Weiss Schnee and the Twelve Dwarves
Long, long ago, in the winter-time, when the snowflakes were falling like little white feathers from the sky, a beautiful Queen sat beside her window, which was framed in black ebony, and stitched. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and so it happened that she pricked her finger with her needle, so that three drops of blood fell upon the snow. How pretty the red blood looked upon the dazzling white! The Queen said to herself as she saw it, "Ah me! If only I had a dear little child as white as the snow, as rosy as the blood, and with hair as black as the ebony window-frame."
"My hair is white. Are you sure this isn't supposed to be about Blake?"
Your name is German for "White Snow". It's you. Also, don't interrupt. Especially since you haven't even been born yet.
"Fine."
Soon afterwards a little daughter came to her, who was white as snow, rosy as snow, and whose hair was as black as snow-so she was called "Weiss."
But alas! When the little one came, the good Queen died.
A year passed away, and the King took another wife. She was very beautiful, but so proud and haughty that she could not bear to be surpassed in beauty by anyone. She possessed a wonderful mirror which could answer her when she stood before it and said-
"Mirror, mirror upon the wall, Who is the fairest of all?"
The mirror answered-
"Thou, O Queen, art the fairest of all,"
and the Queen was contented, because she knew the mirror could speak nothing but the truth.
But as time passed on, Little Weiss grew more and more beautiful, until when she was twelve years old, she was as lovely as the bright day, and still more lovely than the Queen herself, so that when the lady one day asked her mirror-
"Mirror, mirror upon the wall, Who is the fairest fair of all?"
it answered-
"O Lady Queen, though fair ye be, Weiss is fairer far to see."
The Queen was horrified, and from that moment envy and pride grew in her heart like rank weeds, until one day she called the huntsman Peter Port and said "Take the child away into the woods and kill her, for I can no longer bear the sight of her. And when you return bring with you her heart, that I may know you have obeyed my will."
Port dared not disobey, so he led Weiss out into the woods and placed an arrow in his bow to pierce her innocent heart, but the little maid begged him to spare her life, and the child's beauty touched his heart with pity, so that he bade her run away.
Then as a young wild Boarbatusk came rushing by, he killed it, took out its heart, and carried it home to the Queen.
Poor little Weiss was now all alone in the wild wood, and so frightened was she that she trembled at every leaf that rustled. So she began to run, and ran on and on until she came to a little house, where she went in to rest.
In the little house everything she saw was tiny, but more dainty and clean than words can tell.
Upon a white-covered table stood twelve little plates and upon each plate lay a little spoon, besides which there were twelve knives and forks and twelve little goblets. Against the wall, and side by side, stood twelve little beds covered with snow-white sheets.
Weiss was so hungry and thirsty that she took a little food from each of the twelve plates, and drank a few drops of wine from each goblet, for she did not wish to take everything away from one. Then, because she was so tired, she crept into one bed after the other, seeking for rest, but one was too long, another too short, and so on, until she came to the twelveth, which suited her exactly; so she said her prayers and soon fell fast asleep.
When night fell the masters of the little house came home. They were twelve dwarves, who worked with a pick-axe and spade, searching for copper, gold and Dust in the heart of the mountains.
They lit their twelve candles and then saw that someone had been to visit them. Balin said, "Who has been sitting on my chair?"
Dwalin said, "Who has been eating from my plate?"
Fili, "Who has taken a piece of my bread?"
Kili, "Who has taken some of my vegetables?"
Dori, "Who has been using my fork?"
Nori, "Who has been cutting with my knife?"
Ori, "Who has been eating with my fork?"
Óin, "Who has drinking my milk?"
Glóin, "Who has been eating my cheese?"
Bifur, "Who has been drinking out of my goblet?"
Bofur looked round and saw that his bed was rumpled, so he said, "Who has been getting into my bed?"
Then the others looked round and each one cried, "Someone has been on my bed too?"
But Thorin saw little Weiss lying asleep in his bed, and called the others to come and look at her; and they cried aloud with surprise, and fetched their twelve little candles, so that they might see her the better, and they were so pleased with her beauty that they let her sleep on all night.
When the sun rose Weiss awoke, and, oh! How frightened she was when she saw the twelve little dwarves. But they were very friendly, and asked what her name was. "My name is Weiss Schnee," she answered.
"And how did you come to get into our house?" questioned the dwarves.
Then she told them how her cruel step-mother had intended her to be killed, but how Peter Port had spared her life and she had run on until she reached the little house. And the dwarves said, "If you will take care of our house, hunt and cook for us, and make the beds, wash, mend, and knit, keep everything neat and clean, and guard it from the Grimm, then you may stay with us altogether and you shall want for nothing."
"Agreed," answered Weiss; and so she stayed.
She kept the house neat and clean for the dwarves, who went off early in the morning to search for copper and gold and Dust in the mountains, and who expected their meal to be standing ready for them when they returned at night.
All day long Weiss was alone, and the good little dwarves warned her to be careful to let no one into the house. "For," said they, "your step-mother will soon discover that you are living here."
The Queen, believing, of course, that Weiss was dead, and that therefore she was again the most beautiful lady in the land, went to her mirror, and said-
"Mirror, mirror upon the wall, Who is the fairest fair of all?"
Then the mirror answered-
"O Lady Queen, though fair ye be, Weiss Schnee is fairer far to see. Over the hills and far away, She dwells with twelve dwarves to-day."
How angry she was, for she knew that the mirror spoke the truth, and that the huntsman must have deceived her. She thought and thought how she might kill Weiss, for she knew she would have neither rest nor peace until she really was the most beautiful lady in the land. At length she decided what to do. She painted her face and dressed herself like an old pedlar-woman, so that no one could recognize her, and in this disguise she climbed the twelve mountains that lay between her and the dwarves' house, and knocked at their door and cried, "High quality wares to sell!"
Weiss peeped from the window and said, "Why are you selling wares in a forest in the middle of nowhere?"
"You live with those dwarves, do you not?" responded the woman. "They have a lot of money. If I manage to sell anything, it will be well worth it."
"What do you have?", asked Weiss.
"All sorts of pretty things, my dear," answered the woman. "Silken laces of every colour," and she held up a white one, made of plaited silks.
The curiosity on Weiss's face instantly melted away. "I don't wear laces," she said. "I live in a forest filled with Grimm and the only people near me are dwarves. I care more about being able to breathe than my figure. If I wanted to be attractive, I'd wear a false beard. Besides, if I needed laces I'd have ordered them with the dress. I'd rather not be pestered by clueless peddlers. Come back when I order something."
The wicked Queen had no sooner reached home than she began plotting anew.
"I will manage to put an end to her yet," she said, and then, by means of her magic, she made a poisonous comb.
Again she disguised herself, climbed the twelve mountains, ignored the new "No Soliciting" sign, and knocked at the door of the twelve dwarves' cottage, crying, "High quality wares to sell!"
Weiss looked out of the window and said, "I don't know what you people want with me, but you're not allowed in. Leave."
"Surely you can look at my goods," replied the woman, and held up the poisonous comb.
"I have a comb," said Weiss, as she showed it to the woman. "Ivory from the fangs of a King Taijitu I hunted myself. Expertly crafted, and encrusted with jewels. If I want something, I either make it, or have it specially ordered. I am not interested in your goods. Go away."
The Queen returned home. "Snow-White shall die," she cried, "even if it costs me my own life to manage it."
She went into a secret chamber, where no one else ever entered, and there she made a poisonous apple, and then she painted her face and disguised herself as a peasant woman, climbed the twelve mountains, ignored the new "Violators Will Be Stabbed" sign, and went to the dwarves' house.
She knocked at the door, holding the apple. Weiss opened the door and said "Are you people illiterate or something? I do not want your stupid apple. That sign is not a joke." She unsheathed a sword and continued, "This is my sword, Myrtenaster. My dwarven family forged it for me and mined the Dust powering it. Unless you want to see what it does firsthand, go away, and tell whoever it is sending you people to leave us alone!" She punctuated the final remark by slamming the door.
The Queen once again returned to her home. "My goal is not to trick Weiss," she said, "My goal is to kill Weiss. It is time I dispense with subtlety."
She gathered her most loyal guards, and armed them with torches. Together they climbed the twelve mountains, and at the dead of night they surrounded the dwarf's cottage, tossed the lit torches in a circle around it, and left it to burn.
One of the dwarves awoke, then immediately woke the others. Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster and activated the light blue Dust. Freezing the trees didn't help as much as she hoped, but she managed to clear a path through the fire long enough to escape. They went to a nearby clearing to wait out the fire, then returned for weapons and armor.
When the Queen reached home, she went straight to the mirror and said-
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest fair of all?"
And the mirror answered-
"O Lady Queen, though fair ye be, Weiss Schnee is fairer far to see. Now is the time to raise alarms. She comes with twelve dwarves-at-arms."
The mirror showed her an image of Weiss and the dwarves approaching a castle. Several sigils hovered around them, blocking incoming arrows.
The arrows could not pierce them. The walls could not bar them. The guards could not deter them. Wiess and the dwarves cornered the Queen in her throne room.
"I can defend myself," said Weiss, "If you just tried to kill me, I'd just threaten you and let you go. You didn't. You tried to kill my family too. Why?"
"I - I just wanted to be the most beautiful in the kingdom."
"How were you even judging that?"
"I have a magic mirror."
"You tried to burn me and my family alive just because of a shiny piece of glass with an albino fetish?"
Weiss set Myrtenaster to use red Dust, then slashed at the Queen's feet, setting them alight. She pointed Myrtenaster at the Queen threateningly and uttered one word:
"Dance."