laces, laces of every color," and she held out one string of lace that was made of gay silk.

SnowFlake opened the door and bought the prettiest lace.  "Now I can make curtains for the seven little dwarfs."

"Oh, dear child," said Lady Gertrude in her feeble, old woman's voice, "you have saved my life and I wish to repay you.  In my pedlar's pack I have a magic apple. 

"See here, how long the stem is?  Seven is a magical number.  If you will just eat all of this apple and plant the seven little seeds before the sun sets today then you will have seven little apple trees and you can bake seven little fruit pies every day."

SnowFlake was bewitched with the idea of baking seven little fruit pies every day and she began nibbling eagerly away. As soon as the little princess tried to swallow a bite it stuck in her throat and choked her.

The seven little dwarfs found her stretched out on the kitchen floor when they came home from work. They tried everything they could think of to revive her.  One patted her hand.  Another patted her cheek.  A third flung icy water upon her brow. 

The little Princess did not revive.  The seven little dwarfs mourned for her as they made a fine glass coffin, and put SnowFlake into it.  Then they put a bell near the top and tied a string to her finger from it. 

Then they sat up all night long with her, hoping she would ring the bell and revive.  By morning's sun time every creature in the forest knew that SnowFlake was gone. 

With tears streaming down his cheeks the little shepherd boy came from the meadow to bid her goodbye.  His tears rattled like rain on the glass door of the coffin. 

SnowFlake's spirit heard the sound of rain and sighed within her. She sat up, rapping her brow sharply against the glass door.  "Oh!" but the shepherd and the seven little dwarfs did not hear her through their tears.

Birds began singing in the trees and all the little animals of the forest inched closer to welcome SnowFlake home again.  The little bell began to ring and a cheerful tune sprang up from the tree boughs outside.

The shepherd boy looked down and said, "OH!" when he saw she was smiling up at him.  Of course she married the shepherd, and they lived happily ever after in a home he built for them, near the meadow where their little lambs ran and played.

King Henry took the magic mirror away from Lady Gertrude and he sent her out to be housekeeper for the seven little dwarfs.  No one at court even felt sorry for her.