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17.4.12

Fairy tales were adapted from old folk tales by the 17th century French author, Charles Perrault. Throughout history, every culture has passed down their own versions of fairy tales which served the purpose of cautioning and presenting moral warnings, which commonly consists of having a plot, characters and a recurring subject across different cultures. The majority of fairy tales are often based on real life experiences, such as choosing the right path while walking through the woods or dreaming of a better life.

Little Red Riding Hood
First published by Charles Perrault, Little Red Riding Hood warns against taking the advice from strangers. The story has often been interpreted as a metaphor for sexual maturity, with Little Reds cloak symbolising menstruation and the Big Bad Wolf representing a sexual predator. 

Cinderella
One of the key objects from Cinderella is the glass slipper. A gory detail that Charles Perrault originally wrote was involving the wicked stepsisters, in an effort to cram their fat feet into the perfectly petite slipper, they managed to hack at their own feet and remove parts of their heels and toes in an attempt to fool the prince. When the Brothers Grimm re-wrote the fairy tale, they added an extra detail, explaining how the sisters got what as coming to them and had their eyes pecked out by a pack of birds.

Hansel and Gretel
In Charles Perrault's version of Hansel and Gretel, the children do not become lost, they are in facet led into the forest by their own parents who cannot afford to feed them. Their father doesn't really want to abandon them, but the mother persuades him into it and so gives in to his wife's cruel desire. This original story of Hansel and Gretel reflects the reality of life in the middle ages, when it was a common practice to let children die or disappear because of shortage of food. 
The story presents fear and the value of society which is seen as barbaric in todays modern society. The moral lesson behind the story teaches us that children and adults struggle for survival and temptation is dangerous.