A Fairy-Tale For All

“King Grisly” is a fairy tale written by the Grimm brothers, European patriots who desired to and succeeded in keep the Germanian folk tales alive, for as of today their stories are read in over one-hundred and sixty languages. Written in the early 1800’s, the Grimm brothers' stories became so popular that Children’s and Household Tales were published in 1812. Tirelessly searching, studying, and scribbling them down for readers, the Grimm brothers spent a considerably tedious amount of time on their project. Especially popular stories by the Grimm Brothers include “Cinderella,” “Hansel and Gretel," and “Rumpelstiltskin.” Although it is obscure, “King Grisly” is an exceptional story, which should be read alongside “Rumpelstiltskin” or any of their other stories.

The main characters of the tale are a beautiful, but haughty and priggish princess, her father the king, an honorable long-bearded king wishing to marry the princess, and a poor fiddler. Desiring to find a husband for his daughter, the king invites many suitors to visit and dine at the palace, but the princess rudely treats them with disdain. She snickers. She snoots. She snides. Mockingly, she remarks that one king’s long gray beard is like a mop, and dubs him King Grisly-Beard. Upon hearing this, the King, her father, vows that the next man to walk through the castle door is the man she will marry, if she wishes it or not. When a poor dirty fiddler walks through the door a few days later, the princess is distraught, but the king holds to his promise, and they are married.

On the way to the fiddler’s small dwelling, they pass huge forests, they pass vast green fields, and they pass magnificent cities. Inquiring to whom these all belong, the princess truly regrets her conceitedness when she discovers that the forests, the fields, and the cities all belong to King-Grisly Beard. When they arrive at the fiddler’s hut, a humble dirty shack, she fails at every kind of work she tries: weaving baskets, spinning wool, and even selling clay pots. She is as helpful as a nest of hornets. The fiddler, frustrated with the girl, still patiently finds her another job as a kitchen maid in a nearby castle, where she will have to work hard, but can bring home some left-over meat to eat each day.

As the princess is working one day, she sees that the King’s eldest son is going to be married and that a feast was being prepared, while all the courts arrived. Suddenly, the King’s son—who she is horrified to see—King Grisly-Beard, takes her by the hand and asks her to dance. Turning red with embarrassment, thinking he is only trying to torment her, and pulling her hand out of his, the princess runs quickly towards the door. But King Grisly-Beard cries out, “Fear me not! I am the fiddler, who has lived with you in the hut. I brought you here because I truly love you. I have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride. You have learned wisdom, and we shall hold our marriage feast.” The princess is then garbed in rich beautiful robes, and the whole court dances and sings.

As fairy tales usually go, “King Grisly-Beard” is a story with a predictable, happy ending, but a great and meaningful story, none-the-less. Is anyone ever too old to read fairy tales? Usually thought of as silly children’s tales by adults, fairy tales are often disregarded as great literature which needs to be read by all ages. “King Grisly-Beard” is about pride, the great sin which all ages struggle with. Loving the princess, King Grisly-Beard humbly dressed as a peasant so that he could cure the princess of her obnoxious pride. Before a joyful wedding celebration could occur, King Grisly-Beard had to take the role of a servant so that the princess could be redeemed. There is nothing simple about pride or love, and servant-hood, and that is why this fairy-tale is for all ages.

The Hope, Rescue, and Forgiveness of Cinderella

“Cinderella,” which was published in Grimm’s Fairy Tales in 1812, is a wonderful short story. Although it was published long ago, this fairy tale is known by almost every child in the United States today. Preserving Germanic folk tales, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm quickly realized that the stories they collected and edited intrigued young readers. In their collection they also include some of the world’s most famous stories such as “Hansel and Gretel”, as well as “Rapunzel” and “Rumpelstiltskin.”

In the story “Cinderella,” the characters are the kind and beautiful Cinderella, the evil stepmother and vile stepsisters, and the charming prince. Living with her stepmother, Cinderella is cruelly forced to do all the house work, while at night she sleeps among the cinders, which is where her name comes from. While it ends “happily ever after,” the beginning of the story is sad.

When the prince sends an invitation to all the ladies in the kingdom inviting them to a huge, exciting ball, Cinderella wants to go. Giving her so much work that she can’t go, her stepsisters also show their horribleness by laughing at Cinderella when Cinderella says she wants to go. Finally breaking down and weeping after her stepsisters leave for the ball, Cinderella, who is left behind, cries on the hearth.

Weeping uncontrollably, Cinderella looks up to find her fairy godmother, who turns her rags into a stunningly beautiful gown; this is the most exciting part of the story. Arriving at the ball Cinderella is the most stunning girl there, and every one, including the prince, admires her. Sitting with the prince and dancing every dance with him Cinderella realizes that she is supposed to leave before midnight, and runs off just as the clock strikes twelve. Quickly yelling and rushing after her, the prince can only find a glass slipper which he says he will try on every girl in the kingdom, marrying the one it fits.

At the end of the book, the slipper fits Cinderella perfectly, and she marries and lives with the prince. Ending in a happily ever after, “Cinderella,” which is a fantastically great book, should be read aloud to all children. Although the characters lack excess personality, the story makes up for it with its symbolism of rescue because everyone understands the concept of rescue. Throughout the story it is natural to hope that it will turn out good for Cinderella and that someone will help her. Even though Cinderella’s thoughts are not revealed, it is obvious that Cinderella is kind and caring because in the end of the story she forgives her stepsisters and stepmom for treating her so poorly. The hope of Cinderella during the most discouraging times, the rescue of Cinderella by the prince, and the forgiveness of Cinderella towards her enemies makes the story beautiful.

Union Giveth Strength (King James Style)

Now there was a man far advanced in years, who, at the point of death called his sons to his bedside to giveth them wisdom. He ordered a servant to bringeth a faggot of sticks to his room, wherefore he might use it to teacheth his sons, and he said to his eldest, “Thine strength is great: breakest the faggot of sticks,” and his eldest son straineth at it, but he could not breakest the faggot of sticks, and to the others he said Thine strength is great: breakest the faggot of sticks.

And although the others strained, they were unable to breaketh the faggot of sticks. The father told them, “Untieth the faggot of sticks and taketh one each for yourselves and breakest it,” and they obeyed their father and tooketh out one each and broke it. “See my sons: union gives strength.”