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'Tell me, glass, tell me true! Of all the ladies in the land, Who

is fairest, tell me, who?'

And the glass had always answered:

'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all the land.'

But Snowdrop grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven

years old she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen

herself. Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went

to look in it as usual:

'Thou, queen, art fair, and beauteous to see, But Snowdrop is

lovelier far than thee!'