The fairytales of princesses, the true love’s kisses and fights against wicked witches and magic have created fairytales adored by kids all over the world for years. However, beneath the adorable appearance of these tales for bedtime there are a lot of stories with dark implications that neither children or adults know about.
Many fairytales are not exactly what they appear to be on first sight. Here are ten fairytales for children that have hidden meanings and backstories that are far more dangerous than you be aware of.
10 Curious George
If you ask your child to talk about The Curious George If they’re children, they’ll likely know the tale. The books tell the tale of a curious monkey and his master who is the Man wearing the Yellow Hat. The stories that George tells are some mysterious double meaning. It’s true that The Curious George’sauthors Hans Augusto and Margaret Rey (Reyersbach) were actually German Jews. They weren’t simply any German Jews. The Reys were part of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany prior to World War II.
When he was working in Rio de Janeiro, Hans came across Margaret who had left Germany due to the rising Nazi oppression. They got married and took honeymoon to Paris. Then, they chose to stay and relocated to south France. They began writing stories for children with a focus on a strange monkey that they called Fifi. Then, the troops of Hitler attacked France. Since that they are German as well as Jewish, Margaret and her husband were at risk of being double-injured. For their neighbors and friends living in Southern France, they were considered to be suspects due to their German blood. Because they were Jews and Germans, they were in hiding from Nazism. German Nazi rule.
When they created Curious George, they were not only writing George books, they were writing the George books and shared them with the world, they were actually giving a glimpse into their tale from George’s perspective. Luckily, because of an anonymous tip concerning an imminent attack The authors were able to escape. They made it through Lisbon, Spain, before returning to Rio. After that, they travelled through New York, later becoming U.S. citizens.
Their fast encounters in the face of danger, and their swift escapes motivated the writers to keep writing Curious George stories. curious George stories and put an amusing light on being in the midst of a run. At the end of the day they employed their illustrations to impress authorities who helped them escape from danger several occasions! [1]
9 The Little Match Girl
The Little Match Girl may be a fairytale but despite its charming exterior it’s not something you can read to your children in the evening. The Little Match Girl tells the tale of poverty in the 1840s. The story tells how the little girl was forced to make money selling matches so that her father wouldn’t beat her. Each when she lit up a match she felt warm, optimistic and even a sense of optimism. Then, at the conclusion of the story the girl is suffering in the frigid winter air. The story portrays an end that is sweet for the brave girl.
The story was about the actual meeting that took place between Hans Cristian Andersson with a young girl who sold matches on the streets. In the Industrial Revolution in Europe, there was a lot of poverty. Like many children, this little girl was forced out into the cold winter in order to help her family put food in the kitchen. While the story might seem cute and charming in the present, what it actually discusses is the dark real-life, brutality of living in the 1800s in a the harsh, cold, and industry-based Europe. [22.
8″The Frog King”
“The Frog King” is one of the most famous fairytales about a princess who transforms an unattractive frog an attractive prince. In the tale an unruly princess is befriended by the Frog King in exchange for a favor he performed for her. Though she doesn’t want to befriend him, she does eventually be in love with the frog and eventually, he becomes a beautiful prince. While this may appear to be a straightforward tale however, the author actually had ideas that weren’t exactly child-friendly.
The writer wanted the story to depict an individual’s discovery in their sexuality. The Frog in the story symbolizes fertility and the story demonstrates the transition from an innocent child into a adult sexually mature person. Then, “The Frog King” isn’t so innocent after all. It was actually an obscene tale created by an author who used it in a clever way to discuss the loss of innocent innocence. [3]
7 Mother Goose
Mother Goose is an old woman with a fairytale who recites simple but entertaining nursery rhymes. But the truth is that Mother Goose’s lessons revolve around taxation. The author of Mother Goose did an amazing job of obscuring social and political issues using funny single-liners. For example, Mother Goose sings about “Three Blind Mice,”” “Mary Mary Very Contrary,” and other charming rhymes.
But her majority of songs focused on teaching lessons about the brutal realities of living. For instance, take taxation. Remember “Baa Baa Black Sheep”? It’s about taxation and how unfair people believed they were. The rhymes were intended to be a call to change and also a way to inform people about the unfairness of taxation, such as the Wool Tax in 1275. Farmers were required to pay the tax on wool: one-third to the King (the master) and the other third towards the town’s nobleman (the Dame). The third remaining was given to the farmer, who was the little boy in the story. [4]
6″The Tinder Box”
Before Aladdin was able to enter his dream carpet Hans Cristian Andersen had already written a story similar to that named “The Tinder Box.” When Andersen published the story in 1835 it made reference of social limitations and a clear line of distinction between different social classes.
“The Tinder Box” tells anyone that they can take whatever steps necessary to achieve wealth regardless of what the circumstances. It also reveals the devastation of being poor and how someone in need of help could be transformed into magical ideas. Andersen was determined to expose the stark differences between class of the upper and lower classes in his time, and also to reveal the actual struggle of those born with no the means to survive. [5]
5Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit, written by Beatrix Potter over 150 years ago, depicts the terrifying horrors from the globe and evokes the Darwinian conflict. On the first page, the story begins with a terrifying warning. Peter Rabbit was Potter’s strategy of revolting against her family of middle class and their traditional morals and beliefs. The selection of animals also was dependent on family lifestyle, the gender role and economics.
Although you may believe the story of the fairy tale is a great life lesson on listening to your mom however, it’s actually her way of protesting at her own family. Her intention with the novel was to reject the lavish lifestyle her family lived and to question gender roles and the politics of the period of her writing. [6]
4″The The Devil With three Golden Hairs”
“The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs” is a different dark fairy tale with deep symbolic meaning and various interpretations. The Grimm Brothers published this fairy story in 1812 they sought to show how men transition from puberty into adulthood. The king of the story represents the world as it is and is filled with selfishness and wickedness to rule and lead. This tale of fairytales also assists children to deal with parental jealousy which is portrayed in the story in the scene where the king wanted murder the main character due to his fear of being replaced by his daughters heart.
The place where the boy wandered off represents the age of adulthood. He is confronted by robbers and the elderly woman who served as his parents which shows how growing older can be a bit confusing. In the end, the boy’s marriage to the princess indicates his preparation to be an adult. The quest of the boy to obtain the devil’s golden hair is symbolic of his quest for maturity and the devil’s appearance is a reference to the anxieties of a boyhood. The whole story may or might not have been related to the Grimm brothers’ struggles with puberty. This is subject for speculation. [7]
3 Snow White and Rose Red
Snow White and Rose Red is yet another intriguing fairy tale written by the Grimm brothers that was published in 1833. If you believe that the tale is about Snow White and seven dwarves but, you’ll need to rethink your thinking. The story is totally different. This story is completely different. Grimm brothers were accustomed to writing fairy tales with siblings rivalries, however they were all different from this. The story tells that of sisters Snow White and Rose Red and how they came to their happy conclusion.
The interesting thing about this tale is that both girls, even though they end up being happy however, they suffer tragedy on their journey to happiness. Although the majority of people focus on the happy endings it’s clear that what did the Grimm brothers wanted to focus on was the tragic events. They wanted to demonstrate that you will never be totally happy and regardless of how good your life is there will always be an aspect of sadness. Perhaps they were right or maybe not. In any case, this tale is now largely lost and replaced by the more uplifting tale that tells the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! 8.
2Jack-O’-Lantern
The jack-o’lantern is an iconic symbol for Halloween. When trick-or-treating, kids typically wear their versions of Jack’s face upon pumpkins’ heads. However, behind the dazzling appearance, the jack-o’lantern derived out of an Irish myth first published in 1835. The story tells about the character Stingy Jack. Jack was mean person who tricked an evil spirit to avoid having to be sent to hell. However, since Jack was barred from heaven and hell All was he could do was walk around on Earth with burning coal lighting his way.
Jack put the coal inflamed inside a turnedip that was carved and is wandering around Earth. He was known as the Irish were known as “Jack of the Lantern” or “Jack-o’-lantern.” While carving pumpkins has become an adorable and fun activity for kids on Halloween, in the days, Irish folk believed they were like Stingy Jack. The carving of these lanterns was done to ward off evil spirits and to protect the families of their loved ones. [9]
1″Godfather Death”
“Godfather Death” may be regarded as a fairy-tale piece however, it’s actually an anti-fairytale. There’s no happy end The protagonist doesn’t find the love of his life and he doesn’t become successful. “Godfather Death” is a discussion of the consequences of falling into the trap of destructive vices, particularly when one chooses these over the virtues. This classic story written by Grimm brothers Grimm brothers was first published in 1812.
It is a reminder that nobody can escape death. It’s all around us. Whatever your wealth or social status it is impossible to avoid to avoid dying. The story serves as a cautionary tale to children , to be scared and prevent them from becoming violent and leaving the comforts of home. In addition to death, “Godfather Death” also informs us about the brutal realities of injustice and inequity throughout the world, even in the present. [10]
