Imagine a queen who loved her mirror more than anything. Every day, she'd ask, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?" And the mirror would always say, "You, Queen, you're the best!" This made her very happy.

Now, in that same kingdom, a baby princess was born. She had skin as white as freshly fallen snow, lips as red as ripe cherries, and hair as black as a raven's wing. They named her Snow White. But very sadly, her mother, the good queen, passed away.

Snow White's father, the King, married a new Queen. This new Queen was very beautiful, but oh, she was also very proud and didn't like anyone being prettier than her. And she had that magic mirror.

Years went by, and Snow White grew up to be even more beautiful. One day, the Queen asked her mirror, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?"
The mirror shimmered and replied, "You are beautiful, Queen, it's true. But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you!"

The Queen turned green with jealousy! "Grrr!" she growled. She called a huntsman. "Take Snow White into the forest," she hissed, "and make sure she never comes back! Bring me her heart as proof!"

The huntsman felt so sorry for Snow White. When they were deep in the woods, he just couldn't do it. "Run, little princess," he whispered, "run far away and never come back!" He then found a young wild boar and took its heart to the Queen, who thought Snow White was gone forever.

Poor Snow White ran and ran through the dark forest. She was very scared! Finally, as the sun began to set, she saw a tiny little house. "Hello?" she called. No answer. She peeked inside. Everything was tiny! There were seven little plates on a tiny table, seven little cups, and seven little beds all in a row. She was so tired and hungry. She tidied up a bit, ate a tiny bit of food from each plate, drank a tiny sip from each cup, and then, finding one bed just right, she fell fast asleep.

Soon, seven little dwarfs came home. They worked all day digging for gold in the mountains.
"Oh my!" said the first dwarf. "Someone's been sitting in my little chair!"
"Someone's been eating from my little plate!" said the second.
"And someone's been drinking from my little cup!" said the third.
They went on like this until the seventh dwarf looked at his bed and whispered, "Look! Someone is sleeping in my bed!"
They all gathered around and saw Snow White. "Oh, she's so lovely!" they whispered.

When Snow White woke up, she was a bit scared, but the dwarfs were very kind. She told them her story.
"You can stay with us," they said, "if you help keep our house clean, cook our meals, and mend our clothes."
"Oh, yes!" said Snow White happily. "I will do all of that!"
The dwarfs warned her, "Be careful when we are away. Don't let anyone in!"

Back at the castle, the Queen asked her mirror, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?"
The mirror answered, "Over the hills, with the seven dwarfs so small, Snow White is still the prettiest of all!"
The Queen was furious! She disguised herself as an old peddler woman, selling colorful laces. She went to the dwarfs' cottage. "Pretty laces, dearie?" she cackled.
Snow White, forgetting the dwarfs' warning, thought the laces were beautiful and let the old woman in. The Queen tied a new lace so tightly around Snow White's waist that she couldn't breathe and fell down as if she were gone.
Luckily, the dwarfs came home just in time! They saw Snow White, quickly cut the lace, and she gasped back to life.

The Queen, finding out from her mirror that Snow White was still alive, was even angrier. This time, she made a poisoned comb. Disguised as a different old woman, she went to the cottage. "Lovely combs for sale!" she called.
Snow White peeked out. The comb looked so nice. The old woman quickly stuck the comb in Snow White's hair. Down she fell, looking like she was gone again.
When the dwarfs returned, they found the poisoned comb, pulled it out, and Snow White woke up. "Snow White," they said very sternly, "you must not open the door to ANYONE!"

The Queen was beside herself with rage. She went to a secret room and made a special apple. One side was beautiful and red, but it was poisoned. The other side was white and safe.
Disguised as a farmer's wife, she went to Snow White's window. "Would you like a juicy apple, my dear?" she offered.
Snow White was suspicious. "No, thank you," she said.
"Are you afraid it's poisoned?" cackled the Queen. "See, I'll take a bite from the white side." And she did.
Snow White, seeing the woman eat it, thought it must be safe. She reached out and took a bite from the beautiful, shiny red side of the apple. Instantly, she fell into a deep, deep sleep.

When the dwarfs came home, they found Snow White lying on the floor. They tried everything, but they couldn't wake her. They cried and cried because she looked so peaceful and beautiful, even in sleep. They couldn't bear to bury her in the cold ground. So, they made a beautiful coffin out of glass, so they could always see her. They placed her inside and put the glass coffin on a hilltop.

One day, a handsome Prince was riding through the forest and saw the glass coffin. He saw Snow White inside and thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He fell in love with her instantly. "Please," he begged the dwarfs, "let me take her to my castle. I will cherish her."
The dwarfs, seeing how much he cared, sadly agreed.

As the Prince's servants carried the glass coffin, one of them stumbled on a tree root. The coffin jolted, and the piece of poisoned apple, which was stuck in Snow White's throat, popped out!
Snow White's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and said, "Oh, where am I?"
The Prince was overjoyed! "You are safe with me!" he exclaimed. He told her who he was, and Snow White told him her story. They fell in love.

A grand wedding was planned. Everyone in the land was invited, even the wicked Queen. Before she left for the wedding, she asked her mirror one last time, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?"
The mirror replied, "You, my Queen, are fair, it's true. But the young new Queen is a thousand times fairer than you!"
The Queen was so angry she didn't know what to do, but she went to the wedding anyway, just to see this new, beautiful queen. When she arrived and saw that the new queen was Snow White, she was frozen with shock and rage.
And for all her wickedness, they made her put on iron shoes that had been heated in a fire, and she had to dance in them until she could dance no more.
But Snow White and the Prince lived happily ever after in their beautiful kingdom.

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