The Queen said to the magic mirror, “The three great treasures of the world: the magic mirror, the magic ring, and the magic lamp. I have obtained the magic mirror and now know the whereabouts of the magic ring; I must seize it first.”
“But, Your Majesty, the Ring Elf is difficult to deal with, and there are poisonous snakes guarding it. It’s very dangerous.”
The Queen smiled slyly, saying, “I’ll send Snow White to get it. If the snakes bite her, that would be perfect to get rid of this thorn in my side!”
The Queen took Snow White to a cave on the mountain and told her to go in and fetch the ring.
Snow White saw it was dark inside and nearly cried.
She backed away, but the Queen pushed her in, saying, “Don’t be afraid! It’s only a bit dark; just get the ring and you can come out.”
Pushed inside, Snow White had no choice but to move forward.
Soon, she noticed a glimmer of light and walked towards it, finding it as bright as outside.
Relieved, she spotted a ring on a table.
She reached for it happily, but her hand was suddenly struck hard, causing her to retract it in pain.
Looking up, she saw a little elf.
The elf coldly said, “Another thief trying to steal the magic ring. Do you think it’s that easy to get?”
“It’s… it’s the Queen who sent me to get the ring.”
“What Queen? I am the Rings Elf. You broke into my domain to steal the magic ring, so don’t blame me!”
Suddenly, hissing sounds surrounded her, and Snow White saw several poisonous snakes slithering toward her, causing her to scream.
Just then, everything went dark again, and Snow White screamed once more.
But someone screamed even louder: the Ring Elf.
Snow White asked, “Are you afraid of the dark too?”
“Yes… I’m most afraid of the dark; I can hardly breathe…” The Ring Elf’s voice trembled.
Quickly, Snow White reassured, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. Do you have a candle?”
For some reason, she felt a surge of courage to protect the little elf.
“On… on the table…”
Snow White fumbled for the candle and lit it.
Once steady, the Ring Elf said, “You’re kind. Whoever possesses the magic ring is my master. Just now, you could have put the ring on your hand while I was scared and become my master, making me obey you. But you didn’t do that; instead, you helped me. From now on, you are the ring’s master, my master, and you can summon me anytime.”
The magic ring flew to Snow White’s hand and slipped onto her finger.
Snow White replied, “Master? We should be friends!”
They both laughed.
…
After a while, Snow White stepped out of the cave.
The queen saw the ring on her hand and her eyes lit up.
She immediately approached and extended her hand, saying, “Give me the ring.”
As Snow White was about to hand it over, the Ring Elf flew out to stop her.
“Ring Elf? I’m the Queen, and I have powerful magic. If you’re smart, you should know who to choose as your master.” she threatened.
“Yes, I choose Snow White as my friend. She never thought of herself as a master. Moreover, things are different now than before; even if you have me, I have my choice. That sudden darkness was clearly your doing, trying to control me while knowing I’m afraid of the dark. I don’t want a master like you!”
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