The Huntsman
helper · human
Given an order he cannot carry out, and walks an hour into the forest before admitting it to himself.
What they are like
- Kind
- 9/10
- Brave
- 8/10
- Clever
- 6/10
- Honest
- 4/10
- Curious
- 3/10
- Patient
- 6/10
How we meet them
Receiving an order in one sentence. We do not see him agree to it, which is deliberate.
Personality
Decent and frightened, in that order. He does the right thing and then has to go back and lie about it to a woman who can have him killed.
What they want
He gets an hour into the wood and finds he simply cannot.
How they change
Disobeys the most dangerous person in the country, tells her a lie to her face, and is never mentioned again.
How they speak
Almost nothing. Three lines in the whole story, and one of them is 'I don't know.'
How the story treats them
The story gives him no reward and no recognition. He takes an enormous risk for a girl he barely knows and simply goes home.
One surprising thing
In the Grimms' version the Queen asks him to bring back Snow White's lungs and liver, and she eats what he brings instead. Almost every modern retelling drops this, and so have we.
If they were real today
He would be the employee who quietly does not carry out the instruction and never tells anyone.
Things they say
- “Run. Go on. Run and don't come back this way.”
- “I don't know. But not back.”
Key moments
An hour in, he stops
He walks her out past the last of the fields and about an hour into the deep wood, and then simply cannot go any further.
“Run. Go on. Run and don't come back this way.”
Who they know
Snow Whiterescuer
He is sent to get rid of her and instead tells her to run, then goes home and lies about it.
Characters like The Huntsman
Personalised stories are coming soon
A brand new story with your child as the main character, illustrated on every page. We are not taking orders yet. Join the waitlist and we will email you when it opens.