Description

"Once upon a time..." So begin many well-known and light-hearted fairy tales. In Grimm's Fairy Tales, however, the fables we read are full of a more potent combination of the dark and light, joyful and frightening, and the terrible and magical. Although brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm adapted some of the more disturbing aspects of the historic German folk tales that they gathered, the collection attracted controversy from its debut in the early nineteenth century over whether it was truly suitable for children. Indeed, in their original written form, these are stories that will inspire fear and wonder in even the most grown-up of readers today. "Cinderella," "Rapunzel," and "Hansel and Gretel" appear alongside many less well-known but centuries-old treasures. Together, these tales take the reader on a uniquely fanciful journey through the realm of imagination.

About the Author

Jakob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm were born into a comfortable German family, enjoying a genteel rural lifestyle in their earliest years. When their father suddenly died, however, the Grimm children and their mother were forced to leave their home and move into a smaller house in the city. Overcoming their family's hardships, the brothers went on to attend the University of Marlburg, where both studied law. It was during this phase of their lives that the Grimms began a project to amass ancient folk legends and stories of Germany. This singular endeavor would become the Grimms' beloved multi-volume set of Fairy Tales. Having established a solid reputation with these collected tales, both brothers became university professors, pursuing work in the field of linguistics. In addition to their most famous work, the brothers Grimm were also well known in their day for their passionate interest in politics and loyal devotion to the German democratic movement.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

The text is based on translations from the Grimms' Kinder und Hausmarchen by Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes.
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was ...