Read a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Real fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm

1 - About the little bus who was afraid of the dark

Donald Bisset

A fairy tale about how mother bus taught her little bus not to be afraid of the dark... About the little bus who was afraid of the dark read Once upon a time there was a little bus in the world. He was bright red and lived with his dad and mom in the garage. Every morning …

2 - Three kittens

Suteev V.G.

A short fairy tale for the little ones about three fidgety kittens and their funny adventures. Little children love short stories with pictures, which is why Suteev’s fairy tales are so popular and loved! Three kittens read Three kittens - black, gray and...

3 - Hedgehog in the fog

Kozlov S.G.

A fairy tale about a Hedgehog, how he was walking at night and got lost in the fog. He fell into the river, but someone carried him to the shore. It was a magical night! Hedgehog in the fog read Thirty mosquitoes ran out into the clearing and began to play...

4 - About the mouse from the book

Gianni Rodari

A short story about a mouse who lived in a book and decided to jump out of it into the big world. Only he did not know how to speak the language of mice, but knew only a strange book language... Read about a mouse from a book...

5 - Apple

Suteev V.G.

A fairy tale about a hedgehog, a hare and a crow who could not divide the last apple among themselves. Everyone wanted to take it for themselves. But the fair bear judged their dispute, and each got a piece of the treat... Apple read It was late...

6 - Black Pool

Kozlov S.G.

A fairy tale about a cowardly Hare who was afraid of everyone in the forest. And he was so tired of his fear that he decided to drown himself in the Black Pool. But he taught the Hare to live and not be afraid! Black Whirlpool read Once upon a time there was a Hare...

7 - About the Hippopotamus, who was afraid of vaccinations

Suteev V.G.

A fairy tale about a cowardly hippopotamus who ran away from the clinic because he was afraid of vaccinations. And he fell ill with jaundice. Luckily, he was taken to the hospital and treated. And the hippopotamus became very ashamed of his behavior... About the Hippopotamus, who was afraid...

8 - Mom for Baby Mammoth

Nepomnyashchaya D.

A fairy tale about a baby mammoth that melted out of the ice and went to look for its mother. But all the mammoths have long since died out, and the wise Uncle Walrus advised him to sail to Africa, where elephants live, which are very similar to mammoths. Mom for...

Many years have passed since the Brothers Grimm's "Children's and Household Fairy Tales" were first published. The publication was the most modest both in appearance and in volume: the book contained only 83 fairy tales instead of the 200 currently published. The preface introduced to the collection by the Brothers Grimm was signed on October 18, ever-memorable 1812. The book was appreciated in this era of German self-awareness, in this era of the awakening of ardent nationalist aspirations and the magnificent flowering of romance. Even during the life of the brothers Grimm, their collection, constantly supplemented by them, had already gone through 5 or 6 editions and was translated into almost all European languages.

This collection of fairy tales was almost the first, youthful work of the Grimm brothers, their first attempt on the path of scientific collection and scientific processing of monuments of ancient German literature and nationality. Following this path, the Grimm brothers later achieved great fame as luminaries of European science and, having devoted their entire lives to their enormous, truly immortal works, indirectly had a very strong influence on Russian science and on the study of the Russian language, antiquity and nationality. Their name also enjoys loud, well-deserved fame in Russia, and is pronounced by our scientists with deep respect... In view of this, we recognize that here it would not be superfluous to include a short, concise biographical sketch of the life and work of the famous brothers Grimm, whom the Germans rightly call “the fathers of and the founders of German philology."

By origin, the Brothers Grimm belonged to the middle class of society. Their father was first a lawyer in Hanau, and then entered the legal service of the Prince of Hanau. The Brothers Grimm were born in Hanau: Jacob - January 4, 1785, Wilhelm - February 24, 1786. From their earliest youth they were bound by the closest bonds of friendship, which did not stop until their death. Moreover, both of them, even by their very nature, seemed to complement each other: Jacob, as the eldest, was physically stronger than his brother Wilhelm, who was constantly very sick from a young age and only became stronger in health in old age. Their father died in 1796 and left his family in a very cramped situation, so that only thanks to the generosity of their maternal aunt, the Grimm brothers were able to complete their studies, for which they had already shown brilliant abilities very early on. They first studied at the Kassel Lyceum, then entered the University of Marburg, with the firm intention of studying legal sciences for practical work following the example of their father. They actually listened to lectures at the Faculty of Law and studied law, but their natural inclinations began to tell and pulled them in a completely different direction. While still at the university, they began to devote all their leisure time to the study of domestic German and foreign literature, and when in 1803 the famous romantic Tieck published his “Songs of the Minnesingers,” to which he prefaced with a passionate, heartfelt preface, the Grimm brothers immediately felt a strong attraction to the study of German antiquity and nationalities and decided to familiarize themselves with ancient German handwritten literature based on the originals. Having embarked on this path soon after leaving university, the Grimm brothers never left it until the end of their lives.

In 1805, when Jacob Grimm had to go to Paris for a while for scientific purposes, the brothers, accustomed to living and working together, felt the burden of this separation to such an extent that they decided never to separate again for any purpose - to live together and share everything in half with each other.

Between 1805 and 1809, Jacob Grimm was in the service: for some time he was the librarian of Jerome Bonaparte in Wilhelmsgeg, and then even a state auditor. After the end of the war with France, Jacob Grimm received an order from the Elector of Kassel to go to Paris and return to the Kassel Library those manuscripts that were taken from it by the French. In 1815, he was sent along with a representative of the Electorate of Kassel to the Congress of Vienna, and a profitable diplomatic career even opened up for him. But Jacob Grimm felt complete disgust for her, and in general, in his official activities he saw only an obstacle to the pursuit of science, to which he was devoted with all his soul. That is why in 1816 he left the service, rejected the professorship offered to him in Bonn, refused large salaries and preferred over everything a modest position as a librarian in Kassel, where his brother had already been secretary of the library since 1814. Both brothers maintained this humble position until 1820, during which time they diligently devoted themselves to their scientific research, and this period of their lives was most fruitful in relation to their scientific activity. In 1825, Wilhelm Grimm married; but the brothers still did not separate and continued to live and work together.

In 1829, the director of the Kassel Library died; his place, of course, by all rights and justice should have gone to Jacob Grimm; but a stranger who had not declared himself to be of any merit was preferred over him, and both brothers Grimm, offended by this blatant injustice, found themselves forced to resign. It goes without saying that the Brothers Grimm, who at that time had already become very famous for their works, did not remain idle. Jacob Grimm was invited to Göttingen in 1830 as a professor of German literature and senior librarian at the university there. Wilhelm entered the same place as a junior librarian and in 1831 was elevated to extraordinary, and in 1835 to ordinary professor. Both learned brothers had a good life here, especially because here they met a friendly circle that included the first luminaries of modern German science. But their stay in Gottingen was short-lived. The new King of Hanover, who ascended the throne in 1837, planned with one stroke of the pen to destroy the constitution given to Hanover by his predecessor, which, of course, aroused general displeasure against himself throughout the country; but only seven Göttingen professors had enough civic courage to publicly protest against such an unauthorized violation of the fundamental state law. Among these seven daredevils were the Brothers Grimm. King Ernst August responded to this protest by immediately dismissing all seven professors from their positions and expelling from Hanoverian borders those of them who were not Hanoverian natives. Within three days, the Grimm brothers had to leave Hanover and temporarily settled in Kassel. But public opinion in Germany stood up for the famous scientists: a general subscription was opened to provide for the Brothers Grimm from want, and two large German booksellers and publishers (Reimer and Hirtzel) approached them with a proposal to jointly compile a German dictionary on the broadest scientific basis. The Brothers Grimm accepted this offer with the greatest readiness and, after the necessary, rather lengthy preparations, set to work. But they did not have to stay in Kassel for long: their friends took care of them and found them an enlightened patron in the person of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, and when he ascended the throne in 1840, he immediately summoned the learned brothers to Berlin. They were elected members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences and, as academicians, received the right to lecture at the University of Berlin. Soon, both Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm began lecturing at the university and from then on lived in Berlin continuously until their death. Wilhelm died December 16, 1859; Jacob followed him on September 20, 1863, in the 79th year of his arduous and fruitful life.

As for the significance of the scientific activity of the Grimm brothers, it, of course, is not subject to our assessment in this short biographical note. We can limit ourselves here to only listing their most important works, which brought them great fame as European scientists, and point out the differences that existed in the activities of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and to some extent characterized their personal attitude to science.

Our page contains all the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm list is a complete collection of all works. This list also includes fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, fairy tales about animals, and new fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm. The world of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm is amazing and magical, filled with a plot of good and evil. The best fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm can be read on the pages of our website. Reading fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm online is very exciting and comfortable.

Fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm list

(Der Froschk?nig oder der eiserne Heinrich)
(Katze und Maus in Gesellschaft)
Child of Mary (Marienkind)
The Tale of the One Who Went to Learn from Fear (M?rchen von einem, der auszog das F?rchten zu lernen)
The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats (Der Wolf und die sieben jungen Gei?lein)
Faithful Johannes (Der treue Johannes)
Successful trade / Profitable business (Der gute Handel)
The Extraordinary Musician / The Eccentric Musician (Der wunderliche Spielmann)
Twelve Brothers (Die zw?lf Br?der)
The Ragged Rabble (Das Lumpengesindel)
Brother and Sister (Br?derchen und Schwesterchen)
Rapunzel (Bell)
Three men in the forest / Three little forest men (Die drei M?nnlein im Walde)
Three spinners (Die drei Spinnerinnen)
Hansel and Gretel
Three snake leaves (Die drei Schlangenbl?tter)
White snake (Die weisse Schlange)
Straw, coal and bean (Strohhalm, Kohle und Bohne)
About a fisherman and his wife (Vom Fischer und seiner Frau)
The Brave Little Tailor (Das tapfere Schneiderlein)
Cinderella (Aschenputtel)
Riddle (Das R?tsel)
About the mouse, the bird and the fried sausage (Von dem M?uschen, V?gelchen und der Bratwurst)
Mrs. Blizzard (Frau Holle)
The Seven Ravens (Die sieben Raben)
Little Red Riding Hood (Rotk?ppchen)
Bremen Town Musicians (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten)
The Singing Bone (Der singende Knochen)
The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs (Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren)
Louse and flea beetle (L?uschen und Fl?hchen)
The Girl Without Arms (Das M?dchen ohne H?nde)
Intelligent Hans / Clever Hans (Der gescheite Hans)
Three languages (Die drei Sprachen)
Smart Elsa (Die kluge Else)
The Tailor in Paradise (Der Schneider im Himmel)
Set yourself a table, a golden donkey and a club from a sack (Tischchen deck dich, Goldesel und Kn?ppel aus dem Sack)
Thumb Boy (Daumesdick)
The Wedding of the Lady Fox (Die Hochzeit der Frau F?chsin)
Brownies (Die Wichtelm?nner)
The Robber Groom (Der Rüberbrüutigam)
Mr. Korbes
Mr Godfather (Der Herr Gevatter)
Mrs. Trude / Frau Trude
Death of the godfather / Death in the godfathers (Der Gevatter Tod)
Thumb Boy's Journey (Daumerlings Wanderschaft)
Strange Bird (Fitchers Vogel)
About the Enchanted Tree (Von dem Machandelboom)
Old Sultan (Der alte Sultan)
Six swans (Die sechs Schw?ne)
Briar Rose / Sleeping Beauty (Dornr?schen)
Foundling / Foundbird (Fundevogel)
King Thrushbeard (K?nig Drosselbart)
Snow Maiden / Snow White (Schneewittchen)
Knapsack, hat and horn (Der Ranzen, das H?tlein und das H?rnlein)
Junk (Rumpelstilzchen)
Dear Roland (Der liebste Roland)
Golden Bird (Der goldene Vogel)
The Dog and the Sparrow / The Dog and the Sparrow (Der Hund und der Sperling)
Frieder and Katherlieschen
Two Brothers (Die zwei Br?der)
Little Man (Das B?rle)
Queen Bee / Queen Bee (Die Bienenk?nigin)
Three feathers (Die drei Federn)
Golden Goose (Die goldene Gans)
Variegated Pelt (Allerleirauh)
Bunny's Bride/Hare's Bride (H?sichenbraut)
Twelve Hunters (Die zw?lf J?ger)
The Thief and His Teacher (De Gaudeif un sien Meester)
Jorinda and Joringel
Three lucky ones / Three lucky ones
Six of us will go around the whole world / Six of us, we will go around the whole world (Sechse kommen durch die ganze Welt)
The Wolf and the Man (Der Wolf und der Mensch)
The Wolf and the Fox (Der Wolf und der Fuchs)
The Fox and the Lady Godmother (Der Fuchs und die Frau Gevatterin)
The Fox and the Cat (Der Fuchs und die Katze)
Carnation (Die Nelke)
Resourceful Gretel (Die kluge Gretel)
Old grandfather and granddaughter (Der alte Gro?vater und der Enkel)
The Little Mermaid / Ondine (Die Wassernixe)
About the death of a chicken (Von dem Tode des H?hnchens)
Brother Veselchak (Bruder Lustig)
Hansl the Player (De Spielhansl)
Lucky Hans (Hans im Gl?ck)
Hans gets married (Hans heiratet)
Golden Children (Die Goldkinder)
The Fox and the Geese (Der Fuchs und die G?nse)
The poor man and the rich man (Der Arme und der Reiche)
The whining and leaping lion lark (Das singende springende L?weneckerchen)
Goose house (Die G?nsemagd)
The Young Giant (Der junge Riese)
Underground Man (Dat Erdm?nneken)
The King from the Golden Mountain (Der K?nig vom goldenen Berg)
Crow (Die Rabe)
The Clever Daughter of a Peasant (Die kluge Bauerntochter)
Three birds (De drei V?gelkens)
Living Water (Das Wasser des Lebens)
Doctor Allwissend
The Spirit in a Bottle (Der Geist im Glas)
The devil's grimy brother (Des Teufels ru?iger Bruder)
The Bugbear (Der B?renh?uter)
The Kinglet and the Bear (Der Zaunk?nig und der B?r)
Smart people (Die klugen Leute)
Tales of already / M?rchen von der Unke (M?rchen von der Unke)
The poor farmhand at the mill and the cat (Der arme M?llersbursch und das K?tzchen)
Two Wanderers (Die beiden Wanderer)
Hans is my hedgehog (Hans mein Igel)
Small Shroud (Das Totenhemdchen)
The Jew in the Thorn Bush (Der Jude im Dorn)
The learned huntsman (Der gelernte J?ger)
The Flail from Heaven / The Flail from Heaven (Der Dreschflegel vom Himmel)
Two Royal Children (De beiden K?nigeskinner)
About the resourceful little tailor (Vom klugen Schneiderlein)
The clear sun will reveal the whole truth (Die klare Sonne bringt’s an den Tag)
Blue candle (Das blaue Licht)
Three paramedics (Die drei Feldscherer)
The Seven Brave Men (Die sieben Schwaben)
Three apprentices (Die drei Handwerksburschen)
The king's son, who was not afraid of anything (Der K?nigssohn, der sich vor nichts f?rchtete)
Were-Donkey (Der Krautesel)
The Old Lady in the Forest (Die Alte im Wald)
Three Brothers (Die drei Br?der)
The Devil and His Grandmother (Der Teufel und seine Gro?mutter)
Ferenand the Faithful and Ferenand the Unfaithful (Ferenand getr? und Ferenand ungetr?)
Iron stove (Der Eisenofen)
The lazy spinner (Die faule spinnerin)
The Four Skillful Brothers (Die vier kunstreichen Br?der)
One-Eyed, Two-Eyed and Three-Eyed (Ein?uglein, Zwei?uglein und Drei?uglein)
Beautiful Katrinel and Nif-Nasr-Podtri (Die sch?ne Katrinelje und Pif Paf Poltrie)
The Fox and the Horse (Der Fuchs und das Pferd)
Shoes trampled in dancing (Die zertanzten Schuhe)
Six Servants (Die sechs Diener)
White and black brides (Die wei?e und die schwarze Braut)
Iron Hans (Der Eisenhans)
Three Black Princesses (De drei schwatten Prinzessinnen)
Lamb and Fish (Das L?mmchen und Fischchen)
Mount Simeliberg
On the way (Up Reisen gohn)
Donkey (Das Eselein)
The Ungrateful Son (Der undankbare Sohn)
Turnip (Die R?be)
The Newly Forged Man (Das junggegl?hte M?nnlein)
Cock's Log (Der Hahnenbalken)
The Old Beggar Woman
Three Lazy Men (Die drei Faulen)
The Twelve Lazy Servants (Die zw?lf faulen Knechte)
The Shepherd Boy (Das Hirtenb?blein)
Thaler stars (Die Sterntaler)
The Hidden Heller (Der gestohlene Heller)
Bride (Die Brautschau)
Waste (Die Schlickerlinge)
Sparrow and his four children (Der Sperling und seine vier Kinder)
The Tale of an Unprecedented Land (Das M?rchen vom Schlaraffenland)
Dietmar's fairy tale (Das dietmarsische L?genm?rchen)
Tale-riddle (R?tselm?rchen)
Snow White and Little Red (Schneewei?chen und Rosenrot)
The Clever Servant (Der kluge Knecht)
Glass coffin (Der gl?serne Sarg)
Lazy Heinz (Der faule Heinz)
Bird vulture (Der Vogel Greif)
Mighty Hans (Der starke Hans)
Skinny Lisa (Die hagere Liese)
Forest House (Das Waldhaus)
Joy and sorrow in half (Lieb und Leid teilen)
Kinglet (Der Zaunk?nig)
Flounder (Die Scholle)
Bittern and Hoopoe (Rohrdommel und Wiedehopf)
Owl (Die Eule)
Lifetime (Die Lebenszeit)
Harbingers of Death (Die Boten des Todes)
Goose house at the well (Die G?nsehirtin am Brunnen)
The Unequal Children of Eve (Die ungleichen Kinder Evas)
The Mermaid in the Pond (Die Nixe im Teich)
Gifts from Little People (Die Geschenke des kleinen Volkes)
The Giant and the Tailor (Der Riese und der Schneider)
Nail (Der Nagel)
The poor boy in the grave (Der arme Junge im Grab)
The Real Bride (Die wahre Braut)
The Hare and the Hedgehog (Der Hase und der Igel)
Spindle, weaving shuttle and needle (Spindel, Weberschiffchen und Nadel)
The Man and the Devil (Der Bauer und der Teufel)
Guinea pig (Das Meerh?schen)
The Master Thief (Der Meisterdieb)
Drummer (Der Trommler)
Ear of bread (Die Korn?hre)
Grave Hill (Der Grabh?gel)
Old Rinkrank
Crystal ball (Die Kristallkugel)
Maid Maleen (Jungfrau Maleen)
Buffalo Boot (Der Stiefel von B?ffelleder)
The Golden Key (Der goldene Schl?ssel)

The Brothers Grimm were born into the family of an official in the city of Hanau (Hanau). Their father was first a lawyer in Hanau, and then dealt with legal issues for the Prince of Hanau. The elder brother, Jacob Grimm (01/04/1785 - 09/20/1863), was born on January 4, 1785, and the younger brother - Wilhelm Grimm (02/24/1786 - 12/16/1859) - on February 24, 1786. As linguists, they were one of the founders of scientific German studies and compiled the etymological “German Dictionary” (in fact, all-German). The publication of the German Dictionary, which began in 1852, was completed only in 1961, but has since been regularly revised.

From early childhood, the Brothers Grimm were united by a friendship that lasted until their death. After the death of their father, in 1796, they had to go into the care of their aunt on their mother’s side and only thanks to her, they graduated from the educational institution. Perhaps it was precisely being left without parents early that rallied them into fraternal bonds for the rest of their lives.

The Brothers Grimm were always distinguished by their desire to study, they even entered the University of Marburg to study law, following the example of their father. But fate decreed otherwise and she truly found her calling in the study of literature.

The most famous fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are “The Town Musicians of Bremen”, “Tom Thumb”, “The Brave Tailor”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm list will provide you with a complete collection of all fairy tales. Each of us worried about the difficult fate of the boys, left alone in the forest, looking for their way home. And “smart Elsa” - all the girls wanted to be like her.

Even those who do not like fairy tales are familiar with the plots of Cinderella, Rapunzel and Thumb. All these and hundreds more fairy tales were recorded and revised by two linguist brothers. They are known to the whole world under the names Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

Family Affair

The sons of lawyer Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, were born a year apart. Jacob was born in early January 1785. The second son in the Grimm family, Wilhelm, appeared a year later, on February 24, 1786.

The young men were orphaned early. Already in 1796, they came under the care of their aunt, who did her best to support their desire to study and new knowledge.

The university for lawyers where they entered did not captivate their inquisitive minds. The Brothers Grimm became interested in linguistics, compiling a German dictionary, and from 1807 they began to write down tales they heard during their travels in Hesse and Westphalia. There was so much “fairytale” material that the Brothers Grimm decided to publish the stories they had recorded and revised.

Fairy tales not only made the brothers famous, but also gave one of the linguists family happiness. Thus, Dorothea Wild, from whose words the stories about Hansel and Gretel, Lady Snowstorm and the story about the magic table were written, later became Wilhelm’s wife.

The tales turned out to be interesting to a wide range of readers. During the brothers’ lifetime alone, their collections of fairy tales were translated into more than a hundred languages. The success kept Jacob and Wilhelm interested in their work, and they enthusiastically looked for new storytellers.

How many fairy tales did the Brothers Grimm collect?

The initial publication of the collected material by the Brothers Grimm included 49 fairy tales. In the second edition, which consisted of two volumes, there were already 170 of them. Another Grimm brother, Ludwig, participated in the printing of the second part. However, he was not a collector of fairy tales, but skillfully illustrated what Jacob and Wilhelm revised.

After the first two editions of collections of fairy tales, 5 more editions followed. In the final, 7th edition, the Brothers Grimm chose 210 fairy tales and legends. Today they are called “Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.”

The abundance of illustrations and closeness to the original source made fairy tales a subject for discussion and even debate. Some critics accused linguists of being too “childish” in the details of the published fairy tales.

To satisfy young readers' interest in their work, the Brothers Grimm published 50 edited fairy tales for children in 1825. By the middle of the 19th century, this collection of fairy tales was reprinted 10 times.

Recognition of posterity and modern criticism

The legacy of the Grimm linguists was not forgotten even years later. They are read to children by parents all over the world, and performances are staged based on them for young spectators. The popularity of fairy tales has grown so much over the past century and a half that in 2005, UNESCO included the work of the Brothers Grimm in the Memory of the World list.

Screenwriters are playing with the plots of Grimm's fairy tales for new cartoons, films and even TV series.

However, like any grandiose work, the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are still subject to criticism and various interpretations. Thus, some religions call only a few fairy tales from the brothers’ heritage “useful for children’s souls,” and the Nazis at one time used their stories to promote their inhumane ideas.

Video on the topic

Surely everyone knows the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Perhaps, in childhood, many people were told fascinating stories by their parents about the beautiful Snow White, the good-natured and cheerful Cinderella, the capricious princess, and others. The grown children then read the fascinating fairy tales of these authors themselves. And those who did not particularly like to spend time reading books were sure to watch animated films based on the works of legendary creators.

Who are the Brothers Grimm?

Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are famous German linguists. Throughout their lives they worked to create German. Unfortunately, they never managed to finish it. However, this is not why they became so popular. It was their folk tales that made them famous. The Brothers Grimm became famous during their lifetime. “Children's and household tales” were translated into different languages with extreme speed. The Russian version came out in the 60s of the 19th century. Today their tales are read in almost 100 languages. Many children from different countries were raised on the works of the Brothers Grimm. In our country, they gained wide popularity in the 30s of the last century thanks to the retellings and adaptations of Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak, and

What is the secret of the popularity of Brothers Grimm fairy tales?

All fairy tales have a unique and interesting plot, a happy ending, the victory of good over evil. The entertaining stories that came from their pens are very instructive, and most of them are dedicated to kindness, courage, resourcefulness, bravery, and honor. In the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, the main characters are people. But there are also stories in which birds, animals or insects become the characters. Typically, such stories ridicule the negative traits of a person: greed, laziness, cowardice, envy, etc.

There are also elements of cruelty in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. For example, the murder of robbers by a brave tailor, the stepmother’s demand to bring her the internal organs (liver and lung) of Snow White, the harsh re-education of his wife by King Thrushbeard. But do not confuse elements of cruelty with pronounced violence, which is not here. But the frightening and scary moments present in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm help children realize their existing fears and subsequently overcome them, which serves as a kind of psychotherapy for the child.

Fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm: list

An extraordinary musician.
Brave little tailor.
About a fisherman and his wife.
Mrs. Blizzard.
Golden bird.
The poor man and the rich man.
Ungrateful son.
Belyanochka and Rosette.
Hare and Hedgehog.
Golden Key.
Queen of bees.
Friendship between cat and mouse.
Successful trading.
Bell.
Straw, coal and bean.
White Snake.
About a mouse, a bird and fried sausage.
Singing bone.
Louse and flea.
A strange bird.
Six swans.
Knapsack, hat and horn.
Golden goose.
Wolf and fox.
Gusyatnitsa.
Kinglet and bear

The best fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm

These include:

A wolf and seven little kids.
Twelve brothers.
Brother and sister.
Hansel and Gretel.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Bremen street musicians.
Smart Elsa.
Thumb Boy.
King Thrushbeard.
Hans is my hedgehog.
One-eyed, two-eyed and three-eyed.
Mermaid.

To be fair, it is worth noting that this list is far from the ultimate truth, since the preferences of different people can differ radically from each other.

Annotations to some fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm

"Hans is my hedgehog." The fairy tale was written in 1815. It tells about an extraordinary boy and his difficult fate. Outwardly, it resembled a hedgehog, but only with soft needles. He was not liked even by his own father.
"Rumpelstichtsen." It tells the story of a dwarf who has the ability to spin gold from straw.
"Rapunzel". A fairy tale about a beautiful girl with gorgeous long hair. She was imprisoned in a high tower by an evil witch.
“Seat the table yourself, golden donkey and club from a bag.” A tale of the mind-blowing adventures of three brothers, each of whom possessed a magical object.
"The Tale of the Frog King or Iron Henry." The story is about an ungrateful queen who did not appreciate the action of the frog who took out her favorite golden ball. The little frog turned into a beautiful prince.

Description of Jacob and Wilhelm

"Brother and sister." After the stepmother appears in the house, the children have a hard time. So they decide to leave. There are a lot of obstacles on their way that they need to overcome. Complicating everything is the witch-stepmother, who bewitches the springs. By drinking some water from them, you can turn into wild animals.
"The Brave Tailor" The hero of the fairy tale is a brave tailor. Having had his fill of a calm and boring life, he sets off to perform heroic deeds. On the way, he encounters giants and a vile king.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". It tells the story of the king’s delightful daughter, who was joyfully accepted by the seven dwarves, saving and protecting her in the future from her evil stepmother, who owns a magic mirror.
"King Thrushbeard." A fairy tale about a city and a beautiful princess who did not want to get married. She rejected all her potential suitors, mocking their real and imagined shortcomings. As a result, her father gives her away to the first person he meets.
"Mistress Blizzard." Can be classified as "New Year's fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm." It tells the story of a widow who had a natural daughter and an adopted one. The stepdaughter had a hard time with her stepmother. But a sudden accident, in which the unfortunate girl dropped a spool of thread into the well, put everything in its place.

Categories of fairy tales

Conventionally, we can divide the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm into the following categories.

Fairy tales about beautiful girls whose lives are constantly ruined by evil sorceresses, witches and stepmothers. Many of the brothers’ works are imbued with a similar storyline.
Fairy tales in which people turn into animals and vice versa.
Fairy tales in which various objects are animated.
which people and their actions become.
Fairy tales whose heroes are animals, birds or insects. They ridicule negative character traits and praise positive traits and inherent virtues.

The events of all fairy tales take place at different times of the year without focusing on it. Therefore, it is impossible to single out, for example, the spring fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Like, for example, A.N. Ostrovsky’s “The Snow Maiden,” which is accompanied by the title “a spring fairy tale in four acts.”

"Witch Hunters" or "Hansel and Gretel"?

The latest film based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm is “Witch Hunters.” The film premiered on January 17, 2013.

The fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” is presented in a condensed form at the beginning of the film. For unknown reasons, a father leaves his son and daughter in the forest at night. In desperation, the children go where their eyes are looking and come across a bright and tasty house of sweets. The witch who lured them to this house wants to eat them, but the savvy Hansel and Gretel send her to the oven.

Further events unfold according to the director’s own plans. Many years later, Hansel and Gretel begin a witch hunt, which becomes the meaning of their lives and a way to make good money. By the will of fate, they end up in a small town infested with witches who steal children to perform their rituals. Heroically, they save the entire city.

As you can see, director Tommy Wirkola filmed the Brothers Grimm fairy tale in a laconic form, adding his own continuation to it in a new way.

Conclusion

All children, without exception, need fairy tales. They are able to broaden their horizons, develop fantasy and creative imagination, and cultivate certain character traits. Be sure to read fairy tales by different authors to your children, including the Brothers Grimm.

Just when choosing works, do not forget to pay attention to their publication. After all, there are publications in which episodes are missing or added. This is often not mentioned in the notes. And this is not a small nuance, but a significant flaw that can distort the meaning of the fairy tale.

It will also be great if you find time to talk about the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or play your favorite ones in your spare time.