Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

By Alicia Koontz

The Evil Queen paced in her throne room. One of her guard’s staffs pounded on the stone floor, hammering through the silence. The Queen had been expecting the Huntsman. “Leave us,” she said to her guards. After they filed out and the doors were closed, the Queen turned to the Huntsman, “I need your services.”

“Anything, my Queen,” the Huntsman said as he kneeled his allegiance.

“Anything?” The Queen’s lips curled, and her eyes revealed the evil that resided within her. “I need you to hunt down Snow White and bring me her heart. Do this and you will have whatever you desire. Disobey me, and it will be your heart I possess.”

The Huntsman knew at once what he desired. He wanted to be King, and he wanted the Evil Queen to be his. “I would be honored to do as you wish,” he said, kneeling a second time before he turned to leave the throne room to begin the greatest hunt of his life.

The Huntsman was an expert tracker, and it wasn’t long before he found Snow White’s path. He followed her steps through the forest, and finally he came upon a clearing. There, he saw a little cottage with smoke billowing out of the chimney. The air smelled of sweet meat, and he found himself salivating. The sounds of faint whistles floated to his ears. He approached the small front door and knocked. A small man opened the door a crack and peered up at the Huntsman.

“What do you want?” the man asked.

“Good evening. I got lost in the woods, and I would be so grateful for a meal and a warm place to stay until the sun comes up,” the Huntsman said.

The man shut the door. The Huntsman stared at the front of the cottage, trying to figure out his next move. Just then, the door opened once more, and the man motioned the Huntsman to come inside. As he stepped past the threshold, the smells he had experienced outside washed over him. He looked at the fire and could see piles of meat atop the coals on a rack. His eyes darted around the room and he could see a total of seven small men sitting around the table. Snow White was noticeably missing from the group. His tracking skills had never failed him. He knew she had to be here.

As he continued to survey the home, he noticed seven beds lined up along the far side of the wall. Beside each bed there was a small table, and atop each table there was a glass jar. Each bed had a word carved into the headboard. The Huntsman assumed those were the names of the men. From the dining area he could read the names: Bashful, Sneezy, Happy, Grumpy, Doc, Sleepy, and Dopey.

“What fine craftsmanship,” the Huntsman said, motioning towards the beds. “Do you mind if I take a closer look?”

“Why don’t you have a seat,” one of the men said, but the Huntsman was already walking towards the beds.

As he neared the beds, the Huntsman was able to get a better look at the glass jars. At first, he couldn’t figure out what was inside them, just that they were some kind of specimens. Once he reached the first bed that had the name “Bashful” carved across it, he finally figured out what was inside the jar. His face went white as he looked at the heart floating inside. The next bed’s jar, Sneezy’s, held what looked to be lungs. As he walked along the beds, he realized each jar held an organ: Happy’s a kidney, Grumpy’s a liver, Sleepy’s a stomach, Doc’s a brain, and Dopey’s looked to be pieces of flesh. The Huntsman froze in terror. He knew what animal innards looked like. These were human. He looked at Dopey’s jar of skin. It was pale, like fresh snow.

He turned to flee, but when he did the men were no longer sitting at the table. Instead, they had him surrounded, each with a mining pick in hand.

“Looks like we’re having dessert pie after all,” one of the men said as they circled closer around the Huntsman.