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This Is No Ordinary Apple
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As soon as the Queen got home she went straight to her mirror, and asked:
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?"
and the mirror answered as before:
"My Lady Queen, you are fair, tis true,
But Snow White is fairer far than you,
Over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow White is still alive and well"
When she heard these words she literally trembled and shook with rage.
"Snow White shall die!" she cried; "Yes, though it cost me my own life!"
Then she went into a secret chamber, which no one knew of but herself, and there she made a very poisonous apple. Outwardly it looked beautiful, rosy and tempting, so that everyone who saw it longed to eat it, but anyone who tasted it was sure to die on the spot.
When the apple was ready, she stained her face and dressed herself up as a peasant, and went over the seven hills to the seven Dwarfs" cottage. She knocked at the door, but Snow White put her head out of the window and called out:
"I may not let anyone in, the seven Dwarfs have forbidden me to do so."
"Do as you please," said the old woman, "but at any rate take this pretty apple; I will give it you."
"No," said Snow White, "I dare not take it."
"You silly girl!" answered the other, "what are you afraid of? Do you think it is poisoned? Come! Do you eat one half, and I will eat the other."
Now the apple was so made up that one side was good, though the other side was poisoned.
Snow White longed to eat the tempting fruit, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating it herself, she couldn't resist the temptation any longer, and stretching out her hand she took the poisonous half. But hardly had the first bite passed her lips than she fell down dead on the ground.
Then the eyes of the cruel Queen sparkled with glee, and laughing aloud she cried:
"White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony,
This time, Snow White, none can save thee"
As soon as she got home she asked the mirror:
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?"
and this time it replied:
"Thou, oh Queen, art the fairest of them all "
Then her jealous heart was at rest -- at least, as much at rest as a jealous heart can ever be.
next: Snow White's
Coffin
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