Original fairy tales.

Todays Tales.  Today, fairytales are happy stories that begin with ‘once upon a time’ and end with ‘and they lived happily ever after.’ Which was far from true when the original stories were published.

Grimm’s Tales  Some of the first original tales we know of today are called ‘Grimm’s Tales.’ Written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.  The stories came out in volumes, starting in 1812 and ending in The first edition had some of the most popular stories, such as Hansel and Gretel, and Rapunzel. The Grim Brothers.

Hans Christian Anderson Another popular writer, Hans Christian Anderson also added to the stacks of tales we have collected today. Some of his most popular stories being, The Emperors New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, and The Little Mermaid. He lived from 2 April 1805 to 4 August 1875 (aged 70)

The Original Rapunzel  Commonly, the story of Rapunzel tells the story of a young girl, taken from her family to live in a tower by the will of a witch. Eventually, she meets a passing prince, who helps her escape.  In the original story, the prince is pushed from the tower by the witch, and is blinded by thorns at the bottom of the tower. After which, he crawls away to live blind in the forest, surviving off wild grass.

Cinderella A story known for giving step-mothers a bad name. In the original story, Cinderella was orphaned by her father and left to live with her stepmother and stepsisters. When the night of the ball came, Cinderella, with the help of some magic, went to the ball. The spell would break at midnight, and so in the middle of the dance she fled, leaving a shoe. Eventually, the true owner of the shoe was found and they lived ‘happily ever after.’ In the original story, the two stepsisters became so desperate that they cut their own toes in order to fit into the shoe, though it was all in vain in the end. Because after, crows peck their eyes and they are left as blind beggars.

The Little Mermaid.  Written by Hans Christian Anderson in 1837, the book was originally titled "Den lille havfrue,’’ which is Danish.  In the popular Disney adaptation, the little mermaid goes to the surface after falling in love with a prince and exchanging her voice for human legs. In the end, the pair marry.  In the original story, when the prince is set to marry another, The Little Mermaid is sent to death, having been unable to fulfil her end of the deal with the sea witch. When she sisters give her a knife, saying if she were to kill the prince with it, she would live, she declines. Dyeing shortly after and becoming sea foam.

Little red riding hood. This is one of the most well known fairy tales to date. Originally, if was a French story, that the Grimm brothers (authors of many popular tales today) took and ‘remolded.’ Though some versions say both the Grandmother and Red (or simply Cap, as she was known in earlier stories, ) both survive. But In the original French version, the wolf kills the grandmother, and eats her with red, teeth being rice. Afterwards, he kills Red (or Cap.)

Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel is a well known tale of German origin. Hansel and Gretel are the children of a woodcutter and his wife. During a walk, the mother leaves the children to die, as they ate to much and the father and mother would starve if they were not abandoned. The next day, the children come upon a house of gingerbread and cake. They begin to eat and are invited inside by a ‘very old woman,’ who captures them and begin to fatten Hansel up to eat. But Gretel is freed, and pushes the witch into the oven to burn to death. After witch she escapes with her brother.

Picture credit  Riding-Hood-illustrations Riding-Hood-illustrations      christian-andersen/prod html christian-andersen/prod html  