decay. It seemed as if
she slept; for her skin was snow white, her cheeks rosy red, and her
hair black as ebony.

It happened one day that the son of a king, while riding in the forest,
came by chance upon the dwarfs' house and asked for a night's lodging.
As he left the next morning he saw the coffin on the mountain-side, with
beautiful Snow-white lying in it, and read what was written upon the lid
in letters of gold.

Then he said to the dwarfs, "Let me have this coffin, and I will give
you for it whatever you ask."

But the elder dwarf answered, "We would not give it thee for all the
gold in the world."

But the prince answered, "Let me have it as a gift, then. I know not
why, but my heart is drawn towards this beautiful child, and I feel I
cannot live without her. If you will let me have her, she shall be
treated with the greatest honour and respect as one dearly beloved."

As he thus spoke the good little dwarfs were full of sympathy for him,
and gave him the coffin. Then the prince called his servants, and the
coffin was placed on their shoulders, and they carried it away, followed
by the king's son, who watched it carefully. Now it happened that one of
them made a false step and stumbled. This shook the coffin, and caused
the poisoned piece of apple which Snow-white had bitten to roll out of
her mouth. A little while after she suddenly opened her eyes, lifted up
the coffin-lid, raised herself and was again alive.

"Oh! where am I?" she cried.

Full of joy, the king's son approached her, and said, "Dear Snow-white,
you are safe; you are with me."

Then he related to her all that had happened, and what the little dwarfs
had told him about her, and said at last, "I love you better than all in
the world besides, dear little Snow-white, and you must come with me to
my father's castle and be my wife."

Then was Snow-white taken out of the coffin and placed in a carriage to
travel with the prince, and the king was so pleased with his son's
choice that the marriage was soon after celebrated with great pomp and
magnificence.

Now it happened that the stepmother of Snow-white was invited, among
other guests, to the wedding-feast. Before she left her house she stood
in all her rich dress before the magic mirror to admire her own
appearance, but she could not help saying;

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Am I most beautiful of all?"

Then to her surprise the mirror replied:

"Fair queen, thou art th