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THE MAGIC MIRROR. |
207 |
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dition. But when the seventh approached his bed. and saw Snow* white lying there fast asleep, he called the others, who came quickly, and holding their lights over their heads, cried out in wonder as they beheld the sleeping child. " Oh ! what a beautiful little child !" they said to each other, and were so delighted that they would not awaken her, but left her to sleep as long as she liked in the little bed, while its owner slept with one of his companions, and so the night passed away.
In the morning, when Snow-white awoke, and saw all the dwarfs, she was terribly frightened. But they spoke kindly to her, till she lost all fear, and they asked her name.
" I am called Snow-white," she replied.
"But how came you to our house?" asked one.
Then she related to them all that had happened. How her step mother had sent her into the wood with the hunter, who had spared her life, and that, after wandering about for a whole day, she had found their house.
The dwarfs talked a little while together, and then one said, " Do you think you could be our little housekeeper, to make the beds, cook the dinner, and wash and sew and knit for us, and keep everything neat and clean and orderly ? If you can, then you shall stay here with us, and nobody shall hurt you,"
" Oh yes, I will try," said Snow-white. So they let her stay, and she was a clever little thing. She managed very well, and kept the house quite clean and in order. And while they were gone to the mountains to find gold, she got their supper ready, and they were very happy together.
But every morning when they left her, the kind little dwarfs warned Snow-white to be careful. While the maiden was alone they knew she was in danger, and told her not to show herself, for her stepmother would soon find out where she was, and said, "Whatever you do, let nobody into the house while we are gone."
After the wicked queen had proved as she thought that Snow-white was dead, she felt quite satisfied there was no one in the world now likely to become so beautiful as herself, so she stepped up to her mirror and asked—
" Mirror minor on the wall, Who is most beautiful of all?" |
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