Once upon a time, in a little cottage by the forest, lived two sisters named Snow-White and Rose-Red. Snow-White was calm and gentle, while Rose-Red was lively and curious. Though they were opposites in many ways, they loved each other dearly and always looked after one another. Their mother often said, "You two are like sunshine and snowflakes—different, but both wonderful." And so, they spent their days playing in the meadow, helping their mother, and making friends with animals.

One chilly winter evening, as snowflakes sparkled outside, there was a knock at their door. "Brrr, who could it be?" Rose-Red wondered aloud as she rushed to open it. Standing there was a bear—a big, shaggy bear with frost on his fur! Snow-White gasped and hid behind her sister, but the bear spoke in a deep but friendly voice. "Don’t be afraid! I won’t hurt you. I’m just cold and in need of shelter. May I rest here by the fire?"

The sisters hesitated, but their mother, who was wise and kind, nodded. "Of course, come in." The bear lumbered inside, shook off the snow, and stretched out near the warm fireplace. It wasn’t long before Snow-White and Rose-Red realized how delightful he was. He told funny stories about the forest, shared riddles, and even let them braid the fur around his ears. That bear wasn’t scary at all—he was practically part of the family now!

Winter turned to spring, and the bear said he must leave. "I have important work to do in the forest," he explained. "But I’ll never forget your kindness." The sisters waved goodbye, wondering what kind of work a bear could possibly have.

One sunny day, while picking berries, the girls came across a very grumpy dwarf tangled in the roots of a tree. He had a long, scraggly beard and was shouting, "Help me, you silly humans! My beard is stuck!" Rose-Red giggled, but Snow-White said, "Let’s help him." They gently freed the dwarf, but instead of thanking them, he grumbled, "You two are clumsy! You could’ve ripped my beard!" Then he snatched a bag of gold hidden nearby and stomped away. The sisters looked at each other and shrugged, deciding that some folks were just cranky.

Later, they ran into the dwarf again, and every time he was in some sort of ridiculous trouble—his hat stuck in a thorn bush, his shoes filled with mud, or his bag of jewels nearly stolen by a bird! Snow-White and Rose-Red always helped him out, but the grumpy dwarf never said thank you.

One day, as the sisters were walking by the river, they heard the dwarf shrieking. A large bear was chasing him! "Save me! Save me!" the dwarf cried, dropping his bag of treasures as he fled. But before Snow-White and Rose-Red could do anything, the bear gently swatted the dwarf away, who scurried off and was never seen again.

The bear turned to the sisters, and to their surprise, something magical happened—his shaggy fur shimmered and transformed into sparkling clothes. He wasn’t a bear at all! He was a prince! "The dwarf bewitched me and stole my treasures," the prince explained. "But thanks to your kindness, I’m free again!"

Snow-White and Rose-Red were amazed. The prince invited them and their mother to his castle, where they all lived happily ever after.

And whenever the sisters told the story, they ended it with this: "Kindness always brings magic into your life, even if you don’t know it at first."