What is a Tale?
Have you ever read or heard a story that begins with “Once upon a time” and ends with “happily ever after”? A story that has magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings, such as fairies, elves, dragons, witches, and talking animals? A story that makes you wonder and dream? If you have, then you have encountered a fairy tale.
The Definition of a Fairy Tale
A fairy tale is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Folklore is the collection of stories, myths, legends, and traditions that people tell each other. Fairy tales are one type of folklore story that usually involves fantastic forces and beings.
The word “fairy tale” comes from the French term “conte de fées”, which means “tale of fairies”. However, not all fairy tales have fairies in them. Some have other kinds of creatures, such as goblins, wizards, giants, mermaids, unicorns, and monsters. Some have no creatures at all, but only magic objects or events.
Fairy tales are different from other kinds of stories because they are not based on historical or religious facts. They are based on imagination and creativity. They often take place in a faraway land or a long time ago. They often have a simple plot and a clear moral lesson. They often have a happy ending where good triumphs over evil.
The Examples of Fairy Tales
Fairy tales are very old and very popular. They have been told and written for hundreds or even thousands of years in many cultures and languages around the world. Some of the most famous fairy tales are:
- Cinderella: A story about a poor girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, but who goes to a ball with the help of her fairy godmother and meets a prince who falls in love with her.
- Little Red Riding Hood: A story about a girl who wears a red hooded cloak and goes to visit her grandmother in the woods, but who meets a big bad wolf who wants to eat her.
- Sleeping Beauty: A story about a princess who is cursed by an evil fairy to fall asleep for a hundred years until she is awakened by the kiss of a prince.
- Snow White: A story about a princess who is hated by her jealous stepmother who wants to kill her, but who escapes and lives with seven dwarfs in the forest until she is poisoned by an apple given by her stepmother disguised as an old woman.
- The Three Little Pigs: A story about three pigs who build their houses of straw, sticks, and bricks, and who are attacked by a big bad wolf who wants to blow down their houses and eat them.
- Jack and the Beanstalk: A story about a boy who sells his cow for some magic beans that grow into a giant beanstalk that leads to the sky where he finds a castle with a giant who has a hen that lays golden eggs.
These are just some examples of fairy tales. There are many more that you can read or listen to. You can also make up your fairy tales by using your imagination and creativity.
The Importance of Fairy Tales
Fairy tales are important for many reasons. They are:
- Entertaining: Fairy tales are fun to read or listen to. They make us laugh, cry, feel scared, feel excited, feel curious, and feel happy.
- Educational: Fairy tales teach us about different cultures and traditions. They also teach us about different values and morals, such as honesty, kindness, courage, justice, and love.
- Inspirational: Fairy tales inspire us to use our imagination and creativity. They also inspire us to overcome challenges and difficulties in our lives. They also inspire us to follow our dreams and hopes.
Fairy tales are stories that we can enjoy at any age and at any time. They are stories that make us wonder and dream. They are stories that make us human.
