Snow White
A vain queen envies Snow White’s beauty, sends a huntsman to kill her. Snow White finds refuge with seven dwarfs; poisoned thrice by the queen, she’s revived when a apple chunk dislodges—leading to a prince and the queen’s grim end.
Story beats
- 1) Magic mirror declares Snow White fairest. Queen orders huntsman to bring Snow White’s organs; he spares her, returns animal organs.
- 2) Snow White lives with dwarfs; queen in disguises offers laces, comb, and poisoned apple. Apple kills her (glass coffin preserves body).
- 3) Prince buys the coffin; servants jostle it, apple dislodges, she awakens. Prince marries her.
- 4) Queen forced to wear red-hot iron shoes and dance to death in Grimm version.
Context & symbolism
The tale warns against vanity and disguises. Dwarfs provide industrious refuge. Apple and mirror symbolize temptation and obsession. Violence in original tales highlights moral stakes.
Glass coffin and resurrection tie to purity ideals and narrative of unjust death reversed.
Motifs
- Jealous stepmother
- Poisoned gift (apple)
- Helper dwarfs
- Glass coffin and revival
Use it in play
- False death poisoned PCs; shock revival when obstruction is removed.
- Magic mirror NPC obsessed with “fairest.”
- Small miners shelter fugitives in exchange for help.