Fairy Tales

Write about a test in which you performed especially well Write about a test in which you performed especially well. The test may have been academic, or it may have been a challenging situation in your life. What was responsible for your success? Did you view of yourself change as a result of your performance? Journal

Fairy tale: a find of folktale that features supernatural elements such as spirits, talking animals, and magic. Good-hearted common people who triumph over evil are usually the heroes. Things usually come in “threes”—three characters, three trials, three attempts to reach a goal. Point out a moral lesson Literary Term

Kinder-und Hausmarchen (Children’s and Household Tales) has sold more copies in Germany than all other books except the Bible. Brothers: Jacob and Wilhelm, eldest sons of a poor widow, worked hard to obtain educations. Began collection German folklore as an opportunity to uncover roots of German heritage. Hoped to provide readers with a sense of national pride and purpose. Brothers Grimm

Brother Grimm Brothers gathered stories from middle-class neighbors. Hoped to appeal to middle-class Germans and their children. Added references to Christianity and Protestant work ethic Removed gruesome elements Brother Grimm

Modern-day edition is cleaned up compared to the Grimm’s first edition of the tales. Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, Grimm style—the wicked queen must dance to her death in slippers of molten lead. Cinderella, Grimm style—Pigeons peck out the eyes of Cinderella’s evil step-sisters.

Do you think fairy tales should be “cleaned up” before they are told to children, or told in their original versions with all the grisly details included?

From Grimm brothers’ collection of German fairy tales during the nineteenth century. Tale is set several centuries earlier, in medieval times, when each German town had its own lord and castle. Hero—never named, poor, trusted servant of a king. Set out on journey to see the world. Three trivial incidents—”practice tests”—help him succeed later at harder trials. The White Snake