e can
have a little chat there, and I can show you my wares."

So when Snowwhite came to the window the Queen said:

"Oh, what beautiful black hair; you ought to have a comb to bind it
up;" and she showed her the comb that she had brought with her.

But Snowwhite said:

"I have no money and cannot afford to buy so fine a comb."

Then the Queen said:

"That is no matter; perhaps you have something golden that you can
give me in exchange."

And Snowwhite thought of a golden ring that her father had given to
her, and offered to give it for the comb. The Queen took it and gave
Snowwhite the comb and bade her good-bye, and went back to the palace.

Snowwhite lost no time in going to the mirror, and binding up her hair
and putting the comb into it. But it had scarcely been in her hair a
few minutes when she fell down as if she were dead, and all the blood
left her cheeks, and she was Snowwhite indeed.

When the dwarfs came home that evening they were surprised to find
that the table was not spread for them, and looking about they soon
found Snowwhite lying upon the ground as if she were dead. But one of
them listened to her heart and said: "She lives! She lives!"

And they began to consider what caused Snowwhite to fall into such a
swoon. They soon found the comb, and when they took it out Snowwhite
soon opened her eyes and became as lively as she ever was before.

Next morning the Queen went to the mirror on the wall and said to it:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"

Then the mirror said as before:

"Queen, Queen, on thy throne,
Snowwhite's the fairest thou must own."

Then the Queen knew that something had happened to the comb and that
Snowwhite was still alive. So she dressed herself once more as an old
woman and took with her a poisoned ribbon and went to the hut of the
three dwarfs. And when she got there she knocked at the door, but
Snowwhite called out:

"You cannot enter; I must not open the door."

Then, as before, the Queen called out in reply:

"Then come to the window, and you can see my wares."

When Snowwhite came to the window the Queen said:

"You are looking more beautiful than ever, but how unbecomingly you
arrange your hair. Did you use that comb I gave you yesterday?"

"Yes, indeed," said Snowwhite, "and I fell into a swoon because of it;
I am afraid there is something the matter with it."

"No, no, that cannot be," said the Queen; "th