Snow-White and Rose-Red
It was love at first sight when I saw that beautiful pale maiden and her sister walking through the forest hand in hand. The one with dark red hair started to run and jump while the girl white as snow glided, with book in hand, to a shade tree to read.
"Snow-White just come and play, put that old dusty thing away," exclaimed the red head. "Come play with me and these kind little creatures.
Snow-White just shook her head and called out to her sister "No Rose-Red, I will sit here and read this book to who ever will listen." With that, she started to read out to the forest animals. Rose-Red started to grumble something about they would do that tonight around the fire at home.
I sat down behind the tree that Snow-White was reading under and listened to her bell like voice. Her voice lulled me to sleep, the next thing I know its dark, and I am all alone. I am sore from sleeping on the ground when I am used to sleeping in my bedchamber.
The night is peaceful and the wind is gentle while blowing through the trees above me. As I am walking, I stumble upon the two sleeping girls. I stood there and admired them until the good angle for children spotted me. I guess the little girl in white did not find me a threat. She looked at me a moment then went back to regarding the two girls. I left the angle knowing nothing bad would befall the sisters. For some strange reason I fill the need to protect Snow-White.
The next time I saw the blue eyes of Snow was when Rose and she was walking home from the woods. It was snowing and I did not want them to get into trouble, so being the great person that I am, I followed them.
They came upon a little cottage with rose bushes out front. I waited out side for a time until I got so cold, the snow no longer melted when it hit my fur. Freezing and hungry, I got up my courage and trudged up to the cottage. When I got to the door, I heard Snow reading aloud. Hoping upon hope that they do not slam the door in my face, I knocked.
Snow stopped reading, and I heard a woman say, "make haste, Rose-Red, make haste and open the door. Perhaps there is some traveler outside who needs shelter." When Rose opened the door and saw me, she cried out and ran back and Snow-White hid behind her mother's bed while a lamb bleated, and a dove fluttered on her perch.
"Do not be afraid. I will you no harm. I am half frozen and only wish to come in and warm myself," I replied to the frightened girls.
"Poor bear!" cried the mother. "Come in and lie down by the fire, but take care you do not burn your coat." Then she continued, "Come here, Rose-Red and Snow-White. The bear will not harm you. He means well."
Therefore, they both came back and at last, the lamb and the dove came near and were no longer afraid of me.
"Come here, my lovelies," I cooed, when I entered their home. "Come and knock the snow off my coat."
They brought in a broom and swept me clean. Then I stretched out before the fire and growled cheerfully and comfortably, and after awhile the girls became friendly enough to play tricks, with me as their unwieldy guest. They tugged my long and shaggy hair, put their feet against my back and rolled me about, laughing when I grumbled. Oh, I bore all their play in good temper, and only when they hit too hard I would cry out:
"Snowy-White and Rosy-Red
Don't beat your lover dead."
While they slept in their beds, I would sleep by the hearth, as the kind old widow suggested. It beat sleeping out side in the cold and harsh weather.
When it was light out I would leave to one, get out of their way, and two, to go in search of a place to hide my treasure. Then when night fell, I would return to them and let them play with me as long as they wished.
However, as soon as spring returned and everything out of doors was green again, I said to Snow one morning, "Now I must leave, and I cannot return during the whole summer."
"Where are you going, then, dear bear?" asked Snow-White.
"I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the evil dwarfs. In winter, when the ground is hard, they are obliged to keep in their holes and cannot break through. Now, since the sun has thawed the earth and warmed it, the dwarfs break through and steal all they can find. And what has once passed into their hands and is hidden by them in their caves is not easily brought to light," I explained to Snow-White.
When Snow-White cracked open, the door slowly I passed through so fast I left a piece of my hairy coat. I do believe she saw a bit, of what was under my coat. So, I ran because if I did not, I would stay there forever tomorrow.
The next time I saw my hearts desire and her sister, was when they let the dwarf, that has made my life a misery, go from the tree in which he got his beard caught. He insulted them the whole time they were trying to help. When Snow-White gave up on trying to pull the little man out, she got out her scissors and lopped off half of his long beard.
As soon as the dwarf found himself at liberty, he snatched up his sack, which lay filled with gold between the roots of the tree, and throwing it over his shoulder he marched off, grumbling to himself, "Stupid people! To cut off a piece of my beautiful beard! Bad luck to you!" Away he went, without a glance to the girls.
The next time I saw the two beauties, they were trying to help the same little evil dwarf from being drug under water by a fish. His beard was tangled caught in some fishing line, while the fish seemed to drag him where it liked. The fishing line was too tangled up in his beard to be untangled, so Snow-White once again pulled out her scissors and chopped off more of the little dwarfs beard.
When the dwarf saw this done he cried out in great rage, "You dolt! Do you want to disfigure my face? Was it not enough to cut off the end of my wonderful beard? Now you had to take away the best part of my fine beard!
So saying, he took up a bag of pearls, which lay among the reeds, and without speaking another word, he slipped off and disappeared.
Not many days after this adventure, I saw the two maidens, again with the evil little dwarf. An eagle was trying to carry him off. The two girls grabbed him and struggled with the bird until it let go and flew away.
When the bird was out of sight, the little man started to cry out with his shrill voice, something about pulling more gently and ripping holes in his brown coat.
They left him and went to town. When they came back, they found him counting out all his stolen gems. He then started to rage to them about gaping.
I got so tired of him harping to my love and her sister, which I snapped and lumbered out form the cover of the woods to confront him. When the little man saw me coming towards him, he started to grovel at my feet. He offered me all his precious stones; he also had the gall to offer me the two maidens for his miserable life. I could no longer stand the sight of him, so I let all my fury and hate towards the little trouble maker out, swiped with my mighty paw, and struck him in the head. He fell to the ground and did not get up again.
I turned to the frightened girls and told them not to fear me. When they heard my voice, they rushed forward and embraced me. They pulled back, my fur fell to the ground, I was left, standing in my solid gold armor, I had on when the dwarf changed me.
"I am the king's son," I told them, "and was condemned by the wicked dwarf, who stole all my treasures, to wander about in the form of a bear till his death set me free. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment."
I took them home with me, and Snow-White and I got married, along with my brother and Rose-Red. The widow lived with us until her days end. The rose bushes that stood in front of the cottage now stood in front of our immense and happy castle.
Amanda J. Boddie