A poor widow lived in a small cottage with a garden. In the garden were two rose trees: one with white roses and one with red. She had two daughters named Snow-white and Rose-red. They were the best children in the world. Snow-white was quiet and gentle, while Rose-red loved to run in the fields.
They loved each other so much that they always held hands. They often went into the forest alone, but the animals never hurt them. Even when they stayed out late and slept on the moss, they were safe. Their mother said an angel watched over them.
One winter evening, as they sat by the fire, there was a knock at the door. "Quick, Rose-red," said the mother. "It must be a traveler."
When Rose-red opened the door, a huge black bear pushed his head inside. The girls were frightened, but the bear said, "Do not be afraid. I am freezing. I only want to warm myself."
"Poor bear," said the mother. "Lie down by the fire."
The girls soon became friends with the bear. They brushed the snow off his coat and played games with him. Every night that winter, the bear came to the cottage. But when spring arrived, the bear said, "I must go away now. I have to guard my treasure from the wicked dwarfs."
Snow-white was sad to see him go. As the bear pushed through the door, a piece of his fur got caught, and Snow-white thought she saw gold shining underneath it.
A few days later, the girls went into the forest to collect wood. They found a large tree on the ground. Near it, a dwarf with a very long, white beard was jumping around. His beard was caught in a crack in the tree.
"Why are you standing there?" the dwarf screamed. "Help me!"
The girls tried to pull the beard out, but it was stuck. Finally, Snow-white took her scissors and cut off the end of the beard. Instead of saying thank you, the dwarf grabbed a bag of gold from the tree roots and shouted, "You clumsy girls! You cut off my beautiful beard!" Then he went off into the forest.
A few weeks later, the girls went fishing. They saw the dwarf again. This time, his beard was tangled in his fishing line, and a large fish was pulling him into the water. The girls saved him, but they had to cut a bit more of his beard to free him. Again, the dwarf was angry. "You have ruined my face!" he screamed. He grabbed a bag of pearls and disappeared.
Soon after, the mother sent the girls to town. On their way, they saw a large eagle fly down and grab the dwarf. The girls ran to help and pulled the dwarf until the eagle let him go. The dwarf yelled, "You tore my coat! You are so clumsy!" Then he picked up a sack of jewels and hid under a rock.
On their way home, the girls saw the dwarf again. He was looking at his precious stones, which sparkled in the sun. Suddenly, a black bear ran out of the forest. The dwarf was terrified. "Dear Mr. Bear," he cried, "please don't eat me! Eat those two girls instead!"
The bear did not listen. With one blow of his paw, he killed the wicked dwarf. The girls started to run, but the bear called out, "Snow-white! Rose-red! It is me!"
They recognized his voice. Suddenly, his bearskin fell off, and he became a handsome prince dressed in gold. "I was cursed by that dwarf," he explained. "He stole my treasure and turned me into a bear. Now that he is dead, the spell is broken."
Snow-white married the prince, and Rose-red married his brother. They lived happily with their mother and their two rose trees for many years.