She called a huntsman, and said:
"Take the child away into the wood; I will no longer have her in my
sight. Kill her, and bring me back her heart as a token." The huntsman
did as he was told, and took her away; but when he had drawn his knife,
and was about to pierce Snow-white's little heart, she began to weep,
and said:
"Ah, dear huntsman, leave me my life! I will run away into the wild
wood, and never come home again."
And as she was so beautiful the huntsman had pity on her and said:
"Run away, then, you poor child." The wild beasts will soon kill her,
thought he; and yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his
heart, since it was no longer needful for him to kill her. As a young
boar just then came running by he stabbed it, and cut out its heart
and took it to the Queen as a proof that the child was dead. The cook
had to salt this, and the wicked Queen ate it, and thought she had
eaten the heart of Snow-white.
But now the poor child was all alone in the great wood, and so afraid
that she started at every bush, and did not know what to do. Then she
began to run, and ran over sharp stones and through thorns, and the
wild beasts ran past her, but did her no harm.
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