(derailed fairy tale)

Emily had always found something unsettling about the traditional Snow White story. Curled up in her favorite reading nook, surrounded by worn cushions and the warm glow of her bedside lamp, she pondered why the princess needed to wait for a prince to save her. Her fingers traced the colorful illustrations in her leather-bound fairy tale book as her eyelids grew heavy.

The room began to spin, colors blending like watercolors in the rain. When Emily opened her eyes, she found herself standing in a forest clearing, where shadows danced between ancient trees and mushrooms glowed with an otherworldly light. Her modern jeans and t-shirt stood in stark contrast to the medieval setting around her.

“Oh great, another visitor has come to gawk at the sleeping princess,” a gruff voice said. Emily turned to find a dwarf – Grumpy, she presumed – staring at her with arms crossed.

“Actually,” Emily replied, straightening her shoulders, “I’m here to help Snow White. And I don’t plan on kissing her.”

The dwarf raised a bushy eyebrow. “No? Then what’s your grand plan, missy?”

Emily remembered her first aid training from summer camp. “The apple probably blocked her airway. We need to perform the Heimlich maneuver.”

“The what-lich maneuver?” Grumpy asked, but Emily was already sprinting toward the glass coffin where Snow White lay.

With the help of the dwarfs, she carefully lifted the glass lid. Snow White lay there, splendid and still, but Emily noticed something the stories never mentioned – the princess’s lips had a slight blue tinge. Emily knew she had to act fast.

“Help me get her upright,” she instructed. The dwarfs, though confused, followed her lead. Emily positioned herself behind Snow White and performed the Heimlich maneuver. One thrust, two thrusts, three—

Suddenly, Snow White jerked forward, coughing violently. A piece of apple flew from her mouth, landing in the forest grass. Color flooded back into her cheeks as she took deep, grateful breaths.

“Thank you,” Snow White gasped, turning to face her rescuer. “But… you’re not a prince.”

Emily grinned. “No, I’m not. Just a girl who paid attention in first aid class.”

Snow White laughed, a sound like silver bells. “Perhaps it’s time we rewrite some of these old stories. Would you like to stay for dinner? The dwarfs make excellent soup.”

As they walked toward the cottage, Emily noticed her fairy tale book lying in the grass. She picked it up, surprised to see the illustrations changing before her eyes. Now, instead of a prince’s kiss, the pages showed a young girl in modern clothes, teaching seven dwarfs about emergency first aid.

The last page read: “And so Snow White learned that bravery and wisdom come in all forms, and that sometimes the best heroes are the ones who think differently.”

When Emily awoke in her reading nook, she found her fairy tale book open on her lap. The story of Snow White now had a different ending – one about a clever girl who knew that you don’t need magic or royalty to save the day, just knowledge and courage.