Away went the happy children to the woods. They gathered the lovely wild flowers and made them into bouquets and coronets, and when the afternoon sun began to sink in the western sky they built a big bonfire. Gayly they sang little songs, merrily dancing around the bright, crackling blaze.
“Let each one dance alone,” called out one of the little girls.
“Snow White, watch us for a little while, and then you, too, will know how to dance alone.”
Away whirled the happy little children, dancing freely round and round the bonfire. In a little while Snow White joined them.
When the gay little people were out of breath and the dancing grew slower and slower, some one called out, “Where is Snow White?”
“Snow White, where are you?” shouted the other children, but nowhere could they find their little companion.
They ran home and told Ivan and Marie that Snow White had disappeared while dancing round the bonfire. The villagers made a thorough search for the little maiden, but they never found her, for while she was dancing around the bonfire she had slowly changed into a little white vapour and had flown away toward the sky, where she changed into a delicate snowflake.