Snow-White and Rose-Red Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Snow-White and Rose-Red
Snow-White and Rose-Red by Jessie Willcox Smith, 1911
Folk tale
Name	Snow-White and Rose-Red
Data
Aarne–Thompson grouping	ATU 426 (The Two Girls, the Bear and the Dwarf)
Region	Germany
Published in	Kinder- und Hausmärchen, by the Brothers Grimm

Snow-White and Rose-Red (German: Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot) is a classic German fairy tale. The most famous version was collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is story number 161 in their collection of tales. An earlier, shorter version was written by Caroline Stahl in 1818. This older story was called "The Ungrateful Dwarf."

It's important to know that this story is not connected to the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Snow White" with the seven dwarfs. That story became the basis for the 1937 Walt Disney animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The main character in that movie is called Schneewittchen in German. Our story, "Snow-White and Rose-Red," only shares a similar name for one of its characters. However, it does feature meetings with a dwarf.

Story of Snow-White and Rose-Red
Other Versions of the Story
Gallery
See also

Story of Snow-White and Rose-Red

Snow-White and Rose-Red are two young girls. They live with their mother, a poor widow, in a small house. Their home is right next to a forest. Snow-White has fair hair and is quiet and a bit shy. She likes to stay indoors, helping with chores and reading books. Rose-Red has dark hair and is outgoing, lively, and happy. She loves to be outside playing.

Both girls are very kind. They love each other and their mother very much. Their mother also loves them dearly.

The Bear's Visit

One cold winter night, someone knocks on their door. Rose-Red opens it and sees a big bear. At first, she is very scared. But the bear speaks to her. "Don't be afraid," he says. "I'm freezing cold and just want to warm up."

The family lets the bear inside. He lies down in front of the warm fire. Snow-White and Rose-Red gently brush the snow off the bear. They quickly become good friends with him. They play with the bear and roll him around playfully. The bear stays the night by the fire.

In the morning, he leaves and trots back into the woods. The bear returns every night for the rest of that winter. The family gets used to him being there.

Illustration for Josephine Pollard's book Hours in Fairy Land, published in 1883

Meeting the Dwarf

When summer arrives, the bear tells the family he must leave. He needs to go protect his valuable treasure. A wicked dwarf wants to steal it.

During the summer, the girls are walking in the forest. They find a dwarf whose long beard is stuck in a tree. The girls help him by cutting his beard free. But the dwarf is not thankful at all. He yells at them for cutting his beautiful beard. The girls meet the dwarf several more times that summer. Each time, they rescue him from some danger. And each time, the dwarf is still ungrateful.

The Curse is Broken

One day, the girls meet the dwarf again. This time, he is very scared. The bear is about to attack him. The dwarf begs the bear to eat the girls instead of him.

But the bear ignores the dwarf's plea. With one swipe of his paw, the bear kills the dwarf. Right away, the bear changes into a handsome prince. The wicked dwarf had put a spell on the prince. He had stolen the prince's precious jewels and turned him into a bear. The curse is finally broken when the dwarf dies.

Snow-White marries the prince. Rose-Red marries the prince's brother. They all live happily ever after.

Other Versions of the Story

Many different versions of "Snow-White and Rose-Red" exist. Here are a few examples:

The original German version by the Brothers Grimm: "Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot".
An English translation by May Sellar, found in The Blue Fairy Book (1889) edited by Andrew Lang.
Snow-White and Rose-Red and the Big Black Bear by Clifton Johnson (1913).
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede (1989), a fantasy novel based on the tale.
Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin (2017), a newer book version.