What is the best fairy tale you have ever read and why?
By levite
@levite (1062)
Philippines
September 3, 2009 4:18am CST
Fairy tales fascinate the imaginations of kids because of the stories of prince and pincesses, kings and queens, castles, adventures of knights, and other fantasies. As a kid, I loved more Grimm's fairy tales about prince and princesses but when I have reached my teens, I am more to Hans Christian Andersen's tales because they have lots of moral lessons you could get. I especially like the story of the "Ugly Duckling" because it's like the story of each one of us who was hated at first but found triumph in the end, Andersen's fairy tales are much closer to everyone's tale of tragedy and triumph. How about you? What is the best fairy tale you have ever read and why is it your favorite? Can you relate the tale with your life now? And everyone's struggle?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
4 Sep 09
I think fairy tales are stories where fairies play a part in the plot. Cinderella has a fairy godmother and Snow White has the dwarves technically classified as fairies. The Ugly Duckling might be considered an elongated fable, I don't know. But these are all stories for children. I enjoyed reading them all when I was growing up. My favorite is The Little Match Girl. I still see her in every cold corner where a child longs for attention and love.
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
4 Sep 09
The Ugly Duckling and The Little Match Girl are tales both from Hans Christian Andersen. The difference between Andersen's tales and the Brothers' Grimm's is that the former deals mostly with life, has a Christian theme and can be appreciated even by adults while the latter deals mostly with fairies and fantasies and just for kids only like Cinderella and Snow white.
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
4 Sep 09
I didn't go further analyzing the children's stories before. I just enjoyed the happy endings when I read them as a child. Even The Little Match Girl has a happy ending, don't you think? Makes me believe that there is always hope.
@sutent (1060)
• China
5 Sep 09
Hi levite,
My best fairy story is "Journey to the west". It is most popular fairy story in China. I think at least 70% Chinese have read the book, heard the story or watched the TV. It tall the story of a famous monk go through 81 hardships and arrive the west paradise for sutra with the help his three apprentises with supernature powers. During the journey, they defeat a lot monsters. It is very attractive.
Additionally "journey to the west", i also like "the legends and the heros", andersen's tales.
@nanayangel (7879)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
Hi there Levite!
My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast mostly because of the special relationship or bonding that Belle and her father have. I am a Papa's girl and the fairy tale and the movie makes me miss my father more.
@autumndreamer (3185)
• Philippines
11 Apr 10
Wow. We are the same! I love the story of Ugly Duckling! And I love Hans Christian Andersen stories. Well, aside from the Ugly Duckling, one of my favorite fairy tale stories is the story of Cinderella. Well, because in the end, she finally married the Prince Charming and they lived happily ever after, just like how I wanted my life to be.
@mdrgsm (61)
• Ukraine
4 Sep 09
I love Cinderella! It has always been my favorite. I like the fact that at the end, after working hard and being a slave to her own family, she got to be happy. I can relate only in the aspect that I had an evil step-father that made me work hard all the time and I never got to go out to play, so to speak. I eventually made it out of the house and found my "Prince Charming"!
The one thing I don't like about fairy tales is they protray that every story has a "happily ever after" ending. Like the movie "Bedtime Stories" says, in real life there are no "Happily Ever Afters". Now I am not saying that nobody will ever be happy, but being "happily ever after" is simply a fairy tale, being not real. Some people don't get that though when they read stories, watch movies, or even watch tv sometimes. For example soap operas, so many people watch them and all its doing is giving people the idea that they would like their life like that. A false hope, so to speak. Soap Operas have "Prince Charmings" coming to safe the day. Yes sometimes in real life we can be rescued and saved, I was, but you won't always end up "happily ever after". I am a very happy, content person with the way my life turned out, but only because I have God in my life. With him, you can have as close to "Happily Ever After" you can get. Great Discussion. Have a Blessed Day!
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
5 Sep 09
Some people have a "Happily ever after" life story while some don't have. And you're right in the aspect that we often don't end in "the happily ever after" life story, more often than not, we end up being in the opposite direction. However, it is true that if God is in control of our life, our final destiny is really "Happily ever after" as we will be united with our heavenly Father and our saved loved ones and friends forever in heaven even if our life here on earth is not the same as those we have read in fairy tale books.
