Finally, some writing inspiration. And, yes, I realize that the chances of this inspiration disappearing in a demoralizing cloud of smoke are almost guaranteed because I'm bringing it to light too early here. But I'll take my chances; superstitious or not, I couldn't possibly write any less than I've been writing.
The other night, Lea chose Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (just once I want to see it as "dwarves." I've never seen it as "dwarves.") as her bedtime story--the very cool, highly graphic (as in the artwork) Laura Ljungkvist version. After we finished reading I turned out the lights, turned on the noisemaker and, as often happens, I started to fall asleep, too. In those weird moments between waking and sleeping, my brain latched onto the character of the huntsman. His actions are essential to the story, yet he never takes up more than a few lines in any telling I've read. It's basically always as the 1898 version has it:
...one day the Queen called a huntsman and said "Take the child away into the woods and kill her, for I can no longer bear the sight of her. And when you return bring with you her heart, that I may know you have obeyed my will."
The huntsman dared not disobey, so he led Snow White out into the woods and placed an arrow in his bow to pierce her innocent heart, but the little maid begged him to spare her life, and the child's beauty touched his heart with pity, so that he bade her run away.
You never hear about him again. So I've just been thinking...what's his story anyways?
No comments:
Post a Comment