Week 13: Essay- Disney: The Modern Brothers Grimm

While I was reading the stories from this unit on the Brothers Grimm. I was thinking about just how important children's stories are in terms of teaching a child invaluable life lessons. When I look at my own childhood, I can definitely tell that I learned some important things on what it means to be a hero, or the be courageous, or virtuous from children's stories. I think the children who heard these stories by the Brothers Grimm were supposed to learn lessons from them too. They would have their mother or father read them the story, and I'm sure that they would learn something from it. I'm sure that having those stories read to them was one of the most entertaining parts of their childhoods. However, I didn't read most of my children's stories, and I didn't even have them read to me. In fact, I learned about my fairy tales in the way of Disney movies. Disney is really adept at taking stories like those in the Brothers Grimm, and adapting them to animated movies. Cinderella, Snow White, and many other Disney movies are based on short stories from years and years ago. The principle behind the movies is the same as the stories. Cinderella is a story about not judging someone based on their appearance, and it shows little girls that anyone can be a princess. This lesson is the same in a movie as it is in a short story. So, I think it is really interesting that, despite all of our technology and animation, people still use the same stories to teach their children the same lessons. Disney is just a more advanced and entertaining form of the Brothers Grimm. I'm sure that fifty years from now, kids will be seeing the same stories that I grew up watching, but they just might be watching a hologram, and not a screen.

Cinderella, source: flickr

Week 13: Storytelling- The Shoes with the Swoosh

Once upon a time, there was a shoemaker. Unfortunately, the economy was in the middle of a deep depression, and, through no fault of his own, because  he truly was a good shoemaker, he became very poor. So poor, in fact, he thought the bank was going to foreclose on his little shop.

It came to the point that, one night, the poor shoemaker cut out the last of his leather, and found that it was only enough to make one more shoe. He was devastated. So, he resolved to finish his last shoe the next morning. As he was going to bed, he prayed that God would make his last pair of shoes the best shoes that he'd ever made.

The next morning, he woke up intending to finish the shoes that he had started the night before. But they had already been finished. They were perfect! They did not have one single flaw! While inspecting the shoes, he did notice a curious little marking on the side. It looked something like a check-mark, but for some reason he told his wife that he thought it was a swoosh. Even more interestingly, later that day Prince Charming, for no apparent reason, came into the poor shoemaker's store. Upon seeing the shoes with the swoosh, he offered the shoemaker twice what the shoes were supposed to be worth. The shoemaker was incredibly excited, even if he was a little confused.

Nike Air Flight Falcon, source: flickr

That night, after buying enough leather for two shoes and cutting out the pieces, the shoemaker went to sleep and prayed the same prayer as before. The next morning the shoes were finished again! He looked, and they still had that mysterious swoosh on them. When he opened his shop, he found Prince William and Prince Harry waiting outside. They said that they had seen Prince Charming wearing the shoes with the swoosh, and they had to have a pair. They paid twice what the shoes were worth, just as Prince Charming had done.

This cycle continued for some time. The shoemaker would cut out the leather at night, only find them finished with swoosh the next morning. This made the shoemaker into a very wealthy man. After some time, the shoemaker's wife suggested that they stay up and see who was finishing the shoes. The shoemaker thought it was a great idea, so he set out the cut pieces of leather like always, and then he and his wife waited.

He and his wife watched as two little elves crept in and completed the shoes with incredible accuracy and speed. Weirdly though, the two little men were naked So, the shoemaker and his wife decided to lay out clothes for them the next night. When the little elves saw the clothes, they began to dance around happily. After that night, the little elves never came back to finish the shoemaker's shoes. So, he began to pay little kids in the next town 14 cents an hour to complete his shoes. Then, he and his wife lived happily ever after, and the shoes with the swoosh become the most popular shoe that the world had ever seen!

Author's Note--

This story is based off of the story of The Elves from the Brothers Grimm unit. I have pretty much told the story exactly the same as the original. I did add about the stuff with the swoosh, just because I thought it would be interesting to pretend that the shoemaker was selling Nikes. I also didn't use any dialogue, because that is how the original was written. I hope you all enjoy my lighthearted re-telling!

Bibliography--

The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013)

Week 13: Reading Diary- Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

These are my thoughts about the tales of the Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)...

Cat and Mouse in Partnership:

This story just confirms all of my feelings towards cats. You just can't trust them. It is also a good lesson on choosing friends. Sometimes people just can't change who they are, no matter what they say or what you hope.

The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids:

This might the oldest story about stranger danger that has ever been told. I like that the kids in the story were not completely foolish. They thwarted the wolf twice, but the third time they were just too naive to understand that he was tricking them. I was also glad that he got his just rewards.

The Seven Ravens:

These stories are completely ridiculous. But that is okay, because children's stories should always have a heavy dose of the imaginary in my opinion. I also like that the little girl was committed enough to cut off her own finger. That's a pretty intense choice to make for a little girl.

Little Red Cap:

I wonder if these stories are supposed to teach children some kind of valuable lesson. Like maybe the wolf is supposed to represent the evil men that can pray on women when they get off the path. Or maybe they are just supposed to amusing stories, but I definitely think that they are supposed to teach lessons.

The Singing Bone:

As an older brother, this is definitely not my favorite story. I also don't like that the younger brother didn't get justice, until after he had already been killed. It just seems wrong for that to happen in a fairy tell like this.

The Elves:

This is a nice story. It's always good to see the nice people win. Especially, when they are so gracious and thankful for the help that they receive. Maybe there is some secret key to success hidden in this story.

Herr Korbes:

This is some horrible luck. I guess he must have been an extremely wicked man like the story suggests. I wonder if all those animals and things went to his house with the attention of doing him in? Or maybe it was just some divinely delivered justice.

Old Sultan:

This story shows us that appearance is way more important than reality. The old dog appeared to be useful, even though he wasn't, and he was rewarded for it. Then, he and the cat appeared to be intimidating and dangerous, even though they weren't, and they beat the wolf and boar because of it.

Rumpelstiltskin:

This is a great little story. It is definitely a story that shows the dangers of greed. The king almost lost his first-born by making the girl make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. Then Rumpelstiltskin gets himself in trouble by making that deal with the girl. I've read it before, but I still really enjoy it!