Random hearts: We heart Fairy Tales... the OGs and the newbies

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who was put into a deep sleep by a witch only to be woken by her true love..which of course happened to be a ridiculously handsome prince.

Remember when you were little and your parents would tell you life lessons and morals through stories? Like when the princess kisses the frog and it becomes a prince? So that one is obv about not judging a book by its cover, right?

Then there are numerous ones about a prince rescuing the helpless princess.. the knight in shining armor.

There are also weird ones like not snooping around in peoples business... super Hansel and Gretel...(well I think thats the moral there)

Fairy tales are amazing...right?

We love reading them and passing them around because the story never limits the possibility that anything can happen..to anyone. Princes, kisses, curses, spells, frogs, dwarfs, talking wolves...anything can reign in worlds wayyy beyond the readers imagination and reality.

POP!

That is the dream bubble of fairy tales popping. Sorry... we hate this as much as you do!

We live our lives around fairy tales and movies like Twilight and Edward...oooohhhh Edward how we SUPER and UBER heart you.

Ooopsie.. hee hee. TMI.

Anywhoo...it turns out that fairy tales were not always what we know them to be! Yeah.. no kidding... you may want to stop reading now. Our hearts are dropping as we study and write about this.

Fairy tales were originally created by men after a long day on the farm around a fire or at the tavern. They were stories that told gruesome tales (some real and some not) or told to arouse and entertain through sexual situations in the story.

I KNOW!!! What?!?!? Yeah... it's crazy.

For example..according to Disney and Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Anderson...

Cinderella was a beautiful step sister forced to clean up behind her horrible sisters only to be swept off her feet by a handsome prince. (super abbreviated)

And while the premise is kinda true, the real tale told by the Brothers Grimm and a few before them is way more gruesome and creepy.

Theirs, tells a story of death, body parts being pecked and sawed off. Crazy!

Or about how Sleeping beauty was cursed to sleep by an old woman spinning golden flax...
Well when it was written in the 1500's it was really told that the King impregnates her (Briar Rose) in her sleep! (um hello?!?! That's called rape!) And she wakes up to him skipping town and leaves her with twins! Then she has him murdered and they eat him in stew!!!!

Then there is the ultimate (and Miss Me's fav of all faves) The Little Mermaid. No, lovelies..in the real version...she can not become a human or remain a mermaid...she becomes sea foam! Whaatt???? Yes!

So while "the truth shall set ye free", we rather read the stories of the modern day fairy tales, where true love and kisses save the day. And princes do choose the princess because of true beauty and don't leave them a single mother.

Thank you Disney and Perrault and many others for making them sweet, soft and lesson filled.

National Geographic has one of the best websites we have ever seen. Its a choose your own adventure of the real OG fairy tales. But beware, it will make you look differently about telling them to your children.

It tells the Brothers Grimms versions...even after they "cleaned" up the tales. Imagine how much worse they were!

If you want to read more of the original tales before they were shined and sweetened up here is a great book.

Or if you are like us...and rather live in the sunshine with fairies and sparkle dust go here for HCA's complete book of tales.

OK to be fair..so you don't have to take our word for it here are the 2 versions of Sleeping Beauty. The good and the bad.

So...dream big...life can be your fairy tale (well with in reason) but go out there and get what you want..whether it's a prince or 7 helpers and a forest filled with loving animals to help make your day brighter.

xoxo t.w.h.