Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

Grimm's Complete

Fairy Tales

The Brothers Grimm

©1993

628 Pages

The Beam (p.628)

This is a short tale of a woman who refused to be taken in by an enchanter's illusions. When the towns people were presented with a chicken who could lift a beam, they were astounded. However, the girl happened across a four leave clover which allowed her to see that it was not a beam but merely a straw. The people ran the enchanter out of town but not before he swore his vengeance on the girl. Years later, on the day of her wedding, the girl made her way with her procession to her wedding. She came to a stream over which there was no bridge. Seeing no other solution and not fearing the water, she gathered her dress and began to wade through the water. Before she could reach the other side, the enchanter appeared and mocked her. He asked her if she could not see that she was not standing in water at all. The Enchanter lifted the illusion from her eyes and the eyes of her procession. When the people realized that she was standing in a field of flowers, they chased her away with ridicule and laughter.

Rumpelstiltskin (p.235)

Rumpelstiltskin is the tale of a miller's daughter whom he claimed could spin straw into gold. When the king appeared and demanded that the girl perform such a task for him, the miller feared for the life of his daughter. He tried to beg the king, but the king said that if she could not perform the task that she would be put to death. The girl was locked in a tower and begins to cry because she knows that she cannot do what the king has asked her to do. A little mad appears and tells her that he will do the task but she must pay him by giving him her first born child. Three night he spins straw into gold for the king and the king takes the girl and marries her. When the little man comes to lay claim to the first born child, the girl asks if there is anything she can do. The man replies that he will forfeit his claim if she can guess his name. she guesses, but she cannot get it right. However, she sends her servant to spy for her and he comes back and tells her that the man was dancing around his fire and said that his name was Rumplestiltskin. She wins the bet and lives happily ever after.

The Frog Prince (p.1)

The Frog Prince tells the story of a young princess who loved to play with her gold ball next to an old well. One day she threw the ball in the hair and failed to catching on the way down. The ball fell into the well and sank down all the way to the bottom. A frog appears and tells her that he will retrieve it if she will allow him to sit in her lap, eat from her plate, and sleep in her bed. The young princess agrees. However, when the frog retrieves the ball, the little girl snatches it and runs home, leaving the frog behind. Later that evening, the princess hears a knock on the door. When she goes to see who it is, she see only a frog. She wanted to leave him out there but her father made her let him in. He made her do everything that she promised the frog. But when he tried to sleep in her bed, she threw him against the wall. The frog then turned into a prince and they were married.

The Grimm Fairy Tales are not meant for children. While they are not obscene, most of them do not present the idea that people get what they deserve. Most of the protagonists do not succeed in the end and they are almost certain not to get their "happily ever after." Over all, while they should be read, make sure to pre-read them before suggesting them to children.