UNIT 2: A little history of a fairy tales...
'The fairy tale is a universe in miniature' (Lϋthi, 1976:25)
I'll start this with a disclaimer; I am not a fairy tale scholar I am just a reader and lover
of fairy tales. The history of fairy tales is a vast subject to which many people have
devoted a lifetime of study. It is a story that crosses recorded history and continents.
Here, I am just dipping the tip of my little toe into what Marina Warner has called the
'seas of story'...
Entwined with the history of fairy tales is the unavoidable question 'what is a fairy
tale?' It seems to be easier to say what one isn't—firstly, it isn't often a story about
fairies. The term derives from the English translation of 'conte de fιes', the name that
the French writer Madame d'Aulnoy gave to the tales she and her contemporaries
wrote in 17th century Paris. These fairy tales, mostly written by women, have all but
vanished from view so the credit for starting the literary fairy tale movement usually
(and incorrectly) goes to one of the men in their midst, Charles Perrault. Some
scholars prefer to use the German term 'wundermurchen' which can be translated as
'wonder tales'.
Fairy tales are rooted in the everyday world, but they aren't realistic; animals talk, the
wind gives advice, and the dead spring back to life. The tales aren't usually set in the
here and now; or in any identifiable time or place—they exist in the realm of 'once
upon a time'*. Their characters are often nameless, or have generic names, as if to
remind us that wonderful things can happen to anyone. And that strange and
wondrous things can happen is never questioned: anything is possible. A child can
become a bird, a man a monster, a girl in rags a Queen. Things can change for the
better and justice will prevail. There are some fairy tales without a happily ever
after—but there are no fairy tales in which no one is transformed. As Warner has said
'metamorphosis defines the fairy tale' (1995:XVI).
So where do fairy tales come from? We feel sure that people must have told stories
for as long as they've had the voices to tell them. Fairy tales were originally part of
the vast oral tradition of storytelling, which also encompasses myth, legend, and
folklore. As such their history is difficult to pin down until they were captured and
committed to the page. Once a fairy tale is preserved in print it becomes known as a
literary fairy tale and of the familiar Western fairy tales we know today several first
came into print in Charles Perrault's Histoires ou contes du temps passι, avec des
moralitιs: Contes de ma mθre l'Oye (Stories or Tales from Times Past, with Morals:
Tales of Mother Goose) in 1697, including 'Cinderella', 'The Sleeping Beauty' and
'Little Red Riding Hood'.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were the first writers who aimed to collect and preserve
the oral tales in their Kinder und Hausmarchen (Childhood and Household Tales),
first published in 1812, but in later editions they edited them to make them more
suitable for children, and for Christian sensibilities. The Grimms' tales include
'Rapunzel', 'Hansel and Gretel', and 'Rumpelstiltskin'.
Hans Christian Andersen was a master of the form and although some of his stories
were based on traditional tales (such as The Princess and the Pea), most were original.
He published his first fairy tales in Fairy Tales Told for Children in 1835 and many of
his stories are still well known today, including 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Ugly
Duckling'.
Fairy tales have continued to influence writers and to be retold, reimagined,
subverted, and invented by writers to the present day. Favourites of mine include the
work of George Macdonald, Oscar Wilde, Angela Carter, and A. S. Byatt.
Fairy tales are often revised and retold—each time being given a new slant by a new
writer. But there have been original tales; these have been nourished by the form and
motifs of traditional tales but they have grown from the imagination of the writer
rather than a previous oral or literary source. That is the tradition to which this
magazine belongs.
If you want to find out more about fairy tales online I'd recommend exploring
SurLaLune, and the Journal of Mythic Arts Archives. In print, Marina Warner's From
the Beast to the Blonde, On fairy tales and their tellers, provides a beautifully written
and comprehensive grounding in the subject; the numerous fairy tale studies by Jack
Zipes are fascinating and informative (Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion is my
favourite); and Max Lόthi's Once Upon a Time – On the nature of fairy tales is a joy
to read.
By Claire Massey
*There are, of course, always exceptions, and even when a tale claims to reside within the realm 'once
upon a time', if you look closely enough, reflections of the world of the teller can usually be seen.
Works cited:
Lϋthi, M. (1976). Translators Gottwald, P. & Chadeayne, L. Once Upon a Time – On the nature of
fairy tales. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Warner, M. (1995). From the Beast to the Blonde, On fairy tales and their tellers. London: Vintage.
Sources: Text reproduced from http://www.newfairytales.co.uk/pages/alittlehistory.html. Accessed
on 25/10/2012
New vocabulary
Scholar
Disclaimer
Vast
Entwine
Vanish
Realm
Prevail
Encompass
Capture
Subvert
Subversion
Slant
Nourish
Grounding
Wonder
Literary
Phrases
dip the tip of my toe
spring back to life
Compound words
wonder tales
Prefixes
Record
Unavoidable
Metamorphosis
Retold
Reimagined
Subverted
Invented
Encompass
Entwine
Reading Comprehension
Please decide if the following statements are true or false.
a. The writer of the article is not an academic of fairy tales; she is simply
infatuated by them. True False
b. The definition of the fairy tale is strongly interrelated with the history of fairy
tales. True False
c. Fairy tale themes are not always relevant to fairies. True False
d. The word ‘generic’ used in line means exclusive. True False
e. Brothers Grimm, in their first edition, edited oral tales to make them more
suitable for children. True False
Below there are some idiom phrases with the verb dip can you guess their
meaning?
a. a sudden dip in temperature
b. dip a toe in the water
c. It’s the sort of book you can just dip into now and again
d. a dip in the road
As you turn the corner the road dips suddenly
e. You dazzle oncoming drivers if you don’t dip your headlights.
h. I’ve had to dip into my savings to pay for my repairs.
f. a dip in the sea
Please choose the appropriate suffix to form new words in the following gaps.
-ment, -ness, -fully, -ation, –sion, -ary, -ly,
1. Persuasive writing can be traced back as far as the Greek philosophers Socrates,
Aristotle and Plato. Using the short story as a ______________(persuade) tool
reaches back even further---to the ancient Egyptians in 1300 BC. They are credited
with being the first to use fairy tales to make a point.
2. Fairy-tale _____________(adapt) are ubiquitous in modern popular culture, but
readers and scholars alike may take for granted the many voices and traditions folded
into today's tales. Cristina Bacchilega
3. A fairy tale has a beginning phrase such as “Once upon a time” or “Once there
was” that indicates the distant past in a faraway or _____________(imagine) land.
4. Wolves and Witches: A Fairy Tale Collection is a a. ___________(wonder) dark
collection that eschews the frilly Princess fairy tales. Amanda C. Davis and Megan
Engelhardt have put together a book of b.___________(appropriate) whimsical and
sorrowful fairy tales.
5. Fairytale Therapy is a a.___________(treat) treatment method that uses the form
for personality integration, integration of creative abilities, expansion of
b._______________(conscious) and perfection of the interaction with the
surrounding world. Fairy tales were referred to in the works of many psychologists: E.
Fromm, E. Bern, E.Gardner and others.
6. Fairy tale heroes are typically forced into their adventure by a.___________
(desperate). They come under attack by other worldly forces as in Little Red Riding
Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Tom Thumb and other.
Key: 1.Peruasion 2.adaptation 3.Imaginary 4.a.Wonderfully 4b.appropriatelly
5a.tratment 5b.consciousness 6. Desperation
Please match the idioms with the correct definition below.
1. Regular surprise visits keeps
the staff on their toes.
2. After yesterdays embarrassing
incident, she really didn’t want
to go to work. Just thinking
about it was enough to make
her toes curl.
3. We were all on our toes waiting
for the game to begin.
4. It’s almost impossible to
criticize the plan without
treading on somebody’s toes.
5. Ministers who wouldn’t toe the
party line were swiftly got rid
of.
a. To do what you are ordered or
expected to do.
b. Make sure that sb is ready to
deal with anything that might
happen by doing things that
they are not expecting.
c. Make sb feel embarrassed or
uncomfortable about sth.
d. Ready to deal with anything
that might happen
e. Offend or annoy sb especially
by getting involved in sth that
is their responsibility.
Below are some quotes by popular writers. Some verbs and adjectives have been
extracted. Please choose the right word from the following list to fill in the gaps.
You may have to change the form of the word given.
wonderful, guard, exist, reward, immerse, discover
1. Happiness is like those palaces in fairy tales whose gates are a.____________ by
dragons: we must fight in order to conquer it. Alexandre Dumas
2. Life itself is the most b.___________ fairytale of all. Hans Christian Andersen
3. For those who c.___________ themselves in what the fairy tale has to
communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool which at first seems to reflect only our
own image; but behind it we soon d.__________ the inner turmoils of our soul - its
depth, and ways to gain peace within ourselves and with the world, which is the
e.________ of our struggles. BrunoBettelheim--The Uses of Enchantment
4. Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that
dragons f.____________. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed. G. K.
Chesterton
Key a.guarded b.wonderful c.immerse d.discover e.reward f.exist
The power of folktales
Lead in...
Why are fairy tales important?
Why teach fairy tales?
What is the emotional value of fairy tales for children?
Folktales: Lessons without the Lecture
Some reasons why folktales are important, as well as entertaining..notes to parents in
a world of overdrive.
Babies. Toddlers. Kids. There are so many things they need to be taught, it boggles/
explores the mind.
The difference between right and wrong. How to share. Why trust is important. How
small acts can grow into something bigger. Of course, they will be taught these things
from many people, in many ways. As parents, people who are constantly growing
ourselves - folktales offer guideposts for life. There are hundreds of them there - when
you want to focus a young child on the importance of sharing, you can sit and listen to
the tale of two greedy cats, Shiro and Kuro. And when the situation arises, instead of
directly scolding the child's behaviour, you can make a reference to the story.
"Remember what happened to Shiro and Kuro? Did they end up with anything?"
Having the child recap what happened can be much more useful, interactive way to
remind them of those important lessons for personal development than just another
lecture. If your kids are bickering about something not being "fair" - such as someone
getting more dessert than the other, this is the perfect time to become the Wise Old
Monkey, and ask, "Do you want me to take care of it?"
Although a few old tales have dark aspects to them, they are by far outnumbered by
stories that are fun, adventurous, magical, and warm. I personally make sure that the
stories I write and record emphasize positive aspects of the Japanese stories that are
my focus, and bring out aspects such as cooperation, generosity, friendship and trust.
In general, for all of their fearsome aspects, folktales are empowering. The writer
G.K. Chesterton noted: "Children already know about dragons. What fairy tales tell
children is that dragons can be slain." (May I add, in the case of, "Hana and the
Dragon," Dragons can even be befriended!)
Folktales are here for a reason. We all need seeds to grow on.
Every Story offers a Gift.
Each tale offers something different for the listener.
It wasn't until I started reading out loud to my own kids that I realized the incredible
importance of this act. First of all, the words, reverberating in the air, take on more
meaning than when being read silently. When the books are written well, the beauty
of the language itself is something to appreciate, and for young listeners to grow to
appreciate. Of course, your child can also learn to read as you read out loud. But most
of all it is the act of sharing a story together, either through listening to a CD while
you fix dinner or reading before bedtime, that has an element of nourishment to it that
I was unaware of until I started my own family. Through sharing a story, you are
sharing something special together. You can refer to it later, you can make the
characters a part of your life: "Hmmm. I wonder what Plum Boy would do?" and you
can re-visit it, again and again, with your kids. Sharing folktales is a bonding
experience, it is an intellectually stimulating experience, and it is a growing
experience. It connects you to each other, and to the world as it has existed, for eons.
Every parent knows the fears that bring cautionary tales to life; every child knows the
feeling of curiosity about what might be just around the corner. Together, you can
explore your feelings through folktales.
Folktales used to seem simplistic to me, before I had kids. The outcome would often
be obvious, and the well-known stories were stored in the compartment of my brain
that holds drawers of old, throw-away things I didn't think about much, like outdated
clothing. It wasn't until I had an actual need - two boys looking to me for direction that they suddenly took on meaning. Books in general are what I turned to; folktales
became an integral part of our reading diet. The many animals in the stories, I
suddenly realized, are us. The events that happen in the stories - why, they happen to
us, in a more modern context. And the old language and beautiful old-fashioned
pictures are our ties to our past, as relevant to the present as a fresh-grown flower.
With all of this said....don't overthink it. Just go to the library or bookstore, see what
titles strike your fancy (or your child's fancy), take a quick look at it, and if it seems
interesting, take it home. I have come across so many story gems this way...like so
many bits of magic, right here in my own life.
Stop, look, and listen to folktales. As Albert Einstein said: "If you want your children
to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read
them more fairy tales."
Life is a Story.
We are folks. Our lives are tales.
No matter how rich or how poor, city or country living, colour of skin, we are all
faced with decisions to make, challenges to face, and obstacles to overcome. Things
happen that we don't want to happen. How are we to handle life? Folktales hold the
answers to so many of these things -- throughout the ages, these questions have been
dealt with. Of course, there is not just one way to solve a problem -- the variety of
ways to approach life is reflected in folktales as well!
We all know that listening to or reading tales develops the skills for good readers,
listeners, and writers. But most of all stories are good for the imagination. They
inspire and stimulate, especially the young mind. When I share my "Koto Tales" in
public performances, I can see the children’s faces change as they step into the story,
become a part of the story. And for a moment, they are the ones balancing in a rice
bowl, floating down a river; they are the ones flying high in the sky on a dragon, and
they are the ones falling down into the hole and meeting the mice. Afterwards, they
invariably ask if different stories are true - that is how utterly alive it seems to them.
Put a story CD in the car, and watch what happens. Your child will step into the story.
This is an experience you can share together as much as you share a book. (And your
hands are free to do other things!) Listening to stories is different from watching
television, and in some ways even more intellectually developing than reading a story,
because your child is actually using her imagination to create the story from hearing
the words. There are no pictures to watch or look at. Just their imagination. Parents
have told me again and again that when the story CD starts, kids are captivated. It
pleases me to no end, because that is the gift I have strived to create - the gift of
imagination, of discovery. It fills me with joy.
Again, a quote from Albert Einstein "When I examine myself and my methods of
thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than
any talent for abstract, positive thinking."
Sources:Text adapted from: http://prodigal-alchemy.blogspot.gr/2012/02/life-is-story-we-arefolks-our-lives.html. Accessed on 25/10/2012
1.Reading Comprehension Questions
1. Have we got exact knowledge of the history of fairy tales? Why? Why not?
2. Why is reading a tale out loud important for children?
3. What are the benefits of sharing a story with your children?
2. Reading comprehension
The following statements have been split in half. Please match them to make
meaningful sentences.
1. Children are taught a plethora
2. When a parent wants to teach a
value
3. A reference to a fairy tale may
present
Vocabulary Exercises
a. to a child he or she may do that
indirectly through a fairy tale.
b. an emotionally intelligent way teach
a child a value
c. of things through fairy tales.
20 vocabulary words from the
Character Education puzzles.
Match the 20 definitions below to the vocabulary
words on the left.











1. _____ discipline
2. _____ cooperative
3. _____ caring
4. _____ fairness
5. _____ integrity
6. _____ education
7. _____ courage
8. _____ respect
9. _____ character
10. ____ responsibility









a. Demonstrating a willingness to work or
act together for a common purpose
b. Process of developing knowledge by
formal schooling or study
c. Behaviour in accord with rules of conduct;
prescribed habit
d. Moral strength; essential quality
e. Freedom from bias, dishonesty or
injustice; marked by even conditions
f. To care or show consideration for
g. Taking serious attention to; devoting;
protecting; having concern for
h. Uncompromising adherence to right moral
and ethical conduct or principles; honesty
i.State or instance of being accountable
(something within someone's power)
j. Bravery; quality of mind that enables a
person to face difficulty or pain without fear
A1. Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: taught, like, teach,
parables, company, misfortune, worth, attempt, learned.
Teaching Aesop’s fables
For over a thousand years children and adults have 1)………….. and shared Aesop’s
Fables in the hopes of teaching basic morals and creating a better society.
What morals do these ancient fables 2)…………..and why do they continue to be
important? To answer this simply look at some of the ideas that are3)…………. by
reading Aesop’s Fables.
 Like attracts 4)……….
 Happy is the person who learns from the 5)………….. of others.
 A person is known by the 6)…………..she/he keeps.
 Self-help is the best help.
 Fair weather friends are not 7)…………… much.
 Do not 8)………….. too much at once.
Aesop’s fables have been a guideline for fables for ages. These short 9)…………
about the trouble of animals, gods and various people teach us practical lessons for
our lives.
A2. Fill in the blanks with one of the following words common, structure,
designates, alongside, text, genres, approach, orderly, derived.
Literary Genres /Genres in Fiction:
“Genre” is the term used to describe the various types of literature. “Genre is a French
term 1……….. from the Latin genus, generis, meaning "type," "sort," or "kind." It
2…………….. the literary form or type into which works are classified according to
what they have in 3………….., either in their formal structures or in their treatment of
subject matter, or both. The study of 4…………. may be of value in three ways. On
the simplest level, grouping works offers us an 5……....... way to talk about an
otherwise bewildering number of literary texts. More importantly, if we recognize the
genre of a 6………….., we may also have a better idea of its intended overall
7…………. and/or subject. Finally, a genre 8……….can deepen our sense of the
value of any single text, by allowing us to view it comparatively, 9……………..
many other texts of its’ type.”
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/genres.
Essay Writing
Write an essay on the importance of fairy tales for children’s lives.
Are fairy tales essential to childhood?
Use the following notes to structure and write your essay.
-Fairy Tales Show Kids How to Handle Problems
Fairy tales help us because they teach children how connect to their own lives,
dreams, anxieties, and consider what we would do in their shoes. Fairy tales help
children learn how to navigate life. (Bettelheim, B. Uses of Enchantment: The
Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales.)
-Fairy Tales Build Emotional Resiliency
Fairy tales help children build emotional skills and muscles and discover- in a safe
environment- that bad things happen to everyone. So we need to build capacity in our
children, since no one is immune to challenges in life. This way we can help them
hang on during tough times.
Fairy Tales Give Us a Common Language (Cultural Literacy & Canon)
Neil Gaiman writes, “We encounter fairytales as kids, in retellings or panto. We
breathe them. We know how they go.”
Fairy Tales Cross Cultural Boundaries
Many cultures often share common fairy tales with their own cultural flavor. What is
common amongst different cultures is the fact that we share the need to make sense of
life with story, and the hope for good to triumph over evil.
Fairy Tales Teach Story Structure
Fairy tales share certain basics features inside a story — setting, characters, and plot
There is rising action, climax, and resolution. Children learn how these work as well
as the differences between fiction and non-fiction. Children gradually build an ability
to make predictions and comprehend tales.
Fairy Tales Develop a Child’s Imagination
“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the
gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”
― Albert Einstein
Fairy Tales Give Parents Opportunities to Teach Critical Thinking Skills
Parents may find opportunities to discuss ethical concepts related to a story, while
reading with their children. Were the acts of the hero appropriate? What else could he
have done? What would you have done if you were in his shoes? Children eventually
build their critical thinking skills.
Fairy Tales Teach Lessons
Fairy tales and fables can be used to teach morals and lessons. What can you learn
from Three Little Pigs? How about Cinderella or Jack and the Beanstalk?
Source: Adapted from http://imaginationsoup.net/2012/02/fairy-tales-are-essential-tochildhood/
Further Reading on fairy tales- Fairy tale related websites
SurLaLune - an brilliant fairy tale site containing 47 annotated tales and over 1,500
illustrations and 1,200 full text tales. It's also packed with fairy tale history and
information.
Endicott Studio - an organisation dedicated to literary, visual, performance, and
environmental arts rooted in myth, folklore, fairy tales, and the traditional stories of
people the world over. The home of 'The Journal of Mythic Arts', which sadly ceased
publication at the end of Summer 2008 but the full archive remains on the site.
Cabinet des Fιes - an online journal of fairy tale fiction.
Fairy Tale Review - an annual literary journal devoted to contemporary fairy tales.
There is a small amount of content available online.
Goblin Fruit - a quarterly online journal of fantastical poetry.
The Enchanted Conversation - a themed online blogazine.
Dante's Heart - a journal of myth, fairy tale, folklore and fantasy.
Marvels & Tales - a journal of fairy tale studies.
Magpie Magazine - a UK based print magazine, a collaboration of writers, artists &
musicians.
Chagford Filmmaking Group - a non-profit, voluntary group dedicated to making
films of British fairy tales.
The House of Fairy Tales - a UK based child-centred artist led project.
Project Gutenberg - the first and largest single collection of free electronic books. It
contains many collections of fairy tales from around the world.
Sacred Texts - online archive of sacred texts that also includes folklore and
mythology.
Abela Publishing - a publisher selling new editions of collections of rare and out of
print fairy and folk tales from around the world. A percentage of the profit is donated
to educational charities in the countries from which the stories originate.
Electronic Text Center: Aesop's Fables
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AesFabl.html
Read the text of over 300 of Aesop's fables.
Lucas Learning: Make-A-Hero
http://www.lucaslearning.com/myth/flash/myth.html
Pick a gender, background, and outfit in order to make your mythical hero. Print it out
and use it as a story starter for your myth, folktale or fairy tale.
American Folklore: State Folktales
http://www.americanfolklore.net/ss.html
Read a folktale from your state or read historical and ethnic folklore
Native American Folklore
http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/loreindx.html
Read dozens of stories from Native American cultures.
Gods, Heroes and Myth
http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/
Read different myths from around the world from Greek and Roman to Native
American myths. Includes some crossword puzzles and other games.
Mythweb
http://www.mythweb.com/
Devoted to the heroes, gods and monsters of Greek mythology, this site has an
encyclopedia of gods, illustrated stories of heroes, and connections with today's
world.
AOL@School search
http://www.aolatschool.com/teachers/index.adp
Search for more ocean life teacher resources and student activities by grade at
AOL@School.