Cinderella - The Mysterious Glass Slippers

Ding Dong!  The clock strikes twelve.  Cinderella rushes away from the prince, quickly going down the stairs of the castle and back to her home.  But she trips, and her beautiful glass slipper falls off her dainty foot.  She continues running...

Ah, the story about Cinderella and her fairy godmother.  It's every girl's dream to be suddenly transformed into a beautiful princess with the wave of a magic wand.  Bibbity bobbity boo!  Pumpkin coaches aren't all that drabby eitiher.  And every girl hopes that perhaps they will one day find their prince charming the same way Cinderella did - through the fitting of a single glass slipper.
But about those mysterious glass slippers...

When the clock struck twelve in the story, all the magic was supposed to disappear.  But if the rest of her outfit got reverted back to her rags, why did the glass slipper stay as a glass slipper?  Certainly the fairy godmother played a part in this, or the slippers were cursed.  Le gasp!
Voila the other incredibly important logic error:  Remember when the prince chose Cinderella as his bride?  He chose her because the glass slipper fit her perfectly, and therefore she must have been the girl he danced with at the ball.  However, if the glass slipper really was 'made just for Cinderella' - ironically true - how did it fall off in the first place?  Perfectly fitting shoes just don't fall off!  A part of me thinks that Cinderella purposely kicked off her shoes while she was running to attract the prince's attention.  Or something like that, because girls are catty creatures.  Anyhow, it's interesting to think about.
---

Opinions?  Thoughts?

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.

Happy Endings

Most fairy tales have almost ridiculously happy endings.  All the protagonists get what they want, and the antagonists are either killed, exiled, or they magically disappear from everyone's lives forever and ever.  How many times have you seen this line written in a fairy tale? :  "And they all lived happily ever after".

Everything always works out at the end!  However, while that's all lovely and wonderful and fluffy, these fairy tales aren't very realistic.  In real life, not all stories end on a positive note.  And since many fairy tales are meant to teach younger children certain real life lessons, shouldn't there be fairy tales that have not-as-happy endings as well?


(Mind you, sad fairy tales do exist; The Little Mermaid is a noteworthy example.  But I'm not talking about the dolled-up Disney Version - I'm talking about the traditional story by Andersen: the title character becomes nothing but a bubble at the end...Go read it now!)

So what do you think?

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.

Wolves

Wolves are commonly portrayed as the antagonists in fairy tales.  The term "the Big Bad Wolf" is so commonly known, many movies and even songs have been named after those exact four words.  Ah, wolves.  Poor Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother got swallowed by one.  Many poor defenseless sheep have falled prey to their voracious appetites (esp. in Aesop's fables).  And please, don't even get me started about the Three Little Pigs.

But are wolves really all that bad?  Surely everyone has heard of the 1989 children's book, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, among other inversions of the famous tale.  But really, isn't it a bit unfair that only wolves are being delineated in such a negative manner?  In real life, wolves are loyal pack animals.  In fairy tales, they're evil, lonesome villains that froth at the mouth at the mere sight of a tasty treat.

So what do you guys think?  Why are wolves considered to be such terrible personalities in mythical tales?  (Extra:  Consider the werewolf in popular culture; why the werewolf?  Why not some other animal?)

Fairies in Fairy Tales

Stories with fairies (dubbed "fairylore") are very popular in countries such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.  It is undeniable that fairies have played an important role in many memorable fairy tales and folklores.  Be it the fairy godmother in Cinderella or Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream, these characters are loved for their magical abilities and often mischievious natures. 

Fairies are often beautiful, tiny creatures with a pair of transluscent wings on their back.  Some fairies are spritely pixies like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan that often leave a trail of pixie dust behind them when they fly around.  Fairies are usually not the main character in a story; instead, they are important supporting roles that affect the plot immensely with their magic.  Expect fairies to know a few interesting charms and spells!

---

But it's obvious that fairy tales aren't always about fairies, so why are they called "fairy tales"?  The history of the title goes back a long time.

In 17th century France, such magical stories were very popular.  However, the tales were written for adults!  The fairy tales we know today are actually simplified versions of the literary works by a group of Parisian authors.  These Parisian authors called these literary works "les contes de fées", which translates to the term we all know: fairy tales.

Who is your favourite fairy?

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.

Questions

Now before I actually begin blogging, I would like to ask my prospective audience a few questions regarding my topic (fairy tales).  Please take your time to think deeply about the following prompts and do make an effort to respond to them, be it in your head or via the comment button.  @IT classmates especially:  Comments would be very much appreciated!

1. How useful are fairy tales in teaching children morale and life lessons?
2. Think about your favourite fairy tale. What makes that one the one you like best?
3. Is there a definite difference between fairy tales, folktales, and fables?
4. Was it right for Jack to climb the beanstalk? For Gretel to save Hansel by killing the witch?
5. Are fairy tales actually sending a positive message to children? Consider how Cinderella snuck out late at night, how Snow White took food from a stranger and married someone she didn't even know, etc.

Thank you!

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.

An Introduction

Hello everyone, and welcome to my new blog!  My name is Vicky, and I'm here to talk about fairy tales.  No, I will not go on drabbling about each and every single fairy tale that existed in the world since the beginning of time.  No, I will not be doing deep analyses on the elements of good and evil or commenting on how stylistic elements of the late Classical - early Romantic era have influenced the stories of the Brothers Grimm.  And no, I will not be talking about cheese.  But that's self explanatory, right?




Instead, expect insightful articles on details in popular stories that are often overlooked.  Expect to read eyebrow-raising theories that will question the purpose of fairy tales as a whole.  Most importantly, expect to have fun.

A lot of fairy tales are often neglected these days in favour of vampire novels and sappy teenage love stories.  I created this blog to bring fairytales back into the spotlight.  So sit back, relax...And don't forgot to comment at the end!

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.

P.S.  Read my other blog, Vociferous Vicky!