In a cozy little cottage, nestled beside a big, green forest, lived a kind mother and her two daughters. One daughter was named Snow White because she was gentle and quiet, like a soft snowflake. She loved to read by the fire and help her mother indoors. The other was called Rose Red, for she was lively and loved to run and play outside, just like the bright red roses that grew in their garden.

Snow White and Rose Red were the best of friends and always kind. They loved animals, and animals loved them. Little lambs would eat from their hands, and birds would sing to them.

One cold winter evening, as snow fell softly outside, there was a knock at the door. "Rose Red, quickly, open the door," said their mother. "It might be a traveler needing shelter."

Rose Red unbolted the door, and a huge, black bear poked his head in! The girls gasped, but the bear spoke in a deep, rumbly voice, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I'm just so cold and want to warm myself by your fire."

"You poor bear," said their mother. "Come in, come in!"

Snow White and Rose Red, though a little shy at first, soon lost their fear. They brushed the snow from the bear's thick fur. He lay down by the warm fire, and soon the girls were playing gently with him. Every evening that winter, the bear came to visit. He became their furry friend.

When spring arrived, the bear said one morning, "Now I must leave you and go guard my treasure from the wicked dwarves. In winter, when the ground is frozen hard, they have to stay underground. But now, when the sun has thawed the earth, they break through and steal whatever they can."

Snow White was very sad. As the bear squeezed through the doorway, he caught his fur on the latch, and a little piece tore off. Snow White thought she saw something glint like gold underneath, but the bear was gone too quickly.

Not long after, the girls went into the forest to gather firewood. They saw a little dwarf with a long white beard, jumping up and down near a fallen tree. His beard was stuck in a crack in the wood!

"What are you staring at, you silly girls?" he shrieked. "Can't you see I need help?"

The girls tried to pull his beard free, but it was truly stuck. "I'll run and get help!" said Rose Red.
"Fools!" cried the dwarf. "Who needs more people gaping?"
Snow White took out her little scissors and snipped off the end of his beard. The dwarf was free! But instead of thanking them, he grabbed a bag filled with gold that had been hidden under the tree roots. "Rude creatures, to cut off a piece of my splendid beard!" he grumbled, and scurried away.

A few weeks later, Snow White and Rose Red went fishing. They saw the same dwarf near the riverbank. This time, his beard was tangled in his fishing line, and a big fish was pulling him towards the water!
"Help me, you clumsy things!" he yelled.
The girls tried to untangle the line, but it was no use. So, Rose Red quickly took out the scissors and snipped his beard again, freeing him.
The dwarf was furious. "Is that all you know how to do, cut my beard? You ruined it!" He snatched a sack of pearls from the reeds and disappeared behind a rock.

Sometime after that, their mother sent them to town to buy thread. Their path led them across a field where they saw a large eagle circling above. Suddenly, the eagle swooped down and then flew up, carrying something small and struggling. It was the dwarf!
"Help! Help!" he screamed.
The girls ran and grabbed hold of the dwarf's little coat, pulling with all their might until the eagle let go.
The dwarf, once he caught his breath, shrieked, "Couldn't you have been more careful? You've torn my coat, you clumsy girls!" He then picked up a sack full of sparkling gems that had fallen nearby.

Just then, a loud growl made them all jump. Their old friend, the bear, came lumbering towards them!
The dwarf turned pale with fright. "Oh, dear Mr. Bear, spare me!" he cried. "I'll give you all my treasure! It was these naughty girls, they are the ones to blame!"
But the bear paid no attention to his words. He gave the wicked dwarf one tap with his big paw, and the dwarf lay still and didn't get up again.

The girls were about to run away, but the bear called out in a familiar voice, "Snow White, Rose Red, don't be afraid."
And as he spoke, his bearskin fell to the ground, and standing before them was a handsome young prince, dressed in clothes as bright as gold.
"I am a prince," he said, smiling. "That wicked dwarf stole my treasure and put a spell on me, turning me into a bear. Only his end could set me free. You were kind to me as a bear, and you tried to help even him, though he was so ungrateful."

The prince showed them all the treasure the dwarf had stolen from him – the gold, the pearls, and the gems.
Snow White married the kind prince, and Rose Red married his brother, who was also a prince. They shared the great treasure, and their mother came to live with them in the grand castle. And they all lived happily, never forgetting their adventures in the little cottage by the forest.

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