I'm not sure what you'll make of this, but what would you say your favourite fairy tales are? Here are some of mine, in no specific order. Little Red Riding Hood Such a simple story, but the imagery is so powerful. Rapunzel Perhaps my favourite "princess" story. Hansel and Gretel Have you never dropped breadcrumbs along a path to see if a flock of birds will suddenly eat it? Jack and the Beanstalk A fairy tale with all the wonderful elements of a boyish adventure. The Little Mermaid The original Hans Christian Andersen story is full of melancholic beauty. The Ugly Duckling Anybody who claims to have never been able to relate to this story is obviously lying. Snow White A brilliant riches-to-rags-to-riches story, with chilling elements and wonderful imagery of magic mirrors and snowy kingdoms. Cinderella The tale that's been told more times than any other story, my personal favourite would be the one with the enchanted tree and the birds by the Brothers Grimm. Dick Whittington Not that well known outside of the UK, but a favourite. Mother Holle Not a very famous story within the English-speaking world, but an amusing Grimm tale about the value of hard work.
That would definitely be one of mine as well! I didn't include it because I restricted my choices to the shorter, more traditional stories. For similar reasons, I left off Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Through the Looking Glass and The Wizard of Oz, all of which are some of my favourite stories.
