Then the eldest looked at his bed, and, seeing that it looked tumbled,
cried out that some one had been upon it. The others came running
forward, and found all their beds in the same condition. But when the
seventh approached his bed, and saw Snow-white lying there fast asleep,
he called the others, who came quickly, and holding their lights over
their heads, cried out in wonder as they beheld the sleeping child. "Oh,
what a beautiful little child!" they said to each other, and were so
delighted that they would not awaken her, but left her to sleep as long
as she liked in the little bed, while its owner slept with one of his
companions, and so the night passed away.

In the morning, when Snow-white awoke, and saw all the dwarfs, she was
terribly frightened. But they spoke kindly to her, till she lost all
fear, and they asked her name.

"I am called Snow-white," she replied.

"But how came you to our house?" asked one.

Then she related to them all that had happened; how her stepmother had
sent her into the wood with the hunter, who had spared her life, and
that, after wandering about for a whole day, she had found their house.

The dwarfs talked a little while together, and then one said, "Do you
think you could be our little housekeeper, to make the beds, cook the
dinner, and wash and sew and knit for us, and keep everything neat and
clean and orderly? If you can, then you shall stay here with us, and
nobody shall hurt you."

"Oh yes, I will try," said Snow-white. So they let her stay, and she was