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Read the classic stories like never before! Based on the original fairy tale by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, Snow White & the Poisoned Apple is a retelling with an LGBT twist put on it. A Queerky twist on a classic tale. Snow White was born a boy, a Prince, but
Queerky Tales Snow White & the Poisoned Apple by Rhys Christopher Ethan © 2012 by Rhys Christopher Ethan Free-eBooks.net All rights reserved No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author Illustrations by Christina Ismail www.rcethan.wordpress.com Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication The Story Acknowledgements About the Author To the LGBTQ communities everywhere The story Once upon a time, the Queen of the Forest Castle sat alone in her chambers and sewed She and the King were happily married and ruled their land with justice and kindness But they couldn’t have children As she stitched the blanket she was holding, it begun to snow And it did for hours until the mountains were covered with thick piles of snowflakes and the trees glittered whiteness The Queen was still sitting on her big rocking chair, when from the top of the window she saw a carriage down the road being carried by an old man dressed in a heavy woollen coat and a straw hat The fine carriage was made of the darkest wood in nature Ebony! On the carriage were several logs, they were however covered in snow And as the Queen looked at the snow and wood, she wished for a child as white as snow and as black as ebony wood And she cried for she knew her wish wouldn’t come true The King entered her room and knelt beside her trying to comfort her, but his pain was as big as his wife’s He lead her to her bed where she closed her eyes tiresomely and he retreated to his own chambers Everyday the Queen would wish the same thing, over and over again That she had a child as white as snow and black as ebony But the child never came and she grew very sad The King occupied himself with the business of the Castle and hid his sadness under his work Soon the winter came to an end and the celebration for the Spring Harvest was the biggest event of the season Everyone prepared for the royalties that were going to arrive from all the corners of the Earth The Queen saw about helping with the preparations Although the snow had melted not long ago, every night before she went to bed, she wished for a child When the day of the Spring Harvest celebration arrived the Queen’s maids all assembled and helped prepare their mistress to present herself They perfected the bun on the top of their mistress’s hair and got her dressed in a beautiful red and blue gown They put her ruby crown on her head and she climbed down the stairs to welcome her visitors ‘Oh, one minute ma’am,’ her maid, Selest, stopped her and stepped in front of her She took a serviette out of her dress pocket and wiped the Queen’s tears just before they opened the door to the Entrance Hall of the palace The Forest Castle Orchestra was already playfully drumming their welcome for the Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses them The Queen smiled “Thank you, Selest,’ she grabbed her maid’s hands in hers and kissed The young maid blushed ‘Enjoy your evening, ma’am,’ she wished her mistress and fled up the stairs The doors opened and the Queen descended gracefully through to meet the embrace of her husband They welcomed everyone and showed them to the Dining Room, where everything was set, with golden plates and cutlery and crystal glasses glimmering under the light of the elegant chandeliers Violinists accompanied the royal meal and when that was finished the servants led the way to the Ball Room where everyone danced around to the traditional music of the West The Queen, after a joyful supper and a lively dance with her King and others from other Kingdoms, sat on her throne allowing her misery to overcome her Thinking of the child she could never have, a tall, dark figure approached her “Your Majesty!’ the woman’s figure said and curtsied to the Queen The Queen stood up and bowed back herself ‘Allow me to introduce myself I am Narcissa, Queen of The North,’ she announced ‘I have heard of you, your Majesty! I have been told about the rough times in your Kingdom What with the unpredictable weather conditions and the revolution of the Elves,’ the Queen replied Queen Narcissa laughed “Oh, that is not a discussion for such celebration Queen Alessa,’ she replied ‘Tell me, however, why such a sad face on this pleasant evening?’ Queen Alessa sat back on her throne and Queen Narcissa approached her with interest ‘I am trying very much to enjoy this evening, but I find it hard without an offspring,’ she admitted Queen Narcissa showed her understanding ‘I have heard of your misfortune, my lady You really yearn for a child?’ Narcissa asked her ‘But of course!’ The Queen replied immediately ‘It would bring me the greatest joy,’ she added Narcissa seemed to smile slyly before she continued ‘How far are you willing to go to earn a child?’ Queen Alessa had heard of the Queen of the North Her reputation was not very good She knew she kept her people hungry if they didn’t obey her She knew the business she dealt with Kingdoms of the deep East She also knew she was an enemy to many of the people present in the room Her craving for a child, though, was blinding her judgement when she agreed to her bargain ‘T will grant you a child as white as snow and as black as ebony, if only you give me half your fortune!’ she had told her And the Queen, without advising her husband first, agreed to it and ordered her servants to load the carriage of the Queen of the North with all the gold they could find When that was done, they met at an empty room and Queen Narcissa held a small knife on her right hand and a glass chalice on her left Her features seemed darker and her smile evil But Queen Alessa was determined to have an heiress to the throne ‘All I need to give you the child of your dreams is a single drop of your blood,’ Queen Narcissa told her grabbing her left hand The Queen nodded her approval ‘Do it!’ Queen Narcissa pinched her finger and let the drop of blood pour in the glass chalice She let her hand go and walked towards the door ‘In three days time you will be bearing a child as white as snow, as black as ebony ’ she paused ° and as red as blood!’ Queen Narcissa yelled at her and laughed an evil laugh that made Queen Alessa’s skin shiver with terror The next day the King realised he had lost much gold and silver and valuable gems He ordered his knights to search high and low for the thieves that dared steal from his Kingdom They never found an inch of the lost treasure Queen Alessa sat alone in her room and waited for three days, only breaking her stillness to eat and drink And true to Narcissa’s word, three days later, she found out she was pregnant and her deal with the Queen of the North had blessed her with a child Once she found out, she ran to the King and throwing herself in his embrace she told him the merry news The King immediately forgot about his lost fortune and celebrated with his wife, dancing endlessly As the months went by and the Queen’s belly started to grow, she made all the preparations for her daughter’s room Everything had to be ready for when she came Luckily, she never heard of Queen Narcissa ever again and was glad that she had kept her end of the bargain and didn’t have to deal with her ever again The whole palace was in preparations for their princess and they never complained about working twice as much to provide for themselves now that the Kingdom was poorer And soon enough, the autumn came and the trees abandoned their decaying, dried leaves on the earth and the Queen was in bliss for the baby moving inside her belly And sure thereafter, the winter arrived dressing everything in white, as her daughter was promised to be A new year begun for the palace and on the 7th of January the Queen gave birth And the whole palace was on its feet for the big feast in honour of the Princess Only when the midwife came out of the Queen’s room, she had different news to deliver ‘My lord!’ she curtsied The King, red with agony, turned and paced towards the midwife “Is everything alright? Is everyone OK?’ he asked her ‘Everything is absolutely fine Congratulations, my Lord! You now have a beautiful Prince! Skin as white as snow, hair and eyes as black as ebony and lips as red as blood,’ she smiled and opened the doors for him to see He run to his wife and rested next to her He kissed her forehead and saw anxiety dripping off her face ‘What’s happening, Gregory? Is something wrong with my girl?’ she asked on the verge of tears The midwife approached them both, carrying a bundle in her hands The King laughed heartedly ‘You haven’t told her yet?’ The midwife shook her head ‘Myrtle, what’s wrong?’ The Queen cried with worry ‘My sweet Alessa, nothing is wrong,’ the midwife answered as she knelt closer to her Queen ‘It’s just that she’s not a Princess, but a Prince! A boy!’ she told her giving her the bundle The Queen took it in her hands and drew the white blanket off her baby’s face and saw him for the first time His skin was whiter than the silk he was covered in, pale as death His hair was black as the night and rich in texture His eyes dark and shiny as the rarest of diamonds and his tiny lips, red as the finest wine of the castle and finally cheeks as rosy as the red sunset She fell in love with him instantly, not minding the slightest that he wasn’t a girl, or for the fact that she had to redo his room which she had worked months on, or for having to knit new clothes for him in the shade of blue She simply loved him beyond reason So the second day when she got up from her bed, she rushed to her baby’s room and ordered her servants to bring new paint When they brought it, she send them away and started to paint the room blue, then the maids brought her son to her and she left the room half pink, half blue to go play with him in the evening before his bed time She went to bed soon after and was planning an early start to finish painting the room so that her son would finally sleep in the shelter she had created for him Her plans, however, were left unfinished The next day, three days after she had given birth, she never opened her eyes from slumber She didn’t answer when her maid woke her up by drawing the curtains for the winter sun to come in, nor did she flinch when her husband shook her with panic, and nor did she respond to her baby boy’s cry when he was brought in, in hope of waking her from her last sleep Deep sorrow fell over the castle and the whole palace was in utter grief All the preparations for the young Prince’s birth celebration were postponed Instead there was a wake for the lost Queen Everyone attended the church that night to mourn their mistress who laid beautiful and cold on her deathbed covered in black lace The King’s only solace was his son, and he knew his wife would have wanted everyone to move on, so he ordered the festivities for the birth of his son to begin on the seventh day and everyone bid their final goodbye to the gracious Queen by celebrating her Prince’s birth The Prince, whom the King named Snow White grew up in his half pink, half blue room When he was three, the King decided to re-marry and who else would it be then the Queen of the North, Narcissa The King, of course, was unaware of the secret deal between the two Queens, and he saw his new wife as a new beginning and as a source of new-found wealth for his Castle The new Queen embraced the little boy as her own and showed him true affection Snow White however didn’t like her and always cried in her presence Queen Narcissa didn’t know how to win the Prince’s heart But in time he learnt to tolerate her and even like her at times as he grew up The King and Queen often invited the Royal family of the South to their castle and their son was best friends with Snow White ‘Oliver, stop being such a savage!’ Snow White called his best friend who was pretending to be a pirate holding a fake, wooden sword to fight ‘Oh, come on Snow White So what are we going to play if not pirates?’ Oliver complained “Well, we can play the trapped Princess and the Prince who comes to save her from the monster,’ Snow White said ‘And who will be the Princess?’ Oliver looked around ‘I will,’ Snow White answered Oliver laughed ‘You can’t be the Princess, Snow White,’ he told him ‘Why not?’ Snow White asked placing his arms on his waist ‘Because you’re a Prince, you silly,’ Oliver said and started running with his sword shouting like a barbarian When Oliver and his family departed for their Kingdom once again, the King went to good night to his son before bedtime Snow White didn’t want to sleep ‘Father!’ he called the King “Yes, my prince,’ King Gregory asked as he approached his son’s bed ‘Oliver said I’m a Prince,’ he said ‘But of course you are Why you think everyone treats you like one?’ the King answered tickling his son’s belly ‘So if you’re a Prince, you can’t be a Princess?’ Snow White stopped laughing and pushed his father’s hands away “No, my son Only girls are Princesses,’ the King answered getting serious ‘What if I want to be a Princess, father?’ Snow White asked ‘Snow White, you can’t be a Princess, because you’re a boy and therefore you’re a Prince,’ the King answered as truthfully as he could ‘But ’ Snow White went on, but the King got up and put the lights out “Go to bed, Snow White,’ the King said and shut the door of his son’s bedroom Snow White’s reply was troubling the King for a long time and his Queen noticed, but he wouldn’t confess what was on his mind He often found Snow White wearing his step-mother’s shoes and using her make-up and he never felt bad about it The King was starting to believe that his son ought to be a Princess, after all So he visited his fairy Godmother, Melissa, to advise with her And Fairy Melissa followed the King to Snow White’s room and played with her Godson, discussing with him ‘Snow White! Is it true you want to be a Princess?’ Fairy Melissa asked “Yes Auntie Everyone tells me I’m a Prince, because I’m a boy, but I don’t like it I want to be a Princess and marry a handsome Prince when I grow up Oliver is a boy I’m not,’ Snow White said innocently Fairy Melissa then transferred the discussion to the King and told him what his son had told her They both talked about it and decided that Snow White is meant to be a Princess And Fairy Melissa had still to give Snow White her gift She was going to so at his wedding, but he needed her good magic now So the fairy Godmother told Snow White she was going to be a girl and he was so happy Then she took her wand out and with a magical swish and a swoosh Snow White became a girl His short ebony black hair grew into long locks, his red lips and cheeks turned even redder and Snow White danced around with her Godmother happily The King and his Queen were there and smiled happily now that Snow White was finally happy The Kingdom celebrated for their Princess and the King invited her best friend Oliver and his parents to pay a visit, but they never came On Snow White’s sixth birthday and half a year after her transformation a tragedy hit the little girl Her father died in his sleep and now Queen Narcissa was in charge of the whole castle And the grief returned to the Kingdom With the King’s departure Queen Narcissa showed her true colours and everyone suffered under her ruling She made her servants carry her around in a hand-held chariot on her daily excursions to the forest The people became poorer and worked harder for the Queen who sent them in coal minds as she started trading coal with other Kingdoms So even though the castle became richer, everyone was miserable And most of all Snow White who had lost her father and her friend and had no one left in the world except for her fairy Godmother who was locked away with the other fairies of the palace Queen Narcissa walked around in her chamber waiting news of her transaction with Royalties of the East When the news arrived she relaxed in front of her dresser and smiled slyly to the mirror Her plan had gone exactly the way she planned from the very start It was her who had cursed Queen Alessa , her who got rid of her after her heir was born and now was the sole ruler of two Kingdoms She was a smart woman And highly optimistic She looked herself in her dresser’s mirror and asked: ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The mirror rippled like water and a grey, bald face appeared inside It gave her a big smile and answered with a hoarse voice “You, my Queen, are fairest of all!’ disappeared ‘Thank you, mirror,’ the Queen laughed maliciously and the face in the mirror She was a merciless woman She was vain and longed to be the most beautiful in the whole wide world So far, she had succeeded in being so and was the happiest evil Queen She checked her mirror daily, morning and evening, before breakfast and after dinner She didn’t just want to be the most beautiful, she wanted to hear it as often as possible So in addition to consulting the Magic Mirror day and night, she commanded her servants to call her “Your Fairest Majesty” As for Snow White, she was left to look after herself She still had meals with the Queen, but was hostile and cold to her for what she was doing to her father’s Kingdom The Queen had no problem with Snow White In fact she was planning to win her over and make her the Princess of the New Kingdom, which she was planning to expand as far as possible But Snow White hated her step-mother And no matter what Queen Narcissa did, she wouldn’t open up The years passed and Snow White grew older The more she grew, the more beautiful she became And everyone had started to notice The servants fed her well and the people of the Castle would welcome her in their houses with warmth But the Queen had missed the progress of her little step-daughter So one day when Snow White was thirteen years old, the Queen sat comfortably at her dresser in the early morning and applied her make-up before asking the Mirror ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen were the fairest, it is true, But a young beauty is fairer than you,’ the Mirror replied The Queen demanded to know who that young beauty was with the anger rising inside Instead of telling her, the Mirror showed her the image of beautiful Snow White dancing around the kitchen while the cook prepared the Queen’s meal The Queen longed to be the most beautiful in the whole wide world She couldn’t accept the fact that there was someone else who surpassed her beauty Even if that someone was Snow White, her adoptive daughter, whom she much adored She was now her enemy She had to find a way to get rid of Snow White ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Tell me, how can I be the fairest of all?’ she asked the Mirror with frustration The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen has to kill Snow White and eat her heart, She can be fairest in the land, only if the two are apart, ’ 1t said bluntly and the Queen gasped in shock Shocked as she may were she was determined and ordered the best huntsman in town to pay her a visit When he came, she told him of his task He was to drag Snow White into the woods, where she would collect the prettiest flowers for her parents graves, but then his task was to kill Snow White and bring her heart to the Queen The huntsman was reluctant to it, as he loved the little Princess and was very close to her, but the Queen threatened to harm his family if he didn’t, so he had no choice, but to follow her commands The next morning he woke up early as usual, went to Snow White and asked her to follow him into the forest to collect the prettiest flowers for the graves of Mum and Dad Snow White wore her favourite pink and white dress with blue sleeves made of ribbon and a blue bow on her head and happily followed the Huntsman into the forest Once they were far enough he let her pick up all the colours she found and run around like the child she was But the huntsman couldn’t it They sat for lunch and he let Snow White tell him all about the music that she loved to sing And afternoon came soon, but the huntsman couldn’t it Then it was evening and they had walked a lot They sat down to have supper When they finished, they turned back, heading to the Palace But the huntsman couldn’t it And when the nightfall arrived and stars shone above them, they lay down to rest and sleep But the Huntsman couldn’t it And they fell asleep And when he woke up, he was ready to it! He didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want to lose his family So he took his hunting knife out of his pocket and raised it above the sleeping Snow White And as he was about to it, she opened her eyes and yawned When she saw the Huntsman, she screamed and she wanted to run, but was too scared, so instead she tried to reason with him ‘What are you doing Mr Huntsman? Why ts that knife aiming at me?’ she was as kind as ever She smiled with her beautiful red lips and her ebony black eyes The Huntsman tried to finish what he started, but was unable to He just stood above the Princess ‘I don’t want to it, but I have to Oh, dear Snow White, I have to,’ he cried “We only have to what we choose to do,’ Snow White responded The Huntsman thought of his wife and kids and the idea of losing them was driving him crazy, but he also couldn’t commit such a terrible crime “You re such a nice young lady Raised with morals and etiquette A true Princess!’ he told her ‘Is that why you’re aiming a knife at me?’ Snow White asked innocently The Huntsman put the knife down * Your Step-Mother ordered me to kill you and take your heart to her But I cannot it I swear, I can’t!’ the Huntsman sobbed “My Step-Mother? Why would she that?’ Snow White wondered sitting up now that the knife was no longer aiming at her ‘I don’t know my Princess, but she said she’Il hurt my family if I don’t follow the plan,’ the Huntsman admitted ‘Oh, no!’ Snow White sobbed and approached the Huntsman ‘Then by all means what you have to Please I wouldn’t want your family get hurt,’ she said truthfully and tried to take the Huntsman’s hand in hers ‘How can I that now? How can I such a terrible crime to someone as kind as you? The Princess who would sacrifice her life for that of her citizens?’ he asked himself Snow White remained silent And then the Huntsman raised his knife again, making her jump in her place ‘Go away my Princess Run as fast as you can Run as far as you can,’ he urged her, but she didn’t move She looked at him confused “Are are you letting me go?’ she asked reluctantly “Yes! Run! Pll hunt a deer and take its heart to your Evil Step-Mother and she can what she wants with it So run!’ he told her and shouted as loud as he could: “Run!’ Snow White ran She ran in the forest, where all the dangerous creatures lived Where the plants moved and sneaked up on you She ran over rivers and through bee hives She didn’t look back, only forwards She was cautious, but grew tired So after hours of running, she lay down on the ground and slept Meanwhile, the Huntsman had killed a deer and took its heart to the Queen She let the Huntsman go and baked the heart in the oven Then she dined and ate it with great satisfaction, knowing she had won ‘Now I’m the Fairest in the Land!’ she pronounced and ate the last bite of her gross meal When Snow White awoke she was cold and was surrounded by the wolves of the Magic Forest and she knew her fate was doomed But the wolves approached her and rubbed their bodies on hers, and she was warm They led her out of the Forest on to the Seven Hills Then they retreated back in the wilderness Snow White, thankful for her life walked up the Hills and when she reached the top, she looked down the other side, and in the middle of a valley, surrounded by the Seven Hills was a small, very small cottage house She ran down the Hill and to the house and when she reached the front door, she knocked The door was small, very small, which to Snow White looked bizarre as she was used to big gates where adults and children alike could fit through But there was no reply and she knocked again Still no one answered ‘I’m sure whoever lives here won’t mind me going in, especially after I tell them my story,’ Snow White thought, turned the knob of the door and walked in The house had the same proportions as the door A small fireplace at the other end and in front of it, seven small chairs were set in front of a small dining table On the table were seven small plates with warm food and small glasses with clear water To the left was a small staircase leading up and to the right small cupboards full of dirt and spiderwebs Snow White was so hungry she run to the food, but was reluctant to eat any ‘Surely if I just take a small bite from each of the seven plates my stomach will be full and whoever lives here will have a proper meal as well They will hardly notice!’ Snow White thought and grabbed a fork and a knife and cut a small portion of chicken from the first plate Then took some broccoli from the second, some carrots from the third, another bite of chicken from the fourth, a potato from the fifth, and some rice from the sixth Then she drank some water from the seventh glass When she finished she was very, very tired and wanted to sleep She walked up the stairs and found seven small beds aligned on the wall She walked on the first and lay on it She slept tiresomely and didn’t hear the door opening from down the stairs The small house belonged to the Seven Dwarfs They worked at the mines all day long and returned in the afternoon That day when they came back home they found their front door open ‘Who came into our house?’ asked the First Dwarf They all went in suspiciously and saw no one They shut the door behind them and walked to the dining table ‘Who ate my broccoli?’ asked the Second Dwarf ‘Who ate my carrots?’ asked the Third ‘Who ate my chicken?’ asked the Fourth ‘Who ate my potato?’ asked the Fifth ‘Who ate my rice?’ asked the Sixth ‘Who drunk my water?’ asked the Seventh ‘I guess the same one who ate my chicken,’ said the First Dwarf ‘Who is the criminal who dared enter our house and eat our food?’ asked the Second Dwarf “Look, look,’ said the Third Dwarf ‘What? What?’ asked the Fourth Dwarrf ‘There is dirt leading up the stairs,’ said the Fifth Dwarf ‘Up we go then,’ said the Sixth Dwarf ‘Let’s go see who is the criminal that entered our house, ate our food and slept on our beds,’ said the Seventh Dwarf All Seven Dwarfs climbed the stairs and stopped when they saw Snow White sleeping on the first bed ‘But who is that beautiful young lady sleeping on my bed?’ asked the First Dwarf ‘Let’s wake her and we shall see,’ said the Second Dwarf “Wake up, wake up!’ sang the Third Dwarf ‘Rise and shine!’ sang the Fourth “She”s tired,’ said the Fifth ‘She looks sad,’ said the Sixth ‘She has to wake up,’ shouted the Seventh Dwarf Snow White stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes She saw all Seven Dwarfs looking at her and gasped ‘Who are you?’ Snow White screamed ‘No, who are you?’ All Seven Dwarfs said together ‘Tam Snow White, the Princess of the Forest Castle You see my Step-Mother, the Queen, ordered me dead and the Huntsman who was going to kill me, let me go So I ran the whole night and then some kind wolves brought me here I’m sorry for coming in your house, eating your food and sleeping on your beds, but you see I was very tired and hungry ’ The dwarfs gathered in a little corner and whispered intensely Then they all faced Snow White and welcomed her in their house ‘An enemy of the Queen is our friend and the little princess is welcome here,’ said the First Dwarf “I’m First Dwarf!’ ‘I’m Second!’ ‘I’m Third!’ ‘I’m Fourth!’ ‘Tm Fifth!’ ‘Tm Sixth!’ ‘And I’m Seventh!’ they all introduced themselves Snow White grinned and stood up “These are your names?’ “Yes! said all dwarfs at once ‘But these are not names These are numbers,’ Snow White said marvelled ‘No one ever gave us names,’ said the Second Dwarf ‘That’s silly Names make us unique And I would love the honour of naming you,’ she The dwarfs smiled gaily and jumped in enthusiasm ‘Alright, let’s see,’ Snow White strode up and down in front of the dwarfs and observed them After a while she stopped in front of the First Dwarf and said: ‘Well, your cheeks are very pink, like mine Pinky suits you greatly as a name.’ ‘Pinky at your services, my Princess,’ Pinky said and tipped his hat, bowing to Snow White Then Snow White stopped in front of the Second Dwarf “You have a beautiful, well tended beard So Beardy 1s the name for you,’ she said ‘Beardy at your services, my Princess,’ said Beardy combing his beard with his fingers “Your grin seems to have a constant place on your face How you like Grinny?’ said Snow White to the Third Dwarf ‘Grinny, at your services,’ gagged Grinny “Your feet are very big and stomp whenever you walk Which is a fantastic and unique feature Does Footy sound nice?’ she said to the Fourth Dwarrf ‘Footy, at your services,’ said Footy and stomped his feet up and down “Your ears, Fifth, are so big and flap every time you shake your head What about Flappy?’ ‘Flappy, at your services,’ Flappy said and shook his head and his ears flapped ‘What a beautiful, big nose your have, Sixth I bet you can sniff anything with amazing accuracy I think you should be Sniffy.’ ‘Sniffy at your services, Princess,’ said Sniffy and sniffed a breath with joy Then Snow White walked to the Seventh Dwarf ‘Oh, but you look so cute Petite and graceful You’re definitely a Cuty,’ she told him ‘Cuty, at your services,’ said Cuty and flickered his eyelashes at her with grace ‘See? You now have unique names We have Pinky and Beardy, Grinny and Footy, Flappy and Sniffy and Cuty,’ she laughed and hugged them all ‘Now you have to tell us all about the last few days and your troubles in detail,’ said Grinny So they all went down at the living room where they all sat around Snow White as she told them of her life with the Queen until she came across their house ‘And you have no idea why she wants you dead?’ said Footy ‘No She was always very nice to me, but I never liked her I could see her for who she really was She brought misery to my people and poverty Maybe it has to with me being born a Prince,’ said Snow White ‘What would this have to with her hatred?’ asked Flappy “Well, some people have a problem with it I never saw my friend Oliver again after I became a Princess But all the people in my palace embraced me,’ she explained ‘And we have, too You can stay at our house as long as you want When we’re at the mines ’ started Sniffy * You can stay here and cook for all of us and clean the house and look after our garden,’ finished Cuty ‘I’d be happy to,’ said Snow White So they all sang a song and went off to sleep Snow White slept in the dwarfs bedroom and all the dwarfs slept downstairs at the living room Tomorrow they would carve her own bed so she could sleep like a Princess The Queen had celebrated extensively her success over Snow White and now more than ever she loved to hear that she was the most beautiful of them all So she sat in front of the mirror and asked the mirror with vanity ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen you are the fairest of all, but across the forest, at the Seven Hills, lives Snow White and she’s the fairest in heart and soul,’ it replied The Queen stood angrily and beat her fists on the table She was going to get rid of the little trouble herself this time So she disguised herself as a blond, and beautiful young lady in a white dress and she rode to the house of the Seven Dwarfs with a basket in her hands In the morning the Seven Dwarfs all woke up to go to the mines Before they left they warned Snow White to answer the door to no one “The Queen may find out you’re still alive and you could still be in danger,’ said Pinky ‘Answer the door to no one,’ agreed Beardy And they all left leaving Snow White alone She lit the fireplace and swept the floor Then suddenly to door knocked and Snow White stood behind it ‘Who is calling?’ she asked ‘Corsets, corsets, beautiful corsets,’ answered a melodic voice ‘That doesn’t sound like the Queen It is just a merchant,’ thought Snow White and opened the door slightly “Hello!” ‘Good morning, young lady I sell corsets Would you like one’ said the disguised Evil Queen ‘I don’t have any money, unfortunately,’ answered Snow White ‘Let me look at you,’ said the Queen and pushed the door open She looked at Snow White and sighed ‘I will give you one for free I can see you need it desperately,’ she told her and took one corset from her basket and presented it to Snow White ‘Isn’t it beautiful? Let me tie it for you,’ she put it on Snow White’s waist and then tied the cords fast and so tight that Snow White couldn’t breathe ‘See! It’s breathtaking,’ laughed the Queen and Snow White fell on the floor as if dead When the dwarfs came home they found Snow White lying on the floor and saw the corset strapped around her waist They untied it fast and slowly Snow White awoke and took a deep, deep breath “We told you not to open the door to anyone,’ said Grinny ‘Now the Queen tried to kill you again,’ said Footy Back at the Castle, the Queen sat in front of her mirror with satisfaction and asked: ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen you are the fairest of all, but across the forest, at the Seven Hills, lives and breathes Snow White and she’s the fairest in heart and soul,’ it replied The Queen angered by the answer, devised another plan She dressed up as a middleage woman with red hair, freckles all around her skin and dressed in grey robes and she set for the house of the Dwarfs once again Next morning the Seven Dwarfs woke up to work at the mines, but before they went, they warned Snow White ‘Do not answer the door to anyone,’ said Flappy ‘The Queen will find out you’re not dead and she will try again,’ said Sniffy And they set off to work Not long after, there was a knock on the door Snow White was scared, but stood behind it and answered “Whos there?’ ‘Combs, combs Beautiful combs,’ answered a hoarse female voice Snow White opened the door slightly and looked at a red-haired merchant who was holding a basket with golden combs ‘Would you like combs, young lady?’ the Evil Queen asked her ‘I don’t have any money, but I need a good comb to comb my hair,’ Snow White answered “Well let me comb you properly for once,’ suggested the Queen and started combing Snow White’s hair As she did, she combed so hard that the poison of the comb took the breath away from Snow White and she dropped on the floor as if dead When the dwarfs came back from the mines they run to Snow White and saw the comb clipped on Snow White’s hair They threw it away and surely Snow White woke up and took a deep, deep breath “You didn’t listen Snow White Now the Queen tried to kill you again,’ said Cuty ‘I know, I know But I needed a good comb and it was a young woman who was selling them She looked nothing like my Step-Mother,’ apologised Snow White The Queen rode back to her castle, sat in front of the mirror and asked with pleasantry ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen you are the fairest of all, but across the forest, at the Seven Hills, lives Snow White with her ebony hair free and combed, and she’s the fairest in heart and soul,’ it replied The Queen screamed with hatred and was finally determined to make the third time the last for Snow White So she put all her mastery in witchcraft and brewed a dangerous potion Then she took an apple and dipped half of it inside When she took it out the poisoned half was red as blood and the other half, white as snow Then she dressed up as an old woman and set off for the house of the Seven Dwarfs Next morning, the Seven Dwarfs woke up to go to the mines Before they left they all warned Snow White ‘Do not answer to a knock!’ said Pinky ‘Do not open the wooden door!’ said Beardy ‘Do not be tempted by a girl! said Grinny ‘By silver, gold or pearl!’ said Footy ‘Do not be tempted by a merchant!’ said Flappy ‘No matter how urgent!’ said Sniffy ‘And be safe!’ said Cuty ‘T will, I will, I promise,’ Snow White said And the Seven Dwarfs set off to work for one more day When Snow White was alone she cleaned and tidied the house and she had a rest Then there was a knock on the door Snow White remained quite, like she promised Then there was a second knock But she remained silent Then a third knock on the door and a voice calling: ‘Apples, apples Delicious apples!’ she heard an old creaking voice ‘That sounds nothing like my Step-Mother!’ Snow White thought and went to the door *Who’s there?’ she asked “Open the door, little darling I’m an old woman and cannot stand long outside I’m selling wonderful apples from my own garden No one can resist their taste They’ve been grown with love and care, not hate and haste Open the door and you'll see for yourself You will not be able to say no!’ said the crackling voice Snow White had promised not to open the door, but she hadn’t promised not to look out the window And so she did She saw an old lady, with white hair and wrinkles on her face Her eyes were black and her lips were pale She was hunched and wearing a black attire She held a basket full of apples The one on top was the most beautiful of all Half red, half white ‘Hello, young lady An apple to help the old lady, whose legs are shaky?’ she asked approaching the window ‘I don’t trust anyone,’ she told her ‘Why is that, my dear? Here take an apple and tell me your sorrows,’ said the Queen and gave Snow White the poisoned apple ‘It surely looks delicious, but I don’t take things from strangers,’ said Snow White reluctantly ‘Here I will have a bite so you can see that I not make an attempt on your life,’ said the Queen and bit the half white side of the apple She wiped the juices of the fruit that were dripping from her mouth and gave the rest to Snow White Snow White saw the apple was safe and it looked so tasty, she wanted a bite of it She took it in her hands and bit the red half of the apple It was juicy and full of poison, but by the time she realised she fell on the floor, dead and the Queen took the apple back and laughed as she took off for her castle ‘Finally, I am the fairest of all And Snow White is nothing but a lifeless body,’ she laughed and laughed until she coughed and choked on her own evilness as she treaded on the road back to the palace When the Dwarfs came back from the mines they found Snow White laid by the window with no breath on her mouth and no soul in her eyes They combed her hair and loosened up her corset, but she didn’t come back to life They all grieved and cried all day and all night, for they had lost a good friend And the next morning they decided to bury her But her beauty was too great to be buried under the earth, so they all carved a coffin made of glass and crystal And for days they were carving it and decorating it And then they set the fluffiest cushions inside and laid Snow White on them They laid the coffin at the top of Seventh Hill and wrote an inscription next to it that read: ‘Here lies Snow White, Princess of the Forest and Queen of our Hearts’ The days passed and the Dwarfs visited her coffin everyday and brought flowers.The birds sat on the coffin and sang for the fair little lady that slept inside The squirrels left her walnuts and the wolves gathered around and howled all night And the years passed And Snow White was growing inside her coffin Her hair grew long, and her eyelashes curved with grace Her lips grew full and her cheeks blushed day by day Four years had passed since her sad death and the Dwarfs still went to see her everyday The birds still sang for her, the squirrels still left walnuts for her and the wolves still howled every night One day, Oliver, the Prince of the South was riding his horse through the forest and he heard the birds chirping, so he followed their melodic song and was lead to where Snow White’s body laid He knew this was Snow White with her hair black as ebony, her lips red as blood and her skin white as snow He fell in love with his old friend that instant And knelt on the grass and cried The Dwarfs were climbing up the hill and saw the Prince He asked them if he could take the coffin with him at his palace But the Seven Dwarfs refused He told them he was an old friend of Snow White But the Seven Dwarfs told him he had abandoned her after she became a Princess He explained that his parents held him off, and he was young He told them how much he loved Snow White and begged to let him take her with him, where he could look at her everyday Where he could love and worship her everyday as if she were alive And the Seven Dwarfs saw honesty in his words and let him take her So he came back the next day with his men to carry the glass coffin The Seven Dwarfs waved goodbye to Snow White as Prince Oliver’s soldiers carried the coffin on their shoulders But the path was not smooth It was full of rocks and the glass coffin shook as it was being carried And Snow White shook inside it And as she shook, the bite of the poisoned apple shook from her throat and popped out of her mouth Snow White awoke and took a deep, deep breath She blinked several times and stood up, lifting the lid of the coffin away And Oliver ordered his men to let the coffin down and ran to Snow White and told her who he was and how much he loved her And they gave each other first love’s kiss He proposed to Snow White there and then And they were going to get married The Queen had for years enjoyed her place as the fairest in the land And she loved to hear it every day And the day of Snow White’s and Oliver’s wedding she asked the mirror for the thousandth time ‘Mirror, mirror, true to all, Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Mirror rippled and the grey, bald face appeared to answer truthfully and honestly: ‘My Queen you are handsome as the yew, but the young Queen is fairer than you,’ the mirror answered Narcissa who didn’t know that Snow White was the Young Queen, was determined to see who it was that disturbed her position as the fairest So she set off for the Royal Wedding and entered the Palace uninvited There she saw the Seven Dwarfs around Snow White in her wedding gown and a diamond crown set on top of her head And Oliver who was now King, right next to her with his own crown on top of his head ‘How is that possible? I have tried to kill you four times You were dead for four years!’ the Queen shrieked and ran to Snow White, but the guards stopped her before she got too close Oliver stepped in front of his wife “Snow White is now the Queen of the South and you will address her with the appropriate courtesy,’ he defended his wife The Queen laughed ‘But I’m the fairest of them all!’ ‘No You’re not, no more!’ Oliver shouted ‘But I’m the fairest in the Land!’ The Queen cried hysterically “Take her away And don’t ever let her in the palace, ever again!’ ordered King Oliver The guards drove her away and left her at the riverside At the borders of her Kingdom and the South And as she walked she saw her reflection in the river and bowed to admire herself And then she bowed closer And she fell in the river and she drowned trying to reach her reflection Snow White and King Oliver lived happily, with their friends the Seven Dwarfs, and they ruled kindly And Snow White, the boy who became a girl, was the nicest Queen the world had seen And she was the fairest of them all! Thank You for previewing this eBook You can read the full version of this eBook in different formats: > HTML (Free /Available to everyone) >» PDF/ TXT (Available to V.I.P members Free Standard members can access up to PDF/TXT eBooks per month each month) > Epub & Mobipocket (Exclusive to V.I.P members) To download this full book, simply select the format you desire below @ Free-eBooks ... life,’ said the Queen and bit the half white side of the apple She wiped the juices of the fruit that were dripping from her mouth and gave the rest to Snow White Snow White saw the apple was safe... breath away from Snow White and she dropped on the floor as if dead When the dwarfs came back from the mines they run to Snow White and saw the comb clipped on Snow White? ??s hair They threw it away... could ‘But ’ Snow White went on, but the King got up and put the lights out “Go to bed, Snow White, ’ the King said and shut the door of his son’s bedroom Snow White? ??s reply was troubling the King