Evil Dwarf

A short time after this, the mother sent Snow White and Rose Red into the woods to collect sticks. They came in their wanderings upon a big tree which lay felled on the ground, and on the trunk among the long grass they noticed something jumping up and down. When they approached nearer, they saw a dwarf with a beard a yard long. The end of the beard was jammed into a cleft of the tree, and the little man sprang about, not knowing what to do. He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes, and screamed out: "What are you standing there for? Can't you come and help me? Here I am, stuck fast, and you silly, smooth-faced, milk and water girls just stand and laugh! Ugh! What wretches you are!"

Snow White and Rose Red did all in their power, but they couldn't get the beard out; it was wedged in far too firmly. "I will run and fetch somebody," said Rose Red.

"Crazy blockheads!" snapped the dwarf, "What's the good of calling anyone else? You're already two too many for me. Does nothing better occur to you than that?"

"Don't be so impatient," said Snow White, "I'll see you get help," and taking her scissors out of her pocket she cut off the end of his beard. As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he seized a bag full of gold which was hidden among the roots of the tree, lifted it up, and muttered aloud, "Curse these rude wretches, cutting off a piece of my splendid beard!" With these words he swung the bag over his back, and disappeared without as much as looking at the girls again.