Đơn vị:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Listen to Snow White while you read along!

https://storiestogrowby.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarfs.mp3

Part 1: Mirror, Mirror

Once upon a time, a princess named Snow White lived in a castle with her father the King, and her stepmother the Queen. Her father always said to his daughter that she must be fair to everyone. Said he: “People come to the castle when they have a problem. They need the ruler to make a decision. Nothing is more important than to be fair.”

The Queen, Snow White’s stepmother, knew how much this meant to her husband. She asked her magic mirror: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Snow White is the fairest of them all,” said the Magic Mirror.

“What?!” yelled the Queen. “No one is more fair than I! The Queen must be the best at everything - everyone knows that. What could be more fair?”

“Snow White is the fairest of them all!” repeated the Magic Mirror.

“What do you know - you’re a mirror!” roared the Queen. And she stormed off.

Still, the Queen was bothered. So bothered was she that the Queen decided to be rid of the girl, once and for all.

“I cannot wait another day!” she declared. The Queen called for her servant, a huntsman. “Find a reason to take Snow White deep into the woods,” said she, pointing her long finger at the servant. “Then kill her.”

The huntsman was shocked! But she was the Queen - what could he do? The next day he took Snow White into the woods. As he drew his knife to slay her, Snow White turned around.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Look,” she said, taking something out of her pocket. She held in front of him six perfect arrowheads that she had carefully shaped. “Do you like them?” she said. “I made them for you. You do so much for me.”

“Snow White,” said the huntsman. “I cannot do this!”

“Of course you can take them,” said Snow White.

"That's not what I meant," said the servant. “How can I say this? The Queen, your stepmother, ordered me to kill you.” The huntsman dropped to his knees. “But I cannot!”

“She what?” Snow White called out with alarm.

“You must run away!” said the huntsman. “Far into the woods. Now! And never come back to the castle!”

Snow White turned and ran into the woods as fast as she could.

Part 2: The Woods

Deeper and deeper into the woods she ran. It was getting dark and the wolves were starting to howl. She tripped and tore her skirt. But she kept running. Tall tree branches seemed to reach down to the very ground to grab her. But she kept running. She was scratched, bleeding, and scared. But ran till she she run no more.

All of a sudden there was a light far away. Who would live so deep in the woods? She stepped up closer to the light. It came from a cottage. Yet no sound came from the cottage, only the light flickering from the windows.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“Hello?” she said, knocking softly on the door. “Hello?” No answer. The door was a little bit open. She opened it some more and stepped in. “Hello, is anyone home?”

She looked around. What a mess! She had never seen a messier living room.

“This cottage may be the biggest mess I ever saw,” she thought. “But it's a roof over my head for tonight. Maybe if I can clean up around here, I can earn my stay.”

As she cleaned, she thought of someone. Before her father re-married, she and a Prince who lived in the next kingdom were getting to know each other. When he visited, they would take walks in the royal garden, tell each other stories, and laugh.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

After the Queen moved into the castle, her stepmother had made a new rule - no more visitors. Now the Prince had to slip over the palace gate in secret. He would call out to her from under her window and they could talk a bit that way. It wasn’t as good as the walks in the garden but it was the best they could manage.

Now that she ran away from home, would she ever see him again?

Part 3: What Kind of Magic is This?

After Snow White cleaned up the living room, she went upstairs. On the second floor, seven little beds were lined up in a row, as if for children. Tired from cleaning, Snow White yawned and lay across all seven of them. Soon she was fast asleep.

In the meantime, the Seven Dwarfs were heading home from a long day of working in the jewel mines. When they opened the door, you can imagine their surprise when they saw their cottage all cleaned up!

“What kind of magic is this?” said one of the Dwarfs, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. His name was Doc.

“I wouldn’t mind more magic like this!” said another of the Dwarfs with a grin. His name was Dopey.

“We'd better check upstairs,” said another Dwarf, whose name was Grumpy. “Something is fishy around here. That’s all I'm going to say.”

And there - up in the attic, lying across all their beds, was a young lady, fast asleep.

“Who are you?” said all the Dwarfs at once.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White bolted awake. The Seven Dwarfs could tell she was as surprised as they were. Then when everyone calmed down, they started to tell their stories.

Snow White learned their names - Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. She told them all her life in the castle, and her stepmother. That her stepmother had tried to get the huntsman to kill her. That the huntsman had set her free in the woods. And that she could never go back home again.

“Stay here with us,” said Bashful.

“That’s sweet,” said Snow White. “But if I stayed here in your home, I would have to do something for all of you.”

“You already cleaned up,” said Sneezy.

“Keeping the house clean will be easy,” said Snow White, “as long as we all pitch in. I will let everyone know what part they can do. And I will do my share too, of course.”

“That’s fair,” said Happy.

“There must be something else I can do for you,” said Snow White.

The Seven Dwarfs shrugged.

“Do you know how to read?” said Doc. "We have books with wonderful pictures and would love to be able to read them." So it was agreed that Snow White would teach them all how to read.

To celebrate their new friendship, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sang and danced the night away.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Part 4: Do Not Open The Door

The next morning before they left for work, the Seven Dwarfs warned Snow White that she must not open the door to anyone. After all, who knows what evil her stepmother might do? The princess nodded, and the Dwarfs left the house. The princess prepared her first reading lesson. She also prepared a good hot meal for the Seven Dwarfs when they returned home that night. And so the day passed.

Back at the castle, the Queen marched up to her mirror. “Mirror, mirror on the wall," she demanded. "Who is the fairest of them all?”

“Snow White is the fairest of them all!” said the Magic Mirror.

“That is impossible!” screamed the Queen. “The girl is no longer alive!”

“Snow White lives!” said the Magic Mirror. And an image on the mirror showed Snow White living in the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.

The Queen filled with rage. She screamed, “Who does she think she is?! Snow White will not get away with this!”

Part 5: The Apple, The Coffin, and The Prince

At the cottage of the Dwarfs the next afternoon, when the Seven Dwarfs were away at work, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” said Snow White. She remembered the warning of the Seven Dwarfs not to open the door to anyone.

“It’s only a poor old woman,” came a squeaky voice, “selling apples.” Yet in fact, it was the evil Queen disguised as an old woman. “It’s raining out here, dearie,” said her voice through the door. “Please let me in.”

“Poor thing," thought Snow White, "having to go door to door selling apples in the rain." She opened the door.

“Take a look at this big red apple,” said the old woman, who as you know was really the Queen in disguise. She held the red apple close to Snow White’s face. “Lovely, my dear, isn’t it?”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

“I would like very much to buy your apple,” said Snow White. “But I have no money.”

“That fine comb in your hair will make a good trade,” said the old woman.

“Well, all right then!” said Snow White. She took the fine comb out of her hair and gave it to the old woman, who gave her the apple. Snow White took a big bite. Alas, the fruit was poisoned! At once, Snow White fell to the ground in a deep sleep.

“She is DOWN!” shouted the Queen, pumping the air with her fists.

Just then the door flew open. In marched the Seven Dwarfs, home from the day's work. Shocked indeed they were to find Snow White lying on the floor and what must be her stepmother beside her, laughing and laughing!

They chased the evil Queen out the door and into the storm. Up to the very top of a mountain they chased her. All of a sudden, lightning hit the mountain and the Queen fell. She was never seen again.

But there was nothing to help poor Snow White. She stayed absolutely still in her deep sleep. The Seven Dwarfs gently lifted her into a glass coffin. Day and night they kept watch over her.

One day, the Prince happened to pass through. Ever since he had learned that Snow White was missing at the castle, he was searching for her far and wide. Now he had finally found her, but in such a state! The Prince pulled open the glass coffin. Her face seemed so fresh, even in that deep sleep.

The Prince gently took one of Snow White's hands in his own and kissed it. At once, Snow White’s eyes opened. With Love's First Kiss, the evil Queen's spell was gone forever! The Seven Dwarfs let out a big cheer. The Prince and Snow White leaned towards each other. They were delighted to find each other again.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Now nothing stood in the way for Snow White and the Prince to be together. They bid a fond farewell to the Seven Dwarfs and returned to the Prince's kingdom. Before long they were married and lived happily ever after.