SNOW WHITE ALTERNATIVE TEXTS

Confirmations and Alternatives to the phrase "And when you return bring with you her heart"

Compiled by: Kay E. Vandergrift

This page provides alternative or confirming translations and interpretations of the above phrase in thirty-six text versions. The various editions used are listed chronologically. For the convenience of the English reader, German editions have not been included although they have been consulted. Since most picture books do not include pagination, I have counted the pages from the beginning picture and/or text to facilitate finding the appropriate passage. The various spellings of particular words that appear in the texts have been retained; these are not misspellings but reflect textual accuracy.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

  1. Why does the queen ask for Snow White's heart, or liver/lungs?
  2. Why does the queen feel the need to kill Snow White? Wouldn't banishment be sufficient?
  3. In most versions she sends a huntsman to do the task; however, her husband (and Snow White's father) is asked to kill her in some variants. How does this change reader's responses to the event?
  4. Why does Disney provide a "jeweled box" for her heart?
  5. Note the Puskin version ties her to a tree to await the wolves.
  6. Note that in several versions "not seeing her again" is important to the queen. Is this a reminder of the importance of appearance in this tale?
  7. In various editions the contemplated death of Snow White is evoked through knife, bow and arrow, abandonment or gun. Is there any significance in the choice of method for her demise?

Household Stories from the Collection of the Bros. Grimm.
Translated by Lucy Crane. Illus. by Walter Crane. London: Macmillan, 1882, pp. 212--221.

"At last she sent for a huntsman, and said, "Take the child out into the woods, so that I may set eyes on her no more. You must put her to death, and bring me her heart for a token." p. 214.

"Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree," in Celtic Fairy Tales. Written and Edited by Joseph Jacobs. Illus. by John D. Batten. New York and London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, n.d. [c. 1892] pp. 97-101.

"At nightfall the king came home, and it was told him that Silver-tree, his wife, was very ill. He went where she was, and asked her what was wrong with her.
"Oh! Only a thing which you may heal if you like."
"Oh! Indeed there is nothing at all which I could do for you that I would not do."
"If I get the heart and the liver of Gold-tree, my daughter, to eat, I shall be well." pp.97-98.

Favorite Fairy Tales: The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women. Illus. by Peter Newell. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1907, pp. 173-192.

"So she called a huntsman and said: "Take the child out in the forest, for I will endure her no longer in my sight. Kill her, and bring me her lungs and liver as tokens that you have done it." p. 175.

The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Translated by Mrs. Edgar Lucas. Illus. by Arthur Rackham. London: Constable & Co., 1909, pp.161-170.

"At last she called a Huntsman, and said: "Take the child out into the wood; I will not set eyes on her again; you must kill her and bring me her lungs and liver as tokens." p. 162.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Illus. by Dinah. London: Raphael Tuck & Sons, [c. 1936] pp. 1-14.

". . . and sent for one of her huntsmen. "Go into the woods," she told him, "and take with you the Princess Snow White. Ride for many more miles than a maiden can walk, then leave the girl, and return to me as fast as you can." p. 1

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Freely Translated and Illustrated by Wanda Gag. New York: Coward-McCann, 1938, pp. 9-43.

"She sent for a royal huntsman and told him to take the child into the woods and do away with her. "And bring me a token," she added, "so that I may be sure you've obeyed me." p.12.

Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Story adapted by Jane Werner. Illus. by the Walt Disney Studio adapted by Campbell Grant. Racine, WI: Golden Press, 1952, pp. 1-20.

"Pale with anger, the Queen rushed from the room and called her huntsman to her. "Take the Princess into the forest and bring me back her heart in this jeweled box," she said. p5.

Snow White And Other Stories From Grimm. Retold by Jeanne Cappe. Translated by Marie Ponsot. Illus. by J.L. Huens. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1957, pp. 3-18.

"The wicked woman sent for her royal hunter and commanded him to take Snow White far into the forest, there to put her to death. She added, "As proof that you have obeyed, bring me back her heart." p. 4.

"Nourie Hadig," in 100 Armenian Tales and Their Folkloristic Relevance. Collected and Edited by Susie Hoogasian-Villa. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1966, pp. 84-91.

"Something has happened which is so important that I must tell you immediately. Who is more necessary to you, your child or myself? You cannot have both of us."
"How can you speak in this way?" he asked her. "You are not a stepmother. How can you say such things about your own flesh and blood? How can I get rid of my own child?"
"I don't care what you do," the woman said. "You must get rid of her so that I will never see her again. Kill her and bring me her bloody shirt." p. 85.

"Myrsina, or Myrtle," in Folktales of Greece. Ed. by Georgios A. Megas. Translated by Helen Colaclides. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1970, pp. 106-113.

Then the two[sisters] were more than ever consumed with envy and plotted together to get rid of the unhappy Myrsina.
. . . "And the luckless Myrsina believed it, and next day she took some sould bread and kollyva and they set off to rebury their mother. They walked and walked and came to a wood and halted under a beech tree.
. . . "Poor Myrsina sat and waited and waited till the sun went down. Then, when she saw night was falling and she was all alone on the mountain, she began to cry." pp. 107-108.

The Fairy Tale Treasury. Selected by Virginia Haviland. Illus. by Raymond Briggs. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1972, pp. 128-137.

"At last she sent for a huntsman and said, Take the child out into the woods, so that I may set eyes on her no more. You must put her to death, and bring me her heart for a token" p. 129.

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm. Translated by Randall Jarrell. Illus. by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1972, pp. 1-26.

"Then she called a huntsman and said: "Take the child out into the forest, I don't want to lay eyes on her again. You kill her, and bring me her lung and liver as a token." p. 4.

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm: Selected by Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak. Translated by Lore Segal with four tales translated by Randall Jarrell. Illus. by Maurice Sendak. 2 Volumes. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973, pp. 256-274.
[The translation of "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs," is that of Randall Jarrell first published in The Golden Bird and Other Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm New York: Macmillan, 1962.]

"Then she called a huntsman and said: "Take the child out into the forest, I don't want to lay eyes on her again. You kill her, and bring me her lung and liver as a token." p. 258.

The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights. Alexander Pushkin. Translated by Peter Tempest. Illus. by V. Konashevich. Moscow, USSR: Progress Publishers, 1973.
"Summoned Smudge, her chamber maid,
And to her instructions gave:
Take the Princess to the forest,
Bind her hand and foot and forehead
To a tree! When wolves arrive
Let them eat the girl alive!" p. 7

Snow White By the Brothers Grimm. Freely Translated from the German by Paul Heins. Illus. by Trina Schart Hyman. Boston, MA: Little Brown, 1974, pp. 1-43.

"Finally, she summoned a hunter and said: "Take the child away into the forest. I never want to see her again. Kill her, and bring me her lungs and her liver as a sign of her death." p. 7.

The Classic Fairy Tales. Iona Opie and Peter Opie. London: Oxford University Press, 1974, pp. 175-182.

". . .and called to one of her servants and said, "Take Snow-drop away into the wide wood, that I may never see her more." p. 177.

Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories. Translated by Ralph Manheim. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1977, pp. 184-191. [Translated from the Winkler-Verlag (Munich) edition of the Complete Kinder- und Hausmaerchen (Tales for Young and Old) by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, as first published in 1819.]

"Take her into the forest and kill her and bring me her lungs and her liver to prove you've done it." P. 185.

"Bella Venezia" [Abruzzo] in Italian Folktales. Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino. Translated by George Martin. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980, pp. 395-398.

That evening the mistress called in the kitchen boy. "Go to the seashore, build a hut with just one tiny little window, and close up my daughter in it." p. 395. . . . In the evening Bella Venezia asked the kitchen boy, "Listen, would you like to marry me?"
The kitchen boy couldn't believe his ears.
"If you want to marry me," continued Bella Venezia, "you must take my daughter into the woods and kill her. Bring me back her eyes and a bottle of her blood, and I'll marry you." p. 396.

"Giricoccola," [Bologna] in Italian Folktales. Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino. Translated by George Martin. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980, pp. 154-156.

"By now the sisters couldn't stand the sight of Giricoccola, so they locked her in the hayloft." p. 155.

Best-Loved Folktales of the World. Selected by Joanna Cole. Illus. by Jill Karla Schwarz. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1982, pp. 53-61.

"At last she sent for a huntsman, and said: "Take the child out into the woods, so that I may set eyes on her no more. You must put her to death, and bring me her heart for a token." p. 54.

Favorite Tales from Grimm. Text retold by Nancy Garden. Illus. by Mercer Mayer. New York: Four Winds Press, 1982, pp. 5-19.

"At last she called one of the king's huntsman and ordered him to carry Snow White off into the forest and kill her. "Make sure you obey," she said, when the man grew pale. "Bring me back her liver as proof that you have done the deed." p. 6.

Snow White. Adapted from the Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm. Illus. by Bernadette Watts. Winchester, MA: Nord-Sud/Faber & Faber, 1983. Pp. 1-25.

"Then one day she summoned her huntsman. "You will take the child into the forest," she commanded. "I cannot bear to have her in my sight any longer. Kill her and bring me back her lungs and liver as proof that you have done as I say." p. 3.

My Pop-Up Book of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Illus. by Anne Grahame Johnstone. London: Deans International, 1983, pp. 1-10.

"She remembered how she loved animals, so she asked her woodcutter to take Snow White deep into the forest to see the animals there. "But, " said the Queen, " you must not bring Snow White back. Kill her! We will say she got lost." p. 2

The Brothers Grimm Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Translated and adapted by Anthea Bell. Illus. by Chihiro Iwasaki. New York: Picture Book Studio, USA., 1984, pp 1-38.

"So she called for a huntsman, and told him, "Take the child out into the forest, kill her, and bring me her liver and lungs to prove that she is dead." p. 10.

Snow White in New York. Fiona French. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1986, pp. 1-30.

"Take her down town and shoot her," she said to one of her bodyguards." p. 9.

Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Based on Walt Disney's full-length animated classic. Adapted by Suzanne Weyn. New York: Scholastic, 1987. [original copyright 1937] paperback, pp. 1-73.

"The wicked Queen drummed her blood-red fingernails against the arms of her golden throne. "Come closer," she commanded the royal huntsman who stood before her. "I have a job for you," she said. "Take Snow White far into the forest-find some secluded glen where she can pick wild flowers." . . . "And there," the Queen continued, "you will kill her!" p. 7.

The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: Volume I Tales I-100. Translated by Jack Zipes. Illus. by John B. Gruelle. New York: Bantam, 1987, pp.213-222. [The present translation is based in part on the first of the Kinder und Hausmaerchen published in two volumes in 1812 and 1815. The first 211 tales in this translation are based on the seventh and final edition published in 1857. Illustrations by John B. Gruelle first appeared in Grimm's Fairy Tales, translated by Margaret Hunt in 1914.]

"Finally, she summoned a huntsman and said, "Take the child out into the forest. I never want to lay eyes on her again. You are to kill her and to bring me back her lungs and liver as proof of your deed." p. 214.

The Child's Fairy Tale Book. Illus. by Kay Chorao. New York: Dutton, 1990, pp. 6-19.

"Finally the Queen called one of her huntsmen and commanded him, "Take the child far into the forest and kill her, and bring me her lung and liver as a token." p. 8.

Snow White. Retold by Josephine Poole. Illus. by Angela Barrett. New York: Knopf, 1991, pp. 1-30.

"At last she sent for a certain huntsman who was discontented with the king's service. She said to him, "You must take that evil girl Snow White into the forest and kill her, and bring me back her heart as proof." He looked at her and said, "What will you give me if I do it?" So she handed him a purse of gold." p. 8.

Snow White by the Brothers Grimm. Retold by Jennifer Greenway. Illus. by Erin Augenstine. Kansas City, MS: Ariel Books, 1991.

"You are to take Snow White into the forest," she said. "Kill her there, for I do not wish to set eyes on her again. And bring me the girl's heart in this box as proof that you have done as I have ordered." p. 12.

Favorite Fairy Tales. Compiled by Cooper Edens and Harold Darling. San Francisco, CA: Blue Lantern Studio/Chronicle Books, 1991, pp. 30-37.

"So she called a huntsman and said, "Take this child into the forest and kill her." p.31.

Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Adapted from the Film by Jim Razzi. Illus. by Fernando Guell and Fred Martin. New York: Disney Press, 1993.

"Take Snow White far into the forest. Find some secluded glade where she can pick wildflowers."
"Yes, Your Majesty," answered the huntsman.
"And there, my faithful huntsman, you will kill her!"
. . . Then the queen paused and held out an ornate red box. Its clasp was formed by a jeweled dagger piercing a golden heart.
"But to make doubly sure you do not fail," the queen continued, "bring back her heart in this." p.6.

The Rainbow Fairy Book: Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. by Andrew Lang. Illus. by Michael Hague. New York: Books of Wonder/Morrow, 1993, pp. 207-221.

". . . calling a huntsman to her, she said: "Take the child out into the wood, and never let me see her face again. You must kill her, and bring me back her lungs and liver, that I may know for certain she is dead." p. 209.

Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times. James Finn Garner. New York: Macmillan, 1994, pp. 43-56.

"Instead, the queen indulged in an adopted masculine power trip and ordered the royal woodsperson to take Snow White into the forest and kill her. And, possibly to impress the males in the royal court, she barbarously ordered that the girl's heart be cut out and brought back to her." p. 45.

Rimonah of the Flashing Sword: A North African Tale. Adapted by Eric A. Kimmel. Illus. by Omar Rayyan. New York: Holiday House, 1995.

"Seething with jealousy, the queen ordered her huntsman to take Rimonah to the desert and kill her." p. 4.

Snow White: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm. Illus. by Charles Santore. New York: Park Lane Press, 1996, pp. 1-44.

". . . and calling a huntsman to her, she said, "Take the child into the woods. You must kill her, and bring me proof that she is dead." p.5.
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Created January 6, 1997 and is continuously revised