Snow White

“ She laughed suddenly. "Did ever you put flowers in your hat and send it sailing for a boat?"
"Is that what you did, Snow-white?"
"Yes! and it was fun. It went bob, bob, right along wiz the water and bubbles; and then it tipped against a stone, and then it went round the corner, and—and that's all I know," she ended, suddenly.
"You are sleepy, Snow-white," said the dwarf. "See! the dishes are all done; now we will put them away in the cupboard, and then we will see about putting you away to bed." ”

“ Christabel. Princess Snow White!
Guinivere. Princess Snow White!
[Still no answer. Rosalys runs behind the throne. Rosalys. Oh, she's crying! Oh, dear Princess!
[They all run to Snow White, and find her hiding her face and sobbing silently. Maids of Honour. [Surrounding and embracing her.] Oh, what's the matter? Please don't cry! We can't bear to see you unhappy! If you cry we shall cry, too!
Snow White. I didn't mean to cry. I won't! A princess should never cry. [She smiles resolutely, though her eyes are full of tears.] There! But I did so want to see Prince Florimond again. ”

“ Because of the simplicity of the plot and the few characters, Snow White could be played very simply in four scenes, by the children of the second and third grades for the kindergarten and first grade. The beautiful character of Snow White; the glimpse of Dwarf life—the kindly little men with their unique tasks and their novel way of living; the beauty and cheer of Snow White which her housekeeping brought into their home; their devotion to her; the adventure in the wood ”

“ At the sound of voices the cow raised her head, and seeing the dwarf, lowed gently and began to move leisurely toward him.
The child clapped her hands and danced. "Is she saying 'hurrah'?" she cried. "Does she love you? do you love her? is she"—her voice dropped suddenly—"is she real, Mark?"
"Real, Snow-white? Why, see her walk! Did you think I wound her up? She's too big; and besides, I haven't been near her."
The child brushed these remarks aside with a wave. "Does she stay all the time a cow?" she whispered, putting her mouth close to the dwarf's ear. ”

“ Let me lace them up with one of my nice new laces." Snow-White did not dream of any mischief; so she stood up before the old woman; but she set to work so nimbly, and pulled the lace so tight, that Snow-White lost her breath, and fell down as if she were dead. "There's an end of all thy beauty," said the spiteful queen, and went away home. ”

“ The Dwarfs have laid Snow White in a coffin made all of clear crystal and wrought silver, and set it in this secret glade. The glade is near to their house, but so encircled by great trees as to be hidden from every side. Here for nearly a year they have watched over her, day and night, two watching at a time. Every morning they weave a fresh pall of ferns and wild flowers to lay over the coffin when the sun has risen high ”

“ She was not anxious when they were out of sight, for even when Snow White and Rose Red stayed in the wood all night and slept on the leaves, she had no fear, for no accident ever happened to them. As a strong, noble woman, without fear, and full of love, pity, and fairness,—George Eliot's ideal of highest character,—the Mother of Snow White and Rose Red has no equal in the fairy tales. ”

“ Oh, I do love you! Who is that? is it a man? is he real? why like a doll does he look wiz his eyes? does he wind up behind? what for is his mouth open? can he speak?"
"No, he can't speak!" said the dwarf, laughing. "At least, he'd better not. It isn't good for his health,—is it, Phillips? See, Snow-white, the carriage has stopped now, and we will get in and go home to mamma. ”

“ Snow White. Not one!
Glick. A little one?
Snow White. No! That's the rule: one a day, morning or night, but not both.
Blick. You see none of us ever, er—should I say "ate" or "tasted"—a kiss till you came, so perhaps we are a little eager about them.
Snow White. I should say you were! Why, you're perfect children about kisses and games. Blick. [Sadly.] That comes of our being dwarfs. You see, no dwarf is ever born till he's fifty. So, as we've never been young, we enjoy games all the more now. ”

“ The love of Mary Foster white as driven snow of that cold country, which over-powered me in my younger days, now appears like a dream. Does change of country beget a change of taste? Is the snow-white Mary comparable with the flaming beauty of this Warm region? ”

“ When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said one morning to Snow-white, "Now I must go away and cannot come back for the whole summer." "Where are you going, then, dear bear?" asked Snowwhite. "I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they are obliged to stay below and cannot work their way through; but now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through it, and come out to pry and steal; and what once gets into their hands, and in their caves, does not easily see daylight again." ”

“ Thick and fast the flakes went spinning by, tapping lightly against the glass, and, out beyond, he saw that all the world was white. White and unimaginably still. He had seen plenty of pictures of snow-covered landscapes, but he had never known the feel of a snowstorm, the odd tingle in the air, the sense of hushed expectancy. ”

“ Blick. Well, brothers, ready. To-day we go into the forest for firewood. March!
[In their usual military file the Dwarfs march off into the forest. Snow White stands in the doorway, waving her hand after them till they are out of sight. Then with a little sigh of content she returns to the room. Snow White. Oh, I'm so happy here. I've never been so happy in all my life. Of course I miss my dear Maids of Honour and the others; but the Dwarfs are so funny and loving and kind. [She looks out of the window.] It's a beautiful day. ”

“ She looked at him with marked disapproval. "It isn't the way they do!" she explained. "Why, when the Bear came to Snow-white and Rosy Red's house, he told them stories all the time till he turned into a prince."
"Yes, but I am not a bear," said the dwarf, "and I am not going to turn into a prince, you see. However, I will tell you a story, Snow-white, I truly will; only, you see, that poor cow has to be milked."
"All I forgot her!" cried the child. "Now we will hurry, Mark, and run. We will run all the way. You can't run much faster than me, 'cause your legs is short, too. Are you glad? I am! ”

“ Snow White was born . . . This Oueen isn't her real mother. It's like a fairy-tale!
Astolaine. [Stopping her ears] I can't possibly understand if you all talk at once. [But each little Maid, thinking that the others will stop, again begins to tell Snow White's story, so that the confusion is worse than before. Astolaine has to hold her ears a second time.] That's worse! There's only one fair way to decide. I'll "count out," and the one that's out shall tell.
Rosalys. Hm! I suppose that's fair, —only I should tell it so much the best.
Christabel. [To Astolaine.] Well then, you count. ”

“ A cold blackness enveloped them like a damp blanket. Wind, dying with the sun, shook the snow from the trees and cried mournfully in their tops. Gray settled on the landscape, palpable, real, extinguishing the world. It was the second dreadful hour of the day, the hour when the man, weary, discouraged, the sweat of travel freezing on him, must still address himself to the task of making a home in the wilderness.
Again the sledge was turned on its side. Dick and May-may-gwán removed their snow-shoes, and, using them as shovels, began vigorously to scrape and dig away the snow. ”

“ The child considered him attentively. "I don't suppose you could get one, anyhow, do you?" she said. "Always, you know, the dwarfs try to get the princesses, but never they do. You never was yellow, was you?" she asked, with a sudden note of apprehension in her voice.
"No, Snow-white, never yellow; only green."
The child bubbled over. "Was you truly green?" she cried. "Isn't that funny, dwarf? and then you turned brown, didn't you? you don't suppose I'll turn brown, do you? because I ain't green, am I? but I was just thinking, suppose you should be the Yellow Dwarf, wouldn't it be awful?" ”

“ The children did all in their power, but they couldn’t get the beard out; it was wedged in far too firmly. ‘I will run and fetch somebody,’ said Rose-red. ‘Crazy blockheads!’ snapped the dwarf; ‘what’s the good of calling anyone else? you’re already two too many for me. Does nothing better occur to you than that?’ ‘Don’t be so impatient,’ said Snow-white, ‘I’ll see you get help;’ and taking her scissors out of her pocket she cut the end off his beard. ”

“ Rosalys. And Snow White is really almost like a kitchen-maid, and sleeps in a little closet under the stairs where we keep the umbrellas and overshoes.
Astolaine. [Springing up.] I think it's outrageous! Why does Princess Snow White stand it? I wouldn't?
Maids of Honour. [Apprehensively.] Oh, ssh!
Astolaine. Why "ssh"? I never heard anything so "sshy" as this Palace.
Rosalys. [Whispering.] But what can she do? The Queen...
Astolaine. I don't want to hear any more about that hateful Queen.
Rosalys. But you must. It isn't safe that you shouldn't. We'll have to tell her. [To Christabel.] ”

“ A White Day is so rare that I have recollections of going out from the hut or the tent and being impressed by the fact that the snow really looked white. When to the beautiful tints in the sky and the delicate shading on the snow are added perhaps the deep colours of the open sea, with reflections from the ice foot and ice-cliffs in it, all brilliant blues and emerald greens, then indeed a man may realize how beautiful this world can be, and how clean. ”

“ So they had a fight, and while they were fighting that horrid old Fairy hit the Princess, and then the Yellow Dwarf took her up on the cat, and flewed away wiz her. That's all about the first part. Don't you think it's time for luncheon?"
"Oh, but you are never going to stop there, Snow-white! I want to know what became of them. Even if the dwarf did carry off the Princess, and even if she had promised to marry him,—for she did promise, you say,—still, of course he did not get her. Dwarfs have no rights that anybody is bound to respect, have they, Snow-white?" ”

“ Wasn't that puffickly awful, dwarf?"
"It chills my marrow, Snow-white. Go on!"
"What is your marrow? what does it look like? why do you have it, if it gets cold so easy as that? I wouldn't! Well! So at last the Princess said she guessed she would marry the King of the Golden Mines, 'cause he was puffickly beautiful, and most prob'ly the old dwarf wouldn't dare to say a word when he found how beautiful he was, and strong and big and rich and everything."
"No!" said the dwarf, bitterly. "The poor dwarf would have no chance, certainly, against that kind of king. ”

“ Wait! The Queen won't be here when we dance for the Prince?
Rosalys. No. Why?
Astolaine. Then why can't the Princess dance in my place? She could wear my veil over her face, and I'd say afterward that I had—oh, measles or something else spotty.
Christabel. [In delight.] Oh, Astolaine! [She runs to hug her for the suggestion.]
Snow White. Oh dear! I wish it were possible,—but my frock!
Rosalys. Why can't we all lend her something?
Christabel. Why not? We have on heaps more than we need. ”

“ The pure dazzling whiteness of the regions of eternal snow, give occasionally so cloud-like an appearance to the towering summits, as to induce the belief that they form a part of the heaven to which they aspire; while in other states of the atmosphere they stand out in bold relief, either catching the rays of the sun, and reflecting a golden tint, or rearing their lofty points, white with the unsullied snow of ages, against a darkened sky, shewing that while all else on earth is liable to change, they endure immutable and for ever. ”

“ An English edition of this tale was illustrated by William Blake.
Snow White and Rose Red
Snow White and Rose Red, besides blending the romantic and the realistic, illustrates rather completely how the old tale may stand the tests which have been emphasized here. As a romantic type, it contains adventure and the picturesque. It arouses emotion. It contains objects of beauty; and the strange Bear and the stranger Dwarf, about both of whom there is a sense of mystery. ”

“ Most because you are nice, Mark, when those other dwarfs is yellow and horrid and all kinds of things."
"All right!" said the dwarf. "I love you, too. Now soon we are coming to the cow. We must hurry, Snow-white."
But it was not easy to hurry. He had to look and see how the ferns were unrolling, and to say what they looked like. The child thought they were like the little brown cakes, only green, what you bought them at the cake-shop. Didn't he know the cake-shop? but could he buy things? did they let dwarfs buy things just as if they were mans? ”

“ It was no longer the setting light of the level Arctic sun; not the twilight gleams of shifting colour, beautiful, but dim; not the faded, mock daylight which sometimes glimmered for a half-hour at noon; but the true white, full, golden day, which we had almost forgotten. So nearly, indeed, that I did not for some time suspect the cause of the unusual whiteness and brightness. Its effect upon the trees was superb. The twigs of the birch and the needles of the fir were coated with crystal, and sparkled like jets of jewels spouted up from the immaculate snow. ”