Story Time Cuddles (Snow White)

Transcript

Oh, hey love. Come on in. Oh, pull up a bed, yeah, yeah I haven't been feeling super well lately.

Feels like a low-energy kind of day. No, no, not really anything that can be done about it. Just, just gotta rest and take care of myself.

Drink some water and, you know, just take it easy, you know. Sometimes days are a little bit less energetic than others. Would you like to cuddle? Well, get those clothes off and come get into bed.

Oh, you're far too far away. Oh, there we go. Oh, yeah.

I do love it how our bodies just sort of mold to each other like that. Yeah, you know, even in this state I really, really appreciate the touch. I've got a, I've got a story to read.

I picked up a collection of Grimm's fairy tales and I can just read the first, the first story on it. Now what's funny about this is that I think this is the original story of Snow White, but it's called Snow Drop, not Snow White, weirdly enough. Well, snuggle in.

And if you put your head on my chest, you'll be able to hear the vibrations. Are you ready? Okay, well, here we go.

The story of Snow Drop. It was the middle of winter and the snowflakes were falling from the sky like feathers. Now a queen sat sewing at a window framed in black ebony.

As she sewed, she looked out onto the snow. Suddenly she pricked her finger and three drops of blood fell onto the snow and the red looked so lovely on the white that she thought to herself, if only I had a child as white as snow and as red as blood and as black as the wood of the window frame. Soon after, she had a daughter whose hair was black as ebony while her cheeks were red as blood and her skin was white as snow.

So she was called Snow Drop. But when the child was born, the queen died. A year after, the king took another wife.

She was a handsome woman but proud and overbearing and could not endure that anyone should surpass her in beauty. She had a magic looking-glass and when she stood before it and looked at herself, she used to say, mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of us all? And the looking-glass answered, Queen, thou art fairest of them all.

Then she was content for she knew that the looking-glass spoke the truth. But Snow Drop grew up and became more and more beautiful so that when she was seven years old, she was as beautiful as the day and far surpassed the queen. Once, when she asked her glass, mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of us all? It answered, Queen, thou art fairest here, I hold, but Snow Drop is fairer a thousand fold.

Then the queen was horror-struck and turned green and yellow with jealousy. From the hour that she saw Snow Drop, her heart sank and she hated the little girl. The pride and envy of her heart grew like a weed so that she had no rest day nor night.

At last she called a huntsman and said, take the child out into the wood. I will not set eyes on her again. You must kill her and bring me her lungs and liver as tokens.

The huntsman obeyed and took Snow Drop out into the forest. But when he drew his hunting knife and was preparing to plunge it into her innocent heart, she began to cry. Alas, dear huntsman, spare my life and I will run away into the wild forest and never come back again.

And because of her beauty, the huntsman had pity on her and said, well, run away, poor child. Wild beasts will soon devour you, he thought. But still he felt as though a weight were lifted from his heart because he had not been obliged to kill her.

And as just at that moment a young fawn came leaping by, he pierced it and took its lungs and liver as tokens to the queen. The cook was ordered to serve them up in pickle and the wicked queen ate them, thinking that they were snowdrops. Now the poor child was alone in the great wood with no living soul near and she was so frightened that she knew not what to do.

Then she began to run and ran over the sharp stones and through the brambles while the animals passed her by without harming her. She ran as far as her feet could carry her till it was nearly evening when she saw a little house and went in to rest. Inside everything was small but as neat and clean as could be.

A small table covered with a white cloth stood ready with seven small plates and by every plate was a spoon, knife, fork and cup. Seven little beds were ranged against the walls covered with snow-white coverlets. As snowdrop was very hungry and thirsty she ate a little bread and vegetable from each plate and drank a little wine from each cup, for she did not want to eat up the whole of one portion.

Then being very tired she laid down in one of the beds. She tried them all but none suited her. One was too short, another too long, all except the seventh which was just right.

She remained in it, said her prayers and fell asleep. When it was quite dark the masters of the house came in. They were seven dwarves who used to dig in the mountains for ore.

They kindled their lights and as soon as they could see they noticed that someone had been there for everything was not in the order in which they had left it. The first said, who has been sitting in my chair? The second said, who has been eating off my plate? The third said, who has been nibbling my bread? The fourth said, who has been eating my vegetables? The fifth said, who has been eating my fork? The sixth said, who has been cutting with my knife? The seventh said, who has been drinking out of my cup? Then the first looked and saw a slight impression on his bed and said, who has been treading on my bed?

The others came running up and said, and mine, and mine. But the seventh, when he looked into his bed, saw Snowdrop who lay there asleep. He called the others who came up and cried out with astonishment as they held their lights and gazed at Snowdrop.

Heavens, what a beautiful child, they said, and they were so delighted that they did not wake her up but left her asleep in bed. And the seventh dwarf slept with his comrades an hour with each all through the night. When the morning came Snowdrop woke up and when she saw the seven dwarves she was frightened, but they were very kind and asked her name.

I'm called Snowdrop, she answered. How did you get into our house, they asked. Then she told them how her stepmother had wished to get rid of her, how the huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run all day till she had found the house.

Then the dwarf said, will you look after our household, cook, make the beds, wash, sew and knit, and keep everything neat and clean? If so, you shall stay with us and want for nothing. Yes, said Snowdrop, with all my heart, and she stayed with them and kept the house in order.

In the morning they went to the mountain and searched for copper and gold, and in the evening they came back and then their meal had to be ready. All day the maiden was alone and the good dwarfs warned her and said, beware your stepmother who will soon learn that you are here, don't let anyone in. But the Queen, having, as she imagined, eaten Snowdrop's liver and lungs, and feeling certain that she was the fairest of all, stepped in front of her glass and asked, mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of us all?

The glass answered as usual, Queen, thou art fairest here, I hold, but Snowdrop over the fells, who with the seven dwarfs dwells, is fairer still a thousandfold. She was dismayed, for she knew that the glass told no lies, and she saw that the hunter had deceived her and that Snowdrop still lived. Accordingly she began to wonder afresh how she might compass her death, for as long as she was not the fairest in the land, her jealous heart left her no rest.

At last she thought of a plan. She dyed her face and dressed up like an old peddler, so that she was quite unrecognizable. In this guise she crossed over the seven mountains to the home of the seven dwarfs and called out, where's for sale?

Snowdrop peeped out the window and said, good day, mother, what have you got to sell? Good wares, fine wares, she answered, laces of every color, and she held out one which was made of gay pleated silk. I may let the honest woman in, thought Snowdrop, and she unbolted the door and bought the pretty lace.

Child, said the old woman, what a sight you are, I will lace you properly for once. Snowdrop made no objection and placed herself before the old woman to let her lace her with the new lace. But the old woman laced so quickly and tightly that she took away Snowdrop's breath and she fell down as though dead.

Now I am the fairest, she said to herself, and hurried away. Not long after the seven dwarfs came home and were horror-struck when they saw their dear little Snowdrop lying on the floor without stirring like one dead. When they saw she was laced too tight they cut the lace whereupon she began to breathe and soon came back to life again.

When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said that the old peddler was no other than the Wicked Queen. Take care not to let anyone in when we are not here, they said. Now the Wicked Queen, as soon as she got home, went to the glass and asked, mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all?

And it answered as usual, Queen. Thou art fairest here, I hold, but Snowdrop over the fells, who with the seven dwarfs dwells, is fairer still a thousandfold. When she heard it all her blood flew to her heart.

So enraged was she, for she knew that Snowdrop had come back to life again. Then she thought to herself, I must plan something which will put an end to her. By means of witchcraft, in which she was skilled, she made a poisoned comb.

Next she disguised herself and took the form of a different old woman. She crossed the mountains and came to the home of the seven dwarfs and knocked at the door calling out, good wares to sell. Snowdrop looked out the window and said, go away, I must not let anyone in.

At least you may look, answered the old woman, and she took the poisoned comb and held it up. The child was so pleased with it that she let herself be beguiled and opened the door. When she had made a bargain, the old woman said, now I will comb your hair properly for once.

Poor Snowdrop, suspecting no evil, let the old woman have her way, but scarcely was the poisoned comb fixed in her hair than the poison took effect and the maiden fell down unconscious. You paragon of beauty, said the wicked woman, now it is all over with you, and she went away. Happily, it was near the time when the seven dwarfs came home, and when they saw Snowdrop lying on the ground as though dead, they immediately suspected her stepmother and searched till they found the poisoned comb.

No sooner had they removed it than Snowdrop came to herself again and related what had happened. They warned her again to be on her guard and to open the door to no one. When she got home, the queen stood before her glass and said, mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of us all?

And it answered as usual, Queen, thou art fairest here, I hold, but Snowdrop over the fells, who with the seven dwarfs dwells, is fairer still a thousandfold. When she heard the glass speak these words, she trembled and quivered with rage. Snowdrop shall die, she said, even if it cost me my own life.

Whereupon she went into a secret room which no one ever entered but herself, and made a poisonous apple. Outwardly it was beautiful to look upon, with rosy cheeks, and everyone who saw it longed for it, but whoever ate of it was certain to die. When the apple was ready, she dyed her face and dressed herself like an old peasant woman, and so crossed the seven hills to the dwarfs' home.

There she knocked. Snowdrop put her head out the window and said, I must not let anyone in. The seven dwarfs have forbidden me.

It is all the same to me, said the peasant woman. I shall soon get rid of my apples. There, I will give you one.

No, I must not take anything. Are you afraid of poison? said the woman.

See, I will cut the apple in half. You eat the red side, and I will keep the other. Now the apple was so cunningly painted that the red half alone was poisoned.

Snowdrop longed for the apple, and when she saw the peasant woman eating, she could hold out no longer, stretched out her hand, and took the poisoned half. Scarcely had she bit into her mouth that she fell dead to the ground. The queen looked with a fiendish glance, and laughed aloud, and said, White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony, this time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again.

And when she got home and asked the looking-glass, Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of us all? it answered at last, Queen, thou art fairest of them all. Then her jealous heart was at rest, as much at rest as a jealous heart can be.

The dwarfs, when they came at evening, found Snowdrop lying on the ground, and not a breath escaped her lips, and she was quite dead. They lifted her up, and looked to see whether any poison was to be found, unlaced her dress, combed her hair, washed her with wine and water, but it was no use. Their dear child was dead.

They laid her on a bier, and all seven sat down and bewailed her, and lamented over her for three whole days. Then they prepared to bury her, but she looked so fresh and living, and still had such beautiful rosy cheeks, that they said, We cannot bury her in the dark earth. And so they had a transparent glass coffin made, so she could be seen from every side, laid her inside, and wrote on it in letters of gold her name, and how she was a king's daughter.

Then they set the coffin out on the mountain, and one of them always stayed by and watched it. And the birds came too, and mourned for Snowdrop, first an owl, then a raven, and lastly a dove. Now Snowdrop lay a long, long time in her coffin, looking as though she were asleep.

It happened that a prince was wandering in the wood, and came to the home of the seven dwarves to pass the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain, and lovely Snowdrop inside, and read what was written in golden letters. Then he said to the dwarves, Let me have the coffin.

I will give you whatever you like for it. But they said, We will not give it up for all the gold in the world. Then he said, Then give it to me as a gift, for I cannot live without Snowdrop to gaze upon, and I will honor and reverence it as my dearest treasure.

When he had said these words, the good dwarfs pitied him, and gave him the coffin. The prince bade his servants carry it on their shoulders. Now it happened that they stumbled over some brushwood, and the shock dislodged the piece of apple from Snowdrop's throat.

In a short time she.