with cheeks as red as blood, and with hair as black
as ebony, and from this she was named "Snow-White." And at the same time
her mother died.

About a year afterwards the King married another wife, who was very
beautiful, but so proud and haughty that she could not bear anyone to be
better-looking than herself. She owned a wonderful mirror, and when she
stepped before it and said:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"

it replied:

"The Queen is the fairest of the day."

Then she was pleased, for she knew that the mirror spoke truly.

Little Snow-White, however, grew up, and became prettier and prettier,
and when she was seven years old she was as fair as the noonday, and
more beautiful than the Queen herself. When the Queen now asked her
mirror:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"

it replied:

"The Queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White is the fairest, now, they say."

This answer so angered the Queen that she became quite yellow with envy.
From that hour, whenever she saw Snow-White, her heart was hardened
against her, and she hated the little girl. Her envy and jealousy
increased so that she had no rest day or night, and she said to a
Huntsman, "Take the child away into the forest. I will never look
upon her again. You must kill her, and bring me her heart and tongue
for a token."

The Huntsman listened and took the maiden away, but when he drew out his
knife to kill her, she began to cry, saying, "Ah, dear Huntsman, give me
my life! I will run into the wild forest, and never come home again."

This speech softened the Hunter's heart, and her beauty so touched him
that he had pity on her and said, "Well, run away then, poor child." But
he thought to himself, "The wild beasts will soon devour you." Still he
felt as if a stone had been lifted from his heart, because her death was
not by his hand. Just at that moment a young boar came roaring along to
the spot, and as soon as he clapped eyes upon it the Huntsman caught it,
and, killing it, took its tongue and heart and carried them to the
Queen, for a token of his deed.

But now poor little Snow-White was left motherless and alone, and
overcome with grief, she was bewildered at the sight of so many trees,
and knew not which way to turn. She ran till her feet refused to go
farther, and as it was getting dark, and she saw a little house near,
she entered in to rest. In thi