and there
she laid herself down and went to sleep. Presently in came the masters
of the cottage, who were seven little dwarfs that lived among the
mountains, and dug and searched about for gold. They lighted up their
seven lamps, and saw directly that all was not right. The first said,
"Who has been sitting on my stool?" The second, "Who has been eating
off my plate?" The third, "Who has been picking at my bread?" the
fourth, "Who has been meddling with my spoon?" The fifth, "Who has
been handling my fork?" The sixth, "Who has been cutting with my
knife?" The seventh, "Who has been drinking my wine?" Then the first
looked round and said. "Who has been lying on my bed?" And the rest
came running to him, and every one cried out that somebody had been
upon his bed. But the seventh saw Snow-White, and called upon his
brethren to come and see her; and they cried out with wonder and
astonishment, and brought their lamps to look at her, and said, "Good
heavens! What a lovely child she is!" and they were delighted to see
her, and took care not to waken her; and the seventh dwarf slept an
hour with each of the other dwarfs in turn, till the night was gone.

[Illustration: THE MAGIC MIRROR--"LITTLE SNOW-WHITE"]

In the morning Snow-White told them all her story; and they pitied
her, and said if she would keep all things in order, and cook and
wash, and knit and spin for them, she might stay where she was, and
they would take good care of her. Then they went out all day long
to their work, seeking for gold and silver in the mountains; and
Snow-White remained at home: and they warned her, and said, "The queen
will soon find out where you are, so take care and let no one in." But
the queen, now that she thought Snow-White was dead, believed that
she was certainly the handsomest lady in the land; and she went to her
glass, and the glass answered,

"Thou, Queen, thou art fairest in all this land;
But over the hills, in the greenwood shade.
Where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made.
There Snow-White is hiding her head; and she
Is lovelier far, O Queen, than thee."

Then the queen was very much alarmed; for she knew that the glass
always spoke the truth, and was sure that the servant had betrayed
her. And she could not bear to think that anyone lived who was more
beautiful than she was; so she disguised herself as a pedlar and went
her way over the hills to the place where the dwarfs dwelt. Then