Once upon a time, in a big castle, there lived a girl named Snow White. She had dark hair, rosy cheeks, and wore a blue dress with brown boots. Snow White loved to read her father's books about herbs and plants that could help people feel better. She kept her favorite book in her apron pocket. One day, Snow White heard her stepmother, the Queen, talking in a mean way about her. The Queen wore a purple dress with silver thread and had her dark hair up with a silver comb. "That girl must go!" said the Queen. "I cannot have her here!" Snow White knew she had to act fast. She could:
Snow White ran out of the castle as fast as she could. Her brown boots made soft sounds on the grass as she went into the dark forest. The trees were tall and thick. Birds sang sweet songs above her. Snow White walked for a long time until her feet hurt. As the sun began to set, she saw something special through the trees - seven colored lights glowing in a window! They were mining lanterns: red, brown, yellow, purple, green, orange, and blue. "What a cute little cottage," she said, walking closer. The cottage was made of wood and stone, with a tiny chimney that had smoke coming out. Snow White was tired and hungry. She could:
Snow White walked up to the wooden door and knocked three times, very politely. "Hello? Is anyone home?" she called in a gentle voice. No one answered, but the door slowly creaked open. Inside, she found a cozy room with seven little chairs around a wooden table. There were dirty dishes in the sink and dust on the shelves. "Someone lives here," Snow White said, looking at the seven sets of everything. "But they need help keeping their home tidy." She reached into her apron pocket and touched her herb book. The house smelled like mining dust and dirty socks. She knew some herbs could make the air fresh and clean. Just then, she heard singing coming from outside. Seven voices grew louder as they came closer to the cottage. Snow White could:
Snow White stood bravely by the table, smoothed her blue dress, and put on her warmest smile. Through the door came seven small men, each wearing a different colored mining jacket and carrying a matching lantern. They stopped and stared at her with wide eyes. The one in the red jacket and glasses spoke first. "Who are you?" he asked, adjusting his glasses. This was Doc. "I'm Snow White," she said with a curtsy. "I'm sorry for coming in, but I needed a safe place to stay. I can help keep your house clean and cook meals for you!" "Hmph!" said Grumpy in his brown jacket, crossing his arms. "We don't need help!" But just then, Sneezy in his orange jacket let out a big "ACHOO!" sending dust flying everywhere. "See?" said Happy in his yellow jacket, laughing. "We do need help! Our house is very dusty!" Snow White pulled out her herb book. "I know just the herbs that can help with sneezing and make the air fresh!" Sleepy in his purple jacket yawned. Bashful in green looked at his feet shyly. Dopey in blue just smiled and waved.
Snow White opened her special book and flipped to a page about mint and lavender. "These herbs grow right outside in the forest," she said. "They can help with sneezing and make the air smell sweet!" Dopey clapped his hands excitedly while Doc peered at the book through his glasses. "Fascinating!" he said. Snow White and Happy went outside to gather the herbs she needed. They found mint growing near the cottage steps and lavender blooming in patches nearby. When they came back inside, Snow White showed everyone how to hang the herbs to dry. "The mint will help you breathe better," she told Sneezy, who was still sniffling. "And the lavender will help clean the air." As they worked together, the cottage started to smell fresh and clean. Sneezy's sneezes became less frequent, and even Grumpy's frown started to soften a little. "You really do know your herbs," Doc said, impressed. "But what brings you to our forest cottage?" Snow White knew she had to tell them about the mean Queen, but she wasn't sure how much to say. She could:
Snow White sat in one of the little chairs and told the dwarfs everything. She explained how the Queen was jealous and wanted her gone from the castle. "She said mean things about me," Snow White said softly. "I heard her planning to hurt me, so I ran away." Happy put his hand on her shoulder. "You did the right thing," he said with a kind smile. "We will keep you safe!" Doc declared, and all the other dwarfs nodded in agreement. "But the Queen is clever," Snow White said. "She might try to find me." "Then we need to make a plan," Doc said, thinking hard. "We go to work in the mines each day. You'll be alone in the cottage." Bashful spoke up quietly, "Maybe Snow White could use her herb knowledge to help protect herself?" Snow White's eyes lit up. She opened her book again, turning to a new page. "There are plants that can help us stay safe," she said. "We just need to find them in the forest."
Even though the sun was setting, Snow White knew they couldn't wait. She lit a candle and studied her herb book carefully. "We need thorny roses for protection around the windows," she read. "And sage to keep bad magic away." Doc held up his red lantern. "I'll help you look!" he said. Grumpy grumbled but held up his brown lantern too. "Better than sitting here waiting for trouble." Snow White, Doc, and Grumpy went into the dusky forest. Their lanterns made colorful circles of light on the ground. Soon they found wild roses growing on thick bushes. "Be careful of the thorns," Snow White warned as they gathered branches. They also found sage growing in a moonlit clearing. Its silver-green leaves seemed to glow. Back at the cottage, Snow White showed everyone how to weave the rose branches around the windows. She hung sage bundles over each door. "The roses will keep bad people away," she explained. "And the sage will protect us from the Queen's magic." But they all knew they needed more plans to stay safe. Snow White looked at her book again.
Snow White remembered how the birds had sung to her in the forest. "The animals could help us!" she said excitedly. She pulled out her herb book and found a page about berries that birds love. "If we feed the blue jays these special berries, they'll become our friends and watch over the cottage." Happy helped Snow White gather the sweet berries. They placed them on the windowsills and near the trees. Soon, blue jays came to eat them. "Hello, little friends," Snow White said softly. The birds chirped back at her. Doc was impressed. "The birds can warn us if they see the Queen coming!" "And the squirrels too!" added Bashful, pointing to some curious squirrels watching from a tree. Snow White taught the dwarfs how different bird calls meant different things. A short chirp meant "all is well." Three loud calls meant "danger coming!" The animals began to gather around the cottage. Rabbits hopped in the garden, keeping watch with their long ears. Deer in the forest promised to stomp their hooves if they saw anything strange. "Now we have many eyes watching over us," Snow White said happily. But just then, three loud bird calls rang through the air! Something was coming through the forest.
Quick as a flash, Doc organized the dwarfs. "Split up!" he whispered. "Make noise in different directions!" Snow White hid inside while the seven dwarfs ran into the forest with their colored lanterns glowing. They shook bushes and sang their mining songs, making it seem like a group of travelers was moving away from the cottage. Through the window, Snow White saw a dark figure in a purple dress stop at the edge of the forest. It was the Queen! She held her silver comb and looked around, confused by all the noise. The birds kept making warning calls, but they mixed with the dwarfs' songs and the rustling bushes. The Queen couldn't tell which way to go. Grumpy's grumbling came from the east. Happy's laughter rang from the west. Dopey's lantern bobbed up and down in the north. The Queen turned in circles, getting more and more frustrated. Finally, she followed the sound of Sleepy's yawning deep into the forest, going the wrong way. The blue jays watched her until she disappeared into the darkness. When the dwarfs came back, they were out of breath but proud. Their plan had worked! But Snow White knew the Queen would try again. "We need something stronger than just hiding," she said, flipping through her herb book. "Something that will keep us safe for good."
Snow White found a special page in her herb book. It showed a magical flower that bloomed only in moonlight. Its petals could be used to make a spell that would hide the cottage forever. That night, under the full moon, Snow White and the seven dwarfs walked into a secret meadow. Their seven colored lanterns made a rainbow circle around Snow White as she picked the glowing flowers. Back at the cottage, she mixed the flower petals with morning dew and sage leaves. As she stirred, she sang a sweet song about friendship and love. The mixture began to sparkle. The dwarfs joined her song, their voices rising into the night air. Snow White sprinkled the magical mixture around the cottage. Where the drops fell, tiny stars seemed to grow from the ground. A soft light spread from these stars, wrapping around the cottage like a warm blanket. When it faded, the cottage looked different to anyone who wasn't a friend - they would see only an old tree stump. The Queen never found Snow White again. The cottage became a happy home, always smelling of fresh herbs and filled with the sounds of singing and laughter. The dwarfs went to work each day knowing their friend was safe, and Snow White kept their home cozy and clean. The birds still sang their songs, the rabbits still watched with their long ears, and the deer still visited the garden. But now they came as friends, not guards. And so Snow White lived happily with her seven small friends, sharing her knowledge of herbs and healing with anyone kind enough to find their magical home in the forest. The End.
