Snow White smile faded and alarm drew over her face. She threw off the covers with a cry and ran out of the bedroom. Running downstairs to where the soup cauldron was now boiling over. She flew across the room to the fireplace. Taking the potholder from the mantle and pulling the kettle out of the fire. Lifting the lid off and letting the smell of slow simmering soup permeate the air. Snow White took the spoon and stirred the pot and brought up a spoonful of broth and blew on it to cool it for tasting.

  The dwarven brothers looked over the railing of the second floor. Seeing the supposed witches brew and realizing what it was with a deep smell.

  “Soup!” They cried, the prospect of a delicious dinner they didn’t have to cook themselves had them all in a tizzy. They stampeded down the stairs and launched at the table. Roaring into seats and fighting over the dinner rolls and roaring with laughter.

  “AHEM!”

  The dwarves turned to Snow White at the fireplace.

  “Supper’s not quite ready yet.” She said, “You’ll just have time to wash.” The dwarves looked at each other in confusion.

  “Wash?” Happy asked. “Like a dust bath? We did that this morning.”

  “I don’t think that’s what the princess means?” Doc said, confused. “I think above ground dwellers wash with water.”

  “With what?” Sleepy jolted awake at the idea. “That cold stuff?”

  “Something the matter?” Snow White asked.

  “Whu- ah.” Doc tried to think of what to say. “We-we”

  “Perhaps, you have washed?” Snow White suggested.

  “Perhaps we have…” Doc said but nodded. “Well, perhaps we have.”

  “When?” Snow White asked. Placing her hands on her hips.

  “This morning.” Doc answered. He was being honest. “You see, we primarily live underground, princess. Where it’s hot and humid all the time. So we take dust baths and are almost always covered in dirt.”

  “Oh, I see.” Snow White said. Nodding contemplatively. “But the food will get dirty.”

  “What’s wrong with eating dirt?” Grumpy snapped. Snow White looked at the ground and around, realizing more about why the cottage had been in the state it had been.

  “Well. I would appreciate it if you washed.” She said diplomatically. The dwarves looked at each other but consented.

  “Very well, uh princess. We will wash when, eh then.” Doc nodded, he led the rest of the boys out the door. All except Grumpy who watched them go with a roll of his eyes. He turned and saw Snow White smiling at him.

  “Aren’t you going too?” She asked. Her eyes big with innocence. Grumpy couldn’t look into them without feeling his resolve melting. So he crossed his arms and huffed looking away.

  “What’s the matter?” Snow White smiled, “cat got your tongue?” Grumpy turned and stuck out his tongue at her. She stood back, wondering if her joke had gone too far. He turned back and stormed to the door. Hitting the door’s edge face first. Snow White betrayed herself with a laugh but stopped when she realized he might be actually hurt.

  “Did you hurt yourself?” She asked but Grumpy huffed, turning up his nose again and storming out of the house and slamming the door behind him.

  “Pah, what a child.” He huffed, sitting up on an empty barrel and sticking a bit of straw in his mouth to chew on. He looked at his brother who drew water from the well and into a trough. They looked into the water nervously.

  “Courage, courage.” Doc said. “Don’t be nervous.”

  “It’s wet,” Happy said with a disgusted look.

  “It’s cold!” Sneezy shivered.

  “We won’t do it, right?” Bashful asked. “We’ll smell like mildew for weeks!”

  “But, it’ll please the princess.” Doc said “It’s only until our new home is ready for us to move in.”

  “Well, I’d take the chance for her.” Happy said.

  “Me too!”

  “Ugh, all of you. Beguiled by the naivety of a young girl.” Grumpy rolled his eyes and scoffed at the lot of them. “I’m warning you! You give the girl an inch and she’ll walk all over you!”

  “Don’t listen to that old warthog.” Doc rolled his eyes. “We all remember when he met his girl. He’s nothing but hot air. Grumpy glared and Doc glared back but quickly took command of his brothers again and stepped up to the head of the trough.

  “All right now.” He said. “C’mon men.”

  “How hard do you scrub?” Sneezy asked, bringing the boar's hair brush with him.

  “Will it make our whiskers shrink?” Sleepy ran his hand through his impressive beard.

  “Do you have to get in the tub?” Happy asked, leaning over the water. Looking at his reflection.

  “Do you have to wash…. Y’know… where it doesn’t show?” Bashful whispered nervously. His cheeks went red at the idea.

  “Now, now, now. Don’t get all emotional. Here we go.” Doc rolled up his sleeves and looked into the water. He was nervous but as the eldest he knew his brothers would only follow if he led them. As Grumpy liked to constantly remind him.

  “Step up to the tub. It’s no disgrace. Just pull up your sleeves and roll them in place.” Doc said, his younger brothers all rolled up their sleeves. Doc took a stiff breath. “Now stick ‘em in the water and rub your face!” He scooped up the water and scrubbed at his face while blowing a lot of bubbles.

  “Pick up the soap. Don’t try to bluff. Work up a lather and pass it along.” Doc took up a bar of soap and worked it until his hands were covered in bubbles then he handed it to Happy on his left. Who began copying Doc’s motion. “Dip your hands in the water, close your eyes and then-” He held his breath as he felt his glasses drop into the water right before he lathered up his face with the soap.

  “Douse and souse, rub and scrub. Sputter and splash all over the tub.” Doc said, spitting soap blindly before taking up more water and rinsing away the soap on his face. “You may be cold and wet when you’re done but you gotta admit it’s good clean fun.” Doc dried his hands and face on a towel and looked around at his brood. The soap bar passing around the tub and each one working up a lather and washing their hands and face.

  “Splash all you like, it ain’t any trick, as soon as you through you’ll feel mighty slick.” Doc said as he passed the towel along.

  “Buncha old nanny goats. Makes me sick.” Grumpy scoffed. Shaking his head, “Next thing you know she’ll get your beards all tied up in pretty pink ribbons and smelling you up with that…. That par-fum!”

  Happy sat up and shook like a dog, splashing water all over Doc who glared at him. Happy looked up and was startled by the angry stare. He smiled broadly and wiped some water off of Doc’s glasses, leaving smudges. Doc sighed and rolled his eyes. Taking off his glasses and dipping them in the water to clean them.

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  Dopey was the last one with both the soap and towel. He looked back and forth at them both before putting them down on the edge of the tub. He rinsed his hands and face before using the soap to wash then rinse before he dried off with the towel. Knocking the soap off the tub and who knows where.

  “What a fine buncha water lilies you lot turned out to be.” Grumpy continued his heckling but this time it caught Doc’s attention and ire. He put his glasses on and looked at his brother. “I’d like to see anybody make me wash if’n I didn’t wanna.” Doc gave a whistle and brought the rest of his brothers in. Huddling together and whispering. Chuckling and occasionally throwing sneaky looks toward Grumpy. Doc cleared his throat and straightened out his shirt. He led his brothers whistling in an aimless amble back toward the house. They made for the back door but right at the door they took a turn and wandered around the barrel that Grumpy was sitting on. He watched them all with indifference until all his brothers stopped moving and stood around him. Surrounding him.

  “Get him.” Doc said lightly. The epiphany hit Grumpy a second before his brothers dogpiled him. The fight was one sided. Grumpy thrashed as much as he could but he was easily overwhelmed by his brothers. Grabbing every limb and half carrying, half dragging him away. Doc kept a hold of his shoulders. Directing them all towards the tub in a frenzy of yelling over the noise of Grumpy’s own yells. With a combined effort, Grumpy was heaved over head and face first into the tub.

  The brothers quickly circled the tub to keep Grumpy from escaping. A wayward kick sent Dopey tumbling into Doc. Knocking them both to the ground. Doc looked up surprised then down at Dopey who smiled.

  “Get the soap.” Doc said before throwing the youngest out of his lap and running to help wash Grumpy who still protested. Dopey ran after the soap which had slid a few feet away. He ran but didn’t stop before sliding in the mud and getting filthy. He lunged for the soap, the soap slid and so did he. Face first through the mud, he looked up and wiped off the mud from his face.

  “Now scrub good and hard, it can’t be denied. He’ll look mighty cute as soon as he’s dried.” Doc said, grabbed the boar’s hair brush and tossed it to Sneezy who began scrubbing at Grumpy’s face. Bashful took the brush and scrubbed a little more gently.

  “It’s good for the soul and it’s good for the hide!” The dwarves cried before rinsing him in the soapy water. The picked up the bubbles and washed his face and hands.

  Meanwhile Dopey was chasing the soap bar which was just as filthy as he was. He ran and grabbed the soap and it slipped out of his hands with a pop and a rush of bubbles. Dopey slipped in the mud to catch it but it slipped again with another pop and more bubbles.

  “Ain’t he sweet?” Bashful said as he finished scrubbing Grumpy’s teeth.

  “Sure is cute!” Happy laughed as he threw a haphazard bouquet of wildflowers over him.

  “He smells like a petunia!” Sneezy laughed before turning and sneezing into his elbow.

  “W-well I-” Doc paused as he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to see Dopey covered in mud from head to toe, holding a bar of soap. The flurry of movement stopped. Grumpy pulled himself up but even his protests stopped at the sight of Dopey.

  “Thank you.” Doc said as Dopey placed the dirty soap into his hand.

  “What happened to you?!” Happy said finally, unable to hold back his laughter. Leading to the rest of the brothers to start laughing. Grumpy got out of the tub. Trying to not laugh, his cheeks turned red with the effort.

  “You lot wasted good time on me when we shoulda been washing him!” He said, betraying a braying laugh as he pointed to Dopey. Dopey smiled goodnaturedly and went to the tub to wash off.

  “Supper!” They heard Snow White call. Following by the clanging of the cauldron.

  (*)“Supper? Food! Hooray!” Yelled all the men and they hustled back inside. All but Dopey and Grumpy. Dopey still washing and Grumpy still drying. Dopey looked up and Grumpy scoffed.

  “C’mon then, let’s getcha clean.” Grumpy said, walking around the tub. By the time they got inside, Snow White had filled a small serving bowl with the stew and was ladeling it into the bowls at every table setting.

  “There you two are,” she greeted them joyfully. “I was beginning to worry.” Dopey skips up in to his seat and Grumpy hopped into his at the end of the table. Snow White came around and filled their bowls with the hot vegetable stew.

  “This is a real treat!” Doc said. Rubbing his hands together before grabbing a few dinner rolls. All the brothers, minus Grumpy, all chorused their agreement. Snow White laughed.

  “I’m happy to hear it!” She said as she filled her own bowl. Then she looked at the full dining room table. She looked about before lifting her skirt out of her way as she sat on the floor. The dwarves watched her then looked around at their own seats. Bashful moved first. Picking up his bowl and spoon and moving to the ground with her.

  “Oh, you needn't do that, I’m fine here.” Snow White said.

  “A-and so are we, my dear.” Doc said as he and Happy both came to sit with her. Followed by Sneezy and Sleepy. Dopey ran over, spilling his broth a bit as he did.

  “Besides, we’re mountain dwellers. We live surrounded by stone. This wood’s all soft for us.” Happy said, jovial as always.

  “Is that so?” Snow White said. “May I ask what brought you to this kingdom?”

  “Yes you hay, eh, say, er”

  “It got crowded.” Sleepy interrupted Doc’s stutter.

  “Couldn’t cover your nose.” Sneezy said before sneezing into his elbow.

  “Couldn’t swing a pick.” Bashful agreed.

  “It was packed tighter than a tin’o sardines!” Grumpy snapped. Still sitting at the table.

  “I see,” Snow White nodded.

  “A-a-and so we found your lovely. Eh, mountain range and got to work making our new home.” Doc said, pausing to make sure his words came out right.

  “And when it’s finished, we’ll send for our girls to come join us.” Bashful said. His face growing red.

  “Your girls?” Snow White said then realized what they meant. “Oh that sounds so wonderful. You must be awfully lonely without them.”

  “It’s never lonely with family.” Happy laughed, the brothers all scooting together. “We’re all brothers.”

  “What a family!” Snow White said. They all laughed. The dwarves set about eating their supper. Taking large bites and slurping their soup loudly. Snow White’s jaw dropped.

  “Oh.” She said appalled by the table manners.

  “Is something wrong?” Doc asked.

  “Your manners are-”

  “Manner’s nothing!” Grumpy snapped. “We’re dwarves. We ain’t hoity-toity humans. With your pinkies out and your slow and steady.”

  “Wha-what he means, my dear.” Doc said. “Is that we slurp because in our custom, it is a compliment. The less you talk and more you slurp and stuff your gob, the bigger the compliments to the cook.”

  “You should try it!” Happy said.

  “Yeah!”

  “We washed up!”

  “Now your turn!”

  Snow White looked at all the dwarves and then her soup. She felt it was against everything she’d ever learned but as a princess she knew it was her duty to accept and participate in foreign custom and tradition.

  “All right.” She said and raised her spoon to her rose red lips. She slurped her soup and immediately covered her mouth in surprise that she’d gone through with it. But she quickly let out a giggle. The dwarves all cheered before handing her a roll.

  “Now take the biggest bite you can manage!” Sneezy said, “Use your teeth to tear,”

  “Firmly hold it.” Happy directed.

  “Don’t forget to use your neck for leverage.” Sleepy reminded. Snow White held the roll but feeling much more at home. Did her best. Cramming the buttered roll into her mouth and ripping it in half.

  “Don’t choke!” Doc warned. “Chew thoroughly!”

  “Should we have cut it in half?”

  “Does anyone know how to help choking?”

  “How do you revive someone not breathing!?”

  “Careful!”

  Snow White swallowed the roll with a cough. She wasn’t used to eating this way.

  “I’m all right,” Snow White said. She smiled and felt her eyes water. Looking at all the faces, worried, weather worn. It all reminded her.

  “What’s wrong?” Happy asked.

  “Was it the roll?”

  “We should have cut it in half.”

  “We should have buttered it better.”

  “Maybe she don’t like rolls.”

  “No, it’s not that.” Snow White quieted them all. “I guess I’m just reminded of my father is all. He was so good to me. To the kingdom. I know he’d love you all too.”

  “Well- well.” Doc said. “We.. we. uh.”

  “We’re happy!” Bashful interrupted. “You’re like one of our own.”

  “Yeah, and we love ya like it too!” Sneezy agreed,

  “We hope we can. Not not not replace, never.” Doc said sternly. “But be a suitable family too.” Snow White felt a few tears fall down her cheeks. It was tension off her shoulders suddenly. The cottage was barley the size of one room in the smallest broom closet of the castle. But it was much warmer, much lighter, much happier.

  “Thank you all.” She said, more tears beginning to fall. “It’s been a lot harder than I thought it had,”

  “It’s okay now.” Happy said. He put his bowl down and went to hold her.

  “Yeah Snow White. You’re safe here.” Bashful moved to hold her hand.

  “We won't hurtcha.” Sneezy sat nearby, close enough to pat her knee but far enough away to sneeze away from her when he had to.

  “And no one else will while yer here neither.” Grumpy said.

  “Thank you all. I’m happy. Really I am.” Snow White said drying her eyes with a napkin.

  “We’re here and it’s all tight-sight-flight- Okay.” Doc stuttered, standing so he could brush her ebony curls soothingly. Snow White smiled and dried her eyes. Feeling well and truly loved for the first time in quite a while.