Disclaimer: Take three guesses of whom owns the original tale, and the first two don't count

Snow-Drop through the looking mirror

Listen, dear humans, to my story

Of fair Snow-Drop in all her glory

And of a queen who was oh so vain

That her presence caused me pain

I know many things about humans, monsters and magic alike. I know tales of great kings and heroes. I can see around the world and track almost anything. My master had me built so that I could never tell a lie to the current master or mistress. I was my master's greatest invention. A self-righteous prince murdered my master after he decided to seek companionship of a female princess (through kidnapping of course). I was taken by the prince to his castle and used mostly for menial tasks (looking at enemy troop positions and spying on neighbours). Since I am not constantly used, I have a lot of time to go "sight-seeing" and make up rhyming riddles to anger the royalty.

I was part of this one tale involving an innocent little girl named Snow-Drop and a jealous and vain queen whose name was not put into the history books (it was Gretchen, just to let you know). You see, the previous queen (whom I liked) passed away soon after birthing the beautiful and innocent child Snow-Drop. The king remarried a particularly vicious woman named Gretchen who quickly had him under her almost absolute control. Gretchen used me and my powers to keep her on top politically and to check out the competition, most of whom "mysteriously" vanished after I gave my information.

She almost constantly asked if she was the "fairest" person in the land. I wanted to tell her that it depends on your definition of fair but out of self-preservation, I would reply

My queen, my liege, my master it's true

No one I see is fairer than you

Day after day I would find more ways of saying the same thing, waiting for some one to be more "fair" so I could just see the look on her face when I told her. Finally that day came. The queen was furious when I told her that, I quote,

Though vain, beauteous and powerful you be

Snow-Drop is far more fair than thee

I give the queen credit for not smashing me at that moment in time. In her rage she could have scared the mightiest of warriors and the most ferocious dragons. She called for a servant and ordered him to "take Snow-Drop into the forest so that she never would have to see her again". That servant, slyly took Snow-Drop into the forest, gave her supplies and told her that she was exiled and to search out the 7 dwarves. The servant left, having followed his orders. Snow-Drop walked for many miles until she found the dwarves' cabin. I was happy she made it safely. I dislike the thought of children getting hurt.

After some minor negotiation problems with the dwarves (trespassing on private property), the dwarves gave her the protection she needed.

The next day the queen came to me and asked if Snow-Drop was still in the "land'. Since the term "land" is subjective, I thought she meant in and around the castle, so I answered:

My fair Snow-Drop is not in your land

Vanished by your servant's hand

The queen was so joyful that she forgot to ask if she was the fairest. She must of thought that with the absence of Snow-Drop, she was the most beautiful woman.

Years passed and I dodged every question pertaining to Snow-Drop's existence because she never directly asked about Snow-Drop. When she asked if she was the fairest, I chose one definition of fairest and told her she was, with the added murmured comment about being fairest in her own mind. When she asked if she was the most beautiful woman in the land, I could answer yes because Snow-Drop was not a woman yet. This worked out fine until the queen asked me one day if there were any heirs to the throne. I answer yes and then she asked who they were and where they were. I answered

There is one heir in the hills

Hiding near the dwarven mills

The one whose beauty is one top

The one, the only, fair Snow-Drop

After this information had sunk in with the queen, she was beyond rage. She went into the castle's vault and returned with a magically mighty staff, once owned by my maker. She planned on casting an incurable spell of eternal slumber on my poor Snow-Drop. She demanded that I tell her how to work the staff and I told her, except for one small detail, on sealing the spell to make the spell incurable, since she did not ask me to.

The queen Gretchen stormed the dwarves' house. The dwarves were out mining gold and Snow-Drop had stayed home, cleaning and cooking and the like. The queen cast the spell and quickly left, leaving Snow-Drop to be found by the dwarves.

When the dwarves returned they were saddened and shocked by Snow-Drops condition and they immediately set out to find help. When no help could be found, they built her a coffin made of glass and watched her.

The day after, the queen asked me if Snow-Drop was asleep. I replied

My queen Snow-Drop is asleep

And from its looks it's mighty deep

The queen was overjoyed by this news and even went as far as to hold a feast (of course never telling people the real purpose).

For years Snow-Drop was in a coma, until one day a traveller came by and asked who was in the coffin and why. The dwarves told the traveller the story and asked him for assistance. The man accepted this call for aid. The man stayed by Snow-Drop's side, chanting long strings of Latin. After the fifth day of chanting, Snow-Drop awakened. Snow-Drop asked who had saved her from the spell and for the traveller's identity to be revealed. He was the third oldest mage-prince from a nearby land and then asked for Snow-Drops hand in marriage. Snow-Drop accepted of course, because who wouldn't want to be married to a powerful handsome prince/mage. They set up a wedding in his land, so the queen could not disrupt them and finally they returned to Snow-Drop's homeland.

Years before the king had died and the queen stood in his place. On the day of Snow-Drop's return, Gretchen asked the mirror if she was the fairest of them all. I had to reply

Thou, my lady are the loveliest here, you fiend

But far lovelier is the newly made queen

With that comment, Gretchen stormed out of the room, after throwing a deadly object dangerously near me. As she entered the entry hall and saw Snow-Drop with a dreaded Mage-prince, the chemical cocktail of her make up caused her heart to stop beating, killing her nearly instantly (bet she did not she that coming, I mentally sneered). I still believe that to this day she got what she deserved. After Gretchen's most unfortunate accident, Snow-Drop and her consort ruled the land with an iron fist, leading happy lives to the end of their days.

Moral #1: Vanity and self-centredness leads to death

Moral #2: Don't trust talking mirrors that have personalities and soft spots for the people you are trying to off