“Careful the things you say, children will listen.”
Thus begins one of the songs from Into The Woods, a musical about fairy tales by my favorite composer, Stephen Sondheim. And if you think about the Fairy Tales we have heard since childhood, you might wonder why we would tell these grim tales to young , unsuspecting children. This link to a selection of Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a fun, interactive look at some of the original tales in all of their grisly glory.
They are, quite frankly, cautionary tales, told to teach children the sometimes brutal facts of life. Take for instance, the idea of the wicked step-mother. This character is found in many fairy tales: Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White are just a few. Step-mothers abounded in real life because many women died in childbirth and men remarried to have someone to raise their children. Were they all wicked? Probably not. But life was hard and choices harder. And mothers always look out for their own first. Step-children must be wary.
What about the preponderance of wolves in fairy tales? Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids are three in which the wolf is the villain. But who is the wolf really? True, wolves roamed the countryside of Europe and were a great threat to livestock and unwary children. But a look at the tales reveals the wolf as symbol of the stranger. And what is today’s litany when we instruct our children? Don’t talk to strangers. Fairy tales said it first, said it vividly, made them remember the consequences of disobeying.
Cautionary tales have a purpose. So to what purpose have we constructed our Twisted Tales? To entertain, to make readers laugh, to make connections between the land of “Once Upon A Time” and today. But I believe most importantly that we have given these classic tales a modern twist to reinforce the Happy Ever After that was often sorely lacking in the original tales.
There are a total of ten Ten Twisted Tales being released on June 3:
Alice in Eroticland by Dee Dawning (Alice in Wonderland); Sexy Red by Daryl Devore (Little Red Riding Hood); Goose Girl by Giselle Renault (Goose Girl); Purr by Elizabeth Black (Puss ‘N Boots); Glass Slippers and Jeweled Masques by Denyse Bridger (Cinderella); Goldie and the Three Doms (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) and Snowy and the Seven Wharves (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) by Patricia Green; Pinocchio Syndrome by Casea Major (Pinocchio); Hideous by Violet Heart (Beauty and the Beast); and Hog Wild by Jenna Jaxon (The Three Little Pigs).
We hope you come by to help us celebrate our release and the launch of New Dawning International Bookfair. Both my blog and New Dawning will be having contests, giving away books and a new Kindle to put them in.
What is your favorite fairy tale? Why? Did it teach you a lesson when you were a child? Does it now?
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I think a girl living with 7 little men is a tale only Dee Dawning could tell! LOL
Another children’s “thing” that has dark undertones is a Maypole. Something about the plague, if I remember right.
You’re the history person, tell me?
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I think the plague thing is Ring-around-a Rosey. A children’s rhyme about the plague: Ring around a Rosey refers to the round boils that marked victims; pocket full of poseys–they thought good smells would ward off the plague; Ashes, ashes–can’t remember if it refers to the fires they burned to purify the air or not. We all fall down, of course is death. Lovely children’s rhyme.
The maypole, as I remember, is a Renaissance phallic symbol. On May 1st all the maidens would dance around the pole. All the young men would stand in a ring with the dancing maidens on the inside of the ring. The maidens would dance until they fell exhausted at the feet of a young man who would then take them off somewhere. Nine months later, if the girl had a baby, they would get married. Now, I haven’t researched this, but was taught this in a college class on Paganism and the Occult. The joys of a Liberal Arts education! It was a wonderful class. All kinds of strange and wonderful information.
And I agree about Dee writing about the girl with the 7 little men. Talk about an awsome cover image! LOL Love you, Dee!
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Jenna~
That’s one of my fave names, by the way. Anyhoo….I have always been creeped out by fairy tales. Sorry! The dark undertones have always given me the willies. I like you and your friends’ takes much better.
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I think fairy tales are supposed to be a little creepy. Witches casting spells, wolves eating people then impersonating them, girls living with seven little men (well, that may be more kinky than creepy! LOL). There are some I remember reading as a child that sent chills down my spine. But they did serve their purpose–made you think about things a little longer or a little differently. And I’m glad you like the fractured tales. So do I!
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Into the Woods **sigh** the only musical I ever saw on Broadway. What a show. I had the soundtrack. My favorite song — Giants In The Sky.
I love this post.
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Now it’s my turn to be envious–I’ve never seen Into the Woods and haven’t even heard all the songs–just what’s on the Broadway channel on Sirius Radio. But OMG, what I’ve heard! I want the soundtrack.
But I thought it was so appropriate for this post, especially as it highlights the darker side of the fairy tales.
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A great post, JJ! You are positively a font of fun info.
I don’t think I have a favorite fairy tale. I read them all avidly when I was a child. The main lesson I took from them was “beware of strangers.” And, that’s a fairy tale lesson I passed on to my children, too.
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Thanks, Patricia! And I’m an absolute fiend at Trivial Pursuit! The “beware of strangers” lesson is one I doubt will ever go away. Life would certainly be easier to deal with if we only had to worry about wolves dressed as Grandma.:)
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