The Return of the Evil Queen

Five long years had passed since the Prince had found Snow White in her glass coffin and had woken her up with his kiss. Snow White and the Prince lived beyond the forest in a castle sitting on a hill. They had two daughters who were twin copies of Snow White, Ebony, and Snow. The seven little dwarfs had remained lifelong friends and were often seen at the castle. Sometimes they took Ebony and Snow to their cottage in the woods where the girls enjoyed playing house. They loved their uncles and in turn their uncles watched them carefully. No more danger toward anyone was suspected but the dwarfs still worried about how quickly the Evil Queen had disappeared.

Of all the dwarfs Ebony and Snow loved Dopey the best because he always enjoyed playing games with them and made them laugh. One dark and stormy night, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. It was on nights like these that the seven dwarfs remembered how they had chased the Evil Queen through a storm and had seen her fall from the cliff to her death. Far down below in the gulley frozen in time lay the Evil Queen. Time had not changed her, she looked just the same as when she had tumbled from the cliff.

Suddenly a giant lightning bolt struck, sending sparks high into the air and she opened her eyes. For a moment the Evil Queen seemed confused and then everything came back to her in a flash. Still, in the guise of the old hag, she rose up out of her grave. Remembering it all like it had just happened yesterday she was eager to find the place where Snow White lay. She was sure the grave must be near the cottage of the seven dwarfs. Stumbling she pulled herself up the cliff and reached the top, she cackled with glee and hurried forward.

To her surprise, no grave was to be found. Reaching the clearing she saw the dwarfs' cottage. Peering in the window she saw the seven little men were there. Surely they no longer remembered her. She'd be just an old woman passing by and she rapped upon the cottage door. It was Dopey who opened the door and stared at her in amazement. She looked so much like an old witch that it scared him. Grumpy shoved him aside and inquired what the old woman wanted. Memories stirring within, Doc stepped up to the door. At that moment a ray of sun lit up a framed photo on their mantle. The evil queen saw the photo and in it were Snow White, her Prince, and two little girls.

Realizing that Snow White had lived, without another word the Evil Queen turned about and rushed off into the forest. It was then that the seven dwarfs realized what had happened and knew another fight with the Evil Queen would be upon them. She rushed to her crumbling castle discovering that everything had changed. It appeared she was no longer welcome there. In her guise of the old hag, she pounded on the door. A servant opened the door and got quite a fright seeing an old witch standing there. Before the Evil Queen could utter a word he inquired what she wanted of the King and his Queen.

The King had remarried and she backed away, feeling uneasy while the servant slammed the door shut. Evil glinted in her eyes and she rushed around to the side of the castle. There hidden away all these years was the door to her laboratory deep down underneath the castle. Tearing at brambles and brush, not caring that she was getting scratched the Evil Queen uncovered the oak door. With inhuman strength, she yanked it open and years of darkness poured out. There were huge cobwebs, spiders, and rats as she hurried down the steep stairs. With only a thin stream of light coming from two windows at ground level she saw with pleasure that nothing had been destroyed or disturbed. Her laboratory had been shut off from the rest of the castle and the shelves were still filled with her potions and powders. She dusted off her large book of magic spells which to her displeasure she saw had provided the rats with food. They had chewed along the sides, but it appeared that the pages were still intact and the Evil Queen was eager to banish the hag's guise and return to all her full evil beauty.

Meanwhile, the seven dwarfs were hurrying up the hill to the castle where Snow White lived. They had to warn her that the Evil Queen was alive. Ebony and Snow were playing in the garden and the seven little men knocked upon the castle door. The housekeeper was delighted to see them as they dashed into the Great Hall. At first Snow White smiled after seeing them and then fear overcame her. The dwarfs looked so serious and glum. The Prince had gone off hunting and except for the children she was all alone. When she heard that a lightning bolt had released the Evil Queen from the frozen gulley Snow White was very much afraid. The seven dwarfs stayed with her to await the return of the Prince.

In the meantime, the Evil Queen had lit some candles and was preparing to concoct a potion consulting her old spell book. It was then that her faithful raven came flying in and landed upon her shoulder. He cawed with delight that his mistress had returned at long last. She shooed him away and knowing that magic was afoot he found the old skull in which he had once hidden. Sending spiders and rats scurrying about he crouched in the skull and peered out. The Evil Queen got her potion brewing and when a puff of smoke wafted in the air she drank it down fast. The raven cawed in feat but much to both of their surprise the Evil Queen remained an old hag. In great rage and anger, she searched through her book of spells.

The Prince returned and when Snow White told him what had occurred he left the seven dwarfs to watch over his family. He jumped upon his horse and rode off the see the King. The King was very much taken aback learning that the Evil Queen had been awakened. She had been just frozen in time, not in death. Both the King and the Prince knew it would be a great disaster if the Evil Queen discovered her Magic Mirror which had been shuttered away down in the laboratory. But by now quite in despair and anger, the Evil Queen looked about her. Her eyes narrowed and she saw something tall and covered by a white cloth. It was rippling underneath. The Magic Mirror sensing her presence was waking up. She pulled off the sheet and the eyes of the mirror opened. With sarcastic politeness, the Magic Mirror said, “Oh, evil one you have returned”.

The Evil Queen waved a hand through the air informing the Magic Mirror she had to regain her regal splendor. Oh, how he didn't want to help but he knew she had regained her powers so he had to obey. It wouldn't do him any good having survived all these years to be shattered now. With a sigh, he informed her of the fresh herbs she would need, and the Evil Queen with the raven upon her shoulder rushed out of the laboratory and into the forest. When the Prince and the King discovered the laboratory was open they knew the Evil Queen was somewhere nearby. The Magic Mirror informed them of the impending danger to everyone, especially Snow White and her daughters. So the Prince and the King decided to return to Snow White and wait there for the Evil Queen. They left guards at the laboratory to keep her from her spells knowing that her rage would be so great that she would fairly fly to the Prince's castle.

But the Evil Queen wasn't about to let her plans fail. She had found the herbs she needed and returned to the laboratory. When the guards barred her way she simply reached into her cloak and blew some sleeping dust at them. They fell asleep quickly right at the foot of the stairs. Then the Evil Queen concocted her potion and drank it down. She fell in a great puff of smoke, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The raven cawed in fright and the Magic Mirror winced. When he dared open his eyes he saw the Evil Queen rising up off the floor. The years had taken their toll and even though she was no longer an old hag her face was pale and want. Her once dark hair was streaked with gray and her eyes reflected the hardships of the years. So angry was she that she shook from head to toe. Muttering to herself she made up another potion that would poison them all. Then she could reign over the kingdom and the forest and evil would have its chance.

The Evil Queen laughed long and hard and it was then that the Magic Mirror remembered the powers he had. After she had concocted her poison and left with the raven heading for the Prince's castle the mirror gathered all his strength. He tele-transported himself to Snow White's Great Hall. Everyone was greatly surprised to see the Magic Mirror appear. He informed them of the Evil Queen's intent and informed them that he had the power to destroy her. They hid him in the back of the hall and waited for the queen to appear. It wasn't long when a banging sounded upon the door and two guards led her into the Great Hall. The seven dwarfs were out in the garden with Ebony and Snow but they climbed upon the window sill to peer in. Before the Evil Queen could spew out the poison the Magic Mirror made himself known. It was as expected so surprised she was and totally unprepared for this attack. Then the mirror sent out a bolt of lightning and with all the power he could muster it struck the Evil Queen and she disintegrated into a pile of ashes. There was much shouting and cheering and that night they all danced and feasted. So glad that the Evil Queen was finally gone forever the Magic Mirror got a place of honor in the Great Hall where he could spend his time watching Ebony and Snow grow in beauty and grace. The raven who had never been evil and had been rather scared of his mistress became a pet for the little princesses.

The seven dwarfs swept up the ashes that were all that was left of the Evil Queen and took them underground and spread them about in their diamond mine. One year after the demise of the queen the dwarfs were working in their mine when all the lights went off pitching them in total darkness. They clung to one another wondering what to do when suddenly all the diamonds in the walls and in the carts started shining brightly and sparkled. The unmistakable sound of the Evil Queen's laughter echoed through the mine.