Encyclopedia of fairy-tale characters: "The Snow Maiden", Brothers Grimm. Brothers Grimm - Snow Maiden: Fairy Tale Drawing for the fairy tale Snow Maiden Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm greatly appreciated the wealth of folk poetry. “The Snow Maiden,” a brief summary of which we will consider, was included in their first collection, “Children’s and Family Tales,” published in 1812. A.S. Pushkin met him. The work “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights” has direct parallels with what the Brothers Grimm published. “The Snow Maiden,” a brief summary of which we will consider, will confirm this with almost every line.
The beginning of a fairy tale
The queen, looking at the snow-covered landscape outside the window, sewed and pricked her finger until it bled and began to dream that the baby would be born like snow, white as blood, ruddy, and with black hair like tree trunks.
When her wish came true, and a pretty, white, rosy-cheeked brunette girl was born, the baby was named Snow White, or Snow Maiden. The mother died soon after. A year later, the widower married a proud and arrogant beauty.
She had a magic mirror with which she often talked and always asked the same thing: “Who is the most beautiful in the world?” The answer was the same: “You are the most beautiful.”
Grown up princess
One day, when answering her favorite question, the mirror gave the queen a terrible answer: that the Snow Maiden was more beautiful. So they continue, the Snow Maiden (the summary of the tale becomes more dramatic) is taken into the forest by order of her mother and must be killed. But they took pity on her and left her alive.
Among the gnomes
In the forest, the girl came across a small, neat hut. She tasted the food on the table. Tired, she fell asleep on the crib. The owners - 7 dwarfs - came and noticed a sleeping girl. They did not wake her up, and in the morning, having learned her terrible story, they offered to live with them and take care of the household.
This is a continuation of the fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm. The Snow Maiden (a summary of the fairy tale continues) easily kept everything in order in the gnomes' house. But the dwarves warned her to beware of her stepmother’s wiles.
What did the evil queen do
She learned from the mirror that her stepdaughter surpassed her in beauty. Then the queen dressed herself as a merchant and went with elegant belts and ribbons to the gnomes' house. She persuaded the girl to buy a lace and tightened her corset so tightly that the girl fell dead. When the gnomes returned, they cut the tight ribbons, and the girl came to her senses.
The stepmother did not calm down. She made a poisonous comb and came again. The comb was so beautiful that the Snow Maiden bought it, and her stepmother combed her hair. The girl fell again, dying. The stepmother left the comb in her hair. The gnomes, seeing this terrible picture, saved the girl by removing the comb from her head.
The third time, the stepmother half poisoned the ruddy apple and went to give it to the girl in order to kill her for sure. To prove that it was tasty and healthy, she cut it in half. She ate the barrel without poison, but the Snow Maiden took a bite of the poisonous piece and died.
The rescue
The dwarves could not revive the beauty, but she was as if alive. They mourned the Snow Maiden for 3 days. Then they took the crystal coffin with the girl to the top of the mountain and began to guard it. And then the prince appeared. He fell in love with a girl who seemed to be fast asleep. The dwarves gave the coffin to the prince, his servants carried the girl. They stumbled, and a piece of the poisonous apple fell out of the Snow Maiden's neck. She came to life.
The end of a fairy tale
The delighted prince got married to the princess. The first beauty of the Universe, the stepmother, was also invited. But from the mirror she learned that the young bride was more beautiful than her. The villainess went to find out who surpassed her in beauty, and saw the Snow Maiden. She was punished, and she died just as cruelly as she had done all her life.
Characters
The heroes of the fairy tale “The Snow Maiden” are traditional. The Brothers Grimm drew on folk tales about kings and queens, mother and stepmother, daughter and stepdaughter, a noble savior prince and hardworking gnomes searching for copper and gold in the mountains. Storytellers have processed a huge amount of material and collected all the best.
Brothers Grimm, “The Snow Maiden”: theme, plot and symbolism
The theme of the fairy tale is revealed through the plot and symbols. The main engine is the stepmother - evil personified, which actively operates.
The number 3 appears several times in the fairy tale. 3 drops of blood fell from the finger of her own mother, 3 visits from the evil queen, 3 objects (a comb and an apple), which the villain gave to the Snow Maiden as gifts to Death. The number 3 goes back to the Holy Trinity. According to Jung, Satan was the 2nd son of God. Wasn't his stepmother his female incarnation? It is no coincidence that she is the king's 2nd wife. The number 7 is associated with time. The 7 dwarves are the metaphorical 7 days of the week.
Leaving aside other complex symbolism, we return to what lies on the surface. The brothers Grimm (“The Snow Maiden”) transferred the ideal from folk tales into their work. The main idea of the fairy tale: good always triumphs over evil.
It was in the middle of winter. Snowflakes fell like fluff from the sky, and the queen sat at the window - its frame was made of ebony - and the queen sewed. While she was sewing, she looked at the snow and pricked her finger with a needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow. And the red on the white snow looked so beautiful that she thought to herself: “If only I had a child, white as this snow, and ruddy as blood, and black-haired, like the wood on the window frame!”
And the queen soon gave birth to a daughter, and she was as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black-haired as ebony, and that’s why they called her the Snow Maiden. And when the child was born, the queen died.
A year later the king took another wife. This was a beautiful woman, but proud and arrogant, she could not stand it when anyone surpassed her in beauty. She had a magic mirror, and when she stood in front of it and looked into it, she asked:
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the country.
And she was pleased, because she knew that the mirror was telling the truth.
And during this time the Snow Maiden grew up and became more and more beautiful, and when she turned seven years old, she was as beautiful as a clear day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. When the queen asked her mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror replied:
But the Snow Maiden is a thousand times richer in beauty.
Then the queen became frightened, turned yellow and green with envy. It used to be that she would see the Snow Maiden - and her heart would break, she disliked the girl so much. And envy and arrogance grew like weeds in her heart higher and higher, and from now on she had no peace, day or night.
Then she called one of her huntsmen and said:
Take this girl into the forest - I can’t see her anymore. You must kill her and bring me her lungs and liver as proof.
The huntsman obeyed and took the girl into the forest; but when he pulled out his hunting knife and was about to pierce the innocent heart of the Snow Maiden, she began to cry and ask:
Oh, dear huntsman, let me live! I will run far, far into the dense forest and never return home.
And because she was so beautiful, the huntsman took pity on her and said:
So be it, run, poor girl!
And he thought to himself: “Anyway, wild animals will soon eat you up there,” and it was as if a stone had been lifted from his heart when he didn’t have to kill the Snow Maiden.
And just at that time a young deer ran up, the huntsman killed it, cut out its lungs and liver and brought them to the queen as proof that her order had been carried out. The cook was ordered to boil them in salt water, and the evil woman ate them, thinking that they were the lungs and liver of the Snow Maiden.
The poor girl was left alone in the dense forest, and in fear she looked at all the leaves on the trees, not knowing what to do next, how to help her grief.
She started to run, and ran over sharp stones, through thorny thickets; and wild animals jumped around her, but did not touch her. She ran as long as she could, but it finally began to get dark. Suddenly she saw a small hut and went into it to rest. And everything in that hut was so small, but beautiful and clean, that you could not tell it in a fairy tale or describe it with a pen.
There stood a table covered with a white tablecloth, and on it were seven small plates, next to each plate there was a spoon, and also seven small knives and forks and seven small goblets. Seven small beds stood in a row against the wall, and they were covered with snow-white blankets.
The Snow Maiden wanted to eat and drink, she took a little vegetables and bread from each plate and drank a drop of wine from each cup - she did not want to drink everything from one. And since she was very tired, she lay down in one of the beds, but none of them were suitable for her: one was too long, the other too short; but the seventh finally turned out to be just right for her; She lay down in it and, surrendering to the mercy of God, fell asleep.
When it was already completely dark, the owners of the hut came; There were seven dwarfs who mined ore in the mountains. They lit their seven lamps, and when it became light in the hut, they noticed that someone was with them, because not everything was in the same order as it was before. And the first dwarf said:
Who was that sitting on my chair?
Who ate from my plate?
Who took a piece of my bread?
Fourth:
Who ate my vegetables?
Who took my fork?
Who cut with my knife?
The seventh asked:
Who was it that drank from my little cup?
The first one looked around and noticed a small fold on his bed, and asked:
Who was that lying on my bed?
Then the others came running and began to say:
And there was someone in mine too.
The seventh dwarf looked at his bed and saw that the Snow Maiden was lying in it and sleeping. He then called the others; they ran up, began to scream in surprise, brought seven of their light bulbs and illuminated the Snow Maiden.
Oh my god! Oh my god! - they exclaimed. - What a beautiful child, however!
They were so happy that they did not wake her and left her to sleep in bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with each of his comrades for an hour, and so the night passed.
Morning has come. The Snow Maiden woke up, saw seven dwarfs and got scared. But they were kind to her and asked her:
What is your name?
“My name is Snegurochka,” she answered.
How did you get into our hut? - the dwarfs continued to ask.
And she told them that her stepmother wanted to kill her, but the huntsman took pity on her, and that she ran all day until she finally found their hut.
The dwarfs asked:
Do you want to run a farm with us? Cook, make beds, wash, sew and knit, keep everything clean and in order - if you agree to this, then you can stay with us, and you will have enough of everything.
“Okay,” said the Snow Maiden, “with great desire,” and she stayed with them.
Beware of your stepmother: she will soon know that you are here. Be careful not to let anyone into the house.
And the queen, having eaten the Snow Maiden’s lungs and liver, again began to think that she was now the very first beauty in the country. She went to the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Then the queen was frightened - she knew that the mirror was telling the truth, and she realized that the huntsman had deceived her, that the Snow Maiden was still alive. And she began to think again and wonder how to kill her. And she had no peace from envy, because she was not the very first beauty in the country.
And in the end she thought of something: she painted her face, dressed up as an old merchant, and now she could not be recognized in any way. She headed across the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
Hello, my dear! What are you selling?
“Good goods, wonderful goods,” she answered, “multi-colored laces,” and she took out one of them to show her, and it was woven from colorful silk.
“This respectable woman could perhaps be allowed into the house,” thought the Snow Maiden. She removed the door bolt and bought herself some beautiful laces.
“Oh, how they suit you, girl,” said the old woman, “let me lace your bodice properly.”
The Snow Maiden, not foreseeing anything bad, stood in front of her and let her tighten the new laces. And the old woman began to lace, so quickly and so tightly that the Snow Maiden suffocated and fell dead to the ground.
“This is because you were the most beautiful,” said the queen and quickly disappeared.
And soon, in the evening, the seven dwarfs returned home, and how frightened they were when they saw that their dear Snow Maiden was lying on the floor - not moving, not moving, as if dead! They picked it up and saw that it was laced tightly; Then they cut the laces, and she began to breathe little by little and gradually came to her senses.
When the dwarfs heard how it all happened, they said:
The old merchant was actually an evil queen. Be careful, don’t let anyone in when we’re not at home.
Meanwhile, the evil woman returned home, approached the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror answered her, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
When she heard such an answer, all the blood rushed to her heart, she was so frightened - she realized that the Snow Maiden had come to life again.
Well, now,” she said, “I’ll come up with something that will surely destroy you,” and, knowing various witchcraft, she prepared a poisonous comb. Then she changed clothes and pretended to be another old woman. And she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
I sell good goods! Selling!
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
Perhaps we can take a look,” said the old woman, took out a poisonous comb and, lifting it up, showed it to the Snow Maiden.
The girl liked him so much that she let herself be deceived and opened the door. They agreed on the price, and the old woman said:
Well, now let me comb your hair properly.
Poor Snow Maiden, suspecting nothing, allowed the old woman to comb her hair; but as soon as she touched her hair with the comb, the poison immediately began to take effect, and the girl fell unconscious to the ground.
“You, beautiful beauty,” said the evil woman, “now the end has come for you!” - And having said this, she left.
But, fortunately, it was late in the evening, and the seven dwarfs soon returned home. Noticing that the Snow Maiden was lying dead on the floor, they immediately suspected the stepmother of this, began to find out what was the matter, and found a poisonous comb; and as soon as they pulled him out, the Snow Maiden came to her senses again and told them everything that had happened. Then the dwarfs once again warned her to be careful and not open the door to anyone.
And the queen returned home, sat down in front of the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Hearing what the mirror said, she trembled and trembled all over with anger.
The Snow Maiden must die,” she shouted, “even if it cost me my life!”
And she went to a secret room, where no one had ever entered, and prepared a poisonous apple there. It looked very beautiful, white with red specks, and anyone who saw it would want to eat it; but whoever ate even a piece would certainly die.
When the apple was ready, the queen painted her face, dressed as a peasant and set off on her journey - over the seven mountains, to the seven dwarfs. She knocked; The Snow Maiden stuck her head out the window and said:
No one was ordered to be allowed into the house - seven dwarfs forbade me to do so.
“That’s correct,” answered the peasant woman, “but where will I put my apples?” Do you want me to give you one of them?
No,” said the Snow Maiden, “I was not ordered to take anything.”
Are you afraid of poison? - asked the old woman. - Look, I’ll cut the apple into two halves: you’ll eat the brown one, and I’ll eat the white one.
And the apple was made so cunningly that only its rosy half was poisoned. The Snow Maiden wanted to taste the beautiful apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating it, the girl could not resist, stuck her hand out of the window and took the poisoned half. As soon as she took a bite, she immediately fell dead to the ground. The queen looked at her with her terrible eyes and, laughing loudly, said:
White as snow, blush like blood, black hair like ebony! Now your dwarfs will never wake you up!
She returned home and began to ask the mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror finally answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the whole country.
Then her envious heart calmed down, as far as such a heart can find peace for itself.
The dwarfs, returning home in the evening, found the Snow Maiden lying on the ground, lifeless and dead. They picked her up and began to look for poison: they unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but nothing helped - the poor girl, as dead as she was, remained dead.
They put her in a coffin, all seven of them sat down around her, began to mourn her, and cried like that for three whole days. Then they decided to bury her, but she looked as if she were alive - her cheeks were still beautiful and rosy.
And they said:
How can you bury it in the ground like that?
And they ordered a glass coffin to be made for her, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her in that coffin, and wrote on it in gold letters her name and that she was the king's daughter. They carried the coffin to the mountain, and one of them always remained with it on guard. And animals and birds also came to mourn the Snow Maiden: first an owl, then a raven and, finally, a dove.
And the Snow Maiden lay in her coffin for a long, long time, and it seemed that she was sleeping - she was white as snow, blush like blood, and black-haired like ebony.
But one day it happened that the prince drove into that forest and ended up in the dwarfs’ house to spend the night there. He saw a coffin on the mountain, and in it the beautiful Snow Maiden, and read what was written on it in golden letters. And then he said to the dwarfs:
Give me this coffin, I will give you whatever you want for it.
But the dwarfs answered:
We won't give it up even for all the gold in the world.
Then he said:
So give it to me - I cannot live without seeing the Snow Maiden, I will deeply respect and honor her as my beloved.
When he said this, the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin; and the king's son ordered his servants to carry him on their shoulders. But it so happened that they stumbled in the bushes, and from the shock a piece of the poisoned apple fell out of the Snow Maiden’s throat. Then she opened her eyes, lifted the lid of the coffin, and then got out of it and came to life again.
Oh, Lord, where am I? - she exclaimed.
The prince, delighted, replied:
You are with me,” and he told her everything that happened, and said: “You are dearer to me than anything in the world; come with me to my father's castle and you will be my wife.
The Snow Maiden agreed and went with him; and they celebrated the wedding with great pomp.
But the Snow Maiden’s evil stepmother was also invited to the wedding feast. She dressed up in a beautiful dress, walked up to the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, Madam Queen, are beautiful,
But the princess is a thousand times richer in beauty!
And then the evil woman uttered her curse, and she became so scared, so scared that she didn’t know how to control herself. At first she decided not to go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace - she wanted to go and look at the young queen. She entered the palace and recognized the Snow Maiden, and from fear and horror, as she stood, she froze in place.
But iron shoes had already been placed on the burning coals for her; they were brought, held with tongs, and placed in front of her. And she had to step her feet into red-hot shoes and dance in them until she finally fell, dead, to the ground.
or there was an old man and an old woman. We lived well, amicably. Everything would be fine, but one misfortune - they didn’t have children. Now the snowy winter has come, there are snowdrifts up to the waist, the children poured out into the street to play, and the old man and the old woman look at them from the window and think about their grief.
“Well, old woman,” says the old man, “let’s make ourselves a daughter out of snow.”
Come on, says the old woman.
The old man put on his hat, they went out into the garden and began to sculpt a daughter out of the snow. They rolled a snowball, fitted the arms and legs, and placed a snowy head on top. The old man sculpted a nose, mouth, and chin.
Lo and behold, the Snow Maiden’s lips turned pink, her eyes opened; she looks at the old people and smiles. Then she nodded her head, moved her arms and legs, shook off the snow - and a living girl came out of the snowdrift.
The old people were delighted and brought her to the hut. They look at her and can’t stop admiring her.
And the old people’s daughter began to grow by leaps and bounds; every day it becomes more and more beautiful. She herself is as white as snow, her braid is brown to the waist, but there is no blush at all.
The old people are not overjoyed at their daughter; they dote on her. My daughter is growing up smart, smart, and cheerful. Affectionate and friendly with everyone. And the Snow Maiden’s work is progressing in her hands, and if she sings a song, you will be heard.
Winter has passed. The spring sun has begun to warm up. The grass in the thawed patches turned green and the larks began to sing. And the Snow Maiden suddenly became sad.
What's wrong with you, daughter? - the old people ask. Why have you become so sad? Or are you feeling unwell?
Nothing, father, nothing, mother, I’m healthy.
The last snow has melted, flowers have bloomed in the meadows, and birds have flown in.
And the Snow Maiden is becoming sadder and more silent day by day. Hiding from the sun. All she needs is some shade and some cool air, or even better, some rain.
Once a black cloud moved in, large hail fell. The Snow Maiden rejoiced at the hail, like rolling pearls. And when the sun came out again and the hail melted, the Snow Maiden began to cry, so bitterly, like a sister by a brother.
After spring, summer came. The girls gathered for a walk in the grove, calling the Snow Maiden:
Come with us, Snow Maiden, for a walk in the forest, sing songs, dance.
The Snow Maiden didn’t want to go into the forest, but the old woman persuaded her:
Go, daughter, have fun with your friends.
The girls and the Snow Maiden came to the forest. They began to collect flowers, weave wreaths, sing songs, and lead round dances. Only Snow Maiden is still sad.
And as soon as it got light, they gathered some brushwood, built a fire, and started jumping over the fire one after another. Behind everyone, the Snow Maiden stood up.
She ran in her turn after her friends.
It was in the middle of winter. Snowflakes fell like fluff from the sky, and the queen sat at the window - its frame was made of ebony - and the queen sewed. While she was sewing, she looked at the snow and pricked her finger with a needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow. And the red on the white snow looked so beautiful that she thought to herself: “If only I had a child, white as this snow, and ruddy as blood, and black-haired, like the wood on the window frame!”
And the queen soon gave birth to a daughter, and she was as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black-haired as ebony, and that’s why they called her the Snow Maiden. And when the child was born, the queen died.
A year later the king took another wife. This was a beautiful woman, but proud and arrogant, she could not stand it when anyone surpassed her in beauty. She had a magic mirror, and when she stood in front of it and looked into it, she asked:
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the country.
And she was pleased, because she knew that the mirror was telling the truth.
And during this time the Snow Maiden grew up and became more and more beautiful, and when she turned seven years old, she was as beautiful as a clear day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. When the queen asked her mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror replied:
But the Snow Maiden is a thousand times richer in beauty.
Then the queen became frightened, turned yellow and green with envy. It used to be that she would see the Snow Maiden - and her heart would break, she disliked the girl so much. And envy and arrogance grew like weeds in her heart higher and higher, and from now on she had no peace, day or night.
Then she called one of her huntsmen and said:
- Take this girl into the forest - I can’t see her anymore. You must kill her and bring me her lungs and liver as proof.
The huntsman obeyed and took the girl into the forest; but when he pulled out his hunting knife and was about to pierce the innocent heart of the Snow Maiden, she began to cry and ask:
- Oh, dear huntsman, leave me alive! I will run far, far into the dense forest and never return home.
And because she was so beautiful, the huntsman took pity on her and said:
- So be it, run, poor girl!
And he thought to himself: “Anyway, wild animals will soon eat you up there,” and it was as if a stone had been lifted from his heart when he didn’t have to kill the Snow Maiden.
And just at that time a young deer ran up, the huntsman killed it, cut out its lungs and liver and brought them to the queen as proof that her order had been carried out. The cook was ordered to boil them in salt water, and the evil woman ate them, thinking that they were the lungs and liver of the Snow Maiden.
The poor girl was left alone in the dense forest, and in fear she looked at all the leaves on the trees, not knowing what to do next, how to help her grief.
She started to run, and ran over sharp stones, through thorny thickets; and wild animals jumped around her, but did not touch her. She ran as long as she could, but it finally began to get dark. Suddenly she saw a small hut and went into it to rest. And everything in that hut was so small, but beautiful and clean, that you could not tell it in a fairy tale or describe it with a pen.
There stood a table covered with a white tablecloth, and on it were seven small plates, next to each plate there was a spoon, and also seven small knives and forks and seven small goblets. Seven small beds stood in a row against the wall, and they were covered with snow-white blankets.
The Snow Maiden wanted to eat and drink, she took a little vegetables and bread from each plate and drank a drop of wine from each goblet - she did not want to drink everything from one. And since she was very tired, she lay down in one of the beds, but none of them were suitable for her: one was too long, the other too short; but the seventh finally turned out to be just right for her; She lay down in it and, surrendering to the mercy of God, fell asleep.
When it was already completely dark, the owners of the hut came; There were seven dwarfs who mined ore in the mountains. They lit their seven lamps, and when it became light in the hut, they noticed that someone was with them, because not everything was in the same order as it was before. And the first dwarf said:
-Who was that sitting on my chair?
- Who ate from my plate?
- Who took a piece of my bread?
Fourth:
- Who ate my vegetables?
- Who took my fork?
- Who cut with my knife?
The seventh asked:
- Who drank from my little goblet?
The first one looked around and noticed a small fold on his bed, and asked:
-Who was that lying on my bed?
Then the others came running and began to say:
“And there was someone in mine too.”
The seventh dwarf looked at his bed and saw that the Snow Maiden was lying in it and sleeping. He then called the others; they ran up, began to scream in surprise, brought seven of their light bulbs and illuminated the Snow Maiden.
- Oh my god! Oh my god! - they exclaimed. - What a beautiful child, however!
They were so happy that they did not wake her and left her to sleep in bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with each of his comrades for an hour, and so the night passed.
Morning has come. The Snow Maiden woke up, saw seven dwarfs and got scared. But they were kind to her and asked her:
- What is your name?
“My name is Snegurochka,” she answered.
- How did you get into our hut? - the dwarfs continued to ask.
And she told them that her stepmother wanted to kill her, but the huntsman took pity on her, and that she ran all day until she finally found their hut.
The dwarfs asked:
- Do you want to run a farm with us? Cook, make beds, wash, sew and knit, keep everything clean and in order - if you agree to this, then you can stay with us, and you will have enough of everything.
“Okay,” said the Snow Maiden, “with great desire,” and she stayed with them.
- Beware of your stepmother: she will soon find out that you are here. Be careful not to let anyone into the house.
And the queen, having eaten the Snow Maiden’s lungs and liver, again began to think that she was now the very first beauty in the country. She went to the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Then the queen was frightened - she knew that the mirror was telling the truth, and she realized that the huntsman had deceived her, that the Snow Maiden was still alive. And she began to think again and wonder how to kill her. And she had no peace from envy, because she was not the very first beauty in the country.
And in the end she thought of something: she painted her face, dressed up as an old merchant, and now she could not be recognized in any way. She headed across the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
- Hello, my dear! What are you selling?
“Good goods, wonderful goods,” she answered, “multi-colored laces,” and she took out one of them to show her, and it was woven from colorful silk.
“This respectable woman could perhaps be allowed into the house,” thought the Snow Maiden. She removed the door bolt and bought herself some beautiful laces.
“Oh, how they suit you, girl,” said the old woman, “let me lace your bodice properly.”
The Snow Maiden, not foreseeing anything bad, stood in front of her and let her tighten the new laces. And the old woman began to lace, so quickly and so tightly that the Snow Maiden suffocated and fell dead to the ground.
“This is because you were the most beautiful,” said the queen and quickly disappeared.
And soon, in the evening, the seven dwarfs returned home, and how frightened they were when they saw that their dear Snow Maiden was lying on the floor - not moving, not moving, as if dead! They picked it up and saw that it was laced tightly; Then they cut the laces, and she began to breathe little by little and gradually came to her senses.
When the dwarfs heard how it all happened, they said:
“The old merchant was really an evil queen.” Be careful, don’t let anyone in when we’re not at home.
Meanwhile, the evil woman returned home, approached the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror answered her, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
When she heard such an answer, all the blood rushed to her heart, she was so frightened - she realized that the Snow Maiden had come to life again.
“Well, now,” she said, “I’ll come up with something that will surely destroy you,” and, knowing various witchcraft, she prepared a poisonous comb. Then she changed clothes and pretended to be another old woman. And she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
- I sell good goods! Selling!
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
“Perhaps we can take a look,” said the old woman, took out a poisonous comb and, lifting it up, showed it to the Snow Maiden.
The girl liked him so much that she let herself be deceived and opened the door. They agreed on the price, and the old woman said:
“Well, now let me comb your hair properly.”
Poor Snow Maiden, suspecting nothing, allowed the old woman to comb her hair; but as soon as she touched her hair with the comb, the poison immediately began to take effect, and the girl fell unconscious to the ground.
“You, beautiful beauty,” said the evil woman, “now the end has come for you!” - And having said this, she left.
But, fortunately, it was late in the evening, and the seven dwarfs soon returned home. Noticing that the Snow Maiden was lying dead on the floor, they immediately suspected the stepmother of this, began to find out what was the matter, and found a poisonous comb; and as soon as they pulled him out, the Snow Maiden came to her senses again and told them everything that had happened. Then the dwarfs once again warned her to be careful and not open the door to anyone.
And the queen returned home, sat down in front of the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Hearing what the mirror said, she trembled and trembled all over with anger.
“The Snow Maiden must die,” she shouted, “even if it costs me my life!”
And she went to a secret room, where no one had ever entered, and prepared a poisonous apple there. It looked very beautiful, white with red specks, and anyone who saw it would want to eat it; but whoever ate even a piece would certainly die.
When the apple was ready, the queen painted her face, dressed as a peasant and set off on her journey - over the seven mountains, to the seven dwarfs. She knocked; The Snow Maiden stuck her head out the window and said:
- No one was ordered to be allowed into the house - seven dwarfs forbade me to do so.
“That’s correct,” answered the peasant woman, “but where will I put my apples?” Do you want me to give you one of them?
“No,” said the Snow Maiden, “I was not ordered to take anything.”
- Are you afraid of poison? - asked the old woman. “Look, I’ll cut the apple into two halves: you’ll eat the brown one, and I’ll eat the white one.”
And the apple was made so cunningly that only its rosy half was poisoned. The Snow Maiden wanted to taste the beautiful apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating it, the girl could not resist, stuck her hand out of the window and took the poisoned half. As soon as she took a bite, she immediately fell dead to the ground. The queen looked at her with her terrible eyes and, laughing loudly, said:
- White as snow, blush like blood, black hair like ebony! Now your dwarfs will never wake you up!
She returned home and began to ask the mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror finally answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the whole country.
Then her envious heart calmed down, as far as such a heart can find peace for itself.
The dwarfs, returning home in the evening, found the Snow Maiden lying on the ground, lifeless and dead. They picked her up and began to look for poison: they unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but nothing helped - the poor girl, as dead as she was, remained dead.
They put her in a coffin, all seven of them sat down around her, began to mourn her, and cried like that for three whole days. Then they decided to bury her, but she looked as if she were alive - her cheeks were still beautiful and rosy.
And they said:
- How can you bury her like that in the ground?
And they ordered a glass coffin to be made for her, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her in that coffin, and wrote on it in gold letters her name and that she was the king's daughter. They carried the coffin to the mountain, and one of them always remained with it on guard. And animals and birds also came to mourn the Snow Maiden: first an owl, then a raven and, finally, a dove.
And the Snow Maiden lay in her coffin for a long, long time, and it seemed that she was sleeping - she was white as snow, blush like blood, and black-haired like ebony.
But one day it happened that the prince drove into that forest and ended up in the dwarfs’ house to spend the night there. He saw a coffin on the mountain, and in it the beautiful Snow Maiden, and read what was written on it in golden letters. And then he said to the dwarfs:
- Give me this coffin, I will give you whatever you want for it.
But the dwarfs answered:
“We won’t give it up even for all the gold in the world.”
Then he said:
“Then give it to me,” I cannot live without seeing the Snow Maiden, I will deeply respect and honor her as my beloved.
When he said this, the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin; and the king's son ordered his servants to carry him on their shoulders. But it so happened that they stumbled in the bushes, and from the shock a piece of the poisoned apple fell out of the Snow Maiden’s throat. Then she opened her eyes, lifted the lid of the coffin, and then got out of it and came to life again.
- Oh, Lord, where am I? - she exclaimed.
The prince, delighted, replied:
“You are with me,” and he told her everything that happened, and said: “You are dearer to me than anything in the world; come with me to my father's castle and you will be my wife.
The Snow Maiden agreed and went with him; and they celebrated the wedding with great pomp.
But the Snow Maiden’s evil stepmother was also invited to the wedding feast. She dressed up in a beautiful dress, walked up to the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, Madam Queen, are beautiful,
But the princess is a thousand times richer in beauty!
And then the evil woman uttered her curse, and she became so scared, so scared that she didn’t know how to control herself. At first she decided not to go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace - she wanted to go and look at the young queen. She entered the palace and recognized the Snow Maiden, and from fear and horror, as she stood, she froze in place.
But iron shoes had already been placed on the burning coals for her; they were brought, held with tongs, and placed in front of her. And she had to step her feet into red-hot shoes and dance in them until she finally fell, dead, to the ground.
It was in the middle of winter. Snowflakes fell like fluff from the sky, and the queen sat at the window - its frame was made of ebony - and the queen sewed. While she was sewing, she looked at the snow and pricked her finger with a needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow. And the red on the white snow looked so beautiful that she thought to herself: “If only I had a child, white as this snow, and ruddy as blood, and black-haired, like the wood on the window frame!”
And the queen soon gave birth to a daughter, and she was as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black-haired as ebony, and that’s why they called her the Snow Maiden. And when the child was born, the queen died.
A year later the king took another wife. This was a beautiful woman, but proud and arrogant, she could not stand it when anyone surpassed her in beauty. She had a magic mirror, and when she stood in front of it and looked into it, she asked:
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the country.
And she was pleased, because she knew that the mirror was telling the truth.
And during this time the Snow Maiden grew up and became more and more beautiful, and when she turned seven years old, she was as beautiful as a clear day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. When the queen asked her mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror replied:
But the Snow Maiden is a thousand times richer in beauty.
Then the queen became frightened, turned yellow and green with envy. It used to be that she would see the Snow Maiden - and her heart would break, she disliked the girl so much. And envy and arrogance grew like weeds in her heart higher and higher, and from now on she had no peace, day or night.
Then she called one of her huntsmen and said:
Take this girl into the forest - I can’t see her anymore. You must kill her and bring me her lungs and liver as proof.
The huntsman obeyed and took the girl into the forest; but when he pulled out his hunting knife and was about to pierce the innocent heart of the Snow Maiden, she began to cry and ask:
Oh, dear huntsman, let me live! I will run far, far into the dense forest and never return home.
And because she was so beautiful, the huntsman took pity on her and said:
So be it, run, poor girl!
And he thought to himself: “Anyway, wild animals will soon eat you up there,” and it was as if a stone had been lifted from his heart when he didn’t have to kill the Snow Maiden.
And just at that time a young deer ran up, the huntsman killed it, cut out its lungs and liver and brought them to the queen as proof that her order had been carried out. The cook was ordered to boil them in salt water, and the evil woman ate them, thinking that they were the lungs and liver of the Snow Maiden.
The poor girl was left alone in the dense forest, and in fear she looked at all the leaves on the trees, not knowing what to do next, how to help her grief.
She started to run, and ran over sharp stones, through thorny thickets; and wild animals jumped around her, but did not touch her. She ran as long as she could, but it finally began to get dark. Suddenly she saw a small hut and went into it to rest. And everything in that hut was so small, but beautiful and clean, that you could not tell it in a fairy tale or describe it with a pen.
There stood a table covered with a white tablecloth, and on it were seven small plates, next to each plate there was a spoon, and also seven small knives and forks and seven small goblets. Seven small beds stood in a row against the wall, and they were covered with snow-white blankets.
The Snow Maiden wanted to eat and drink, she took a little vegetables and bread from each plate and drank a drop of wine from each cup - she did not want to drink everything from one. And since she was very tired, she lay down in one of the beds, but none of them were suitable for her: one was too long, the other too short; but the seventh finally turned out to be just right for her; She lay down in it and, surrendering to the mercy of God, fell asleep.
When it was already completely dark, the owners of the hut came; There were seven dwarfs who mined ore in the mountains. They lit their seven lamps, and when it became light in the hut, they noticed that someone was with them, because not everything was in the same order as it was before. And the first dwarf said:
Who was that sitting on my chair?
Who ate from my plate?
Who took a piece of my bread?
Fourth:
Who ate my vegetables?
Who took my fork?
Who cut with my knife?
The seventh asked:
Who was it that drank from my little cup?
The first one looked around and noticed a small fold on his bed, and asked:
Who was that lying on my bed?
Then the others came running and began to say:
And there was someone in mine too.
The seventh dwarf looked at his bed and saw that the Snow Maiden was lying in it and sleeping. He then called the others; they ran up, began to scream in surprise, brought seven of their light bulbs and illuminated the Snow Maiden.
Oh my god! Oh my god! - they exclaimed. - What a beautiful child, however!
They were so happy that they did not wake her and left her to sleep in bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with each of his comrades for an hour, and so the night passed.
Morning has come. The Snow Maiden woke up, saw seven dwarfs and got scared. But they were kind to her and asked her:
What is your name?
“My name is Snegurochka,” she answered.
How did you get into our hut? - the dwarfs continued to ask.
And she told them that her stepmother wanted to kill her, but the huntsman took pity on her, and that she ran all day until she finally found their hut.
The dwarfs asked:
Do you want to run a farm with us? Cook, make beds, wash, sew and knit, keep everything clean and in order - if you agree to this, then you can stay with us, and you will have enough of everything.
“Okay,” said the Snow Maiden, “with great desire,” and she stayed with them.
Beware of your stepmother: she will soon know that you are here. Be careful not to let anyone into the house.
And the queen, having eaten the Snow Maiden’s lungs and liver, again began to think that she was now the very first beauty in the country. She went to the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Then the queen was frightened - she knew that the mirror was telling the truth, and she realized that the huntsman had deceived her, that the Snow Maiden was still alive. And she began to think again and wonder how to kill her. And she had no peace from envy, because she was not the very first beauty in the country.
And in the end she thought of something: she painted her face, dressed up as an old merchant, and now she could not be recognized in any way. She headed across the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
Hello, my dear! What are you selling?
“Good goods, wonderful goods,” she answered, “multi-colored laces,” and she took out one of them to show her, and it was woven from colorful silk.
“This respectable woman could perhaps be allowed into the house,” thought the Snow Maiden. She removed the door bolt and bought herself some beautiful laces.
“Oh, how they suit you, girl,” said the old woman, “let me lace your bodice properly.”
The Snow Maiden, not foreseeing anything bad, stood in front of her and let her tighten the new laces. And the old woman began to lace, so quickly and so tightly that the Snow Maiden suffocated and fell dead to the ground.
“This is because you were the most beautiful,” said the queen and quickly disappeared.
And soon, in the evening, the seven dwarfs returned home, and how frightened they were when they saw that their dear Snow Maiden was lying on the floor - not moving, not moving, as if dead! They picked it up and saw that it was laced tightly; Then they cut the laces, and she began to breathe little by little and gradually came to her senses.
When the dwarfs heard how it all happened, they said:
The old merchant was actually an evil queen. Be careful, don’t let anyone in when we’re not at home.
Meanwhile, the evil woman returned home, approached the mirror and asked:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
The mirror answered her, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
When she heard such an answer, all the blood rushed to her heart, she was so frightened - she realized that the Snow Maiden had come to life again.
Well, now,” she said, “I’ll come up with something that will surely destroy you,” and, knowing various witchcraft, she prepared a poisonous comb. Then she changed clothes and pretended to be another old woman. And she went over the seven mountains to the seven dwarfs, knocked on the door and said:
I sell good goods! Selling!
The Snow Maiden looked out the window and said:
Perhaps we can take a look,” said the old woman, took out a poisonous comb and, lifting it up, showed it to the Snow Maiden.
The girl liked him so much that she let herself be deceived and opened the door. They agreed on the price, and the old woman said:
Well, now let me comb your hair properly.
Poor Snow Maiden, suspecting nothing, allowed the old woman to comb her hair; but as soon as she touched her hair with the comb, the poison immediately began to take effect, and the girl fell unconscious to the ground.
“You, beautiful beauty,” said the evil woman, “now the end has come for you!” - And having said this, she left.
But, fortunately, it was late in the evening, and the seven dwarfs soon returned home. Noticing that the Snow Maiden was lying dead on the floor, they immediately suspected the stepmother of this, began to find out what was the matter, and found a poisonous comb; and as soon as they pulled him out, the Snow Maiden came to her senses again and told them everything that had happened. Then the dwarfs once again warned her to be careful and not open the door to anyone.
And the queen returned home, sat down in front of the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered, as before:
You, queen, are beautiful,
But the Snow Maiden is there, just over the mountains,
Outside the walls of the seven Charles,
A thousand times richer in beauty!
Hearing what the mirror said, she trembled and trembled all over with anger.
The Snow Maiden must die,” she shouted, “even if it cost me my life!”
And she went to a secret room, where no one had ever entered, and prepared a poisonous apple there. It looked very beautiful, white with red specks, and anyone who saw it would want to eat it; but whoever ate even a piece would certainly die.
When the apple was ready, the queen painted her face, dressed as a peasant and set off on her journey - over the seven mountains, to the seven dwarfs. She knocked; The Snow Maiden stuck her head out the window and said:
No one was ordered to be allowed into the house - seven dwarfs forbade me to do so.
“That’s correct,” answered the peasant woman, “but where will I put my apples?” Do you want me to give you one of them?
No,” said the Snow Maiden, “I was not ordered to take anything.”
Are you afraid of poison? - asked the old woman. - Look, I’ll cut the apple into two halves: you’ll eat the brown one, and I’ll eat the white one.
And the apple was made so cunningly that only its rosy half was poisoned. The Snow Maiden wanted to taste the beautiful apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating it, the girl could not resist, stuck her hand out of the window and took the poisoned half. As soon as she took a bite, she immediately fell dead to the ground. The queen looked at her with her terrible eyes and, laughing loudly, said:
White as snow, blush like blood, black hair like ebony! Now your dwarfs will never wake you up!
She returned home and began to ask the mirror:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror finally answered:
You, queen, are the most beautiful in the whole country.
Then her envious heart calmed down, as far as such a heart can find peace for itself.
The dwarfs, returning home in the evening, found the Snow Maiden lying on the ground, lifeless and dead. They picked her up and began to look for poison: they unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but nothing helped - the poor girl, as dead as she was, remained dead.
They put her in a coffin, all seven of them sat down around her, began to mourn her, and cried like that for three whole days. Then they decided to bury her, but she looked as if she were alive - her cheeks were still beautiful and rosy.
And they said:
How can you bury it in the ground like that?
And they ordered a glass coffin to be made for her, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her in that coffin, and wrote on it in gold letters her name and that she was the king's daughter. They carried the coffin to the mountain, and one of them always remained with it on guard. And animals and birds also came to mourn the Snow Maiden: first an owl, then a raven and, finally, a dove.
And the Snow Maiden lay in her coffin for a long, long time, and it seemed that she was sleeping - she was white as snow, blush like blood, and black-haired like ebony.
But one day it happened that the prince drove into that forest and ended up in the dwarfs’ house to spend the night there. He saw a coffin on the mountain, and in it the beautiful Snow Maiden, and read what was written on it in golden letters. And then he said to the dwarfs:
Give me this coffin, I will give you whatever you want for it.
But the dwarfs answered:
We won't give it up even for all the gold in the world.
Then he said:
So give it to me - I cannot live without seeing the Snow Maiden, I will deeply respect and honor her as my beloved.
When he said this, the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin; and the king's son ordered his servants to carry him on their shoulders. But it so happened that they stumbled in the bushes, and from the shock a piece of the poisoned apple fell out of the Snow Maiden’s throat. Then she opened her eyes, lifted the lid of the coffin, and then got out of it and came to life again.
Oh, Lord, where am I? - she exclaimed.
The prince, delighted, replied:
You are with me,” and he told her everything that happened, and said: “You are dearer to me than anything in the world; come with me to my father's castle and you will be my wife.
The Snow Maiden agreed and went with him; and they celebrated the wedding with great pomp.
But the Snow Maiden’s evil stepmother was also invited to the wedding feast. She dressed up in a beautiful dress, walked up to the mirror and said:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most beautiful in our country?
And the mirror answered:
You, Madam Queen, are beautiful,
But the princess is a thousand times richer in beauty!
And then the evil woman uttered her curse, and she became so scared, so scared that she didn’t know how to control herself. At first she decided not to go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace - she wanted to go and look at the young queen. She entered the palace and recognized the Snow Maiden, and from fear and horror, as she stood, she froze in place.
But iron shoes had already been placed on the burning coals for her; they were brought, held with tongs, and placed in front of her. And she had to step her feet into red-hot shoes and dance in them until she finally fell, dead, to the ground.
