“Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, who is the fairest woman in the world?”
Every morning, after dressing up, the queen would look into the mirror, revel in her own beauty, and ask the mirror this question.
Each time, the magic mirror would reply, “My beautiful mistress, the fairest woman in the world is, of course, you!”
Every time, the queen would laugh heartily, knowing the magic mirror never lied.
But unexpectedly, this time, the mirror said, “My beautiful mistress, you are indeed lovely, but your stepdaughter, Snow White, has grown up, and she is now the fairest woman in the world.”
Upon hearing this, the queen was furious.
She immediately summoned the huntsman and ordered him to kill Snow White!
“Ah!”
The huntsman was startled. His family had served as royal hunters for generations, excelling in hunting skills and experience.
He had watched Snow White grow up from a lively little girl into a kind and beautiful young woman—how could he bring himself to kill her?
So, he quickly searched for an excuse to decline.
“Your Majesty, killing someone in the palace would be a capital crime if discovered!”
“Fool! Of course, you take her out of the palace to kill!”
“Take her out of the palace? But the streets are crowded with people, making it even easier to get caught…”
“Who said anything about killing her on the street? Can’t you take her to the forest?”
“But Your Majesty, my family’s ancestral knife cannot be used to kill—it’s a sacred rule.”
The queen handed him an apple.
“Then give her this apple. It is the sweetest in the world, but also the deadliest…”
The huntsman realized the queen was determined to kill Snow White. Reluctantly, he agreed.
The next day, with a heavy heart, he took Snow White into the forest. Once they were alone and out of sight, he revealed the truth to her.
Poor Snow White was both shocked and terrified, tears streaming down her face.
The huntsman quickly said, “Don’t be afraid! I would never harm you. Run into the forest and never return to the palace…”
But just then, his dog started barking.
Relying on his extraordinary senses as a royal huntsman, he caught a faint whiff of the queen’s scent.
Looking into the distance, he spotted a small black dot.
With his keen eyesight, he recognized it as the queen, riding a broomstick. He knew she was a witch.
Startled, the huntsman exclaimed, “She really is cautious. I can’t believe she came herself—she must have feared I wouldn’t go through with it and came to confirm it personally.”
Snow White said, “If she sees that you didn’t kill me, she’ll certainly punish you as well. Let me eat the poisoned apple.”
Before the huntsman could react, Snow White snatched the poisoned apple from his hand and took a bite.
The apple was indeed the most poisonous in the world. Snow White collapsed after just one bite.
At that moment, the queen arrived. She glanced at Snow White, who lay motionless on the ground, then at the poisoned apple with a single bite taken out of it.
“Is Snow White dead?” she asked.
“She… she’s dead,” the huntsman replied nervously.
But the queen seemed unconvinced. She stepped forward and placed her hand beneath Snow White’s nose to check for any signs of breathing.
The huntsman thought to himself, *What a cunning old fox. If Snow White hadn’t eaten the poisoned apple, I’d probably be her next victim.*
Once the queen confirmed that Snow White was no longer breathing, a satisfied smile spread across her face.
“Snow White is finally dead! The fairest woman in the world is me once more!”
She burst into triumphant laughter and left, her robes billowing behind her.
As soon as the queen was far enough away, the huntsman quickly gave Snow White an antidote. Snow White’s eyes fluttered open as she came back to life.
It turned out the apple Snow White had eaten was a fake. The huntsman, to be cautious, had crafted a false poisoned apple that would mimic the appearance of death. As he predicted, the overly suspicious queen followed.
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