"Tell me, glass, tell me true!
Of all the ladies in the land,
Who is the fairest? tell me, who?"
And the glass had always answered—
"Thou, queen, art the fairest in all the land."
But Snow-drop grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven years old she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen herself. Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went to look in it as usual—
"Thou, queen, art fair, and beauteous to see,
But Snow-drop is lovelier far than thee!"
When she heard this she turned pale with rage and envy; and called to one of her servants and said, "Take Snow-drop away into the wide wood, that I may never see her any more." Then the servant led her away; but his heart melted when Snow-drop begged him to spare her life, and he said, "I will not hurt thee, thou pretty child." So he left her by herself; and though he thought it most likely that the wild beasts would tear her in pieces, he felt as if a great weight were taken off his heart when he had made up his mind not to kill her but to leave her to her fate, with the chance of some one finding and saving her.
Then poor Snow-drop wandered along through the wood in great fear; and the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm. In the evening she came to a cottage among the hills; and went in to rest, for her little feet would carry her no further. Every thing was spruce and neat in the cottage: on the table was spread
