SNOW WHITE CROWN

When I arrived at the Prince's kingdom and met the King and Queen, they said, "She is truly an exceptional beauty." The Ministers and Dukes and courtiers all nodded and whispered, "The fairest of them all... the fairest in the land."

And I said yes when my Prince, sweet Harold, asked me to be his bride. The King and Queen smiled and began making plans for our marriage.

All the people in the Kingdom showed up for our wedding celebration, young and old, rich and poor. Harold and I said "I do" and looked to our future with a kiss for luck. We danced the night away.

But when my Evil Stepmother appeared, out of thin air, everyone stopped, trembling with fear.

"Until this day, my pretty daughter, I have despised you for your luck and loveliness; young and sunny and free." she said sweetly. Then she set a brightly ribboned box on the gift table. "But from this day forth, as a wedding present, I forgive you your faults and wish you no harm. You are my daughter and I give you liberty... and this small gift, a token of my love."

And before anyone could say a word, she disappeared in a brilliant flash of light and thunderclap.

I felt like a dark cloud had passed and I could finally breathe easy and enjoy my new life, my new family.

That feeling lasted for one week.

It was the day before my coronation as Princess. I woke up before dawn, excited about the day's activities, and opened my Stepmother's gift. It was a beautiful pearl handled hairbrush and mirror; by far the prettiest I had ever seen.

As I brushed my hair, the bristles tickled my head, but I was watching a gorgeous sunrise through my bedroom window, so I didn't suspect that anything was wrong.

Then a big clump of hair fell to the floor, then another, and another.

I looked at the brush in horror. The bristles were full of hair! When I reached up to feel my head, it was as bald as an egg.

So I threw the mirror to the floor and it smashed into hundreds of sharp shiny pieces.

The noise woke up Harold and he jumped out of bed, calling for help. Two burly guards rushed into the room, ready to do battle to protect us, but they found no intruder, only Harold, and me; crying, trying to cover my hairless head.

"Go!" ordered Harold, and the guards left the room. He knew that they had both seen me, in the dim morning light, and that I was embarrassed. I felt so ugly.

"What happened?" Harold asked, putting his arm around me. I could tell that he was shocked, but his love was strong and comforting. I sobbed, "My Stepmother! She tricked me!"

Harold pulled some of the hair out of the brush and rubbed it between his fingers.

"I will have her head." he growled, "This means war!"

But I thought, If he fights with her, I may never get my hair back... or worse!

"No, my Prince, please," I said, "it is only two days until the coronation. I don't need to punish her... I need my hair back!"

He said, "I will call the Royal Doctor and if he can't help you... I'll summon the Royal Wig-Maker."

Well, the Royal Doctor was bald himself, so we sent him away. And the Royal Wig-Maker only made powdered wigs that all looked like fuzzy pot holders.

I had every mirror in the castle covered so wouldn't have to look at my bald ugliness, but that didn't change anything or even make me feel better.

So, I decided to ask my magical friends to help me.

I left for the woods and followed a path that led to the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. They had helped me before and each one pledged his eternal friendship at my wedding. If they couldn't help me, they would probably know someone who could.

I got there at dinner time and I guess I surprised them when I walked through the doorway, because they coughed, spit out their acorn soup and hid under the table.

"Who are you?" one of them yelled.

"It's me... Snow White."

One by one they peeked out and after some head-scratching and shoulder-shrugging they waddled over to look at me.

"Gee, Snow, where's your hair?"

I felt sad and angry about being bald. I didn't like it, I didn't want it and I couldn't stand it. I felt ugly.

"Guess who did it" I said.

"Stepmother!" they shouted as one, then set to work, trying to make my hair grow.

They mixed up a potion in a big clay pot and rubbed it on my head, singing...

Moss and mud, mushroom elixir,

A natural remedy, sure to fix her.

Abracadabra and a couple of prayers,

Where now there's skin, will soon sprout hairs!

But when we wiped off the goo, all I saw was a lot of peach fuzz. We tried again and again, but it was no use.

The Dwarfs were sad because they had tried their best and it was just not enough.

"Isn't there someone, somewhere, that can help me break this spell?" I cried.

And my little friends whispered among themselves, "Mama Roux".

I had heard of this woman before; some people said she was a Witch.

"But you must bring her some rice!" said one of the dwarfs, then another added, "And figs too! She demands a gift of rice and figs to work her magic!"

I asked them what happens to people who do not bring Mama Roux her gift. They pushed their hands deep into their pockets and scuffed the floor with their boots.

"We have heard that her rock garden is a skull field, littered with the bony heads of those who displease her.'

But I knew I could keep my head if I trusted my heart.

So I borrowed a sack of rice and a bowl of figs, said good-bye to my friends and headed into the darkest part of the forest as the sun set behind the Hills of Troth.

On my way to Mama Roux's cottage, I met a poor shoeless woman, dressed in rags, on the side of the path. She told me her little one was hungry and robbers had stolen her money and shoes. My heart went out to the poor woman and I felt sad for her "little one."

So, I gave her the sack of rice and my shoes, wishing her well, and kept walking, barefoot, along the trail.

It was very dark, but the full moon lit my way with soft blue light. I hoped that I could explain to Mama Roux about the woman and the baby and the rice. I hoped.

Suddenly a big black bird fell from a tree and fluttered around at my bare feet.

"Help me!" the Raven said, "My feathers have salt in them and I can't fly." He told me that a hunter had tried to catch him with a salt trap, but he was able to run away from the man.

Now, unable to fly and find food, he was too weak to shake his wings clean.

So I broke the figs into little pieces and he gobbled them up, one, two, three, done! He pecked at the wooden bowl until every speck was gone and I helped him shake the salt from his feathers as he spoke.

"Thank you girl. Your kindness deserves a kindness in return. How can I help you?"

I said, "Can you make my hair grow?"

"No. I am just a bird" he cawed, "How else might I help you?"

I was worried that I had given away the very things that the Witch demanded. "What can I tell Mama Roux about the rice and figs?"

The Raven flew up into the air and said, "The truth, girl, tell her the truth!"

So, even though my feet hurt, I kept walking, and thinking and hoping.

I followed the candlelight from a window in Mama Roux's cottage, until I felt something round and cold beneath my foot. My toes were pressing down on what looked like a tiny skull.

The Witch's rock garden glowed in front of me in the ghostly blue light of the moon. Fifty, maybe one hundred round skulls led up to her front door.

I had to walk on my tiptoes to keep from stepping on them.

In my heart I knew that even though I had no rice or figs, I now had no choice but to ask the Witch for help.

The bird had told me, "Tell her the truth!"

When I knocked on her door I heard a screeching voice yell, "Who dares to stand at my door!"

"My name is Snow White," I said, "I am a Princess who lost my hair because of an evil spell. Please! I need your help to undo this sorcery!"

The Witch spoke not a word, but I heard a loud "Caw" from within the cottage.

I called out, "I want to be beautiful again."

The door opened and a woman stood in the shadows of the cottage.

"Do you have something for me?" she growled.

I answered fearfully, "No."

"Where is my rice?"

"I gave it to a poor woman whose baby was hungry." I whispered.

"And where are my figs?" she demanded.

I said, "I gave them to a bird who was injured and weak."

I was trembling with fear; more frightened than I had ever been in my life.

Then the Witch stepped into the moonlight. I gasped in surprise. She was the woman I gave the rice to, still wearing my shoes. The Raven flew up and landed on her shoulders.

"She's the one who helped me!" cawed the bird.

The woman nodded and smiled, "Child, you have lost your hair, not your beauty. Beauty is listening to your heart, not brushing your head."

Nothing had changed; I was still bald, but I knew then that hair was just hair. I might look different without it, but I doesn't change who I am.

Suddenly my hair didn't seem as important as it did a moment ago.

"Here," said the Witch, "Take these figs and eat until you have strength to return to your home."

I took the bowl of figs and ate.

"And take this rice," she said, handing me the sack and stepping out of my shoes, "Go feed my baby."

"Where will I find your baby?" I asked.

"Tarnmere," said the Witch, "in the pond known as Tarnmere."

I thanked her and walked down the path. I had to walk on my tiptoes to keep from stepping on the skulls, and I might have made it all the way, but I tripped and fell. My hands reached out to the ground and grabbed one of skulls. It popped up out of the soil and rolled around.

It was just a white rock, so I pulled up another. It was a rock. I pulled another rock, then another, then another. They were all just rocks!

Then I understood how people might think the rocks were skulls Fear, superstition and moonlight each added a small lie to create a bigger lie.

When I looked back, the cottage the door was closed and the candle in the window was snuffed out. So I left for the lowlands where the spring waters bubbled up from deep in the earth.

The full moon was high in the sky by the time I arrived at the edge of Tarnmere Pond. Its light shimmered on the water like liquid silver, scattered in tiny stars and comets that bounced and wavered on every ripple.

But I saw no baby.

I tossed a handful of rice into the water and in a flash, a big beautiful golden Carp swam to the surface and looked at me.

"What is it that you want, girl?" said the fish.

"My hair, Mr. Carp. I would like to break the spell my Stepmother put on me and have my hair back."

"Rice," said the carp, "more rice."

As I bent over the sparkling water to empty the sack, I saw the moon above my head, gleaming, beaming and bright.

"See how the moon shines below you in the mirror of life's flowing grace." the carp said.

For a moment it looked like a crowning glory; a soft, radiant halo above my head.

"Oh my," I said, "this is so wonderful!"

The fish ate some of the rice and said, "Take a little water on your hand and cool your tired head, girl."

And as I put my watery hand to my brow, I felt my hair, as it had always been, soft and long and warm under my fingers.

"Thank you, fish!" I cried, but he only nodded and slipped back beneath the silvery star ripples.

I ran all the way back to the castle and got there just as the sun was rising. The pavilion had been erected for the coronation and I had to sneak in through the kitchen to keep from being seen.

When I woke up Harold, who was still in his bed clothes and night cap, he shouted in surprise, "Your hair! It's back!"

He seemed puzzled at first, then smiled a strange small smile and said, "That's great, dear, I'm so happy for you."

But something was wrong, Harold never wore a nightcap. I reached out to touch it, but he pulled his head away and the cap fell off.

I had to blink to believe my eyes! My Prince, my love, my friend, was as bald as bald could be.

"Why?" I said, "Why did you cut off your hair?"

What Harold said took my breath away.

"I couldn't bear the thought of you feeling alone and ugly at the moment of your Crowning Glory. I wanted to stand proudly by your side, for I love you, heart and soul."

And I breathed in a soft breath of joy, for I saw my unborn children in his eyes.

As I walked down the Hall of Ancestors to the Coronation Pavilion in the courtyard of the castle, I knew that with or without my hair, I was Snow White, worthy of being Princess, worthy of love and respect.

And I held my head high, like a dignified member of a Royal Family... until I got to the pavilion.

Then I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Because under his crown of jewels and gold and velvet, my Prince was as bald as an egg.

I felt his love and acceptance of me, but I just had to laugh.

Because it was silly... and all so very magical.

- end -