‘What should I have said?’
‘You must say “God have mercy on the poor soul”.’
So, once more, the lad walked for a long time saying, ‘God have mercy on the poor soul.’ He came to a pit where a knacker was chopping up a dead horse. The lad said, ‘Good morning. God have mercy on the poor soul.’
‘What did you say, you cheeky layabout?’ The knacker gave him such a clout on the ear that he saw stars.
‘What should I say, then?’
‘You must say, “Into the pit it must go”.’
He walked on again, saying, ‘Into the pit it must go, into the pit it must go.’ He came to a cart full of people. He said, ‘Good morning, into the pit it must go.’ Then the cart and everyone in it fell into a pit and the driver grabbed his whip and cracked it over the boy’s back. He was forced to crawl home to his mother, and as long as he lived he never went travelling again. Never again, never again.
Snow White
In the cold heart of winter, when snow fell as though the white sky had been torn into a million pieces, a Queen sat by a window sewing. The frame of the window was made of black ebony. And while the Queen was sewing and looking out at the snow, she pricked her fìnger with the needle and three drops of blood fell upon the snow. The red looked so pretty against the white that the Queen suddenly thought to herself, ‘I wish I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood and as black as the wood on the window-frame.’
Soon after that, she had a little daughter who was as white as snow, with lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony. She was called Snow White and when she was born, the Queen died.
After a year had gone by, the King married again. His new wife was a beautiful woman, but she was proud and vain and couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else being more beautiful. She owned a wonderful mirror and when she stood before it, looking at her reflection, and said:
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
The mirror replied:
‘You are, Queen. Fairest of all.’
Then she was pleased because she knew the mirror always told the truth.
But Snow White was growing up, and becoming more and more lovely. And when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as the day and ever, and more beautiful than the Queen herself. One day, the Queen asked her mirror:
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
And the mirror answered:
‘Queen, you are beautiful, day and night,
But even more stunning is little Snow White.’
Then the Queen got a shock, and turned yellow and green with poisonous envy. From that moment, whenever she looked at Snow White, her heart turned sour in her breast, she hated her so much. Jealousy and pride crept and coiled round her heart like ugly weeds, so that she could get no peace night or day. At last she called a huntsman and said, ‘Take the girl into the forest. I want her out of my sight. Kill her – and fetch me back her lungs and liver to prove it.’
The huntsman did what she said and took Snow White away – but when he pulled out his knife to stab her innocent heart, Snow White cried and said, ‘Please, dear huntsman, spare my life! I will run away into the wild woods and never come back.’
And as she was so beautiful, the huntsman took pity on her and said, ‘Poor child. Run away then … The wild beasts will eat you soon enough,’ he thought, but he felt as though a cruel hand had stopped squeezing his heart because he wasn’t going to kill her. A young boar ran by and he slaughtered it, cut out its lungs and liver and took them to the Queen to prove the girl was dead. The cook had to salt them and the bad Queen ate them up and thought she’d eaten Snow White’s lungs and liver.
But Snow White was alone in the forest and terrified. She began to run, over stones as sharp as malice, through thorns as spiteful as long fingernails. Wild beasts ran past her but did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet could carry her, until it was almost evening. It was then that she saw a little cottage and went into it to rest. Everything in the cottage was small, but neater and cleaner than can be described. There was a table with a white tablecloth and seven little plates, each with a little spoon. There were seven little knives and forks and seven little tankards. Against the wall were seven little beds side by side, each one covered with the whitest eiderdown.
Snow White was so hungry and thirsty that she ate a bite of bread and vegetables from each plate and sipped a swallow of wine from each mug. She was so sleepy that she lay down on one of the little beds, but none of them suited her. One was too long, one too short, one too soft, one too hard, one too lumpy, one too smooth. But the seventh was just right, so she snuggled down in it, said a prayer, and went to sleep.
When it was dark, the owners of the cottage came back. They were seven dwarfs who worked in the mountains digging for gold and copper. They lit their seven candles to fill the cottage with light and at once saw that someone had been there.
The first said: ‘Who’s been sitting in my chair?’
The second: ‘Who’s been eating off my plate?’
The third: ‘Who’s had some of my bread?’
The fourth: ‘Who’s been biting my vegetables?’
The fifth: ‘Who’s been using my fork?’
The sixth: ‘Who’s been cutting with my knife?’
Then the first one looked about and saw there was a little hollow on his bed, and he said, ‘Who’s been lying on my bed?’ The others crowded round and each one shouted out, ‘Somebody’s been getting into my bed too!’ But the seventh one found Snow White lying asleep in his bed, and he called the others. They cried out with amazement and fetched their seven little candles and let the light fall on Snow White. ‘Oh goodness! Oh mercy!’ they said. ‘What a beautiful child.’
They were so pleased that they let her sleep peacefully on. The seventh dwarf slept with his companions, one hour with each, and so passed the night, and was glad to do so.
When morning came, Snow White awoke and was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. But they were friendly and asked her her name. ‘My name is Snow White,’ she replied. ‘How have you come to our house?’ asked the dwarfs. She told them that her stepmother had ordered her to be killed, but that the huntsman had taken pity on her and she had run through the forest for a whole day until she arrived at their little cottage.
The dwarf said, ‘If you will take care of our house, make the beds, set the table, keep everything neat and tidy, cook, wash, sew, knit and mend, you can stay here with us and you shall want for nothing.’
‘With all my heart!’ said Snow White, and she stayed with the seven dwarfs. She kept the house exactly as they wanted. In the mornings they went off to the mountain to dig and delve for copper and gold. In the evenings they returned and then their supper had to be ready. The young girl was alone all day, so the dwarfs warned her to be careful. ‘Beware of your stepmother. She will soon find out you are here. Don’t let anyone into the house.’
But the Queen believed that she’d eaten the lungs Snow White breathed with, and that once again she was more beautiful than anyone. She went to her mirror and said:
‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
And the mirror replied:
‘Queen, you’re the fairest I can see.
But deep in the wood where seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well
And you are not so fair as she.’
Then the Queen was appalled because she knew that the mirror never lied and that the huntsman had tricked her. Her envious heart gnawed away inside her and her wicked mind thought and thought how she might kill Snow White – for so long as she wasn’t the fairest in the land she could have no peace.
When at last she had thought of a plan, she stained her face and dressed up like an old pedlar woman, so that not even her own mirror would have known her. In this disguise she m
ade her way to the house of the seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door and sang out, ‘Pretty things for sale, very cheap, very cheap.’
Snow White looked out of the window and called back, ‘Good day, pedlar woman, what are you selling today?’
‘Beautiful things, pretty things, fair things, skirt-laces of all colours.’
The sly Queen pulled out a lace of bright-coloured silk. ‘I can let this friendly old woman in,’ thought Snow White, and she unlocked the door and bought the fine laces.
But the old woman said, ‘Child, what a sight you are! Come here and let the old pedlar woman lace you properly for once.’ Snow White wasn’t suspicious at all and stood before her and let herself be laced with the new laces. But the old woman laced so quickly and viciously and tightly that Snow White lost her breath and fell down as if she were dead. ‘Now I am the most beautiful,’ crowed the Queen and hurried away.
Soon afterwards, when evening fell, the seven dwarfs came home – but how distressed they were to see their dear little Snow White lying on the ground. They lifted her up and, when they saw she was laced too tightly, they cut the laces. Then Snow White started to breathe a little and after a while came back to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, ‘The old pedlar woman was no one else but the evil Queen. Be careful. Let nobody in when we are not with you.’
The Queen ran home and went straight to her mirror:
‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall.
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
And the mirror replied as before:
‘Deep in the wood where seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well.
Although you’re the fairest I can see,
Queen, you are not so fair as she.’
When she heard the mirror’s words, the Queen’s blood flooded her heart with fear, for she knew it was true that Snow White was alive.
But she said, ‘Now I will think of something that will really rid me of you for ever.’ And by the help of witchcraft, which she understood, she made a poisonous comb. Then she disguised herself in the shape of another old woman, made her malevolent way to the house of the seven dwarfs and knocked at the door.
‘Good things for sale, cheap, cheap.’
Snow White looked out and said, ‘Go away, please. I can’t let anyone in.
‘You can at least look,’ said the old woman, and held out the poisonous comb.
Snow White admired the comb so much that she let herself be fooled and opened the door. When they had agreed a price, the old woman said, ‘Now I’ll comb your ebony hair properly for once.’
Poor Snow White had no suspicion and let the old woman do as she wished. But no sooner had the crone put the comb in the girl’s hair than the poison took effect and Snow White fell down senseless.
‘You prize beauty,’ spat the wicked woman. ‘You are nothing now.’ And she went away.
As luck would have it, it was nearly evening, when the seven dwarfs were due home. When they saw Snow White left for dead on the ground they at once suspected the stepmother, and they looked and found the poisonous comb. They took it out and Snow White soon came to herself and told them what had happened. Then they warned her once more to be on her guard and to open the door to no one.
The Queen was at home with her mirror:
‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
The mirror answered as before:
‘Queen, you’re the fairest I can see.
But deep in the woods where seven dwarfs dwell
Snow White is still alive and well
And no one’s as beautiful as she.’
When she heard the mirror speak like this, the Queen trembled and shook with rage and swore, ‘Snow White shall die, even if it costs me my life.’
She went into a quiet, secret, lonely room where no one ever came, and there she made a very poisonous apple. On the outside it looked pretty – crisp and white with a blood-red cheek, so that everyone who saw it longed for it – but whoever ate a piece of it would die.
Then she painted her face, disguised herself as a farmer’s wife, and went for the third time to the house of the seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow White put her head out of the window and said, ‘I can’t let anyone in. The seven dwarfs have forbidden me.’
‘It’s all the same to me, dear. I’ll soon get rid of my apples. Here – you can have one.’
‘No, I dare not take anything.’
‘Are you afraid it might be poisoned? Look, I’ll cut the apple in two pieces, you eat the red cheek and I will eat the white.’ But the apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was poisoned. Snow White longed for the tantalising fruit and when she saw the farmer’s wife sink her teeth into it, she couldn’t resist any more and stretched out her hand and took the poisonous half. But as soon as she’d taken a bite into her mouth, she fell down dead. The Queen gazed at her long and hard with a dreadful look and laughed horribly and said:
‘Snow White,
Blood Red,
Black as Coffin Wood –
This time the seven dwarfs
Will find you dead for good.’
She went home quickly. She rushed to her mirror. She asked it again:
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
And the mirror answered at last:
‘Oh, Queen, in this land you are fairest of all.’
When the dwarfs came home in the evening, they found Snow White lying on the ground. She breathed no longer and was dead. They lifted her up and looked for anything poisonous, unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her in water and wine, but it was all useless. The girl was dead and stayed dead. So they laid her upon a bier and the seven of them sat round it and for three whole days they wept for Snow White.
Then they were going to bury her, but she still looked so alive with her pretty red cheeks. They said, ‘We cannot put her in the cold, dark earth.’ So they had a coffin of glass made, so that she could be seen from all sides. They laid her in it and put her name on it in gold letters and that she was daughter of a King. They placed the coffin up on the mountain and one of them always guarded it. Birds came, too, to weep for Snow White. First an owl, then a raven and last a dove.
And now Snow White lay for a very long time in her glass coffin as though she were only sleeping; still as white as snow, as red as blood, and with hair as black as ebony.
It happened, though, that a King’s son came to the forest and went to the dwarfs’ house to spend the night. He saw the coffin glinting like a mirror on the mountain, and he saw Snow White inside it and read what was written there in letters of gold. He said to the dwarfs, ‘Let me have the coffin. I will give you anything you name for it.’ But the dwarfs answered that they wouldn’t part with it for all the treasure in the world. Then he said, ‘Let me have it as a gift. My heart cannot beat without seeing Snow White. I will honour and cherish her above all else in this world.’ Because he spoke like this, the dwarfs pitied him and gave him the coffin.
The King’s son had it carried away on his servants’ shoulders. As they did this, they tripped over some tree roots, and with the jolt the piece of poisonous apple which Snow White had swallowed came out of her throat. Before long, she opened her eyes, lifted the coffin lid and sat up, as warm and alive as love. ‘Heavens, where am I?’ she asked.
The King’s son was shining like an apple with delight and said, ‘You are with me.’ He told her what had happened and said, ‘I love you more than my heart can hold. Come with me to my father’s palace. Be my wife.’
Snow White was willing and did go with him, and their wedding was held with great show and splendour. Snow White’s wicked stepmother was summoned to the feast. When she was dressed in her best jewels and finery, she danced to her mirror and queried:
‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?’
&n
bsp; The mirror answered:
‘You are the old Queen. That much is true.
But the new young Queen is fairer than you.’
Then the wicked woman cursed and swore and was so demented, so wretched, so distraught, that she could hardly think. At first, she wouldn’t go to the feast, but she had no peace, and had to see the young Queen. So she went. And when she walked in she saw that it was Snow White and was unable to move with fear and rage. She stood like a statue of hate. But iron dancing shoes were already heating in the fire. They were brought in with tongs and set before her. Then she was forced to put on the red-hot shoes and she was made to dance, dance, until she dropped down dead.
The Ungrateful Son
Once upon a time, a man and his wife were sat by their front door and they had before them a roasted chicken, which they were about to eat together. Just then, the man saw his old father coming and he quickly snatched up the chicken and hid it. The old man came, was given a drink of water, then sent away. As soon as he was gone, the son ran to fetch the chicken for the table. But when he picked it up, it had turned into a great toad, which jumped into his face and squatted there and never went away. If anyone tried to take it off, it spat poisonously and looked as though it would spring in their face – so in the end no one dared to touch it. The ungrateful son was forced to feed the toad every single day or else it fed itself on his face. And so he trudged from north to south and east to west and found no rest on any road and on his wretched face a toad.
The Wise Servant
Faery Tales Page 16
