Fairest of them all

Once upon a time, in a beautiful castle surrounded by blooming roses, there lived a Queen who loved looking at herself in her magical mirror.

Every single day, she would stand before this special mirror and ask the same question:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

And every day, the mirror would answer in its magical voice:

"You, my Queen, are fairest of all!"

This made the Queen very happy.

She believed that being the most beautiful was the most important thing in the world.

But one day, something changed.

When the Queen asked her usual question, the mirror gave a different answer:

"You, my Queen, are fair, it's true... but Snow White is even fairer than you."

The Queen's face turned red with anger.

"Snow White?" she said through gritted teeth.

Snow White was a young girl with skin as white as fresh snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.

She had a voice like singing birds and always smiled kindly at everyone.

"What makes her so special?" the Queen wondered curiously.

So she decided to watch Snow White carefully.

At breakfast, Snow White chatted with kitchen helpers. In the hallways, she hugged a sad messenger boy.

When she visited the village, she knelt down to put a bandage on a child's hurt knee.

The Queen noticed something amazing.

People didn't just look at Snow White because she was pretty.

They smiled because of how happy she made them feel.

Snow White never showed off.

She just naturally made everything brighter and warmer.

One morning, the Queen secretly followed Snow White's forest path.

As she walked deeper into the woods, everything changed like magic.

Thorny bushes became wildflowers.

Birds sang in golden sunlight.

The air smelled of pine trees and sweet apples.

Through the leaves, she spotted a tiny cottage with a mossy roof and glowing windows.

She tiptoed closer and peeked inside.

Snow White moved gracefully around the room while a pretty bluebird sat on the windowsill.

She swept the floor while humming a gentle tune that sounded like a sweet lullaby.

A golden apple pie baked by the fireplace, filling the air with the lovely smell of cinnamon and apples.

The wooden table was carefully set with seven small bowls and seven neat little cups.

Seven tiny chairs sat waiting by the cozy fire.

Soon, the seven dwarfs came home from working in the diamond mines.

Their boots were muddy and their faces were covered with soot.

They opened their door to find their cottage sparkling clean.

The fire danced warmly in the fireplace. Everything smelled like a loving home.

Doc, pushing up his glasses, whispered in amazement:

"Who did this?"

Grumpy squinted his eyes suspiciously:

"Someone cleaned our whole house? But why would anyone do that for us?"

Snow White turned around with the brightest, kindest smile.

"You all work so very hard every day. I just wanted to show you how thankful I am."

From behind the trees, the Queen watched everything.

She expected to see Snow White showing off, but instead she saw only pure kindness.

Snow White wasn't trying to impress anyone.

She was simply sharing her love.

For the first time in years, something beautiful changed in the Queen's heart.

Her heart, cold as broken glass, started to feel warm and soft.

This wasn't charm or attention-seeking.

This was real, true love.

That night, the Queen didn't ask her mirror questions.

She sat by her window, thinking about everything she'd seen.

Snow White's laughter played in her mind like a favorite song.

Slowly, the Queen's eyes filled with something she hadn't felt in so long - warm, healing tears of understanding and joy.

But a tiny worry still lived in the Queen's heart like a small, dark cloud.

What if Snow White is just pretending to be nice? she wondered.

So she decided to find out the truth.

She mixed up a magic potion and dipped a beautiful, shiny red apple into it.

The apple gleamed like glass.

A truly kind person would never take food away from a hungry old woman.

She whispered

The Queen disguised herself as a weak old lady with shaky hands and worn - out shoes.

She knocked on the cottage door just as the morning sun was rising.

Snow White opened the door with her usual warm smile.

Oh dear. This apple is all I have left to sell.

I haven't eaten anything for two whole days. said the old woman sadly.

Snow White looked at the pretty apple, then at the tired old woman's sad face.

Without thinking twice, she said kindly,

You don't need to sell anything today, grandmother. Please, come inside and rest.

She gave the old woman hot, creamy soup, fresh warm bread, a steaming cup of tea, and even wrapped up a slice of sweet pie for her to take home.

The Queen sat amazed, watching Snow White treat a stranger like family.

So - this is what real love looks like, she thought to herself.

When she left, she accidentally forgot the magic apple on the table.

Later that afternoon, Snow White started cooking dinner.

She noticed the bright red one that had been left behind.

That kind old woman must have meant to trade it for the food I gave her, Snow White said to herself.

I didn't want to take it before - but it would be wrong to let it go to waste now.

She tasted one small slice and immediately fell to the floor.

The seven dwarfs came home from the mines to find Snow White lying still on the kitchen floor, with flour still on her hands from baking.

They called her name and gently shook her shoulders - but she wouldn't wake up.

With broken hearts, they quickly sent a message to the castle, hoping someone could help save their dear friend.

When the terrible news reached the Queen, all the color drained from her face.

She suddenly remembered the magic apple.

No, no, no! What have I done? she cried out.

She raced to the cottage and fell to her knees beside Snow White.

I didn't mean for this to happen, she sobbed with real tears.

You passed my test perfectly. You were so kind, even to a stranger like me.

But only true love could save Snow White now.

Word spread throughout the land, and soon a young prince arrived.

The same one who had met Snow White by the stream.

He knelt beside her and began to sing the song she had once sung to him.

His voice cracked and the tune wasn't quite right, but it was filled with pure love and hope.

Suddenly, Snow White took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

You really do need more singing practice, my dear prince,

she said softly with a little smile.

Next time, I'll teach you the right way.

Happy tears of joy and forgiveness filled the cottage.

Even the Queen laughed with relief.

Something more powerful than magic filled the air - grace and second chances.

From that special day forward, the Queen decided she didn't need her magic mirror anymore.

Instead, she began her own wonderful journey of being kind to others.

She made a royal announcement that all hungry people in the kingdom should be given food.

She visited the castle's hospital room, carrying warm, delicious soup with her very own hands.

She asked the old man who took care of the horses how his sick wife was feeling.

At first, everyone in the castle was amazed and surprised.

But soon, happy whispers began to spread through all the hallways:

“Did you see? The Queen actually smiled at me today!”

“She helped me in the kitchen!”

“She told me that I was important!”

The Queen didn't do these kind things because she wanted people to praise her.

But every time she helped someone, her heart felt lighter and happier than before.

One peaceful evening, the Queen stood in front of her old mirror - but not to ask her usual question.

She just wanted to look at herself and think. Very softly, she whispered:

“I don't need to be the most beautiful person in the world.

I just want to be a little bit better and kinder than I was yesterday.”

Then she turned around and walked away with a peaceful smile.

The Queen had chosen to be wise and kind instead of jealous and mean.

and that choice made her shine more beautifully than she had ever dreamed possible.

The End.