scious.

'Now, my fine lady, you're really done for this time,' said the wicked
woman, and she made her way home as fast as she could.

Fortunately it was now near evening, and the seven Dwarfs returned home.
When they saw Snowdrop lying dead on the ground, they at once suspected
that her wicked step-mother had been at work again; so they searched
till they found the poisonous comb, and the moment they pulled it out
of her head Snowdrop came to herself again, and told them what had
happened. Then they warned her once more to be on her guard, and to open
the door to no one.

As soon as the Queen got home she went straight to her mirror, and
asked:

'Mirror, mirror, hanging there, Who in all the land's most fair?'

and it replied as before:

'My Lady Queen, you are fair, 'tis true,
But Snowdrop is fairer far than you.
Snowdrop, who dwells with the seven little men,
Is as fair as you, as fair again.'

When she heard these words she literally trembled and shook with rage.

'Snowdrop shall die,' she cried; 'yes, though it cost me my own life.'

Then she went to a little secret chamber, which no one knew of but
herself, and there she made a poisonous apple. Outwardly it looked
beautiful, white with red cheeks, so that everyone who saw it longed to
eat it, but anyone who might do so would certainly die on the spot. When
the apple was quite finished she stained her face and dressed herself up
as a peasant, and so she went over the seven hills to the seven Dwarfs'.
She knocked at the door, as usual, but Snowdrop 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.'

'Are you afraid of being poisoned?' asked the old woman. 'See, I will
cut this apple in half. I'll eat the white cheek and you can eat the
red.'

But the apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was
poisonous. Snowdrop 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:

'As white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony, this time the
Dwarfs won't be able to bring you back to life.'

When she got home she asked the mirror: