As soon as I heard the story of Snow White and Rose Red for the first time, I loved it. Grimms' fairy tales are known where I'm from to be a little dark, but Snow White and Rose Red isn't very dark at all. It's sort of innocent and I like that about it (not that I'm not a fan of Grimms' other tales.) It falls out of the norm and the ending feels justified, it didn't seem too far or not far enough as Grimms' fairy tale's are concerned. I also loved the idea of how Snow White and Rose Red were described. I loved the sisterly bond they had and how loyal they were to their mother, it was something I could relate to and admire. 

There were two things about the original story that were unsatisfying to me, however. In the original story as the Grimm brothers are establishing what good little daughters/sisters Snow White and Rose Red are, the girls fell asleep in the forest after playing and awoke in the morning to a beautiful boy in white. When the girls told their mother their mother told them that the boy was a guardian angel that watches over and protects good little children. It was never brought up again. This was something that happened in fairy tales a lot, where angels were mentioned once or twice as being there and then they were never mentioned again, almost as if it wasn't important. I acknowledge this as a result of the time period, but I would like to take that little detail and make it a little more important in my retelling, something that isn't just passed over. Next thing I would like to do is make the girls' promise to never leave each other more important as well. 

...o0o...
Snow White and Rose Red Original Story Breakdown:

Story Beats: A widowed mother names her two daughters Snow White and Rose Red after the two rose bushes in front of her cottage which they were so much like. They are good little girls, kind and helpful to their mother, and very loyal sisters to each other. 

• The mother asks Rose Red to let in a poor freezing bear who tells the children to not be afraid of him for he only requests aid. 
• As the bear warms himself by the fire, the girls tug at his fur and play with him. Upon his request, when they get too rough, the girls leave him be.
  The bear returns every evening during winter to warm himself by the fire and let the girls play with him. 
• The bear soon informs Snow White that he must go and that they will not see him all summer. Upon Snow White’s inquiry the bear informs her that now that summer is here he must protect his treasures from the dwarves who wish to steal them.
  He disappears into the forest. 
• On three separate occasions, the mother requests the girls to do/run some chores/errands for her. Being good little girls, they oblige.
  On each of these three occasions the girls come across a dwarf who—in a rush to escape with a bag of riches—has gotten himself stuck in a situation he cannot escape from. Each time his beard, which he values greatly, is caught and the girls are forced to cut it to free him. Once he catches it in a tree, once it’s tangled in the line of a fishing rod, and once it’s snatched by a hawk. Each time they freed him he berated them and called them names before running off with the bag of riches. 
• The girls run by the dwarf—who is emptying the riches into a pile on the ground—on their way home, and they stare in wonder. He notices them and again berates them.
  A bear shows up and the dwarf cowers in front of him, begging him to eat the girls in place of himself.
  The bear strikes and kills the dwarf. 
• The bear is revealed to be a prince who was cursed by the dwarf and could only be freed by his death. 
• Snow White marries the prince and Rose Red marries his brother.
  They live happily ever after.

Setting: A cottage, with a garden, in the woods. Near a town. In the 18th century.

Character Profiles:
The Mother—Authority figure, role model, kind, initiates the plot.
Snow White—Main character, good, kind, loyal daughter/sister, sweet, timid.
Rose Red—Main character, good, kind, loyal daughter/sister, adventurous, bold.
The Bear/Prince—Noble, just, kind, hero, advances plot.
The Dwarf—Antagonist, rude, unappreciative, vile, vain, thief.

Writing Style: Simplistic. Almost over-explained at points. Focuses on important facts that move the story along.
Uses seemingly unnecessary actions/events to explain character.

Key Question: What are the consequences for good and bad behavior?

I'm still working on and almost finished with the retelling breakdown.