Communism begins in the home

Our story begins in a Castle deep in the heart of The Holy Roman Empire around 1450 AD .The Duke who ruled this small country was very happily married and he had one small daughter called Snow White. There the resemblance to the story as most of you know it is finished. The belief that most people have is that Snow White got her name because of the purity of her white skin. This was not the case. As a child she was freckled if anything, and she had more than her share of acne as well. No the reason why she was given the name that she had was because she was such a spoilt and arrogant little brat that she turned the hair of her nurses and servants white with fear and frustration.

Anyway to get on with our story the first wife of the Duke died and he married for a second time. Wife number two was a quiet respectable Countess from a neighbouring county, and everyone in the country wished them long and happy years together. Everyone except for the duke's daughter that is. Snow White, who was by now a teenager, took an instant dislike to her new stepmother. The fact that, during the time that her father was a widower, he had spent more time with her and she was now beginning to feel a bit neglected did not help. The added fact that she was a malevolent little tyke probably contributed as well. Whatever the reason, the princess proceeded to do everything in her power to make the new duchess's life a misery, and to break up the marriage if at all possible.

One part of the story that has come down to us has it's basis in truth. In the Walt Disney film of Snow White we see an example of the remarkable power that the princess had over animals. In the movie the birds and animals all came together to help clean the dwarves house. That, of course, is a sanitising of the true situation. Far from encouraging instances of domestic utility, the malicious child used to goad the beasts of the forest to rampage throughout the castle, and cause as much misery as possible to the unfortunate duke and his bride. The nastiest thing was when Snow White persuaded a swarm of wasps to build a nest in the conjugal bed.

The following morning as the royal couple plastered camomile over their bodies, to try to ease the agony of the wasp stings, a decision was made. The duke confronted his daughter and told her that unless she moderated her behaviour she would be asked to leave the castle. Snow White, of course, told the duke that she would see them in Hell before one jot of her behaviour would be moderated; and then she stormed out of the castle. The lifting of the atmosphere was palpable, and the duke and his wife got back to rebuilding their almost shattered relationship.