-LRB- 28 -RRB- -LRB- 28 -RRB- From J. Moe . SNOWDROP ONCE upon a time , in the middle of winter when the snow-flakes were falling like feathers on the earth , a Queen sat at a window framed in black ebony and sewed . And as she sewed and gazed out to the white landscape , she pricked her finger with the needle , and three drops of blood fell on the snow outside , and because the red showed out so well against the white she thought to herself : ` Oh ! what would n't I give to have a child as white as snow , as red as blood , and as black as ebony ! ' And her wish was granted , for not long after a little daughter was born to her , with a skin as white as snow , lips and cheeks as red as blood , and hair as black as ebony . They called her Snowdrop , and not long after her birth the Queen died . After a year the King married again . His new wife was a beautiful woman , but so proud and overbearing that she could n't stand any rival to her beauty . She possessed a magic mirror , and when she used to stand before it gazing at her own reflection and ask : ` Mirror , mirror , hanging there , Who in all the land 's most fair ? ' it always replied : ` You are most fair , my Lady Queen , None fairer in the land , I ween . ' Then she was quite happy , for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth . But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day , and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as she could be , and fairer even than the Queen herself . One day when the latter asked her mirror the usual question , it replied : ` My Lady Queen , you are fair , 't is true , But Snowdrop is fairer far than you . ' Then the Queen flew into the most awful passion , and turned every shade of green in her jealousy . From this hour she hated poor Snowdrop like poison , and every day her envy , hatred , and malice grew , for envy and jealousy are like evil weeds which spring up and choke the heart . At last she could endure Snowdrop 's presence no longer , and , calling a huntsman to her , she said : ` Take the child out into the wood , and never let me see her face again . You must kill her , and bring me back her lungs and liver , that I may know for certain she is dead . ' The Huntsman did as he was told and led Snowdrop out into the wood , but as he was in the act of drawing out his knife to slay her , she began to cry , and said : ` Oh , dear Huntsman , spare my life , and I will promise to fly forth into the wide wood and never to return home again . ' And because she was so young and pretty the Huntsman had pity on her , and said : ` Well , run along , poor child . ' For he thought to himself : ` The wild beasts will soon eat her up . '
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