Snow White: The Queen's Fair Daughter

This version of Snow White is based on the oral story as it was told to the Brothers Grimm in 1808. It contains many of the familiar elements—the seven dwarves, mirror, glass coffin, bodice and apple. It also differs from the Grimms' later versions in that the stepmother is a mother, there is no hunter, and the king, Snow White's father, plays a significant role. The queen adores her daughter, but as Snow White grows to adolescence, she also grows closer to her father, the king, and further from her mother. Snow White becomes curious about many things, including her mother's secret room within which she discovers a magical mirror and that her mother creates potions. As punishment for this, and while the king is away at war, the queen takes her daughter deep into the forest and, in anger and sadness, abandons her there. Snow White comes upon the small house of the industrious seven dwarves. When they return home from work, they prepare to attack the sleeping Snow White but quickly decide that she may stay. One day Snow White happens upon a young prince and his tutor sword fighting in the forest. The prince, intrigued by the wild forest girl, attempts to court her, with hilarious results. With the help of her mirror, the envious queen learns Snow White is still alive and travels to Snow White three times in disguise to do her harm. The first two times the dwarves are able to revive Snow White, but the third time, after biting a poisoned apple, Snow White "dies." The dwarves place her in a glass coffin, where she lies in state, until one day her father finds her. Together, the king and prince discover a way to release her from her mother's spell, and Snow White awakens into her new life. Included in the playbook is a translation into English of the Brother Grimm's original handwritten manuscript.