The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Fairy Tales

by Alfred David (Compiler), Mary Elizabeth Meek (Compiler)

“Fairy Tales are not... a form of children’s literature; they are, like fables, legends, and ballads, among the many forms of adult literature that children have adopted...The apparent artlessness of these simple stories is not easily achieved. It is, in fact, the product of an art perhaps older than the art of writing.”
Thus write Alfred David and Mary Elizabeth Meek in their thoughtful introduction to a collection that ranges from the Grimm brothers' inimitable recreations of archetypal folktales to the modern prose charm of James Thurber's Many Moons. The appeal of the stories is wide and varied: the refined intelligence of Perrault, the wondrous imagination of Andersen, the descriptive power of Ruskin, the bittersweet melancholy of Wilde. These are but a few of the artists represented in this remarkably inclusive selection of works from Germany, Russia, France, Scandinavia, England, and America. Many are in new translations in the modern idiom and all testify eloquently to the unceasing vitality of this literary genre.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Anthologies, Mythology

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned to read in the first grade, back in the day when it was okay to begin first grade without knowing anything about reading or writing. By second grade, I was a READER, meaning that I had a book in my hand or under my arm at nearly all times. My favorite fare, from our Catholic school's small library, was the series of "Fairy Tales from Around the World." This book that I just finished indeed appealed to my lifelong enjoyment of fairy tales; what surprised me was that I preferred the more literary tales, written later, to the retelling of tales from the oral tradition, from such as the Grimm Brothers. No matter; it was still a very pleasant read.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of a range of fairy tales. My favorite version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (not a Disney-fied variant) lies in this book. My mother had this book as a textbook for a children's literature class she took when I was a young child. I absconded with the book as a teenager, and I never let her have it back. A few years ago, the book was reprinted, and I gifted her a clean copy for her birthday.

I have many memories with this book, and especially with that particular story. Here's one... When my brother was a teenager and I was in college, I read The Little Mermaid aloud to him while we were hanging out in the family room in the basement. He was curled up in his sleeping bag on the floor, and I lounged on the couch. The television was off. He covered his face, so I couldn't see him, but I caught some muffled sniffling from inside the sleeping bag. At the end of the story, we shared a good cry. He hadn't thought that story had much relevance to him or his life... but it spoke to him that day.

Warning: Some of the tales are gruesome--they were collected from societies with much harsher punitive measures than those we generally employ in civilized nations today. Before sharing with children, you may wish to pre-read them to make sure they're appropriate for your young ones.

[Mythlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some tales are quite familiar, but they are generally well-told here, even lyrical at times. I particularly liked John Ruskin's "The King of the Golden River," and this passage:

"They poured unholy water into my stream; do you suppose I'm going to allow that?"
"Why," said Gluck, "I am sure, sir – your Majesty, I mean – they got the water out of the church font."
"Very probably," replied the dwarf; "but," and his countenance grew stern as he spoke, "the water which has been refused to the cry of the weary and dying is unholy though it had been blessed by every saint in heaven; and the water which is found in the vessel of mercy is holy though it had been defiled with corpses." (p. 300)

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bedtime stories for my boys. I was surprised that my 7 year old was so interested and attentive to the fairy tales, especially since they were the originals stories and did not have 'Disney' endings.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the story before you read it to your child as these are not without gore and murder.

[AshleyMarieReads ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

read it for a children’s literature course but super cute - definitely keeping this for future kiddos 🥰

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The origins of many fairy tales are not exactly known. And then there are the original fair tales of the Grimm's and HCA. I'm glad I was able to study these fairy tales and see how they are the root of children's literature with themes that are still prevelant today.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the 'original' tellings of these stories I remember from childhood. I definitely want to read them to my students and nephews because the language in them is great and though they are simple, their stories are interesting. I love: Rapunzel, Briar Rose, Dwarf Longnose, Beauty and the Beast and Many Moons. The editors put it well in a quote captured on the back cover: "Fairy tales are not... a form of children's literature; they are, like fables, legends, and ballads, among the many forms of adult literature that children have adopted...The apparent artlessness of these simple stories is not easily achieved. It is, in fact, the product of an art perhaps older than the art of writing."

[degelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a welcome reminder of how original fairy tales actually unfolded and ended hundreds of years ago, like the time the evil queen in "Snow White" was forced to dance to death or the second half of "Sleeping Beauty" where Beauty and her children are supposed to be fed to an ogre.

Above all, I purchased this for the original tale of "Beauty and The Beast." I'm a fan of the 1946 film by Cocteau and wanted to see how similar it was to the source material. It was more true than more recent adaptations, which didn't surprise me at all.

[Lynnette]

A king offers the hand of one of his daughters in marriage if the suitor can find out how the dancing shoes are worn out every night. Though many fail, a soldier, aided by a cloak which makes him invisible, wins the hand of the oldest Princess.

This is a Grimm's fairy talk. Not too gruesome. One of the better ones!

[Mikepardee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book that I had to read for a Comp Lit course. It made me feel like a kid all over again. It is one of my go to books when I want to read something before bed that I can enjoy and finish in 5 minutes

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid collection of Western European fairytales. There are some early versions of folktales as translated from oral tradition worth a gander - Red Riding Hood for example. I especially enjoyed comparing these with the modern versions I knew as a child from Disney films and other storybooks.

[Yifat]

better than grimm

[Katie J Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories. It was nice to read some fairy tales that aren't so common.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice variety.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comparative Literature 270B: World Literature