This was WONDERFUL. You are right, we need not water down rich stories for our children. We can let them interact with the ideas and vocabulary and lessons on their own and trust them to make the connections they will. You said something so true - that they can only imagine what they can, which means they won't focus on the gore. They have no context for that yet (let's hope). I think most importantly by giving them the whole story you are respecting the child and that they are born persons with the capacity to think and reason and feel fully. Excellent message and video! Thank you for sharing!
"rucke di gu, rucke di gu, Blut ist im Schuh" (rookedegoo, rookedegoo, blood is in the shoe) one of the many quotes that are imprinted in my brain from hearing the fairy tales read by my father in my childhood. (me being German)
I cant stop watching these videos, I think you are an truly an angel. I am not a parent but have been a full time nanny for many children for over 6 years and wanted to learn more about positive discipline and ways to foster a more holistic approach to care for them. I loved what you said about telling stories before watching the movie and how this allows them to imagine the characters how they see them. Such great insight.. You have given me such wonderful tools. Thank you Sarah
Thanks for your time and insight Sarah I grew up with the Grimms versions it wasn't until I was much older that I saw Disney's versions. I completely understand your point as the little mermaid and so many others were completely different in my mind to the animated characters, in my mind I saw real people. ❤
Wow, I'd forgotten the frustrations of watching a movie as a child and then the book and thinking "that's not how it goes!" or the rare times we read the book first then the movie, same thing. It really took away from the story itself with the conflicting details being a distraction (at least, that is how it made me feel). Thank you for this important reminder. I didn't know of that quote from Einstein either. Thank you for sharing!
This is a wonderful presentation of the importance of telling the Grimm's fairy tales rather then the Disneyfied versions. But it is important to note the appropriate ness of the different fairy tales for the age of the child. For instance Red Riding Hood or Cinderella/Ashputtle is fine for the 5/6 year old. The longer ones such as The Water of Life or Rapunzel are for 7/8 year olds. For the 2 and 3 year phase it's best to stay with folk tales. These days parents think that Fairy Tales are fine any age in the early childhood phase and if a complex story is told to a child who is too young they can become afraid of the dark elements. Just thought to put it out there.
Jenny Wyeth you’re so right. Me, too, I’d love to know the appropriate/ arround (ish) age for the story. In fact, my son is afraid now not to be forgotten or let in the store. Thank you.
I agree my favorite starters are ugly duckling, fisherman's wife princess and the pea, little red hen, tortoise and the hare a bit later goldilocks, little red hood, 3 little pigs, thumbelina and stone soup, to name a few.
That's very true! I actually made a video a while back which recommends different Grimm's fairy tales for specific age groups if anyone is interested: ruclips.net/video/eWSSYjnKdKE/видео.html
I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment, but what do you think of Grimm vs others that came before and around the same time as them (Perrrault Hans Christen Anderson or Caravaggio or Basile’s Pentamerone, Lang). Is there a particular reason to stick with Grimm? I find I have favorite telling of fairytales from different authors/collectors. Also do you think it’s important to stick with the same version every time to avoid confusion on the details of the story? And what do you think about telling your own version? I like to put on shadow puppet plays for my kids and will retell classics with my own twist when I do. Last thing, (I know I swamped you with questions here🙂 sorry!) what do you think about reading original fairytales like George Macdonald who certainly did a brilliant job with weaving in archetypes but as far as I know his stories (like the golden key) are original. Happy Sunday to you Sarah and thanks again for all the food for thought! Your videos are always an inspiration to be thoughtful and deliberate about my children’s home life and education.
Hi SeaRose! Thanks for your question! I love the Grimm's fairy tales but there are certainly other wonderful versions and stories that have been collected or written by others. In my opinion, what's most important is that children are exposed to stories through voice (or puppet plays!) instead of watching film versions, especially at a young age.
I actually went through a phase in college where I got into faery tales. I was comparing the Hans Christian Andersen ones to the Grimm's brothers versions. Also, the play Into the Wood takes from the Grimms version. I did a paper on that my senior year in high school. Almost 30 years later and I still remember it well. I've seen a few versions of Into the Woods, though, since then.
as you read the story i just realised that that is the way i learnt the story back in my culture( romanian) in school . I was never impresssed by the cruelty but it was as you said never emphasised :) thank you
(Part 1 - Part 2 in the reply) My grandmother was born in America, but her parents came from Eastern Europe. The version of Cinderella she told me was very different. In her version, Cinderella was a princess with two evil sisters. The queen dies, leaving her father, the king, feeling lonely. The two evil sisters, seeking to control the throne, convince the king not to remarry. And it works, for a little while. But the loneliness eventually causes the king to seek a new wife. The law states that only the one who can comfortably wear the queen's wedding ring can take her place, so the king opens his castle to anyone who wishes to try it on. Anyone - except his three daughters. Day after day, the line outside the castle stretches on. People traveled for forty hours just to try it on, but nobody can fit the ring. Then one evening, after the doors were closed, the evil sisters snuck into the throne room to try the ring on for themselves. They didn't want to lose their right to the throne. Cinderella followed them into the room, begging them to stay away from it. The first sister couldn't get the ring on at all. But when the second sister tried, she pushed and pushed until the ring was on her finger. At that point she was overjoyed, the ring fit! The two evil sisters started to dance around with joy. But then, the ring began to hurt. The pain was so bad, the sister was begging to have her hand cut off just to stop it. The first evil sister pulled and pulled, trying to remove the ring from her sister's finger, but it was no use. The second sister screamed in agony as the ring got tighter around her finger. Then, they heard footsteps outside the room. Their father, the king, was coming. Cinderella reached for the ring and easily pulled it off of her sister's finger just as the doors opened. Placing her hands behind her back, she slipped the ring onto her own finger so she wouldn't lose it. The king came in, followed by his advisor and a scribe, and he asked what the screaming was about. Quickly, he noticed the ring was missing from its pedestal and demanded to know where it went. The two evil sisters pointed at Cinderella, who stood with her hands behind her back. "No." said the king. "No, no, no... Tell me you didn't? You can't!" Cinderella brought her hands forward, revealing the ring on her finger. "The ring, Sire! It fits!" exclaimed his advisor. With his head hung low, the king replied, "but she is my daughter..." To which his scribe said "The law states that-" "I KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS!!!" yelled the king. "I will prepare the ceremony then" his advisor said reluctantly. "You... And your daughter... Shall be married." Then the advisor and the scribe exited the room, leaving the king alone with his daughters. "Why did you disobey me?" the king asked Cinderella. "I told you never to go near that ring. Why? Why did you have to do it? Look at what has happened now.. You... My daughter..." and he and Cinderella both began to cry. After that, Cinderella ran straight to her room at the top of the castle tower and locked herself inside as the king sat sunken on his throne. "Marry the king?" she thought to herself. "But the king is my father!" "Marry the princess?" the king thought to himself, "but the princess is my daughter!" "But the law is the law," he reasoned. "But I can't disobey my king," Cinderella said. And that night neither of them slept. The next morning, the king's advisor knocked on Cinderella's door. It was customary for the queen to design her own dress for the wedding, and he wanted to know her specifications. Stalling for time, Cinderella demanded a complicated dress, made of silk, and colored like the moon. While that dress is being made, Cinderella stays locked in her room. A few days later the king's men return with the silk dress, and it's exactly as she wanted. But now, Cinderella asks for another dress, one that looks like the stars, and this time made of silver. She stays locked in her room again, sewing something else in secret, something special. She didn't have thread or fabric in her room, but through her open window, a bird entered with a tuft of hair in his beak and placed it down before her. And a few days later, the servants return with the dress she requested, all in silver, sparkling like the stars. Just as she asked. And this time, she asks for another dress - one made of gold - that shines like the sun. By now the advisor and the servants are getting angry with her demands. Word has spread that a new queen has been found and the king's subjects as well as the ones who traveled to try the ring are getting impatient. They start to think it's all a lie, so Cinderella promises that once she has the golden dress, she will attend the wedding the very next morning. Her own creation was almost complete. What began as one bird bringing fur soon became ten, they also brought water for her to drink. Then the deer began to gather leaves and straw, setting them on the ground below her window for the birds to carry up. And the mice brought her thread, stolen from inside the castle, and food so she didn't starve. As her golden dress was being sewn below, Cinderella put the finishing touches on her own garment. And when the day came that her gold dress was finished, there was a knock on her bedroom door once more. The dress was beautiful, exactly what she asked for. Made entirely of gold thread, the dress lit up the castle walls just like the sun. And as she promised, Cinderella agreed to carry out the wedding the following morning. The wedding bells rang, the town people gathered in anticipation, but - the bride was still in her room. The king's men grew tired of knocking on her door with no answer, so they broke it down. Only to find that Cinderella wasn't there.
(Part 2) She had escaped her room. Using the gown she made from fur and feathers and straw and dirt, she disguised herself as a hideous beast and ran off into the woods. She found shelter in a castle down the road where she became the servant of a prince. Because of her disgusting and filthy appearance, she was forced to stay under ground, washing dishes, cleaning floors, and anything else she could do without being seen. One day, she finally meets this prince. He is planning a ball and looks for the cook, but can only find Cinderella in her disguise. Reluctantly, he speaks to her. Her appearance is so repulsive that he won't even look at her as he talks. He tells her to inform the cook about the food he wants ready for tomorrow evening. Cinderella continues to scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees, saying nothing, nor looking at him as he is speaking. This angers the prince, so he kicks her, knocking Cinderella to the ground. "Can you speak, beast?" he asks angrily. Cinderella says "Yes." and looks at the prince who is now looking at her. The prince asks her "what's that look for? Don't you know it isn't polite to stare at princes?" The prince kicks her again, saying "that should teach you some manners" before heading back upstairs. The next day, the prince has his ball. It's a huge event, and it's well attended. But despite all the food, the music and the entertainment, the prince sits unamused. Just before the party ends, as the night is getting late, the massive doors open and a woman enters the room wearing a dress made of silk the same color as the moon. The prince is immediately drawn to her, and asks her to dance. They dance only for one song, but those few precious moments seemed to last forever. Once the song ended, the girl in the gown pushed him off and ran away, out of the ball room and vanished into the night. The prince couldn't stop thinking about her after that. So, he announced that he would be having another ball in seven days, hoping she would return. Meanwhile, Cinderella kept scrubbing the floors, cleaning dishes and washing clothes. Out of sight, out of mind. But the day of the ball, the prince requested fresh linens for his bath and bed. The servants were all busy preparing for the ball, so they sent Cinderella, in her suit of hair and muck, to deliver what the prince had asked for. She takes the clean sheets and towels and heads up the stairs. A few minutes later, she arrives at his door. When the prince opens the door and sees Cinderella standing there in her beastly outfit, he's put off. "I hope these are CLEAN" he says as he takes the laundry from her stained hands. "Why?" asks Cinderella, "do I disgust you?" The prince replies "No, you don't disgust me. Because I don't even think about you" then tells her to go away and stay hidden. The next ball comes, the same guests arrive, and again the prince sits alone, this time waiting. Hoping that the mystery woman will return. And just like last time, right as the ball was ending, the doors open and a woman enters the room wearing a dress made of silver that sparkles like the stars. The prince rushes towards her, and they dance once more, as time seems to stop. The prince tells her how much he missed her, he tells her that she's all he thinks about. But after only one song, as before, the woman runs away into the night. The next morning, Cinderella, in her suit of rags is heading to the palace to begin her work. As she is passing through the palace gardens, she comes across the prince who is standing alone watching the sun rise. It's clear that he is bothered, so Cinderella stops and asks him if something is wrong. The prince gets quite upset by this. He is a prince, after all. While Cinderella is a beast, covered in hair and made of sticks and straw. She shouldn't be addressing him so informally. However, it's that exact casual nature that makes her different from everyone else. So the prince opens up to her. He confesses his love for the woman in the gowns. Cinderella asks him if he's really in love with her, or if he only loves her for her dresses. To which the prince says that he would love her even in the dirtiest of rags. Cinderella suggests that if he loves her, he should marry her. The prince says he wants to, he talks about her eyes, her lips, her voice, the way his heart does back flips every time he sees her face, but he can't find her. He doesn't even know her name. So Cinderella tells him she has a similar problem, with someone rich and handsome. She says she feels the same way and asks the prince for advice. The prince tells her to go for it. After that, Cinderella returns to work. And the prince announces he's having yet ANOTHER ball, this one is TONIGHT . The whole staff is still backed up trying to clean after the last ball. Cinderella works as hard and fast as she can to get caught up so she can leave. But she's too late. The ball is over. Everyone has gone. But when she arrives, in her golden dress that shines like the sun, she finds the prince sitting on the steps outside. She approaches him as he stands up, and they dance to a song only they could hear. And as the clock tower rang signaling midnight, she ran away again, this time leaving behind a glittering golden slipper in her hurry. So the prince issued a proclamation saying he would marry whoever fit the golden slipper. Naturally, Cinderella lined up to try it on. But once she got inside the castle, close enough to see the slipper, who did she find? Why, it was her two sisters. They were both desperately trying to make the shoe fit. And just as with the ring, the second sister managed to get the shoe on - but the longer she wore it, the more it hurt. "No- you're not the one" said the prince. "It can't be you." The sister tried her best to hide the agony as she wore the shoe, but she couldn't take it. She asked the first sister to remove it for her. "Why?" asked the prince. "Leave it on." But she couldn't, and the golden shoe was removed and the prince began to lose hope. Cinderella, in her beast form, made her way to the front of the line and asked permission to wear the shoe. The prince looked at her dismissively and allowed her to try. And of course, it was a perfect fit. Cinderella asks the prince if he will marry her, as the proclamation says. And the prince says "yes, I will honor my promise." With that, a flock of birds fly through the window and pick apart the ragged disguise worn by Cinderella to reveal the golden dress. Something something something happily ever after. The end.
Wow... Can't believe that the story of Cinderella told by my Mom while I was a kid was similar to Grimm tales version... I am from Northeast part of India...
I think it’s important we remember that the stories we think were by the Grimms brothers were only written to paper by them. They were originally oral stories that evolved with the guidance of the soul through travellers from all over the world.
I would love to know what ages for what Grimms stories. I have a 4 1/2 year old and would love an outline of what would be appropriate for a kindergartener. She craves oral stories and I am always making up new ones or telling stories from my childhood. Also, what stories would work for what season. I would love to see a video concerning this. Thank you so much...I always look forward to Sundays! :)
Hi Amy! I actually made a video a while back in which I give some specific recommendations for different age groups. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/eWSSYjnKdKE/видео.html Thank you for your question!
I would very much like to hear your comparison between Grimm, Perrault and Hans Christen Andersen (and other) versions and why Grimm’s specifically is used in Waldorf education.
I was just wondering. Aren't you supposed to wait with fairytailes till the child hits 7 Years in antroposophy? At least that's what I have been taught. I do read fairytales to my kids but Waldorf schools/Kindergarden over don't want ypu to do so.
No wonder why my 4 year old daughter kept talking about blood and knifes, because she's being read stories like this in her preschool classroom. We are new to Waldorf (which is why I look through your videos), there has been a couple of beautiful things about Waldorf but this is not ok with me. My daughter's preschool teacher practically chewed me out during her parent teacher conference for letting my daughter watch not "age" appropriate movies like Beatle Juice and Shrek but she can justify reading gory stories. That does not add up. Kids hear those words and talk like this to eachother, she was telling me her friends were whisping gory things in her ear. It's all adding up now
Hi, this was so very informative and made such a lot of sense. Thank you very much. Do you have a recommendation for an accurate version book of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales and/or other classic fairy tales (eg: When I was searching books online I found a book of Russian fairy tales, but now have no way of knowing what would be accurate or not)? I fear I have purchased books for my granddaughter that won’t be accurate or helpful to the development of her imagination.
I hardly remember the Disney version. I remember the Ever After version with Drew Barrymore and no fairy. I't not like the original or like the Disney version. No magic. I probably watched it 100+ times as a kid and teenager, it's a very good movie when it comes to fairytale adaptations I think. My first exposure to the story was probably my grandpa telling me bits of the story and then a sort of summary of the fairytale my mom, because she forgot I hadn't heard/seen it yet.
Although I don't approve of the Disney versions, I don't understand reading/telling stories about mutilating yourself or someone having their eyes pecked out by birds. I don't care how it's presented, that's not an image I want my child to have in her head. I know that not everyone will agree with this, but why add to the horrors that the world already has to offer?
Totally agree...plus I am not a fan of the stories or tales that achieve the heroine's happiness or goal by the love of the hero or the prince . I don't want my daughter think that her happiness may depend on someone else,or that she needs the presence of the prince or the lover in order to complete her happy life. I would like her to think that she can make a happy life and "live happily ever after" by herself,or by feeling loved from other people not just the lover character.
I 100% agree! I want beauty and peace in life. Especially while cuddling up reading together! I. understand the Grimm’s fairy tales are more “realistic”, but if the stories don’t uplift, inspire or feel good to me then why have young vulnerable children hear them? They have their entire lives to hear things like that. While they’re children-just enjoy things/movies/books that are fun. Who cares if it’s the “proper” one to read/watch. Time is too short for that.
I know this is a old comment but imo you do this vaccinate them against the horrors of the world but telling about the horrors of the world in a safe environment. Like the original Fox & the Hound novel.
Why not change the words from some book written thousands of years ago, "squeeze your foot into the shoe even if it hurts, she tried to squeeze her foot in but it simply wouldn't fit" - problem solved? I am not a fan of Disney AT ALL. But surely there's compromise .
disney is owned by grimm's karmas or is a jew the leader head of that. they can distinguish the witch in terrain and the god or king thats scarred attacks them anyway
I always think that being lively during storytelling is an essential element to catch the interest to listen for children. From what I've observed, the way you deliver the story is ... sorry... boring. How to make it matter-of-fact yet lively, Sarah? Thanks for the video.
Wow seriously??? Why in the world can't you find better stories to read to kids. There are millions of better stories out there than grimms dark ages disgusting tales. I have no clue how reading the story of Bluebeard killing his wives and hanging them on hooks in the basement of his castle in a nice non dramatic voice could make it okay for kids??? Unless you're training them to be psycho killers I guess? Hmmm🤔
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” ― C.S. Lewis
This was WONDERFUL. You are right, we need not water down rich stories for our children. We can let them interact with the ideas and vocabulary and lessons on their own and trust them to make the connections they will. You said something so true - that they can only imagine what they can, which means they won't focus on the gore. They have no context for that yet (let's hope). I think most importantly by giving them the whole story you are respecting the child and that they are born persons with the capacity to think and reason and feel fully. Excellent message and video! Thank you for sharing!
"rucke di gu, rucke di gu, Blut ist im Schuh" (rookedegoo, rookedegoo, blood is in the shoe) one of the many quotes that are imprinted in my brain from hearing the fairy tales read by my father in my childhood. (me being German)
I read many Grimm stories as a child, i was fascinated by them.
I cant stop watching these videos, I think you are an truly an angel. I am not a parent but have been a full time nanny for many children for over 6 years and wanted to learn more about positive discipline and ways to foster a more holistic approach to care for them. I loved what you said about telling stories before watching the movie and how this allows them to imagine the characters how they see them. Such great insight.. You have given me such wonderful tools.
Thank you Sarah
Thanks for your time and insight Sarah I grew up with the Grimms versions it wasn't until I was much older that I saw Disney's versions. I completely understand your point as the little mermaid and so many others were completely different in my mind to the animated characters, in my mind I saw real people. ❤
Wow, I'd forgotten the frustrations of watching a movie as a child and then the book and thinking "that's not how it goes!" or the rare times we read the book first then the movie, same thing. It really took away from the story itself with the conflicting details being a distraction (at least, that is how it made me feel). Thank you for this important reminder. I didn't know of that quote from Einstein either. Thank you for sharing!
This is a wonderful presentation of the importance of telling the Grimm's fairy tales rather then the Disneyfied versions. But it is important to note the appropriate ness of the different fairy tales for the age of the child. For instance Red Riding Hood or Cinderella/Ashputtle is fine for the 5/6 year old. The longer ones such as The Water of Life or Rapunzel are for 7/8 year olds. For the 2 and 3 year phase it's best to stay with folk tales. These days parents think that Fairy Tales are fine any age in the early childhood phase and if a complex story is told to a child who is too young they can become afraid of the dark elements. Just thought to put it out there.
Jenny Wyeth you’re so right. Me, too, I’d love to know the appropriate/ arround (ish) age for the story. In fact, my son is afraid now not to be forgotten or let in the store. Thank you.
I agree my favorite starters are ugly duckling, fisherman's wife princess and the pea, little red hen, tortoise and the hare a bit later goldilocks, little red hood, 3 little pigs, thumbelina and stone soup, to name a few.
That's very true! I actually made a video a while back which recommends different Grimm's fairy tales for specific age groups if anyone is interested: ruclips.net/video/eWSSYjnKdKE/видео.html
Disney's version of Cinderella is actually based on the French fairy tale titled "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault.
I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment, but what do you think of Grimm vs others that came before and around the same time as them (Perrrault Hans Christen Anderson or Caravaggio or Basile’s Pentamerone, Lang).
Is there a particular reason to stick with Grimm? I find I have favorite telling of fairytales from different authors/collectors. Also do you think it’s important to stick with the same version every time to avoid confusion on the details of the story? And what do you think about telling your own version? I like to put on shadow puppet plays for my kids and will retell classics with my own twist when I do.
Last thing, (I know I swamped you with questions here🙂 sorry!) what do you think about reading original fairytales like George Macdonald who certainly did a brilliant job with weaving in archetypes but as far as I know his stories (like the golden key) are original.
Happy Sunday to you Sarah and thanks again for all the food for thought! Your videos are always an inspiration to be thoughtful and deliberate about my children’s home life and education.
Hi SeaRose! Thanks for your question! I love the Grimm's fairy tales but there are certainly other wonderful versions and stories that have been collected or written by others. In my opinion, what's most important is that children are exposed to stories through voice (or puppet plays!) instead of watching film versions, especially at a young age.
I actually went through a phase in college where I got into faery tales. I was comparing the Hans Christian Andersen ones to the Grimm's brothers versions. Also, the play Into the Wood takes from the Grimms version. I did a paper on that my senior year in high school. Almost 30 years later and I still remember it well. I've seen a few versions of Into the Woods, though, since then.
as you read the story i just realised that that is the way i learnt the story back in my culture( romanian) in school . I was never impresssed by the cruelty but it was as you said never emphasised :) thank you
Grimms prepares you for the real world.. Disney pulls wool over your eyes...
Your voice is so soothing and motherly
(Part 1 - Part 2 in the reply)
My grandmother was born in America, but her parents came from Eastern Europe. The version of Cinderella she told me was very different.
In her version, Cinderella was a princess with two evil sisters. The queen dies, leaving her father, the king, feeling lonely.
The two evil sisters, seeking to control the throne, convince the king not to remarry. And it works, for a little while. But the loneliness eventually causes the king to seek a new wife.
The law states that only the one who can comfortably wear the queen's wedding ring can take her place, so the king opens his castle to anyone who wishes to try it on. Anyone - except his three daughters.
Day after day, the line outside the castle stretches on. People traveled for forty hours just to try it on, but nobody can fit the ring. Then one evening, after the doors were closed, the evil sisters snuck into the throne room to try the ring on for themselves. They didn't want to lose their right to the throne. Cinderella followed them into the room, begging them to stay away from it. The first sister couldn't get the ring on at all. But when the second sister tried, she pushed and pushed until the ring was on her finger.
At that point she was overjoyed, the ring fit! The two evil sisters started to dance around with joy. But then, the ring began to hurt. The pain was so bad, the sister was begging to have her hand cut off just to stop it. The first evil sister pulled and pulled, trying to remove the ring from her sister's finger, but it was no use. The second sister screamed in agony as the ring got tighter around her finger.
Then, they heard footsteps outside the room. Their father, the king, was coming. Cinderella reached for the ring and easily pulled it off of her sister's finger just as the doors opened. Placing her hands behind her back, she slipped the ring onto her own finger so she wouldn't lose it.
The king came in, followed by his advisor and a scribe, and he asked what the screaming was about. Quickly, he noticed the ring was missing from its pedestal and demanded to know where it went.
The two evil sisters pointed at Cinderella, who stood with her hands behind her back.
"No." said the king. "No, no, no... Tell me you didn't? You can't!"
Cinderella brought her hands forward, revealing the ring on her finger.
"The ring, Sire! It fits!" exclaimed his advisor.
With his head hung low, the king replied, "but she is my daughter..."
To which his scribe said "The law states that-"
"I KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS!!!" yelled the king.
"I will prepare the ceremony then" his advisor said reluctantly. "You... And your daughter... Shall be married."
Then the advisor and the scribe exited the room, leaving the king alone with his daughters.
"Why did you disobey me?" the king asked Cinderella. "I told you never to go near that ring. Why? Why did you have to do it? Look at what has happened now.. You... My daughter..." and he and Cinderella both began to cry.
After that, Cinderella ran straight to her room at the top of the castle tower and locked herself inside as the king sat sunken on his throne. "Marry the king?" she thought to herself. "But the king is my father!"
"Marry the princess?" the king thought to himself, "but the princess is my daughter!"
"But the law is the law," he reasoned.
"But I can't disobey my king," Cinderella said.
And that night neither of them slept.
The next morning, the king's advisor knocked on Cinderella's door. It was customary for the queen to design her own dress for the wedding, and he wanted to know her specifications. Stalling for time, Cinderella demanded a complicated dress, made of silk, and colored like the moon.
While that dress is being made, Cinderella stays locked in her room.
A few days later the king's men return with the silk dress, and it's exactly as she wanted. But now, Cinderella asks for another dress, one that looks like the stars, and this time made of silver.
She stays locked in her room again, sewing something else in secret, something special. She didn't have thread or fabric in her room, but through her open window, a bird entered with a tuft of hair in his beak and placed it down before her.
And a few days later, the servants return with the dress she requested, all in silver, sparkling like the stars. Just as she asked. And this time, she asks for another dress - one made of gold - that shines like the sun.
By now the advisor and the servants are getting angry with her demands. Word has spread that a new queen has been found and the king's subjects as well as the ones who traveled to try the ring are getting impatient. They start to think it's all a lie, so Cinderella promises that once she has the golden dress, she will attend the wedding the very next morning.
Her own creation was almost complete. What began as one bird bringing fur soon became ten, they also brought water for her to drink. Then the deer began to gather leaves and straw, setting them on the ground below her window for the birds to carry up. And the mice brought her thread, stolen from inside the castle, and food so she didn't starve.
As her golden dress was being sewn below, Cinderella put the finishing touches on her own garment. And when the day came that her gold dress was finished, there was a knock on her bedroom door once more.
The dress was beautiful, exactly what she asked for. Made entirely of gold thread, the dress lit up the castle walls just like the sun. And as she promised, Cinderella agreed to carry out the wedding the following morning.
The wedding bells rang, the town people gathered in anticipation, but - the bride was still in her room. The king's men grew tired of knocking on her door with no answer, so they broke it down. Only to find that Cinderella wasn't there.
(Part 2)
She had escaped her room. Using the gown she made from fur and feathers and straw and dirt, she disguised herself as a hideous beast and ran off into the woods.
She found shelter in a castle down the road where she became the servant of a prince. Because of her disgusting and filthy appearance, she was forced to stay under ground, washing dishes, cleaning floors, and anything else she could do without being seen.
One day, she finally meets this prince. He is planning a ball and looks for the cook, but can only find Cinderella in her disguise. Reluctantly, he speaks to her. Her appearance is so repulsive that he won't even look at her as he talks. He tells her to inform the cook about the food he wants ready for tomorrow evening.
Cinderella continues to scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees, saying nothing, nor looking at him as he is speaking. This angers the prince, so he kicks her, knocking Cinderella to the ground. "Can you speak, beast?" he asks angrily.
Cinderella says "Yes." and looks at the prince who is now looking at her. The prince asks her "what's that look for? Don't you know it isn't polite to stare at princes?"
The prince kicks her again, saying "that should teach you some manners" before heading back upstairs.
The next day, the prince has his ball. It's a huge event, and it's well attended. But despite all the food, the music and the entertainment, the prince sits unamused. Just before the party ends, as the night is getting late, the massive doors open and a woman enters the room wearing a dress made of silk the same color as the moon.
The prince is immediately drawn to her, and asks her to dance. They dance only for one song, but those few precious moments seemed to last forever. Once the song ended, the girl in the gown pushed him off and ran away, out of the ball room and vanished into the night.
The prince couldn't stop thinking about her after that. So, he announced that he would be having another ball in seven days, hoping she would return. Meanwhile, Cinderella kept scrubbing the floors, cleaning dishes and washing clothes. Out of sight, out of mind.
But the day of the ball, the prince requested fresh linens for his bath and bed. The servants were all busy preparing for the ball, so they sent Cinderella, in her suit of hair and muck, to deliver what the prince had asked for. She takes the clean sheets and towels and heads up the stairs. A few minutes later, she arrives at his door.
When the prince opens the door and sees Cinderella standing there in her beastly outfit, he's put off. "I hope these are CLEAN" he says as he takes the laundry from her stained hands.
"Why?" asks Cinderella, "do I disgust you?"
The prince replies "No, you don't disgust me. Because I don't even think about you" then tells her to go away and stay hidden.
The next ball comes, the same guests arrive, and again the prince sits alone, this time waiting. Hoping that the mystery woman will return. And just like last time, right as the ball was ending, the doors open and a woman enters the room wearing a dress made of silver that sparkles like the stars.
The prince rushes towards her, and they dance once more, as time seems to stop. The prince tells her how much he missed her, he tells her that she's all he thinks about. But after only one song, as before, the woman runs away into the night.
The next morning, Cinderella, in her suit of rags is heading to the palace to begin her work. As she is passing through the palace gardens, she comes across the prince who is standing alone watching the sun rise. It's clear that he is bothered, so Cinderella stops and asks him if something is wrong.
The prince gets quite upset by this. He is a prince, after all. While Cinderella is a beast, covered in hair and made of sticks and straw. She shouldn't be addressing him so informally. However, it's that exact casual nature that makes her different from everyone else.
So the prince opens up to her. He confesses his love for the woman in the gowns. Cinderella asks him if he's really in love with her, or if he only loves her for her dresses. To which the prince says that he would love her even in the dirtiest of rags.
Cinderella suggests that if he loves her, he should marry her. The prince says he wants to, he talks about her eyes, her lips, her voice, the way his heart does back flips every time he sees her face, but he can't find her. He doesn't even know her name.
So Cinderella tells him she has a similar problem, with someone rich and handsome. She says she feels the same way and asks the prince for advice. The prince tells her to go for it.
After that, Cinderella returns to work. And the prince announces he's having yet ANOTHER ball, this one is TONIGHT . The whole staff is still backed up trying to clean after the last ball. Cinderella works as hard and fast as she can to get caught up so she can leave.
But she's too late. The ball is over. Everyone has gone. But when she arrives, in her golden dress that shines like the sun, she finds the prince sitting on the steps outside. She approaches him as he stands up, and they dance to a song only they could hear.
And as the clock tower rang signaling midnight, she ran away again, this time leaving behind a glittering golden slipper in her hurry.
So the prince issued a proclamation saying he would marry whoever fit the golden slipper. Naturally, Cinderella lined up to try it on. But once she got inside the castle, close enough to see the slipper, who did she find?
Why, it was her two sisters. They were both desperately trying to make the shoe fit. And just as with the ring, the second sister managed to get the shoe on - but the longer she wore it, the more it hurt.
"No- you're not the one" said the prince. "It can't be you."
The sister tried her best to hide the agony as she wore the shoe, but she couldn't take it. She asked the first sister to remove it for her.
"Why?" asked the prince. "Leave it on." But she couldn't, and the golden shoe was removed and the prince began to lose hope.
Cinderella, in her beast form, made her way to the front of the line and asked permission to wear the shoe. The prince looked at her dismissively and allowed her to try. And of course, it was a perfect fit.
Cinderella asks the prince if he will marry her, as the proclamation says. And the prince says "yes, I will honor my promise."
With that, a flock of birds fly through the window and pick apart the ragged disguise worn by Cinderella to reveal the golden dress.
Something something something happily ever after.
The end.
Talking to a child about cut off toes will prepare them for later when the IRS will do something similar.
Thank you for helping me with my school project with this video
Wow... Can't believe that the story of Cinderella told by my Mom while I was a kid was similar to Grimm tales version... I am from Northeast part of India...
what a very very important message!! thank you so much! greatings from germany😊
I think it’s important we remember that the stories we think were by the Grimms brothers were only written to paper by them. They were originally oral stories that evolved with the guidance of the soul through travellers from all over the world.
How do you deal with the nightmares that can be caused and the hard questions that can be and asked by telling these fairytales?
oh wow... i did not know at all about a pumpkin glass shoes etc in the Cinderella story
very helpful thank you
I would love to know what ages for what Grimms stories. I have a 4 1/2 year old and would love an outline of what would be appropriate for a kindergartener. She craves oral stories and I am always making up new ones or telling stories from my childhood. Also, what stories would work for what season. I would love to see a video concerning this. Thank you so much...I always look forward to Sundays! :)
Hi Amy! I actually made a video a while back in which I give some specific recommendations for different age groups. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/eWSSYjnKdKE/видео.html
Thank you for your question!
I love you, so well explained!
It was soo helpful❤❤
Disney always!!
I would very much like to hear your comparison between Grimm, Perrault and Hans Christen Andersen (and other) versions and why Grimm’s specifically is used in Waldorf education.
I was just wondering. Aren't you supposed to wait with fairytailes till the child hits 7 Years in antroposophy? At least that's what I have been taught. I do read fairytales to my kids but Waldorf schools/Kindergarden over don't want ypu to do so.
Should these be read straight from the book or retold in your own words to the child?
I love golden shoes than glass shoes
No wonder why my 4 year old daughter kept talking about blood and knifes, because she's being read stories like this in her preschool classroom. We are new to Waldorf (which is why I look through your videos), there has been a couple of beautiful things about Waldorf but this is not ok with me. My daughter's preschool teacher practically chewed me out during her parent teacher conference for letting my daughter watch not "age" appropriate movies like Beatle Juice and Shrek but she can justify reading gory stories. That does not add up. Kids hear those words and talk like this to eachother, she was telling me her friends were whisping gory things in her ear. It's all adding up now
Hi, this was so very informative and made such a lot of sense. Thank you very much. Do you have a recommendation for an accurate version book of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales and/or other classic fairy tales (eg: When I was searching books online I found a book of Russian fairy tales, but now have no way of knowing what would be accurate or not)?
I fear I have purchased books for my granddaughter that won’t be accurate or helpful to the development of her imagination.
Can you do Rapunzel next?
Which copy or version of the Grimms fairy tales would you recommend purchasing to read to the children?
The Cinderella one is the one in “into the woods”
I hardly remember the Disney version. I remember the Ever After version with Drew Barrymore and no fairy. I't not like the original or like the Disney version. No magic. I probably watched it 100+ times as a kid and teenager, it's a very good movie when it comes to fairytale adaptations I think. My first exposure to the story was probably my grandpa telling me bits of the story and then a sort of summary of the fairytale my mom, because she forgot I hadn't heard/seen it yet.
I lovvvve that movie!
What about both?
At what age do you recommend reading Grimm's fairy tales to children?
so we agree on it . . . .
Although I don't approve of the Disney versions, I don't understand reading/telling stories about mutilating yourself or someone having their eyes pecked out by birds. I don't care how it's presented, that's not an image I want my child to have in her head. I know that not everyone will agree with this, but why add to the horrors that the world already has to offer?
I'm also not ready to deal with the emotional fallout from introduction of such adult themes it sacres me to think about it
Totally agree...plus I am not a fan of the stories or tales that achieve the heroine's happiness or goal by the love of the hero or the prince .
I don't want my daughter think that her happiness may depend on someone else,or that she needs the presence of the prince or the lover in order to complete her happy life.
I would like her to think that she can make a happy life and "live happily ever after" by herself,or by feeling loved from other people not just the lover character.
I 100% agree! I want beauty and peace in life. Especially while cuddling up reading together! I. understand the Grimm’s fairy tales are more “realistic”, but if the stories don’t uplift, inspire or feel good to me then why have young vulnerable children hear them? They have their entire lives to hear things like that. While they’re children-just enjoy things/movies/books that are fun. Who cares if it’s the “proper” one to read/watch. Time is too short for that.
I know this is a old comment but imo you do this vaccinate them against the horrors of the world but telling about the horrors of the world in a safe environment. Like the original Fox & the Hound novel.
lol, not everyone loves Disney. My extended family is obsessed with Disney but I find it all to much. Especially with all the commercialism of it all.
Not only the commercialism but most of all the subliminal messages in there... not even adults should watch it.
its a shame that you filmed this and not write it, because now i picture your face
Why not change the words from some book written thousands of years ago, "squeeze your foot into the shoe even if it hurts, she tried to squeeze her foot in but it simply wouldn't fit" - problem solved?
I am not a fan of Disney AT ALL. But surely there's compromise .
She said that in the video
Never compromise - not even in the face of Armageddon.
I like disney version fairy tale is better
disney is owned by grimm's karmas or is a jew the leader head of that. they can distinguish the witch in terrain and the god or king thats scarred attacks them anyway
I always think that being lively during storytelling is an essential element to catch the interest to listen for children. From what I've observed, the way you deliver the story is ... sorry... boring. How to make it matter-of-fact yet lively, Sarah? Thanks for the video.
Wow seriously??? Why in the world can't you find better stories to read to kids. There are millions of better stories out there than grimms dark ages disgusting tales. I have no clue how reading the story of Bluebeard killing his wives and hanging them on hooks in the basement of his castle in a nice non dramatic voice could make it okay for kids??? Unless you're training them to be psycho killers I guess? Hmmm🤔
Sane children ADORE this kind of fairy tale cruelty, believe me.