When it was quite dark, the masters of the house came home. They were seven dwarfs, whose occupation was to dig underground among the mountains. When they had lighted their seven candles, and it was quite light in the little house, they saw that some one must have been in, as everything was not in the same order in which they left it. The first said, "Who has been sitting in my little chair?" The second said, "Who has been eating from my little plate?" The third said, "Who has been taking my little loaf?" The fourth said, "Who has been tasting my porridge?" The fifth said, "Who has been using my little fork?" The sixth said, "Who has been cutting with my little knife?" The seventh said, "Who has been drinking from my little cup?" Then the first one, looking round, saw a hollow in his bed, and cried, "Who has been lying on my bed?" And the others came running, and cried, "Some one has been on our beds too！" But when the seventh looked at his bed, he saw little Snow-white lying there asleep. Then he told the others, who came running up, crying out in their astonishment, and holding up their seven little candles to throw a light upon Snow-white. "O goodness！ O gracious！" cried they, "what beautiful child is this?" and were so full of joy to see her that they did not wake her, but let her sleep on. And the seventh dwarf slept with his comrades, an hour at a time with each, until the night had passed. When it was morning, and Snow-white awoke and saw the seven dwarfs, she was very frightened; but they seemed quite friendly, and asked her what her name was, and she told them; and then they asked how she came to be in their house. And she related to them how her step-mother had wished her to be put to death, and how the huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day long, until at last she had found their little house. Then the dwarfs said, "If you will keep our house for us, and cook, and wash, and make the beds, and sew and knit, and keep everything tidy and clean, you may stay with us, and you shall lack nothing." - "With all my heart," said Snow-white; and so she stayed, and kept the house in good order. In the morning the dwarfs went to the mountain to dig for gold; in the evening they came home, and their supper had to be ready for them. All the day long the maiden was left alone, and the good little dwarfs warned her, saying, "Beware of your step-mother, she will soon know you are here. Let no one into the house." Now the queen, having eaten Snow-white's heart, as she supposed, felt quite sure that now she was the first and fairest, and so she came to her mirror, and said,
"Looking-glass upon the wall,Who is fairest of us all?"
And the glass answered,
"Queen, thou art of beauty rare,But Snow-white living in the glen,With the seven little men,Is a thousand times more fair."
Then she was very angry, for the glass always spoke the truth, and she knew that the huntsman must have deceived her, and that Snow-white must still be living. And she thought and thought how she could manage to make an end of her, for as long as she was not the fairest in the land, envy left her no rest. At last she thought of a plan; she painted her face and dressed herself like an old pedlar woman, so that no one would have known her. In this disguise she went across the seven mountains, until she came to the house of the seven little dwarfs, and she knocked at the door and cried, "Fine wares to sell！ fine wares to sell！" Snow-white peeped out of the window and cried, "Good-day, good woman, what have you to sell?" - "Good wares, fine wares," answered she, "laces of all colours;"and she held up a piece that was woven of variegated silk. "I need not be afraid of letting in this good woman," thought Snow-white, and she unbarred the door and bought the pretty lace. "What a figure you are, child！" said the old woman, "come and let me lace you properly for once." Snow-white, suspecting nothing, stood up before her, and let her lace her with the new lace; but the old woman laced so quick and tight that it took Snow-white's breath away, and she fell down as dead. "Now you have done with being the fairest," said the old woman as she hastened away. Not long after that, towards evening, the seven dwarfs came home, and were terrified to see their dear Snow-white lying on the ground, without life or motion; they raised her up, and when they saw how tightly she was laced they cut the lace in two; then she began to draw breath, and little by little she returned to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said, "The old pedlar woman was no other than the wicked queen; you must beware of letting any one in when we are not here！" And when the wicked woman got home she went to her glass and said,
"Looking-glass against the wall,Who is fairest of us all?"
And it answered as before,
"Queen, thou art of beauty rare,But Snow-white living in the glen,With the seven little men,Is a thousand times more fair."
When she heard that she was so struck with surprise that all the blood left her heart, for she knew that Snow-white must still be living. "But now," said she, "I will think of something that will be her ruin." And by witchcraft she made a poisoned comb. Then she dressed herself up to look like another different sort of old woman. So she went across the seven mountains and came to the house of the seven dwarfs, and knocked at the door and cried, "Good wares to sell！ good wares to sell！" Snow-white looked out and said, "Go away, I must not let anybody in." - "But you are not forbidden to look," said the old woman, taking out the poisoned comb and holding it up. It pleased the poor child so much that she was tempted to open the door; and when the bargain was made the old woman said, "Now, for once your hair shall be properly combed." Poor Snow-white, thinking no harm, let the old woman do as she would, but no sooner was the comb put in her hair than the poison began to work, and the poor girl fell down senseless. "Now, you paragon of beauty," said the wicked woman, "this is the end of you," and went off. By good luck it was now near evening, and the seven little dwarfs came home. When they saw Snow-white lying on the ground as dead, they thought directly that it was the step-mother's doing, and looked about, found the poisoned comb, and no sooner had they drawn it out of her hair than Snow-white came to herself, and related all that had passed. Then they warned her once more to be on her guard, and never again to let any one in at the door. And the queen went home and stood before the looking-glass and said,
"Looking-glass against the wall,Who is fairest of us all?"
And the looking-glass answered as before,
"Queen, thou art of beauty rare,But Snow-white living in the glen.With the seven little menIs a thousand times more fair."
不久，房子的主人们回来了，他们是七个在山里开矿采金子的小矮人。 他们点亮七盏灯，马上发现有人动过房子里的东西。 第一个问："谁坐过我的凳子？"第二个问："谁吃过我盘子里的东西？"第三个问："谁吃过我的面包？"第四个问："谁动了我的调羹？"第五个问："谁用过我的叉子？"第六个问："谁用过我的小刀？"第七个问："谁喝过我的葡萄酒？"第一个接着向四周瞧，走到床前，叫道："是谁在我的床上睡过？"其余的一听都跑过来，紧跟着他们也都叫了起来，因为他们都看得出有人在他们的床上躺过。 第七个矮人一看他的床上正睡着的白雪公主，立刻把他的兄弟们都叫了过来，他们拿来灯，仔细照着白雪公主看了好一阵子，惊奇地感叹道："我的天哪，她是一个多么可爱的孩子呀！"他们欣喜而又爱怜地看着她，生怕将她吵醒了。 晚上，第七个小矮人轮着和其他的几个小矮人每人睡一个小时，度过了这个夜晚。
第二天早上，白雪公主醒来后见有七个小矮人围着她，吓了一大跳，但他们非常和气地问她说："你叫什么名字？"看着他们那善良朴实的面孔和热情的目光，她回答说："我叫白雪公主。"小矮人们又问："你是怎样到我们家里来的？"于是，白雪公主向他们讲述了自己的全部经历。 他们听了非常同情，说道："如果你愿意为我们收拾房子、做饭、洗衣服、纺线、缝补衣裳，你可以留在这儿，我们会尽心照料你的。"白雪公主很乐意地说："好的，我非常愿意。"这样，七个小矮人每天到山里寻找金子和银子，白雪公主则待在家里干些家务活。 他们告诫她说："王后不久就会找出你在哪儿的，你千万不要让任何人进屋来。"
那个仆人回来复命后，王后以为白雪公主已经死了，这下，她一定是全国最漂亮的女人了，她走到魔镜面前说：
"告诉我，镜子，告诉我实话！
全国所有的女人谁最漂亮？
告诉我她是谁？ "
镜子回答说：
"是你，王后！
你是这块地方最漂亮的女人，
但是在山的那一边，
在那绿色的树荫下，
有七个小矮人建造的小房屋，
白雪公主就躲藏在那里，
哎呀，王后！
她比你更漂亮。 "
王后听了大吃一惊，因为她知道这面镜子是从不说假话的，一定是那仆人蒙骗了她，她决不能容忍有任何比她更漂亮的人活在这个世上。 所以，她把自己装扮成一个卖杂货的老太婆，翻山越岭来到了那七个小矮人的住处。 她敲着门喊道："卖杂货，多好的杂货呀！"白雪公主从窗户往外看去，说道："老人家，你好！你卖的是什么啊？"她回答道："好东西，好漂亮的东西，有各种颜色的带子和线筒。"白雪公主暗想："这老太婆，好像并不是那种坏人，就让她进来吧。"想到这里，她跑过去打开门。 老太婆进来后说道："哎呀！看你的胸带多差呀，来吧，让我给你系上一根漂亮的新带子。"白雪公主做梦也没想到这会有危险，所以她走上前去站在了老太婆的面前。 老太婆很熟练地将带子给她系在胸前，系着系着，突然，她猛地用力将带子拉紧，白雪公主便被勒得透不过气来，很快失去知觉倒在了地上，就像死去了一样。 看到她的样子，恶毒的王后说道："这下你的美丽该结束了吧！"说完放心地走了。
晚上，七个小矮人回来了，当他们看到他们诚实可爱的白雪公主躺在地上一动不动，就像死了一样时，他们的心马上缩紧了，急忙上前将她抬了起来，他们马上剪断了带子。 过了一会儿，白雪公主慢慢地开始呼吸了，不久她又活了过来。 听她讲完事情的经过后，他们说道："那个老太婆就是王后，下次你要当心，在我们离开后，千万不要让任何人进来。"
王后一回到家里，就迫不急待地径直走到魔镜面前，像往常一样对着镜子说话。 但令她吃惊的是镜子的回答仍然是这样的：
"是你，王后！
你是这块地方最漂亮的女人，
但是在山的那一边，
在那绿色的树荫下，
有七个小矮人建造的小房屋，
白雪公主就躲在那里，
哎呀，王后！
她比你更漂亮。 "
知道白雪公主仍然活着，恼怒与怨恨使王后浑身血气翻涌，心里却凉透了。 她不甘心，不能忍受，于是又对自己进行打扮，这次的伪装尽管还是一个老太婆，但却完全不同于上次。 伪装好后，她带上一把有毒的梳子，翻山越岭来到了七个小矮人的房门前，敲着门喊道："买不买东西哟！"白雪公主在里面听到了，把门握开一条缝说道："我可不敢让别人进来了。"王后连忙说道："你只要看看我这把漂亮的梳子就行了。"说完把那把有毒的梳子递了进去。 梳子看起来的确很漂亮，白雪公主拿过梳子，想在头上试着梳一梳，但就在梳子刚碰到她的头时，梳子上的毒力发作了，她倒在地上，失去了知觉。 王后冷笑着说道："你早该这样躺着了。"说完就走了。
幸运的是这天晚上，小矮人们回来得很早，当他们看见白雪公主躺在地上时，知道一定又发生了不幸的事情，急忙将她抱起来查看，很快就发现了那把有毒的梳子。 他们将它拔了出来，不久，白雪公主恢复了知觉，醒了过来。 接着，她把事情发生的经过告诉了他们，七个小矮人再次告诫她，任何人来了都不要再开门。