About the Snow White and the seven dwarfs story
Pounce into the enchanted world of Snow White, where a young princess must flee from a wicked queen and finds friendship in the unlikeliest of places! With the help of seven dwarfs, Snow White bravely faces danger, all while waiting for true love to save the day.
Before you think of the famous Disney movie, Snow White has been around long before that! The original story was written by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s. This classic fairy tale is full of danger, magic, and a powerful lesson about kindness and jealousy.
This article provides two versions of the story: the classic tale and a simplified graded reader for younger English learners. Along with the story, we’ve included questions to boost comprehension and vocabulary.
Want to bring more magic into your child’s learning journey? Explore the Studycat Learn English app for more engaging stories, games, and lessons.
Let’s leap into the forest with Snow White and discover how bravery and friendship can overcome any challenge!
The story of “Snow White and the seven dwarves”
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young princess named Snow White. Her skin was as white as snow, her lips as red as a rose, and her hair as black as ebony. Her mother, the queen, loved her dearly, but sadly, she passed away when Snow White was still a child. Soon after, Snow White’s father, the king, remarried a woman who was as vain as she was beautiful. This new queen was obsessed with being the fairest in the land, and she owned a magical mirror that could speak.
Every day, the queen would ask her magic mirror, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
And every day, the mirror would reply, “You, my queen, are the fairest of them all.”
But as Snow White grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, when the queen asked her question, the mirror gave a different answer.
“Snow White is the fairest of them all.”
The queen’s face twisted with jealousy. She couldn’t stand the idea that someone—especially her own stepdaughter—could be more beautiful than she was. From that moment on, the queen plotted to get rid of Snow White.
The huntsman’s mercy
The wicked queen called for a huntsman and ordered him to take Snow White deep into the forest and kill her. “Bring me her heart as proof,” the queen commanded.
The huntsman had no choice but to follow orders. He led Snow White into the forest, but when it came time to harm her, he couldn’t do it. Snow White was so kind and innocent that the huntsman’s heart softened. “Run away, Snow White,” he whispered. “The queen wants you dead, but I can’t hurt you.”
Grateful and frightened, Snow White ran as fast as she could, deeper into the forest. She wandered for hours, scared and alone, until she came across a tiny cottage nestled among the trees.
The seven dwarfs
The cottage was small and cozy, with seven tiny chairs and seven tiny beds. Snow White was so tired from running that she lay down on one of the beds and fell asleep.
Later that evening, the owners of the cottage returned home. They were seven dwarfs who worked in the mines nearby. When they found Snow White asleep in their cottage, they were surprised, but not angry. Instead, they listened as Snow White told them her story.
The dwarfs felt sorry for her and invited her to stay with them. “You can stay here as long as you like,” they said, “but be careful. The queen will not stop looking for you.”
Snow White was grateful and happy to have a new home. She helped the dwarfs by keeping the cottage tidy and cooking their meals. In return, they promised to protect her.
The queen’s disguise
Back at the castle, the wicked queen asked her magic mirror again, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
The mirror replied, “Snow White, who lives with the seven dwarfs, is the fairest of them all.”
Furious, the queen decided to take matters into her own hands. Using her dark magic, she disguised herself as an old peddler woman and set out to find Snow White.
The first time, the queen offered Snow White a beautiful lace bodice, but when Snow White tried it on, the queen pulled it so tight that Snow White couldn’t breathe. Luckily, the dwarfs returned just in time to save her.
The second time, the queen disguised herself again and brought Snow White a poisoned comb. When Snow White used it, she fell unconscious, but again, the dwarfs arrived and removed the comb, saving her life.
But the queen wasn’t done yet.
The poisoned apple
For her final trick, the queen prepared a poisoned apple. Half of the apple was red and shiny, and the other half was plain and harmless. Disguised once more as an old woman, the queen offered Snow White the apple.
“This is no ordinary apple,” the queen said. “It’s a magical one—take a bite, and all your dreams will come true.”
Snow White, who was always kind and trusting, hesitated at first. But when the old woman took a bite from the harmless half of the apple, Snow White was convinced it was safe. She took a bite—and immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.
This time, the dwarfs could not wake her. They were heartbroken, believing Snow White was gone forever. They placed her in a glass coffin and kept watch over her day and night.
True love’s kiss
Years passed, and Snow White lay in her glass coffin, as beautiful as ever. One day, a prince from a neighboring kingdom passed through the forest and saw Snow White. He had heard stories about her beauty and kindness, and when he saw her, he instantly fell in love.
The prince begged the dwarfs to let him take Snow White with him, and they agreed. As they were moving the coffin, one of the dwarfs tripped, and the piece of poisoned apple was dislodged from Snow White’s throat. She opened her eyes, alive once more!
The prince was overjoyed, and Snow White, grateful to be alive, fell in love with him. They soon married and lived happily ever after. As for the wicked queen? When she asked her magic mirror again who was the fairest of them all, it replied, “The new queen is the fairest.”
Filled with rage, the queen’s jealousy consumed her, and she was never heard from again.
The moral of Snow White
Kindness, even in the face of cruelty, will always triumph.
Snow White’s pure heart and kindness were stronger than the queen’s jealousy and evil plans. The story reminds us that being good and kind is always more powerful than being selfish or cruel.
Questions about “Snow White and the seven dwarves”
- Why did the queen become jealous of Snow White?
- What did the queen order the huntsman to do to Snow White?
- How did the dwarfs save Snow White after the queen’s first two attempts to harm her?
- What finally put Snow White into a deep sleep?
- How was Snow White awakened from her deep sleep?
Answers
- The queen became jealous because her magic mirror told her that Snow White was more beautiful than she was.
- The queen ordered the huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her.
- The dwarfs saved Snow White by loosening the lace bodice and removing the poisoned comb.
- Snow White fell into a deep sleep after taking a bite of the poisoned apple.
- Snow White was awakened when a piece of the poisoned apple was dislodged from her throat, allowing her to wake up.
Words to learn
- Mirror: A reflective surface that shows an image. In this story, the magic mirror could speak and tell the truth.
- Huntsman: A man whose job is to hunt animals. The huntsman was ordered to kill Snow White but spared her life.
- Cottage: A small, cozy house where the seven dwarfs lived.
- Peddler: Someone who sells things, usually door-to-door. The queen disguised herself as a peddler to trick Snow White.
- Comb: A tool used to untangle hair. The queen used a poisoned comb to harm Snow White.
- Poisoned apple: A magical apple that caused Snow White to fall into a deep sleep.
- Coffin: A box used for holding the dead. The dwarfs placed Snow White in a glass coffin after they thought she was gone.
What type of story is “Snow White and the seven dwarves”?
Snow White is a fairy tale, filled with magic, danger, and a happy ending.
Who wrote Snow White?
Snow White was first written by the Brothers Grimm, two German authors who collected and published fairy tales. Learn more about them here.
When was Snow White written?
Snow White was first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.
Who are the main characters in Snow White?
The main characters are Snow White, the wicked queen, the seven dwarfs, the huntsman, and the prince.
What lesson can we learn from Snow White?
We learn that kindness and goodness will always triumph over jealousy and cruelty. Snow White’s gentle heart allowed her to survive the queen’s evil plans.
”Snow White and the seven dwarves” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White. Her skin was as white as snow, her lips as red as a rose, and her hair as black as the night.
Snow White’s mother, the queen, loved her very much, but one day, she died. Snow White’s father, the king, married a new queen. This new queen was very beautiful, but she was not kind. She wanted to be the most beautiful in the land.
Every day, the queen asked her magic mirror, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
The mirror always said, “You, my queen, are the fairest of them all.”
But one day, the mirror said, “Snow White is the fairest of them all.”
The queen was angry. She did not want Snow White to be more beautiful than her. She made a plan to get rid of Snow White.
The queen told a huntsman, “Take Snow White to the forest and kill her. Bring me her heart as proof.”
But when the huntsman took Snow White to the forest, he couldn’t hurt her.
“Run away, Snow White,” he said. “The queen wants to kill you, but I can’t do it.”
Snow White ran into the forest. She was very scared. After a long time, she found a little cottage. Inside the cottage were seven tiny chairs and seven tiny beds. Snow White was so tired, she lay down on one of the beds and fell asleep.
That night, seven dwarfs came home. They lived in the little cottage. They found Snow White sleeping. When she woke up, she told them her story. The dwarfs felt sorry for her and let her stay.
“But be careful,” they said, “the queen will not stop looking for you.”
Back at the castle, the queen asked her mirror again, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror said, “Snow White, who lives with the seven dwarfs, is the fairest of them all.”
The queen was furious. She used magic to make herself look like an old woman. She went to the cottage and gave Snow White a lace bodice. When Snow White tried it on, the queen pulled it so tight that Snow White couldn’t breathe. Luckily, the dwarfs came home and saved her.
The queen tried again. This time, she gave Snow White a poisoned comb. When Snow White used the comb, she fell down, but the dwarfs came and saved her again.
The queen was very angry. She tried one last time. She gave Snow White a poisoned apple. Half of the apple was red and shiny, and the other half was plain. The old woman took a bite from the plain side.
Snow White thought the apple was safe, so she took a bite too. But the apple was poisoned. Snow White fell to the ground and didn’t wake up.
The dwarfs were so sad. They put Snow White in a glass coffin. They watched over her every day.
Many years later, a prince came to the forest.
He saw Snow White and thought she was very beautiful. He asked the dwarfs if he could take her. They agreed. As they were moving the coffin, one dwarf tripped, and the piece of poisoned apple came out of Snow White’s mouth.
She woke up!
The prince was so happy, and Snow White was too. They fell in love and got married.
And they lived happily ever after.
