Even those who do not like fairy tales are familiar with the plots of Cinderella, Rapunzel and Thumb. All these and hundreds of other 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 down, 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

Almost seventy percent of all adults on Earth love to read fairy tales. Reading fairy tales, you seem to be immersed in another magical world, escaping real realities. Each storyteller had his own style of writing fairy tales: Charles Perrault wrote in a romantic style, Andersen wrote vitally about the life of ordinary people, and the Brothers Grimm had a slight mysticism in their fairy tales, and some of their fairy tales can confidently be called frightening. Let's talk today about the brothers Grimm: folklorists, linguists, researchers of German folk culture, and then storytellers from Germany Jacob and Wilhelm.

So, here are the most famous fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm according to the website:

Briefly about the life and choice of profession of the Brothers Grimm

Brothers Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) Grimm were born eight years apart into an ordinary family in the German city of Hanau. The brother storytellers' love for folklore manifested itself in childhood, when their mother told them old legends and tales, and in adolescence their interest grew first into a hobby, and then into the meaning of their lives. The strange brothers traveled all over the country in search of surviving witnesses of ancient folklore, collected eyewitnesses and recorded information valuable to them from their words. Throughout their lives and creative activities, Jacob and Wilhelm created and published several collections called “Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm,” which very quickly became popular and reached our ears. Now let's remember the most famous, most interesting and most terrible fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

"The Tale of the Frog King, or Iron Henry"

This tale is the very first story in the first volume of their collection of fairy tales and legends. The story is about an ungrateful princess and a kind frog, who took pity on the crying girl and believed her promises of eternal friendship, and took her golden ball from the bottom of a deep well. But as soon as the princess received her ball back, she immediately forgot her promise. The frog turned out to be a real enchanted prince, but this will become clear much later.

"White and Rosette"

I wanted to put this fairy tale at the very beginning of our list, since it is my favorite. A fairy tale about two sisters Belyanochka and Rozochka, with kind hearts, who fell in love with a bear and a falcon, not knowing that they were a prince and his friend bewitched by a formidable bearded forest sorcerer.

King Thrushbeard

One of the most instructive fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm is that pride and arrogance are bad allies and friends. The proud princess could not choose her betrothed and simply ridiculed all the contenders. And one day a real king came to the palace to ask for her hand, and in response he heard offensive speeches. And then the wise king decided to teach the cruel princess a lesson, pretending to be a poor musician.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The most famous and popular fairy tale of the storyteller brothers, who knew how to tell life stories in a fairy-tale manner. The beautiful princess, nicknamed Snow White for her snow-white skin, was born too beautiful, which crossed the path of her evil stepmother and part-time witch, who wanted to be the most beautiful in the entire kingdom. The king's father could not destroy his daughter, but also leave her in the palace, so he abandoned her in the forest, but even here Snow White's kind heart found refuge and joy among the little gnomes - the inhabitants of this wonderful forest.

The Bremen Town Musicians

This fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm can be called the most beloved and popular not only in the post-Soviet space, but throughout the world. Traveling animal musicians to the city of Bremen travel around the world, singing songs and performing in the open air for curious spectators and onlookers. But one day, a donkey, a rooster, a cat and a dog stumble upon the bandits’ hut and, with their singing, force them to leave their house and run away wherever they look, and the cunning musician friends forever remain the masters of their house.

And about the best, read on our website by clicking on the link.

A magical tale about a king and his curious servant who poked his nose into everything. The king always ordered another dish to be brought after a long meal. No one could know what kind of dish this was, not even the servant. But one day curiosity overcame the guy so much that he could not resist and opened the lid of the dish. He was very surprised by what he saw; there was a white snake lying on the dish. The servant could not resist trying such a tasty morsel. As soon as he put it in his mouth, he heard not ordinary singing outside the window, but voices as thin as a ray of sunlight. He realized that the snake's meat was magical and now he could hear the voices of animals. From that day on, the servant no longer wanted to serve the king; he decided to wander the world in search of a better life. And as happens in fairy tales, after many dangerous (and not so dangerous) adventures, he found his princess, married her and became king.

A very instructive tale about the wanderings and dangerous adventures of a brother and sister who were betrayed by their parents and left to die in the forest. What helped two small children survive in terrible, impassable places where there are many wild animals and evil robbers? This, of course, is friendship and trust. And also the fearlessness of his older brother Hansel, whose goal and great desire was to protect his sister Gretel from the terrible hands of the evil sorceress. The fairy tale was created for children, but we, parents, should read it and rethink a lot and learn a lot from these persistent and not childishly sensible children, and most importantly, understand that there is no greater happiness and wealth in the world than our own children. And no sorrows or misfortunes should force us to abandon them in trouble.

By the way, on our website there is an interesting article about, which should be on every child’s shelf.

From the first lines of the fairy tale, we learn about the difficult fate of the little stepdaughter, about the evil stepmother and the lazy daughter, who was cherished and pitied when the stepdaughter got all the dirty and hard work. Once the stepdaughter dropped a spindle into the well, confessing this to her stepmother, she heard an angry answer: “Dropped it yourself and get it out.” The poor girl had no choice but to jump into the well. When she touched the bottom with her feet, a magical land appeared before her eyes. Walking past the windows of a beautiful house, the stepdaughter saw Mrs. Metelitsa. She liked the girl so much and invited her to serve with her.

The stepdaughter stayed, she was hardworking and did her job conscientiously. When the time came to return home, Mrs. Metelitsa generously presented the girl with gifts. Seeing this, the stepmother burst into anger, envy overcame her heart. She sent her daughter into the well and ordered her to bring even more gifts. But the lazy and clumsy daughter only deserved a cauldron of tar that overturned on her. The stepmother was never able to wash it away from her daughter. Laziness and envy are bad travel companions, it is better to be kind and hardworking - this is the moral of this fairy tale.

Gusyatnitsa

A fairy tale about a beautiful princess who, by the will of fate, had to herd geese. Through the deception and slander of the evil maid who took her place, the princess was left in the castle out of pity and allowed to help the goosekeeper. Over time, they began to call her that - Goose Girl. But the girl was so beautiful, sophisticated and aristocratic that everyone who saw her did not believe that she was a commoner. The princess had a talking horse named Falada. The maid, who pretended to be the queen, was very afraid that Falada would expose her and ordered the horse to be slaughtered.

The princess was very upset, but there was nowhere to go, she asked the flayer to nail the horse’s head under the gate leading from the castle. So he did, and every morning the princess spoke to the horse's head as she drove the geese to pasture. Time passed, and the princess would have herded the geese like this for a long time, but the old king found out about it, and everything became clear to him. He took the real princess by the hand and led her to the prince, and ordered the maid to be executed. Good always defeats evil, if not in life, but at least in a fairy tale.

The most terrible fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm

One day, Lucifer himself came to the miller and demanded that for all the wealth that he had once given him, he now give him what he had behind the mill, and at that time the miller’s daughter was sitting there spinning yarn. When the miller's daughter refused to go with Satan, he ordered her father to cut off her hands and drive her out of the house. So, the poor girl wandered through the forest for a long time until the king met her and fell in love with her despite her injuries.

The shortest fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

"Three Spinners"

The plot of this tale is indeed quite laconic and short. One day, driving past a village, the queen heard a girl crying and stopped to ask about the reasons. The girl’s mother could not tell the queen that her daughter did not know how to spin and lied that she could not tear her daughter away from the spinning wheel; she spins so much, and since she cannot do what she loves, she cries bitterly. Then the queen wanted to take the girl with her, because she had enough yarn for the entire kingdom and if she spun all the flax in a short time, then the queen would marry her to her son. Three spinners came to the aid of the girl who did not know how to spin...

Finally

Each storyteller has his own style and manner of writing fairy tales. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm from old Germany, for some reason, all their stories and retellings turned out to be quite dark, mystical, and in some places even scary, but no less intriguing and interesting. Today we remembered the most beloved and famous fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm; each of their fairy tales, as you noticed, has its own morality and science. The editors of TopCafe are waiting for your answer: what favorite fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm have remained in your memory for a long time?

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

1. "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.
2. "Rumpelstichtsen." It tells the story of a dwarf who has the ability to spin gold from straw.
3. "Rapunzel". A fairy tale about a beautiful girl with gorgeous long hair. She was imprisoned in a high tower by an evil witch.
4. “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.
5. "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

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "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.

   

4. "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.
5. "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.

1. 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.
2. Fairy tales in which people turn into animals and vice versa.
3. Fairy tales in which various objects are animated.
4. which people and their actions become.
5. 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.

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 - 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...

5 - 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 bookish language... Read about a mouse from a book...

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 came to 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 in...

7 - About the Hedgehog and the Rabbit A piece of winter

Stewart P. and Riddell K.


The story is about how the Hedgehog, before hibernation, asked the Rabbit to save him a piece of winter until spring. The rabbit rolled up a large ball of snow, wrapped it in leaves and hid it in his hole. About the Hedgehog and the Rabbit A piece...

8 - 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...

Information sheet:

The exciting fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm stand apart in the world of fairy tales. Their content is so fascinating that it will not leave any child indifferent.

Where did your favorite fairy tales come from?

They came from German lands. Folk tales collected and processed by language and folklore experts - siblings. After several years of recording the best oral tales, the authors were able to improve them so interestingly and beautifully that today we perceive these tales as written directly by them.

The heroes of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are kinder and better than they were in oral folk art, and this is the wonderful meaning of the work that learned linguists have done. In each work they put the idea of ​​the unconditional victory of good over evil, the superiority of courage and love of life, which is what all stories teach.

How they were published

A man whom the brothers considered a friend tried to steal the fairy tales, but did not have time. In 1812, collectors were able to carry out their first publication. The works were not immediately recognized as children's works. But after professional editing, they were distributed throughout the country in large numbers. Over 20 years, it was reprinted 7 times. The list of works increased. Fairy tales from the category of simple folk art have turned into a new literary genre.

The Brothers Grimm made a genuine breakthrough, which was appreciated throughout the world. Today their work is included in the international list of the great heritage of the past created by UNESCO.

What is modern about the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm?

Adults remember the names of many fairy tales from childhood. Because the works of the Brothers Grimm, with their magical narration style, variety of plots, preaching love of life and perseverance in any life situations, delight and attract unusually.

And today we read them with pleasure with our children, remembering which fairy tales we liked best, comparing with interest with those that are popular today.