9/13/05 Fairy Tales

[Minis On The Edge]

Child Abuse & Abandonment and Death are the stuff of Contemporary headlines and feature films. Did you know that they are also themes central to many of our most beloved fairy tales - as they were originally conceived?

Does any one know the oldest story of Cinderella (as she is called now)? When was the story created and in a nutshell, what is the story?

I have been shocked by some of the fairy tales origins LOL. I picked a story that would not offend us when read. Thank Goodness for Walt Disney

[MiniMadWoman]

The earliest known version of Cinderella originated in China. Recorded on paper by Tuan Ch'eng-shih in the middle of the ninth century, this version centers around "Yeh-Shen," a beautiful young girl whose mother has died.

Raised by a spiteful stepmother, Yeh-Shen's only friend is a fish in the river near her home. After her stepmother kills her fish, Yeh-Shen is told by an old man to gather the fish bones and make a wish. She wishes to attend the spring festival, and she is granted a beautiful outfit complete with golden slippers. Yeh-Shen loses one of her slippers while running away from her stepmother at the festival; however, a villager discovers it and it eventually finds its way to the King. The King searches everywhere for the rightful owner of the slipper, and when Yeh-Shen puts the magic slipper on, her clothes are transformed into the beautiful attire from her night at the festival and the King proposes to her. Although the couple lives happily ever after, this version of the story punishes the stepmother and stepsister for their cruelty — they are stoned to death by the villagers

I found this at a website entitled 'Cinderella Around the World'. It's all very interesting! I didn't realize there were so many versions with different outcomes and different forms of good vs evil! I have to go back and read more! B)

[Minis On The Edge]

You have picked the Correct one!! Another tidbit of the story is when the king was given the slipper, he made a decree that he would marry the person who could fit the slipper. Because it was so small, the step mother cut off the toes of her ugly daughter so that her feet would fit. The King married this ugly girl and a bird told him that he should look at her feet because this was not his true love. When he looked at her feet, there were no toes so he had the girl and her mother stoned to death because of there deceit. In the process, he found the girl he was looking for and he marrried her and they lived ahppily ever after!

Yeah, I found the real fairy tales very "R" rated to read to kids for sure! Did you read sleeping beauty? It is NOT close to the Disney version!

Hmmmmmm B)

[havanaholly]

Having grown up reading the Brothers Grimm unexpurgated, I adored fairy tales! They were full of scary, exciting stuff that today's censors and child psychologists would have a whole herd of cows over, but what is more stimulating to a child's busy mind? I know, I'm warped beyond all hope B)

Is there an expurgated version of Hansel & Gretel? I still think the implied cannibalism and outright murder at the end, as well as the issues of neglect & abandonment in the beginning are all still there; I know they are intact in the Humperdinck opera.

[MiniMadWoman]

Hi Tracy, no I haven't read Sleeping Beauty lately. I'm going to have to refresh my memory though. I don't remember these stories being so frightening as a child. Maybe because we were seeing things through innocent eyes and just see the good. I don't remember being traumatized by the stories anyway!! Although, perhaps they were the Disney versions!! B)