Disney VersionSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Once upon a time, there lived a princess with fair skin and blue eyes named Snow White. Her mother died when she was a baby and her father married again. Snow White's stepmother wanted to be the most beautiful lady in the kingdom. She would ask, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?" When the mirror replied with "Snow White," the wicked Queen got angry and wanted Snow White dead. The stepmother sent a huntsman to kill Snow White and demanded that he returned with her heart. Instead, the huntsman let Snow White go and took the heart of a dear. Snow White wandered the forest until she found a cottage in the woods and fell asleep on a small bed. When Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Sleepy and Bashful came home to see Snow White, they decided that she could stay. They all fell in love with her and cared for her. When they left for work, they told her to never open the door for strangers. The wicked stepmother found out that Snow White was alive and where she lived and created a poison apple. She disguised herself as an old peasant woman and when Snow White saw the shiny red apple, she opened the door. Right after she took her first bite, she fell into a deep sleep. When the seven dwarfs came home to find Snow White lying on the floor, they cried and built her a glass coffin and kept her in front of the cabin. One day, Prince Charming was going past the cottage and saw Snow White laying in the coffin. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was and wanted to kiss her. When he did, she opened her eyes and was awake again. Prince Charming married Snow White and took her to his palace where they lived happily ever after. |
Italian VersionThe Crystal Casket
The story begins with Ermellina who is twelve years old and lives with her dad. Ermellina's teacher fell in love with her dad and soon became her stepmother. Ermellina's stepmother was very cruel and ungrateful towards her. She would send Ermellina out on a terrace every day to water a pot of basil, and it was so dangerous that if Ermellina fell she would go into a large river. One day, while Ermellina was watering the pot of basil, a large eagle came and carried her away to a house of fairies so she would be safe from her evil stepmother. While there, Ermellina was peaceful. However, ten days later, the eagle went back to Ermellina's home to tell her stepmother that she was taken away. The stepmother was furious and sent a witch to have Ermellina killed. Before the fairies left for a trip, they told Ermellina to not open the door to anyone. When they left, the witch showed up at the front door disguised as a servant girl from her hometown with a basket of sweetmeats. Ermellina opened the door and ate one of the sweetmeats and died. When the fairies returned, the head fairy brought Ermellina back to life but would not do that again. When the stepmother found out that Ermellina is still alive, she sent the witch back. The fairies left again and the witch returned disguised as tailoress to put a dress on Ermellina. Ermellina opened the door again and once she put the dress on, she died instantly. When the fairies returned, they found her dead and cried because they knew they could not bring her back to life. They created a beautiful rich casket all covered with diamonds and precious stones and put her on a house to go throughout the city. The son of a King saw the horse and was able to stop it. When he discovered that there was a body of a beautiful woman, he decided to bring her home. He knew that she was his wife. While he was away, he asked his mother to look after Ermellina. Upon his return, Ermellina was dusty and chambermaids began to clean her. When they stained her dress, they started to take it off of her and she woke up. The Prince met her and they got married. |
Portuguese VersionThe Vain Queen
There was a very vain Queen who would constantly ask her servants if there is a face more beautiful than hers. When the Queen was informed that her daughter is more beautiful, she ordered for her servants to take her daughter far away into the country and to cut off her head. She demanded for them to bring back her tongue. When the servants arrived with the princess, they realized that they could not kill her. Instead, they killed a small dog and cut off her tongue. They told the princess what the Queen had intended them to do and insisted that she should run away and never return. The princess found a small farmhouse with nothing but a trail of pigs. She began to prepare food for herself when a man arrived. He asked the princess whether she would remain his wife or his daughter. When the princess chose being his daughter, he arranged a separate bed for her. One day, the man told the princess to go and take a walk to amuse herself. When she went, she saw a gentleman coming towards her. She immediately turned back not feeling safe. The next day, she went out again and saw the same gentleman. Once again, she ran back towards the house in fright to hide herself. The gentleman was a prince who was failing to meet the princess. The wisest physicians believed that he was love-sick. His mother, the queen, commanded a proclamation to be issued that the country lass who had seen the prince should at once proceed to the palace and marry him. Since no one presented themselves, the Queen sent a guard to knock on the door where the princess was staying. The princess told the guard to come back the next day so she can make a decision. When the guard returned, she told him that the Queen must come to her and she would not go to the Queen. When the Queen learned of her answer, she was very angry but decided to go. As she was approaching the house, it turned into a palace. The man was transformed into a power emperor, the pigs into dukes and the princess into a beautiful woman. The Queen begged the princess to marry her son. The princess was willing to do so and they all lived happily. |
Disney, W. (1989). Snow White and the seven dwarfs. New York, N.Y.: Published by Penguin Books USA.
The Crystal Casket (An Italian Tale). (n.d.). Tales Similar To Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sevendwarfs/stories/crystal.html
The Vain Queen (A Portuguese Tale). (n.d.). Tales Similar To Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sevendwarfs/stories/vainqueen.html
The Crystal Casket (An Italian Tale). (n.d.). Tales Similar To Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sevendwarfs/stories/crystal.html
The Vain Queen (A Portuguese Tale). (n.d.). Tales Similar To Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sevendwarfs/stories/vainqueen.html