The child was so pleased with it that she let herself be beguiled, and opened the door. When they had settled their bargain the old woman said, “Now I will comb your hair properly for once.”
Poor little Snowdrop had no thought of evil and let the woman do as she pleased, but hardly had she put the comb in the child’s hair when the poison took effect, and she fell down unconscious.
“Well, my beauty, you are really done for now,” said the wicked woman, and she went away.
Fortunately it was near evening, when the seven dwarfs always came home. When [[144]]they saw Snowdrop lying on the floor as if she were dead, they at once suspected the stepmother had been there again; so they searched till they found the poisoned comb, and as soon as they had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself and told them what had happened. Again they warned her to be on her guard and to open the door to no one.
As soon as the Queen got home she went to her mirror and said,
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is fairest of us all?”
[[145]]
But the mirror replied as before,