Once upon a time, on a quiet winter morning, when soft snow covered the castle roofs, a baby girl was born to the King. The whole world was white and sparkling that day, so she was named Snow White. She grew into a cheerful girl who loved birds, flowers and helping everyone she met.
The Queen, Snow White's stepmother, also lived in the castle. On her wall hung a magic mirror. Every morning she asked, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" And the mirror answered, "You are, my Queen." The Queen spent so long looking in the mirror that she forgot to go outside, forgot to laugh and forgot to make friends. She was a little lonely, and that made her grumpy.
One morning she asked again, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" This time the mirror said, "My Queen, the fairest is Snow White, because her heart is so kind." The Queen frowned a big frown. "Hmph!" She stomped away and didn't say good morning to Snow White all day. Snow White noticed. "The Queen seems sad," she thought. "I wish I could cheer her up."
When spring came, Snow White asked her father, "May I walk in the forest and pick berries?" "Yes, my dear," said the King. "Follow the bluebird path." So Snow White skipped along, with the bluebirds singing tweet, tweet, tweet above her, until the path led to a tiny cottage in a sunny clearing.
Knock, knock. No one answered, and the door was open, so she peeked in. There were seven little chairs, seven little bowls, seven little spoons and seven little beds. But oh my, what a mess! Muddy boots, dusty shelves, dishes piled high. "Whoever lives here must be very busy," said Snow White. "I'll help." She swept, swish, swish. She washed the dishes, splish, splash. She made a big pot of vegetable soup. Then, feeling sleepy after all that work, she lay down across three little beds and fell asleep.
At sunset, seven little miners came marching home from the mountain, singing, "Tap, tap, tap, we dig all day! Tap, tap, tap, now home we go!" They opened the door and stopped. "Our floor is clean!" "Our dishes are washed!" "Something smells delicious!" Then they saw Snow White sleeping. "Shh!" they whispered. "Let her rest." And they tiptoed around.
When Snow White woke, she said, "I'm sorry I came in without asking. I only wanted to help." The miners smiled. "Thank you! Please stay for soup." They ate together, and the miners showed her the sparkly stones they had found.
Meanwhile, at the castle, the Queen asked her mirror, "Where is Snow White?" The mirror showed her the little cottage, full of laughter. The Queen felt a small, lonely ache. "Nobody laughs with me like that," she said. She put on her cloak, filled a basket with red apples from the castle garden and walked down the bluebird path.
Knock, knock. Snow White opened the door. "Your Majesty! You look cold. Please come in!" The miners brought out their biggest little chair. The Queen sat down, not sure what to say. "I brought apples," she said quietly. "Wonderful!" said Snow White. "Let's bake an apple pie together!" The Queen peeled, Snow White rolled the dough, and the miners sprinkled cinnamon. The cottage smelled warm and sweet, and when the pie came out, the Queen laughed for the first time in a very long time.
"Snow White," said the Queen, "I was jealous and grumpy, and I am sorry." Snow White hugged her. "I'm so glad you came." Then the miners lit their lanterns and walked the Queen and Snow White home, singing softly all the way.
Back at the castle, the Queen looked into the mirror once more. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall..." The mirror glowed gently. "My Queen, the fairest of all are those with kind hearts. And tonight, your heart is shining too." The Queen smiled.
That night, the stars came out one by one. Snow White snuggled into her warm bed, and the Queen tucked the blanket around her and hummed a quiet tune. Far away in the forest, seven little miners snored softly in seven little beds. The castle grew still and quiet. Snow White's eyes closed, slowly, slowly, and she drifted off to sleep, warm and happy. Goodnight, Snow White.
Parent tip: Use a slow, echoing voice for the magic mirror, and pause before its answer so your child can guess what it will say.
Ask your child: After the story, you can ask: “Who was kind in this story, and what did they do?”
This gentle retelling keeps everyone safe; the grumpy queen simply learns kindness and says sorry.