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 a lantern 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, »Someone 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 lantern to throw a light upon
Snow-White. »O goodness! O gracious!« they cried, »what beautiful child is
this?« and they 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. Then they asked how she came to be in their house, and she related to them how her stepmother 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, wash, make the beds, 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 stepmother, she will soon know you are here. Let no one into the house.«