Fairy tales were not my escape from reality as a child; rather, they were my reality -- for mine was a world in which good and evil were not abstract concepts, and like fairy-tale heroines, no magic would save me unless I had the wit and heart and courage to use it widely.
Terri Windling
Though now we think of fairy tales as stories intended for very young children, this is a relatively modern idea. In the oral tradition, magical stories were enjoyed by listeners young and old alike, while literary fairy tales (including most of the tales that are best known today) were published primarily for adult readers until the 19th century.
stories feminism fairy-tales
fairy-tales
Once upon a time fairy tales were told to audiences of young and old alike. It is only in the last century that such tales were deemed fit only for small children, stripped of much of their original complexity, sensuality, and power to frighten and delight.
Once upon a time, they say, there was a girl.. There was a boy.. There was a person who was in trouble. And this is what she did.. And what he did.. And how they learned to survive it. This is what they did.. And why one failed.. And why another triumphed in the end. And I know that it's true, because I danced at their wedding and drank their very best wine.
fairy-tales children-s-literature
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