Fairy tales are master narratives, fascinating, magical, and uplifting. As children get older, they unconsciously remember their messages. However, they must deal with real injustices and inconsistencies daily.
Although, Several fairy tales, as well as the mythology that surround them, are cloudy representations of upsetting historical occurrences. These darker tales may be too frightening for today’s kids, as well as for some adults!
Cinderella
As grim as the creators- Grimm Brothers; This tale is far from being hunky-dory. In reality, it is not a guardian angel. But a white dove originally comes to Cinderalla’s rescue. The story’s key twist is that the ball was initially intended to be a three-night affair.
Cinderella wears silk slippers the first night, glass slippers the next, and gold slippers the third night. It is not the shiny glass but gold slippers that the king finds. On inspection of every maiden in the town, Cinderalla’s first stepsister cuts off her toes to fit the gold slippers. The doves tell the prince about it since he is too dumb to realise it. So he returns, and the second sister, this time, slices off her heel to put her foot in. He misses it yet again, and the doves inform him.
Finally, thanks to the doves, he meets Cinderella, and they marry. The gruesomeness continues. Cinderella’s sisters try to win her over during the wedding, but the doves fly down and peck their eyes, blinding them. Such Fairy Tales with a happy ending and how!
The Little Mermaid
The most shattering of the lot. Mermaid sisters are allowed to visit the surface once a year on their 15th birthday in the undersea kingdom of mermaids. The Little Mermaid emerges to the surface and witnesses a shipwreck when it is her turn. She saves the prince from drowning and immediately falls in love with him.
On the other hand, the prince is unconscious when The Little Mermaid lands him on the temple steps. The prince confuses a young girl emerging out of the temple as the one who saved him and fell in love. The little mermaid, upset, returns to the sea and seeks the aid of a mermaid witch.
The witch agrees to provide her with a potion which will transform her tail into feet. However, this potion comes with its own curse. The witch states that the little mermaid will be the best dancer. But, Her toes will bleed, and her feet will feel as though they are being pierced by glass shards every minute.
On agreeing to the condition, the little mermaid returns to shore as a human only to find that the prince married the girl from the temple. So, at the end of this fairy tale, the little mermaid gets a second chance to get back her tail by killing the prince. But she chooses love over her life and turns into a sea-foam due to another curse.
Talking about a fairy-tale not so fair, aye!
Hansel and GretelÂ
Hansel and Gretel are a brother and sisters who are abandoned in the forest by their stepmother during a famine. Her primary goal is to get them lost so that the family can eat. However, they overhear their stepmother and gather white pebbles to sprinkle on the ground to help them find their way back.
They are cast away a second time by their stepmother, and they are not as fortunate this time. They keep wandering until they come across a gingerbread and cake witch’s house. This is the only part of the story that does not makes you want to throw up. The gingerbread and cake house owner, the witch, is a cannibal who eats children that cross her path.
She also aims to devour Hansel and Gretel. They outsmart her, though, and roast her alive in her oven. So there. Cannibalism, child-murdering mothers, and witches burning children are all featured in this children’s story.
Little Red Riding HoodÂ
In this not so feel-good and more gruesome story, the wolf leaves the part of the grandmother’s meat and blood after he eats her, which he prepares and serves to Little Red Riding Hood. After devouring the grandmother, the wolf leaves behind some of her flesh and blood, which he prepares and serves Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf (posing as the grandmother) then commands her to throw her clothes in the fire and come and lie next to him. The wolf wraps a string around her leg to prevent her from fleeing, but Little Red Riding Hood reties the string to an object and manages to escape. Well, at least this one has a decent ending!
