Liebenstein, August 2, 1696

From Talia to Snow White

Snow White, my dearest friend:

I have just received news that you ran away from Weitenburg. You left with no luggage. Fled like a mad women. You ran away and entered the Black Forest. Then you spent the night in the woods and woke up in a cabin surrounded by grown-up men. Plebeian, strong, sweaty, bearded and rude coal-mine workers. And then, instead of crying for help, you talked to these men. And now you live with them and will never go home again. And your mom is offering a fortune for your head. But you don't even care because these men protect you. Is this true, Snow?

The message boy entered the kitchen yelling, and I quote: "Snow White left Weitenburg! Her Majesty offers gold for Snow White's head!" The more he yelled, the more our servants asked for details. They fed the boy and gave him something to drink and he went on saying a whole bunch of absurd things. And the more he spoke, more people gathered around him. All of the castle's servants came running to see what the fuss was about. Every now and then the boy would mention the gold. She is offering a lot of money. Bags of gold. They say the reward for your head is the person's weight converted into gold. Your Majesty will weight the person who brings her your head. That is: she will weight the person without the weight of your head. The person will be weighted with the head that belongs to her. Your head doesn't count. Then, the person's weight, with head, is converted into bars of gold. This is what the boy said, but he didn't explain furthermore because the servants left at once. I reckon they went after you. The kitchen is empty now. I caught up with the boy and made him speak more. He said that additional information would be charged. For a handful of golden coins I got your address. Than, he said that these large and rude mineworkers you are living with bring you necklaces and ornaments at the end of the work day. He said there are around seven or nine of them. He said that and became mute. So I offered him an old gold bracelet and he got into details. He said they sleep together in the same bedroom and that you cook for them! You cook pies and sheep! And also, while they eat, you sing and dance for them. And before they go to bed you tell them bed-time stories. And in the morning, when they wake up, the breakfast table is already set with scrambled eggs and fresh baked cakes. Their clothes are clean and their lunch is ready to go! And that yesterday you spent the day sewing buttons on their shirts and mending their pants and, as if that wasn't enough, you cleaned their stinky dirty boots. And all of this is done with such delicacy that the men are falling in love with you and they are fighting over you. But you pretend you don't notice and play games with them, as a way of keeping a harmonious home. And also, that you call them "little husbies". The boy said he could find out more, if that were my wish. I declined. I prefer hearing from you. Annette must write soon. If all this is true, she is sure to know.

Snow, now that you live in the Forest, presuming all this is true, you must be extremely careful with magic creatures. They live there. The Black Forest is full of magic beings. Some are fantastic as well. Magic and fantastic - these are specially dangerous. They can lead a person to madness and don't do us any good. Fairies, above all, must be ignored. If you hear a fairy buzzing in your ear, close all windows and protect yourself with a broom. The only way to knock them down is hitting them on the head. We mustn't believe fairies. Annette said that in Munich people don't believe they exist. Even if they find themselves face to face with an unicorn, even then, they won't accept it. They consider this type of creatures delirium of mad princesses and if you mention this kind of subject they will laugh at you and call you ignorant. This is why I no longer believe. Soon I will be emancipated and I don't want to be taken as a nutcase. Not me. I will act normal. If a fairy lands on my nose I don't overreact. I don't even loose my self control. I just slap it away and don't make much of it.

Please write soon.

Waiting anxiously,

Talia