No, actually most fairy tales in their original form were gruesome to the extreme. In Cinderella, the stepsisters had their feet mutilated to fit in the shoe and her eyes were eventually picked out by doves. Sleeping Beauty was raped while she was unconscious by the King. Hansel and Gretel were held captive by a half blind cannibal. Soldiers were instructed to cut out Snow White’s liver and lungs, so the Queen could feast upon them …
My point is: one could argue that the sanitized versions we have today are actually counterproductive to the original purpose of fairy tales, so the children can safely confront their darkest fears
– Dr. Spencer Reid, Criminal Minds
When I first started reading, the most common books that were given to me were fairy tale stories. I was lucky that my parents bought a different fairy tale book. The versions in the stories were not the same as the movies I had seen. Maybe next time I’ll try to find that old book, but I got myself a new one to read today. This book made me feel that I could still face some of the characters in a different light. So, I bought the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. I shall bring back memories, no matter how dark they could be.
Yakapin 