FAIRY TALES.

Following on from my post 'Where The Wild Things Are, Too Scary?' and a comment from Susan S who had this to say on the matter "It's no worse than the fairy stories of old. When I was young, we loved to be scared by myths etc. Real life was harsh, but fairy tales were an escape and usually ended up with rescue or triumph .... as in Hansel And Gretel, Three Billy Goats Gruff, etc" I decided to do my post today on a series of pamphlets/booklets we received free with our daily paper, The Guardian and, it's Sunday equivalent, The Observer.

A series of seven, entitled 'GREAT FAIRYTALES', each pamphlet/booklet contained three or four fairy tales, some of which I was familiar with, others of which I had never come across. To view any of these tales, simply click on the words highlighted in red and select the tale you wish to read.

Part 1, WICKED PARENTS containing the tales of Hansel And Gretel, Snow White, and, The Tale Of The Juniper Tree, all three written by the Brothers Grimm. The first two of which I am very familiar with, the third being new to me.

Part 2, RAGS TO RICHES. Only one of these tales is familiar to me, Cinderella by Charles Perrault (strange to say but up until this point, as familiar as I am with the tale, I couldn't have named the author). The other two, The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Andsersen, and, Mossycoat, an old English folk tale, retold by Philip Pulman, I do not know.

Part 3, LOVE. This contains my best loved fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen (I always cry at this one), Rapunzel, another of my favourites, by the Brothers Grimm and The Little Mermaid, also by Hans Christian Andersen, a tale I have never read though am familiar with thanks to Disney's animated version.

Part 4, QUESTS AND RIDDLES. Four tales in this one, only the first of which I have ever come across. Rumpelstiltskin by the Brothers Grimm, The Sleeping Prince, retold by Alison Lurie, The Tale Of The Boy Who Set Out To Learn Fear, also by the Brothers Grimm, and, The Lion and the Hare, retold from Sanskrit by Ramsay Wood.

Part 5, WISDOM AND FOLLY. Another four tales here and, once again, only the first is familiar to me. Jack And The Beanstalk by Joseph Jacobs (A well known tale and very popular as a Pantomime choice, I, once again, couldn't have named the author). The Mixed-Up Feet And The Silly Bridegroom by Isaac Bashevis Singer, though here it is retold by Elizabeth Shub, and, retold by Alison Lurie, The Black Geese, and, Clever Gretchen.

Part 6, JUSTICE AND PUNISHMENT containing Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault, which, for me, is probably one of the scariest of all the tales, The One Handed Murderer by Italo Calvino, a tale unknown to me as are the following - The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Ansdersen, and, The Fisherman And Ifrit from the Arabian Nights.

Part 7, BEASTLY TALES containing Beauty And The Beast by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, Hans my Hedgehog by the Brothers Grimm (a tale I only know thanks to The Story Teller, a tv programme made by the James Henderson Puppet Workshop in which a storyteller recites a different tale from around the world every week. No longer on tv, I enjoyed it so much, I bought the DVD), and, unknown to me, The Heart Of A Monkey retold by Andrew Lang.

How many of these tales do you know? What's your favourite tale of all? Care to do a guest post and tell us all about it? Do let me know.