Snow White by Brothers Grimm : The Classic German Fairy Tale

Have you ever wondered what makes Snow White by the Brothers Grimm one of the greatest fairy tales of all time? This classic fairy tale is filled with beauty, danger, and magic, has won the hearts of  audiences for centuries. Originating from Germany and first published in 1812, Snow White reflects the German cultural values and social dynamics of its time, yet its theme is timeless. Discover this detailed post of  retelling of Snow White original story, where innocence battles evil, and the ultimate triumph of good teaches us all a valuable life lesson.

Snow White Characters

Snow White

Snow White is the protagonist of this story, she is known for her unmatched beauty, kind heart, and pure innocence.

The Evil Queen

The Evil Queen is Snow White’s stepmother, she is driven by vanity and jealousy. Obsessed with being the fairest and beautiful of all of them, she becomes a ruthless antagonist willing to do anything to eliminate Snow White.

The Seven Dwarfs

The seven dwarfs are Snow White’s protectors and friends. Each dwarf has a unique personality, from Grumpy to Doc, and dwarfs provide Snow White with shelter and companionship.

The Prince

The Prince represents love and salvation in the story. His admiration for Snow White’s beauty and goodness ultimately leads to her rescue.

The Huntsman

A servant of the Evil Queen who is ordered to kill Snow White. However, moved by Snow White's innocence, he spares her life and allows her to escape into the forest.

Plot of Snow White

Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, a queen sat at her window sewing. As she was sewing, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell upon the snow. The red looked so beautiful on the white snow that she thought,

 "Oh, how I wish I had a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony."

 Not long after that, her wish was granted, and she gave birth to a baby girl who possessed these very traits. They named her Snow White. But soon after the snow white was born, the queen died. The king remarried a woman who was beautiful but cruel and proud of her beauty. She possessed a magical mirror, and every day, she would ask it,

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

The mirror always replied, 

"You, my queen, are the fairest of them all."

 This pleased the queen, as she knew that the mirror only spoke the truth. As Snow White grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, when the queen asked her mirror the usual question, it responded, 

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true. But Snow White is fairer than you."

The queen's heart turned cold with jealousy, and from that moment on, she started hating Snow White. The evil queen Consumed by envy, ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her. She demanded proof of Snow White death by bringing back her heart. The huntsman led Snow White deep into the forest, but when he raised his knife to kill her, she begged him to spare her life. Overcome with pity, the huntsman relented, and let her go. He killed a wild boar instead and brought its heart to the queen as proof. which was prepared by the cook and eaten by the Evil Queen.

Alone and terrified, Snow White wandered through the forest until she stumbled upon a small cottage. Inside the cottage, everything was tiny but clean and orderly. The table was set with seven little plates and seven little cups. Snow White, exhausted and hungry, ate a little bread and drank a sip of wine from each cup. Then, she found seven little beds and lay down in the last one, falling  asleep. When the seven dwarfs who lived in the cottage returned from their work in the mines, they were astonished to find Snow White sleeping. They welcomed her with open arms after she told them her story and dwarfs agreed she could stay if she kept the house in order. Snow White lived happily with the dwarfs, but the queen soon discovered she was still alive when her mirror revealed,

"Snow White, who dwells with the seven dwarfs, is a thousand times fairer than you."

Enraged, the queen disguised herself as an old peddler woman and went to the dwarfs' cottage. She offered Snow White a beautiful lace bodice and laced it so tightly that Snow White fainted. The dwarfs arrived just in time to save her. determined, the evil queen tried again, this time with a poisoned comb. Again, the dwarfs rescued Snow White.

For the third attempt, the queen created a poisoned apple. Disguise as farmer's wife, she tempted Snow White with the luscious fruit. The moment Snow White bit into the apple, she fell into a deep, death-like sleep. This time, the Seven Dwarves are unable to revive the Snow White because they cannot find the source of her illness. Presuming she is dead, they construct a glass coffin so her frozen beauty wouldn't be buried underground for none to see, and they place her in the middle of the forest and each take turns guarding the princess.

Years passed, and one day, a prince riding through the forest saw the glass coffin. He was captivated by Snow White's beauty and begged the dwarfs to let him take Snow White  to his castle. They agreed, and as his servants carried the coffin, they stumbled. The jolt dislodged the piece of poisoned apple from Snow White's throat, and she awoke.

Overjoyed, the prince asked Snow White to marry him, and she agreed. Their wedding was a grand affair, and they invited everyone, including Snow White's wicked stepmother. Upon learning that the bride was Snow White, the queen was furious. But when she stood before the prince and Snow White, her own jealousy consumed her. She was forced to wear red-hot iron shoes and dance until she dropped dead.

Snow White and the prince lived happily ever after, as a true testament to the power of innocence and goodness overcoming evil.

Moral of the Story of Snow White

At its heart, story of Snow White  teaches us that goodness and innocence will ultimately triumph over envy and wickedness. The tale also serves as a warning about the dangers of vanity and jealousy, as seen in the evil queen’s downfall. Her obsession with being the fairest of them all leads to her destruction, reinforcing the idea that inner beauty and virtue are far more important than outward appearances.