Snow White in the City

Shanon Lyon, Illustrated by Cate Kennedy

In the busy city of Cedar Grove, there lived a pretty little girl named Snow White. She had curls the color of midnight, skin as white as snow, and ruby red lips that shimmered like gems. She was also very, very nice. She was so nice; she even stopped traffic for the sewer rats to cross the street. Everyone in town loved Snow.Everyone except Snow’s wicked stepmother, Gretta. Gretta was the opposite of Snow. She was mean to everyone. But Gretta wasn’t always so wicked. Once upon a time, she was actually quite nice. But when she lost the town’s Miss Charming pageant years ago, she decided that being mean was easier. One day, Snow came home with a flyer for the very same Miss Charming pageant. “Look!” said Snow, waving it in the air “Do you think I could win?” “I don’t see why not,” said her father. “You certainly are the most charming person I know!” “Don’t be silly,” laughed Gretta. “You might be nice, but there are plenty of others who are even nicer and prettier than you.” That night, Gretta tossed and turned, haunted by visions of Snow White winning the Miss Charming crown. She sneaked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the nicest of them all?” she asked. Gasp! Gretta was shocked. “We’ll just see about that!” she yelled. “Why Snow White, of course, is the nice one in town, and she’s sure to win the Miss Charming Crown.”