Folk Tale

Good Manners (Grimm's) Fairy Tale:

Snow-white and Rose-red www.valueslessonsnz.com

Images sourced from Ladybird book. Text adapted from Grimm's Fairytale.

Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden where two rose bushes grew, one with white roses and the other red. She had two daughters who were like the two roses. One was called Snow-white and the other Rose-red. They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful, as two girls ever could be.

Snow-white was more quiet and gentle than Rose-red. (Show image 2)

Rose-red liked to run about in the woods and fields picking flowers and chasing butterflies; but Snow-white often stayed at home with her mother to help with the housework, or to read books.

The sisters were so fond of each other that they always held hands when they went out walking. When Snow-white said, “We won't leave each other,” Rose-red answered, “As long as we live.”

(Show image 3)They often ran about the forest alone and gathered berries. No wild animals ever hurt them; rabbits would eat a cabbage-leaf out of their hands, deer grazed by their side, and the birds sang for them.

Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother’s little cottage so neat that it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the winter Rose-red lit the fire and hung the kettle over it. In the evening, when the snowflakes fell, the mother said, “Go, Snow-white, and bolt the door.” Then they sat round the fire and Mother read aloud out of a large book while the two girls listened.

One evening someone knocked at the door. “Quick, Rose-red,” said Mother. “Open the door, please. It must be a traveller who is seeking shelter.” Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking that it was a poor, cold traveller. But it was not. It was a bear! It stretched its broad, black head inside the door. (Show image 4)

Rose-red screamed and sprang back. Snow-white hid under her mother’s bed. But the bear began to speak. “Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm. I am half-frozen. Please may I warm myself a little beside your fire?”

“Poor bear,” said the mother. “Lie down by the fire and get warm.” “Thank you for your kindness.” He stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly. Then Mother cried, “Snow-white, Rose-red, come out. The bear will do you no harm.” So they both came out. It was not long before they grew quite bold, and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his hair with their hands, put their feet on his back and rolled him about, and when he growled they laughed. But the bear took it all in good part. Only once, when they were too rough, he called out, “Please leave me alive!” When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, Mother said to the bear, “You can lie there by the fire, and then you will be safe from the cold weather.” As soon as day dawned the girls let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest.

The bear came every evening at the same time, laid down by the fire, and let the girls play with him. They got so used to him that the door was never locked until he had arrived.

One morning when spring came, the bear said to Snow-white, “Thank you for all your kindness. Now I must go away, and can't come back for the whole summer.” “Where are you going, dear bear?” asked Snow-white. “I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked dwarves. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they stay below in their caves. But now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they come out to steal.” (Show image 5)Snow-white was sorry he was going away. As she unbolted the door for him and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against the bolt and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off. It seemed to Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through it, but she wasn't sure. The bear ran away quickly, and was soon out of sight behind the trees. A short time afterwards the mother sent the girls into the forest to gather firewood. There they found a big tree which lay fallen on the ground. Close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and forwards in the grass, but they could not make out what it was.

When they came nearer they saw a dwarf with an old withered face and a long snow-white beard. The end of the beard was caught beneath the tree, and he was jumping backwards and forwards, not knowing what to do.

He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried, “Why do you stand there? Come here and help me!”

“What are you doing here?” asked Rose-red.

“You stupid, nosey goose!” answered the dwarf; “I was going to cut down the tree to get a little wood for cooking, although we dwarves don't eat as much as you greedy folk. The tree fell so quickly that I couldn't pull out my beautiful white beard. So now it's caught and I can't get away. And you silly things just stand and stare! Ugh! How horrible you are!” (Show image 6)

The girls tried very hard, but they could not pull the beard out. “I'll run and fetch someone to help,” said Rose-red. “You stupid goose!” snarled the dwarf. “Why should you fetch someone else? You are already two too many for me; can't you think of something better?” “Don’t be too impatient,” said Snow-white, “I will help you.” She pulled her scissors out of her pocket and cut off the end of the beard. As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag of gold which lay among the roots of the tree, and lifted it up, grumbling to himself, “Horrible people to cut off a piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you!” Then he swung the bag over his shoulder and went off without even looking at the girls. Some time after that Snow-white and Rose-red went to catch fish. As they came near the river they saw something like a large grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if it were going to leap in. (Show image 70They ran to it and found it was the same dwarf. “Where are you going?” said Rose-red; “you surely don’t want to go into the water?”

“You blind fool!” cried the dwarf. “Don’t you see that the cursed fish wants to pull me in?” The little man had been sitting there fishing, and unluckily the wind had twisted his beard with the fishing-line. Then a big fish bit, and the dwarf didn't have enough strength to pull it out of the water. The fish slowly dragged the dwarf towards the stream. He held on to all the reeds and rushes, but it was no good. He was being dragged into the water.

(Show image 8) The girls came just in time. They held him and tried to free his beard from the line, but beard and line were tangled together. There was nothing left to do but to bring out the scissors and cut the end of the beard.

(Show image 9)

When the dwarf saw that, he screamed, “Is that polite, you toad? Was it not enough to clip off the end of my

beard? Now you have cut off the best part of it. Why didn't you cut the line instead, you stupid idiot? I wish you had never been born!” Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay hiding in the rushes, and dragged it away.

Soon afterwards Mother sent the two girls to the town to buy needles and thread. The road led them across a field strewn with large rocks. They noticed a huge eagle hovering in the air, flying slowly round and round above them. Suddenly it plummeted down, landing behind a rock not far off. A loud shrill cry pierced the air. “Help!” They ran up and saw, with horror, that the eagle had seized the dwarf and was going to carry him off.

(Show image 10)

The girls took tight hold of the man, and pulled against the eagle, tugging so long that, at last, the eagle let his prey go and flapped away. As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his fright he cried with his shrill voice, “Could you not have done it more carefully? You pulled at my coat until it tore, you helpless clumsy creatures!” Then he took up a sack full of precious gemstones and slipped under the rock into his cave. The girls went on their way to town. (Show image 11) Later, as they crossed the field on their way home, they surprised the dwarf. He had emptied out his bag of precious gemstones in a clean, grassy spot, not thinking that anyone would come there so late. The evening sun shone upon the brilliant gems. They glittered and sparkled so beautifully that the girls stood still and stared at them. “Why do you stand there gaping?” cried the dwarf, his face red with rage. (Show image 12)

A loud growling was heard, and a black bear trotted towards them out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he couldn't get to his cave, for the bear was too close. He cried, “Dear Mr. Bear, please spare me, and I will give you all my treasures. Look, you can have all these beautiful jewels lying here! Please don't kill me. What do you want with such a scrawny little fellow as I? Come, take these two wicked girls. They are tender morsels for you, fat as young pigs. Eat them!” The bear hit the wicked creature a single blow with his paw. He flew through the air, hitting his head on a rock and lay still.

The girls had run away in fright, but the bear called to them, “Snow-white and Rose-red, don't be afraid. Wait, I'll come with you to keep you safe.” They recognised his voice and waited. When he came up to them, suddenly his bearskin fell off, and there he stood, a handsome young man, clothed in gold. “Who are you?” Snow-white gasped in astonishment. “I am a prince,” he said. “I was bewitched by that wicked dwarf, who had stolen my family's treasures. I've had to run about the forest as a bear until I was freed by his death. Now he has his punishment.” (Show image 13) He took the girls safely home to their mother. When they grew up, Snow-white married the prince, and Rose-red married his brother. Their old mother lived peacefully and happily with her daughters at the palace. When she shifted there, she took the two rose bushes with her, and planted them by her palace window. Every year they bore the most beautiful roses, white and red. And they all bloomed happily ever after.Discussion Questions

1. Who showed good manners in this story? How?

2. Who showed bad manners in this story? How?

3. Did the dwarf ever use good manners? (When he was pleading with the bear for his life)

4. Are you a polite person if you only use good manners when you want something? Why/why not?

5. Did the dwarf deserve to die? Why/why not?

Optional Colouring In Picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9d/31/1b/9d311baceab0d680eca3e96ee4c2be87.jpg

Print out the pictures to use as a visual aid.

Image 1 Title https://www.google.com/search?q=snow+white+and+rose+red&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjn4JWm1bvuAhVygEsFHUH7BWAQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=snow+white+and+rose+red&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BAgjECc6BwgjEOoCECc6BAgAEEM6BQgAELEDOggIABCxAxCDAToHCAAQsQMQQ1CWwQ9Y1oUQYPmIEGgBcAB4BIABgQKIAZQqkgEGMC4yMy41mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWewAQrAAQE&sclient=img&ei=aCARYOeMKvKArtoPwfaXgAY&bih=610&biw=1152&safe=strict&hl=en#imgrc=BYTs9NY1P-MBpM&imgdii=mEuyjcxmy1As8M

Image 2 Girls running https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/47/94/b3/4794b331e6b664bc6766a8d2e7b54b35.jpg

Image 3 Girls with animals https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/81/4c/aa/814caa34ab5d5b19294336fba0d7f631.jpg

Image 4 Bear coming into cottage https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d8/47/09/d84709c125e2583ae663a151e8445864.jpg

Image 5 Bear leaving https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9a/08/00/9a080061f8470a0a36a707f0c5915033.jpg