There was once a
poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage
was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which bore white
and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two
rose-trees, and one was called Snow-White, and the other Rose-Red.
They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever two
children in the world were, only Snow-White was more quiet and
gentle than Rose-Red.
Rose-red liked better to
run about in the meadows and fields seeking flowers and catching
butterflies, but Snow-White sat at home with her mother, and helped
her with her house-work, or read to her when there was nothing to
do. The two children were so fond of one another that they always
held each other by the hand when they went out together, and when
Snow-White said, we will not leave each other, Rose-Red answered,
never so long as we live, and their mother would add, what one has
she must share with the other.
They often ran about the
forest alone and gathered red berries, and no beasts did them any
harm, but came close to them trustfully. The little hare would eat a
cabbage-leaf out of their hands, the roe grazed by their side, the
stag leapt merrily by them, and the birds sat still upon the boughs,
and sang whatever they knew. No mishap overtook them, if they had
stayed too late in the forest, and night came on, they laid
themselves down near one another upon the moss, and slept until
morning came, and their mother knew this and did not worry on their
account.
Once when they had spent
the night in the wood and the dawn had roused them, they saw a
beautiful child in a shining white dress sitting near their bed. He
got up and looked quite kindly at them, but said nothing and went
away into the forest. And when they looked round they found that
they had been sleeping quite close to a precipice, and would
certainly have fallen into it in the darkness if they had gone only
a few paces further. And their mother told them that it must have
been the angel who watches over good children. |