Gender-swapped Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty & Rapunzel

By Eve Sinning

The classic Brothers Grimm stories of Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel are turned on their head and given new life in these original new gender-swapped retellings. With the gender of every character swapped, Princesses become Princes; Queens become Kings, and the heroines of these well-loved stories become heroes instead.

In these stories women are bold, courageous actors who brave danger and death to rescue sleeping princes, risking everything for love. They are wandering vagabonds and loving, daring wives – independent spirits and bold explorers.

Meanwhile, the actions and motivations of men are turned on their heads and male characters are given interesting new freedoms and motivations. They are loving, gentle spirits who openly express affection, fear and uncertainty. They are passive actors, awaiting rescue and direction. They are graceful, handsome and helpless.

Subversive and surprising, these gender-swapped re-tellings of two classic Brothers Grimm stories will make you see your favourite fairy tales in a whole new light!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eve Sinning
• Release date: Jun 20, 2015

Book preview

Gender-swapped Fairy Tales

Sleeping Beauty

&

Rapunzel

Written by The Brothers Grimm

Rewritten by Eve Sinning

Original Sin Publishing ● New Forest

© Eve Sinning 2015

Contents

Introduction

Sleeping Beauty

Rapunzel

Free sample: Cinderella

Introduction

The following two stories are based upon the original texts of The Brothers Grimm, with all genders swapped and the stories rewritten to produce original new retellings. By swapping the genders, these stories can be read in a new light and from interesting new perspectives. The young maid becomes the young man, the Queen becomes the King and the heroines of these well-loved stories become heroes instead.

In these stories women are bold, courageous actors who brave danger and death to rescue sleeping princes, risking everything for love. They are wandering vagabonds and loving, daring wives – independent spirits and bold explorers.

Meanwhile, the actions and motivations of men are turned on their heads and male characters are given interesting new freedoms and motivations. They are loving, gentle spirits who openly express affection, fear and uncertainty. They are passive actors, awaiting rescue and direction. They are graceful, handsome and helpless.

These stories are an opportunity to view the actions and motivations of well-known and well-loved characters from new perspectives. By swapping the genders, the meaning and feeling of a story can be changed drastically. What does this action look like when a woman performs it? How does this motivation read when it is experienced by a man?

These stories form part of the Brothers Grimm Gender-Swapped Fairy Tales series. Also available are the following gender-swapped fairytales:

The Hans Christian Anderson Series:

The Brave Tin Soldier & The Wild Swans

The Little Match Girl & The Story of a Mother

The Little Mermaid & The Real Princess

The Snow Queen & The Swineherd

Thumbelina & The Tinder-Box

The Brothers Grimm Series:

Cinderella & The Brother and Sister

Hansel and Gretel & The Goose Boy

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