Or wait: maybe you mean the current trend of taking these innocent stories, splattering them with blood and gore and maybe some feministic motifs including no-strings-attached sex, where there is no happy ending and you're just happy if not everybody dies in the end?
No to both, actually: I'm talking about the real stories, not the sappy, sugar-coated things that emerged from the so-called Enlightenment, nor the bastardized drivel often a few eyefuls shy of pornography. I'm talking about the unchanged tales from the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and the nameless storytellers whose tales have been passed down to us. Though not exactly G-rated--for instance, I wouldn't recommend The Juniper Tree or Fitcher's Bird as bedtime stories for a wee one--they weren't as blood-spattered or gross as some critics would have us believe. And they all have lessons to consider.
The parable nature of the more popular fairy tales--Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast--has been discussed in length by authors wiser than I, so I won't bother with them. In fact, I'm not going to stray near the more known tales at all.
I'm going to discuss three more grisly tales, their current significance, and the lessons people--particularly teenaged girls--can, and maybe should, take from them.
These stories are Fitcher's Bird, The Robber Bridegroom, and Bluebeard. While the trappings and climaxes of each story are different, each one has a similar theme: a beautiful, if slightly naive girl falls for the easy charm of a handsome, smooth-talking man, and goes to his house. In two of the stories, she's given the run of the house with only one room forbidden; in the third, she simply finds someone who knows the true nature of her prospective bridegroom. Each girl discovers in a horrible manner that this charming fellow is a cold-blooded murderer--and in one instance, he's a cannibal. Each one of these stories has a happy ending: Mrs. Bluebeard's brothers arrive to visit at a highly opportune moment and save her life, while the girl in Robber Bridegroom escapes his house unnoticed and conspires with her father to reveal the man's doings and bring him to justice, and the clever girl in Fitcher's Bird tricks her murderous groom and his friends, so that her vengeful relatives arrive in time to lock the whole group in and burn the house down.
Now, I'm fairly certain that the number of young girls who get in a relationship with some smooth-talking charmer only to discover he's a cannibal or has a closet full of the bodies of his previous sweethearts is fairly small. But we all know someone who's fallen for a guy, and then discovered just what a bad bargain he is. We probably know several girls who have done that. And I can't help but wonder if familiarity with the 'Murderous Bridegroom' stories might help prevent that. Read the stories, then take these points to consider.
Point One: Reputations are there for a reason. In Bluebeard, Bluebeard already has a bad reputation, stemming from the fact that no one knows what's happened to his previous wives. Had the young lady thought a little harder about that, she might not have found herself in her bad position. Girls, if your hot new hunk is rumored to be abusive, find out the truth. If he is, you may have saved yourself a lot of pain and anguish.
Point Two: Listen to your instincts. In The Robber Bridegroom, the girl is not the one who picks the guy out; it's actually her father who is fooled by the robber's good looks and suave ways. But the girl senses something very wrong about him--so that when she discovers the truth, she isn't surprised. He may seem like the greatest thing since sliced bread, but if you have a funny feeling about him, do some research. It may save your self-worth, if not your life.
Point Three: Give charity—and accept
chivalry—with care. The sorcerer in Fitcher’s
Bird disguises himself as a beggar to get into the houses of pretty girls.
When they handed him bread, their hands would touch, and they would fall under
his enchantment, willingly going with him to their deaths. Now, you might not
find a sorcerer in disguise…but by giving or accepting kindness from the wrong
guy, you might find yourself in just as bad a situation.
Point Four: It's all yours But. In both Bluebeard and Fitcher's Bird, the young ladies were given the run of the house...with the exception of one room. Once they gave in to curiosity and opened the door, their fates were sealed. Unless you've actually fallen for a serial killer who keeps his gruesome trophies in a forbidden room--unlikely--the 'Sealed Door' is probably going to be the womb. Dare to get pregnant, and these modern-day Bluebeards will either force their girlfriends to get an abortion, beat them into miscarriage, or kill her. If your guy is violently against the idea of kids, he's not going to like it when the birth control fails.
Point Five: Get help. In all the stories, the girl, while able to trick or delay her murderer, does not take him down on her own. Mrs. Bluebeard is rescued by her brothers. The girl in Robber Bridegroom recruits her father and then the rest of the town, while the clever girl in Fitcher's Bird sends her rescued sisters home with orders to come back with reinforcements. They don't try to fight on their own. I would advise that all girls get a small-caliber gun and learn how to use it...but I would also advise that you get strong friends of good repute, who will help you if you need it.
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