Once upon a time, a poor widow lived alone in a small cottage near a garden where two rosebushes grew. One bush produced white roses and the other red roses. She had two daughters who were as lovely as the flowers in her garden, so she named them Snow White and Rose Red.
The two sisters were cheerful, hardworking, and remarkably kind. Snow White was gentle and calm, while Rose Red was lively and loved to run across the meadows, picking flowers and chasing butterflies. Snow White preferred staying home to help her mother and read stories to her. The sisters loved each other deeply. Snow White would say that they never wanted to be apart, and Rose Red always agreed that they wished to stay together for life. Their mother reminded them to share everything they had, which made them even more caring.
The sisters often wandered into the forest to pick berries. The forest animals trusted them completely. Rabbits nibbled cabbage leaves from their hands, deer grazed nearby, and birds perched on branches to sing for them. When they stayed out until evening, they would fall asleep on soft moss, and their mother never worried. One morning, after spending the night in the forest, they awoke to see a beautiful boy dressed in white sitting beside them. He smiled lovingly and disappeared into the woods. Only then did the sisters notice they had been sleeping dangerously close to a cliff. Their mother believed that a guardian angel had protected her good children.
At home, Snow White and Rose Red kept everything tidy and bright. In summer, Rose Red arranged fresh flowers every morning and placed a vase with one white and one red rose by their mother’s bed. In winter, Snow White lit the fire and polished the brass kettle until it shone like gold. In the evening, the family gathered by the fireplace. Their mother read stories aloud while the girls spun thread. A lamb lay by their feet, and a white dove slept nearby.
One cold night, as they were reading together, there came a loud knock at the door. Thinking it was a traveler seeking shelter, the mother told Rose Red to open it. To her shock, a large black bear poked its head through the doorway. Rose Red screamed, the lamb bleated, the dove fluttered, and Snow White hid behind her mother. But the bear spoke kindly and told them he only wanted to warm himself because he was freezing. The mother felt pity and invited him inside. Soon, the girls realized the bear was gentle, and even the animals grew comfortable around him.
The bear asked them to brush off the snow clinging to his fur, so they did. Once the warmth of the fire reached him, he stretched out contentedly. Before long, Snow White and Rose Red were playing with him. They tugged his fur, climbed onto his back, and teased him as he rolled from side to side. Whenever they got too rough, he warned them in a friendly voice not to hurt their dear companion. At bedtime, the mother let the bear sleep by the fire, and at dawn he left, leaving deep tracks in the snow. From that night onward, the bear returned every evening. It soon became a family habit to wait for him before locking the door.
When spring arrived and the forest turned green again, the bear told Snow White that he had to leave. She asked where he was going, and he explained that he must protect his treasure from wicked dwarfs. During winter, the ground was frozen and the dwarfs could not reach the surface, but when the spring sun softened the earth, they would come out and try to steal his riches. The bear warned that anything stolen by dwarfs was nearly impossible to recover. Snow White was saddened by his departure. As he slipped out the door, his fur caught on the latch and tore slightly, revealing a glimmer of gold beneath. Snow White noticed it but did not understand what it meant.
Not long after, their mother sent the girls into the forest to gather firewood. They found a fallen tree and noticed something jumping near it. When they approached, they discovered a dwarf whose long white beard had become wedged in the crack of the trunk. He was furious and demanded they help him immediately. The girls tried gently, but the beard was stuck too tightly. When they suggested fetching help, the dwarf angrily refused. Snow White finally pulled out her scissors and cut a small piece of the beard to free him. Instead of thanking them, he shouted that they had ruined his proud beard and stormed away carrying a bag of gold.
Later, the sisters went to the river to fish and saw the same dwarf struggling again. His beard had tangled in his fishing line, and a large fish was pulling him into the water. The girls rushed to help, but the line was too tight, so they cut another piece of the beard. The dwarf screamed at them for ruining his appearance and ran off with a bag of pearls.
Another day, while running an errand for their mother, the sisters saw a giant eagle swooping down to snatch the dwarf. They grabbed him and pulled hard until the eagle gave up. Once again he showed no gratitude, complaining that they had torn his clothes.
As the girls continued home across the open field, they saw the dwarf again. This time he was pouring out his precious jewels under the sun. Suddenly he froze in terror. A huge black bear was approaching from behind, moving silently. It was the same bear who had visited their home all winter. The dwarf screamed, begging the girls to save him, even offering his jewels. But the bear reached him before they could react. Trembling with fear, the dwarf accused the girls of bringing the bear upon him. In that moment, the bear struck him aside with a single blow, ending his deceit once and for all.
Before the sisters could run, the bear’s fur began to fall away, revealing a handsome young prince dressed in gold. He told them that the dwarf had placed an enchantment on him, forcing him to live as a bear until the dwarf was defeated. Snow White and Rose Red were overjoyed to see their friend restored to his true form.
The prince soon invited Snow White to his palace, and his brother married Rose Red. Their mother moved in with them and lived in happiness for many years. In the palace garden, the two rosebushes continued to bloom, producing one white rose and one red rose each season, just as they had by the cottage long ago.