But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she was seven years old she was so beautiful that she was [[132]]even fairer than the Queen herself. One day when the Queen asked her mirror the usual question,
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is fairest of us all?”
it answered,
“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here,
But Snowdrop is fairer far, ’tis clear.”
Then the Queen was terrified and turned every shade of green in her jealousy. From that hour she hated Snowdrop so bitterly that she was thrown into a secret passion every time she saw her. And every day envy and pride grew up swiftly like evil weeds in her heart, till she had no rest day or night.
At last she sent for a huntsman and said to him: “Take the child out into the wood, and never let me see her again. You are to kill her and bring me her heart as a token that you have done it.”
The huntsman obeyed, and took Snowdrop into the wood; but when he drew out his hunting knife to kill her, she began to [[133]]weep and said, “O dear huntsman, spare my life; I will run away into the wild forest and never come home again.”
And because she was so beautiful the huntsman took pity on her and said, “Well, run away then, poor child.” For he thought to himself, “The wild beasts will soon devour her.” But yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart because he did not have to kill her.