The Walt
Disney Company has entertained children and adults all over the world with
their timeless animated fairy tales featuring lovely princesses overcoming odds
and challenges without ever losing their grace, beauty and poise in the
process. Other film and television companies have also succeeded in giving
audiences their own entertaining take on fairy tales. But viewers and even
readers of today's fairy tales never really question where these stories originated.
 |
| Doppelporträt der Brüder Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm / Die Brüder Grimm (right: Jacob Grimm; left: Wilhelm Grimm) |
Fairy tales
come from folk tales that have been passed on, often times orally, from one
generation to another. These folk tales or folk stories often center around
humble heroes or heroines, princes and princesses, or peasant girls and young
lads. Mythical and magical creatures such as fairies, giants, dwarves, fairy
godmothers, and witches, talking animals and other magical beings sometimes are
part of these folk tales.
