the seventh when he looked at his bed saw little Snow-white, who was
lying asleep therein. And he called the others, who came running up,
and they cried out with astonishment, and brought their seven little
candles and let the light fall on little Snow-white. "Oh, heavens! oh,
heavens!" cried they, "what a lovely child!" and they were so glad that
they did not wake her up, but let her sleep on in the bed. And the seventh
dwarf slept with his companions, one hour with each, and so got through
the night.

When it was morning little Snow-white awoke, and was frightened when she
saw the seven dwarfs. But they were friendly and asked her what her name
was. "My name is Snow-white," she answered. "How have you come to our
house?" said the dwarfs. Then she told them that her step-mother had
wished to have her killed, but that the huntsman had spared her life,
and that she had run for the whole day, until at last she had found their
dwelling. The dwarfs said, "If you will take care of our house, cook,
make the beds, wash, sew, and knit, and if you will keep everything neat
and clean, you can stay with us and you shall want for nothing." "Yes,"
said Snow-white, "with all my heart," and she stayed with them. She kept
the house in order for them; in the mornings they went to the mountains
and looked for copper and gold, in the evenings they came back, and
then their supper had to be ready. The girl was alone the whole day,
so the good dwarfs warned her and said, "Beware of your step-mother,
she will soon know that you are here; be sure to let no one come in."

But the Queen, believing that she had eaten Snow-white's heart, could
not but think that she was again the first and most beautiful of all;
and she went to her looking-glass and said - -


"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"

and the glass answered -


"Oh, Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,

And none is so fair as she."

Then she was astounded, for she knew that the looking-glass never spoke
falsely, and she knew that the huntsman had betrayed her, and that little
Snow-white was still alive.

And so she thought and thought again how she might kill her, for so
long as she was not the fairest in the whole land, envy let her have no
rest. And when she had at last thought of something to do, she painted
her face, and dressed herself like an old pedler-woman, and no one could
have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven mountains to the
seven dwarfs, and knocked at the door and cried, "Pretty things to sell,
very cheap, very cheap." Little Snow-white looked out of the window and
called out, "Good-day my good woman, what have you to sell?" "Good things,
pretty things," she answered; "stay-laces of all colours," and she pulled
out one which was woven of bright-coloured silk. "I may let the worthy
old woman in," thought Snow-white, and she unbolted the door and bought
the pretty laces. "Child," said the old woman, "what a fright you look;
come, I will lace you properly for once." Snow-white had no suspicion,
but stood before her, and let herself be laced with the new laces. But
the old woman laced so quickly and so tightly that Snow-white lost her
breath and fell down as if dead. "Now I am the most beautiful," said
the Queen to herself, and ran away.

Not long afterwards, in the evening, the seven dwarfs came home, but
how shocked they were when they saw their dear little Snow-white lying
on the ground, and that she neither stirred nor moved, and seemed to be
dead. They lifted her up, and, as they saw that she was laced too tightly,
they cut the laces; then she began to breathe a little, and after a while
came to life again. When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said,
"The old pedler-woman was no one else than the wicked Queen; take care
and let no one come in when we are not with you."

But the wicked woman when she had reached home went in front of the
glass and asked - -


"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"

and it answered as before - -


"Oh, Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,

And none is so fair as she."

When she heard that, all her blood rushed to her heart with fear, for she
saw plainly that little Snow-white was again alive. "But now," she said,
"I will think of something that shall put an end to you," and by the help
of witchcraft, which she understood, she made a poisonous comb. Then
she disguised herself and took the shape of another old woman. So she
went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked at the door,
and cried, "Good things to sell, cheap, cheap!" Little Snow-white looked
out and said, "Go away; I cannot let any one come in." "I suppose you can
look," said the old woman, and pulled the poisonous comb out and held
it up. It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be beguiled,
and opened the door. When they had made a bargain the old woman said,
"Now I will comb you properly for once." Poor little Snow-white had no
suspicion, and let the old woman do as she pleased, but hardly had she
put the comb in her hair than the poison in it took effect, and the girl
fell down senseless. "You paragon of beauty," said the wicked woman,
"you are done for now," and she went away.

But fortunately it was almost evening, when the seven dwarfs came
home. When they saw Snow-white lying as if dead upon the ground they at
once suspected the step-mother, and they looked and found the poisoned
comb. Scarcely had they taken it out when Snow-white came to herself,
and told them what had happened. Then they warned her once more to be
upon her guard and to open the door to no one.

The Queen, at home, went in front of the glass and said - -


"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"

then it answered as before - -


"Oh, Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,

And none is so fair as she."

When she heard the glass speak thus she trembled and shook with rage.
"Snow-white shall die," she cried, "even if it costs me my life!"

Thereupon she went into a quite secret, lonely room, where no one ever
came, and there she made a very poisonous apple. Outside it looked
pretty, white with a red cheek, so that everyone who saw it longed for
it; but whoever ate a piece of it must surely die.

When the apple was ready she painted her face, and dressed herself up
as a country-woman, and so she went over the seven mountains to the
seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow-white put her head out
of the window and said, "I cannot let any one in; the seven dwarfs
have forbidden me." "It is all the same to me," answered the woman,
"I shall soon get rid of my apples. There, I will give you one."

"No," said Snow-white, "I dare not take anything." "Are you afraid
of poison?" said the old woman; "look, I will cut the apple in two
pieces; you eat the red cheek, and I will eat the white." The apple
was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was poisoned. Snow-white
longed for the fine apple, and when she saw that the woman ate part of
it she could resist no longer, and stretched out her hand and took the
poisonous half. But hardly had she a bit of it in her mouth than she
fell down dead. Then the Queen looked at her with a dreadful look, and
laughed aloud and said, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony-wood!
this time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again."

And when she asked of the Looking-glass at home - -


"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"

it answered at last -


"Oh, Queen, in this land thou art fairest of all."

Then her envious heart had rest, so far as an envious heart can have rest.

The dwarfs, when they came home in the evening, found Snow-white lying
upon the ground; she breathed no longer and was dead. They lifted her up,
looked to see whether they could find anything poisonous, unlaced her,
combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but it was all of no use;
the poor child was dead, and remained dead. They laid her upon a bier, and
all seven of them sat round it and wept for her, and wept three days long.

Then they were going to bury her, but she still looked as if she were
living, and still had her pretty red cheeks. They said, "We could not
bury her in the dark ground," and they had a transparent coffin of
glass made, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid
her in it, and wrote her name upon it in golden letters, and that she
was a king's daughter. Then they put the coffin out upon the mountain,
and one of them always stayed by it and watched it. And birds came too,
and wept for Snow-white; first an owl, then a raven, and last a dove.

And now Snow-white lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she did not
change, but looked as if she were asleep; for she was as white as snow,
as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony.

It happened, however, that a king's son came into the forest, and went to
the dwarfs' house to spend the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain,
and the beautiful Snow-white within it, and read what was written upon it
in golden letters. Then he said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin,
I will give you whatever you want for it." But the dwarfs answered,
"We will not part with it for all the gold in the world." Then he said,
"Let me have it as a gift, for I cannot live without seeing Snow-white. I
will honour and prize her as my dearest possession." As he spoke in this
way the good dwarfs took pity upon him, and gave him the coffin.

And now the King's son had it carried away by his servants on their
shoulders. And it happened that they stumbled over a tree-stump,
and with the shock the poisonous piece of apple which Snow-white had
bitten off came out of her throat. And before long she opened her eyes,
lifted up the lid of the coffin, sat up, and was once more alive. "Oh,
heavens, where am I?" she cried. The King's son, full of joy, said,
"You are with me," and told her what had happened, and said, "I love you
more than everything in the world; come with me to my father's palace,
you shall be my wife."

And Snow-white was willing, and went with him, and their wedding was
held with great show and splendour. But Snow-white's wicked step-mother
was also bidden to the feast. When she had arrayed herself in beautiful
clothes she went before the Looking-glass, and said - -


"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"

the glass answered - -


"Oh, Queen, of all here the fairest art thou,
But the young Queen is fairer by far as I trow."

Then the wicked woman uttered a curse, and was so wretched, so utterly
wretched, that she knew not what to do. At first she would not go to
the wedding at all, but she had no peace, and must go to see the young
Queen. And when she went in she knew Snow-white; and she stood still
with rage and fear, and could not stir. But iron slippers had already
been put upon the fire, and they were brought in with tongs, and set
before her. Then she was forced to put on the red-hot shoes, and dance
until she dropped down dead.


54 The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn

There were once three brothers who had fallen deeper and deeper into
poverty, and at last their need was so great that they had to endure
hunger, and had nothing to eat or drink. Then said they, "We cannot
go on thus, we had better go into the world and seek our fortune." They
therefore set out, and had already walked over many a long road and many a
blade of grass, but had not yet met with good luck. One day they arrived
in a great forest, and in the midst of it was a hill, and when they came
nearer they saw that the hill was all silver. Then spoke the eldest,
"Now I have found the good luck I wished for, and I desire nothing
more." He took as much of the silver as he could possibly carry, and
then turned back and went home again. But the two others said, "We want
something more from good luck than mere silver," and did not touch it,
but went onwards. After they had walked for two days longer without
stopping, they came to a hill which was all gold. The second brother
stopped, took thought with himself, and was undecided. "What shall I
do?" said he; "shall I take for myself so much of this gold, that I
have sufficient for all the rest of my life, or shall I go farther?" At
length he made a decision, and putting as much into his pockets as would
go in, said farewell to his brother, and went home. But the third said,
"Silver and gold do not move me, I will not renounce my chance of fortune,
perhaps something better still will be given me." He journeyed onwards,
and when he had walked for three days, he got into a forest which was
still larger than the one before, and never would come to an end, and
as he found nothing to eat or to drink, he was all but exhausted. Then
he climbed up a high tree to find out if up there he could see the end
of the forest, but so far as his eye could pierce he saw nothing but
the tops of trees. Then he began to descend the tree again, but hunger
tormented him, and he thought to himself, "If I could but eat my fill
once more!" When he got down he saw with astonishment a table beneath
the tree richly spread with food, the steam of which rose up to meet
him. "This time," said he, "my wish has been fulfilled at the right
moment." And without inquiring who had brought the food, or who had
cooked it, he approached the table, and ate with enjoyment until he had
appeased his hunger. When he was done, he thought, "It would after all be
a pity if the pretty little table-cloth were to be spoilt in the forest
here," and folded it up tidily and put it in his pocket. Then he went
onwards, and in the evening, when hunger once more made itself felt, he
wanted to make a trial of his little cloth, and spread it out and said,
"I wish thee to be covered with good cheer again," and scarcely had the
wish crossed his lips than as many dishes with the most exquisite food
on them stood on the table as there was room for. "Now I perceive,"
said he, "in what kitchen my cooking is done. Thou shalt be dearer to
me than the mountains of silver and gold." For he saw plainly that it
was a wishing-cloth. The cloth, however, was still not enough to enable
him to sit down quietly at home; he preferred to wander about the world
and pursue his fortune farther.

One night he met, in a lonely wood, a dusty, black charcoal-burner,
who was burning charcoal there, and had some potatoes by the fire, on
which he was going to make a meal. "Good evening, blackbird!" said the
youth. "How dost thou get on in thy solitude?"

"One day is like another," replied the charcoal-burner, "and every
night potatoes! Hast thou a mind to have some, and wilt thou be my
guest?" "Many thanks," replied the traveler, "I won't rob thee of thy
supper; thou didst not reckon on a visitor, but if thou wilt put up with
what I have, thou shalt have an invitation."

"Who is to prepare it for thee?" said the charcoal-burner. "I see that
thou hast nothing with thee, and there is no one within a two hours' walk
who could give thee anything." "And yet there shall be a meal," answered
the youth, "and better than any thou hast ever tasted." Thereupon he
brought his cloth out of his knapsack, spread it on the ground, and said,
"Little cloth, cover thyself," and instantly boiled meat and baked meat
stood there, and as hot as if it had just come out of the kitchen. The
charcoal-burner stared, but did not require much pressing; he fell to, and
thrust larger and larger mouthfuls into his black mouth. When they had
eaten everything, the charcoal-burner smiled contentedly, and said, "Hark
thee, thy table-cloth has my approval; it would be a fine thing for me in
this forest, where no one ever cooks me anything good. I will propose an
exchange to thee; there in the corner hangs a soldier's knapsack, which
is certainly old and shabby, but in it lie concealed wonderful powers;
but, as I no longer use it, I will give it to thee for the table-cloth."

"I must first know what these wonderful powers are," answered the youth.

"That will I tell thee," replied the charcoal-burner; "every time thou
tappest it with thy hand, a corporal comes with six men armed from
head to foot, and they do whatsoever thou commandest them." "So far as
I am concerned," said the youth, "if nothing else can be done, we will
exchange," and he gave the charcoal-burner the cloth, took the knapsack
from the hook, put it on, and bade farewell. When he had walked a while,
he wished to make a trial of the magical powers of his knapsack and
tapped it. Immediately the seven warriors stepped up to him, and the
corporal said, "What does my lord and ruler wish for?"

"March with all speed to the charcoal-burner, and demand my wishing-cloth
back." They faced to the left, and it was not long before they brought
what he required, and had taken it from the charcoal-burner without
asking many questions. The young man bade them retire, went onwards,
and hoped fortune would shine yet more brightly on him. By sunset he
came to another charcoal-burner, who was making his supper ready by the
fire. "If thou wilt eat some potatoes with salt, but with no dripping,
come and sit down with me," said the sooty fellow.

"No, he replied, this time thou shalt be my guest," and he spread out his
cloth, which was instantly covered with the most beautiful dishes. They
ate and drank together, and enjoyed themselves heartily. After the meal
was over, the charcoal-burner said, "Up there on that shelf lies a little
old worn-out hat which has strange properties: when any one puts it on,
and turns it round on his head, the cannons go off as if twelve were
fired all together, and they shoot down everything so that no one can
withstand them. The hat is of no use to me, and I will willingly give
it for thy table-cloth."

"That suits me very well," he answered, took the hat, put it on,
and left his table-cloth behind him. Hardly, however, had he walked
away than he tapped on his knapsack, and his soldiers had to fetch the
cloth back again. "One thing comes on the top of another," thought he,
"and I feel as if my luck had not yet come to an end." Neither had
his thoughts deceived him. After he had walked on for the whole of one
day, he came to a third charcoal-burner, who like the previous ones,
invited him to potatoes without dripping. But he let him also dine with
him from his wishing-cloth, and the charcoal-burner liked it so well,
that at last he offered him a horn for it, which had very different
properties from those of the hat. When any one blew it all the walls and
fortifications fell down, and all towns and villages became ruins. He
certainly gave the charcoal-burner the cloth for it, but he afterwards
sent his soldiers to demand it back again, so that at length he had the
knapsack, hat and horn, all three. "Now," said he, "I am a made man,
and it is time for me to go home and see how my brothers are getting on."

When he reached home, his brothers had built themselves a handsome house
with their silver and gold, and were living in clover. He went to see
them, but as he came in a ragged coat, with his shabby hat on his head,
and his old knapsack on his back, they would not acknowledge him as their
brother. They mocked and said, "Thou givest out that thou art our brother
who despised silver and gold, and craved for something still better for
himself. He will come in his carriage in full splendour like a mighty
king, not like a beggar," and they drove him out of doors. Then he fell
into a rage, and tapped his knapsack until a hundred and fifty men stood
before him armed from head to foot. He commanded them to surround his
brothers' house, and two of them were to take hazel-sticks with them,
and beat the two insolent men until they knew who he was. A violent
disturbance arose, people ran together, and wanted to lend the two some
help in their need, but against the soldiers they could do nothing. News
of this at length came to the King, who was very angry, and ordered
a captain to march out with his troop, and drive this disturber of
the peace out of the town; but the man with the knapsack soon got a
greater body of men together, who repulsed the captain and his men,
so that they were forced to retire with bloody noses. The King said,
"This vagabond is not brought to order yet," and next day sent a still
larger troop against him, but they could do even less. The youth set
still more men against them, and in order to be done the sooner, he
turned his hat twice round on his head, and heavy guns began to play,
and the king's men were beaten and put to flight. "And now," said he,
"I will not make peace until the King gives me his daughter to wife, and
I govern the whole kingdom in his name." He caused this to be announced
to the King, and the latter said to his daughter, "Necessity is a hard
nut to crack, what remains to me but to do what he desires? If I want
peace and to keep the crown on my head, I must give thee away."

So the wedding was celebrated, but the King's daughter was vexed that
her husband should be a common man, who wore a shabby hat, and put on
an old knapsack. She wished much to get rid of him, and night and day
studied how she could accomplished this. Then she thought to herself,
"Is it possible that his wonderful powers lie in the knapsack?" and she
dissembled and caressed him, and when his heart was softened, she said,
"If thou wouldst but lay aside that ugly knapsack, it makes disfigures
thee so, that I can't help being ashamed of thee." "Dear child," said he,
"this knapsack is my greatest treasure; as long as I have it, there is no
power on earth that I am afraid of." And he revealed to her the wonderful
virtue with which it was endowed. Then she threw herself in his arms as
if she were going to kiss him, but dexterously took the knapsack off his
shoulders, and ran away with it. As soon as she was alone she tapped it,
and commanded the warriors to seize their former master, and take him out
of the royal palace. They obeyed, and the false wife sent still more men
after him, who were to drive him quite out of the country. Then he would
have been ruined if he had not had the little hat. But his hands were
scarcely at liberty before he turned it twice. Immediately the cannon
began to thunder, and struck down everything, and the King's daughter
herself was forced to come and beg for mercy. As she entreated in such
moving terms, and promised amendment, he allowed himself to be persuaded
and granted her peace. She behaved in a friendly manner to him, and acted
as if she loved him very much, and after some time managed so to befool
him, that he confided to her that even if someone got the knapsack into
his power, he could do nothing against him so long as the old hat was
still his. When she knew the secret, she waited until he was asleep,
and then she took the hat away from him, and had it thrown out into the
street. But the horn still remained to him, and in great anger he blew
it with all his strength. Instantly all walls, fortifications, towns,
and villages, toppled down, and crushed the King and his daughter to
death. And had he not put down the horn and had blown just a little
longer, everything would have been in ruins, and not one stone would
have been left standing on another. Then no one opposed him any longer,
and he made himself King of the whole country.


55 Rumpelstiltskin

Once there was a miller who was poor, but who had a beautiful
daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the King, and in
order to make himself appear important he said to him, "I have a daughter
who can spin straw into gold." The King said to the miller, "That is
an art which pleases me well; if your daughter is as clever as you say,
bring her to-morrow to my palace, and I will try what she can do."

And when the girl was brought to him he took her into a room which was
quite full of straw, gave her a spinning-wheel and a reel, and said, "Now
set to work, and if by to-morrow morning early you have not spun this
straw into gold during the night, you must die." Thereupon he himself
locked up the room, and left her in it alone. So there sat the poor
miller's daughter, and for the life of her could not tell what to do;