Grimm’s Fairy Tales

By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

For most children, reading the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm is an essential experience when growing up. Grimm’s Fairy Tales collects some of the best-known fairy and folk tales set down by the Brothers Grimm, including “Sleeping Beauty,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Frog-Prince,” and “Rumpelstiltskin.”       

• Language: English
• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Release date: Dec 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781454945697

Jacob Grimm

With his brother Wilhelm, Jacob Grimm collected and published Germanic and European folk and fairy tales during the early to mid 19th century. Some of the world’s most classic and beloved stories have been published by them, including “Rumplestiltskin,” “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and many more.

Book preview

Hans in Luck

HANS HAD SERVED HIS MASTER FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND AT LAST SAID TO him,Master, my time is up. I should like to go home and see my mother, so please give me my wages.

And the master said, You have been a faithful and good servant, so your pay shall be handsome. Then he gave him a piece of silver that was as big as his head.

Hans took out his pocket handkerchief, put the piece of silver into it, threw it over his shoulder, and jogged off homeward. As he went lazily on, dragging one foot after another, a man came in sight, trotting along happily on a beautiful horse.

Ah! said Hans aloud. What a fine thing it is to ride on horseback! There he sits as if he were at home in his chair. He trips against no stones, spares his shoes, and yet gets on so easily. The horseman heard this and said, Well, why do you go on foot then?

Ah! he said. I have this load to carry. Of course, it is silver, but it is so heavy that I can’t hold up my head, and it hurts my shoulder, sadly.

What do you say to making an exchange? said the horseman. I will give you my horse, and you shall give me the silver.

With all my heart, said Hans. But I will tell you one thing—you’ll have a weary task to drag it along. The horseman got off, took the silver, helped Hans up, put the bridle in his hand, and said, When you want to go very fast, you must smack your lips loud, and cry ‘Jip.’

Hans was delighted as he sat on the horse and rode merrily on. After a time he thought he should like to go a little faster, so he smacked his lips, and cried Jip. Away went the horse at full gallop. Before Hans knew what happened, he was thrown off and lay in a ditch by the roadside. His horse would have run off if a shepherd, who was coming by driving a cow, had not stopped it. Hans soon collected his wits and got up on his feet again. He was sadly vexed and said to the shepherd, This riding is no joke when a man gets on a beast like this, that stumbles and flings him off as if he would break his neck. However, I’m off now once and for all. I like your cow a great deal better! You can walk along at your leisure behind her, and have milk, butter, and cheese every day in the bargain. What would I give to have such a cow!

Well, said the shepherd, if you are so fond of her, I will exchange my cow for your horse.

Done! said Hans merrily. The shepherd jumped on the horse and away he rode.

Hans drove off his cow quietly and thought his bargain a very lucky one. If I have only a piece of bread (and I certainly shall be able to get that), I can, whenever I like, eat my butter and cheese with it. And when I am thirsty, I can milk my cow and drink the milk. What more could I wish for?

When he came to an inn, he halted, ate up all his bread, and gave away his last penny for a glass of ale. Then he drove his cow toward his mother’s village. The heat grew greater as noon approached. Soon he found himself on a wide heath that would take him more than an hour to cross, and he began to be so hot and parched that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

I can find a cure for this, he thought. Now will I milk my cow and quench my thirst. So he tied her to the stump of a tree and held his leather cap to milk into, but not a drop was to be had.

While he was trying his luck and managing the matter very clumsily, the uneasy beast gave him a kick on the head that knocked him unconscious, and there he lay a long while. Luckily, a butcher soon came by driving a pig in a wheelbarrow.

What is the matter with you? said the butcher as he helped Hans up. Hans told him what had happened, and the butcher gave him a flask, saying, There, drink and refresh yourself. Your cow will give you no milk. She is an old beast and good for nothing but the slaughterhouse.

Alas, alas! said Hans. Who would have thought it? If I kill her, what will she be good for? I hate cow-beef because it is not tender enough for me. If it were a pig, now, one could do something with it. It would at any rate make some sausages.

Well, said the butcher, to please you I’ll make an exchange, and give you the pig for the cow.

Heaven reward you for your kindness! said Hans as he gave the butcher the cow. He took the pig off the wheelbarrow, and led it off, holding it by the string that was tied to its leg.

So on he jogged, and all seemed now to go right with him. He had met with some misfortunes, to be sure, but he was now well repaid for all.

The next person he met was a countryman carrying a fine white goose under his arm. The countryman stopped to ask what the time was, and Hans told him all his luck, and how he had made so many good bargains. The countryman said he was going to take the goose to a christening. Feel, he said, how heavy it is, and yet it is only eight weeks old. Whoever roasts and eats it may cut plenty of fat off it, it has lived so well!

You’re right, said Hans as he weighed it in his hand, but my pig is no trifle. In the meantime, the countryman began to look grave, and shook his head.

Listen, my good friend, he said, your pig may get you into trouble. In the village I just came from, the squire has had a pig stolen out of his sty. I was dreadfully afraid when I saw you, because I thought that you had the squire’s pig. It will be bad for you if they catch you. The least they’ll do will be to throw you into the horse pond.

Poor Hans was very frightened. Good man, he cried, help get me out of this scrape. You know this country better than I! Take my pig and give me the goose.

I ought to have something for the bargain, said the countryman. However, I will not be too hard on you, since you are in trouble. Then he took the string in his hand, and led the pig off on a side path while Hans went homeward with the goose, free from care.

After all, he thought, I have the better of the bargain: first there will be a capital roast, then the fat will find me in goose grease for six months. And then there are all the beautiful white feathers! I will put them into my pillow, and I am sure I shall sleep soundly without tossing and turning. How happy my mother will be!

As he came to the last village, he saw a scissor-grinder with his grinding wheel working away and singing:

"O’er hill and o’er dale so happy I roam,

Work light and live well, all the world is my home;

Who so content, so merry as I?"

Hans stood looking for a while, and at last said, You must be well off, master grinder; you seem so happy at your work.

Yes, said the other man. Mine is a golden trade. A good grinder never puts his hand in his pocket without finding money in it—but where did you get that beautiful goose?

I traded a pig for it.

And where did you get the pig?

I exchanged a cow for it.

And the cow?

I gave a horse for it.

And the horse?

I traded a piece of silver as big as my head for that.

And the silver?

Oh! I worked hard for that for seven long years.

You have done well in the world, said the grinder. Now if you could find money in your pocket whenever you put your hand into it, your fortune would be made.

Very true. But how is that to be managed? asked Hans.

You must become a grinder like me, said the man. You only need a grindstone; the rest will come of itself. Here is one that is a little the worse for wear: I would not ask more than the value of your goose for it—will you buy it?

How can you ask such a question? replied Hans. I should be the happiest man in the world if I could have money whenever I put my hand in my pocket. What more could I want? Here’s the goose!

Now, said the grinder, as he gave him a common rough stone that lay by his side, this is a good stone. If you manage it cleverly, you can make an old nail cut with it.

Hans took the stone and went off with a light heart. His eyes sparkled with joy, and he said to himself, I must have been born in a lucky hour; everything that I want or wish for comes to me on its own.

Soon he began to tire, for he had been traveling since daybreak. He was hungry, too, because he had given away his last penny in his excitement at getting the cow. At last he could go no further, and the stone tired him terribly; he dragged himself to the side of a pond so he might drink some water and rest a while. He laid the stone carefully by his side on the bank, but as he stooped down to drink, he forgot it, pushed it a little, and down it went into the pond. For a while he watched it sinking in the deep clear water, then he sprang up with joy, and again fell on his knees, and thanked heaven with tears in his eyes for its kindness in taking away his only plague—the ugly, heavy stone.

How happy am I! he cried. No mortal was ever so lucky as I am. Then up he got with a light and merry heart and walked on, free from all his troubles, until he reached his mother’s house.

The Traveling Musicians

AN HONEST FARMER ONCE HAD A DONKEY THAT HAD BEEN A FAITHFUL servant to him for a great many years, but the donkey was now growing old and more and more unfit for work. His master was tired of keeping him and began to think of putting an end to him. But the donkey, who saw that some mischief was in the wind, snuck off and began his journey toward the town of Bremen, for there, he thought, I may have a chance to be chosen town musician.

After he had traveled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired.

What makes you pant so, my friend? asked the donkey.

Alas! said the dog. My master was going to knock me on the head because I am old and weak, and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting. So I ran away, but what can I do to earn a living?

Listen! said the donkey. I am going to Bremen to become a musician. Suppose you come with me, and try to become a musician too. The dog said he was willing to do that, and they jogged on together.

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road, with a most rueful face.

My good lady, said the donkey, what’s the matter with you? You look quite out of sorts!

Ah me! said the cat. How can one be in good spirits when one’s life is in danger? Because I am beginning to grow old and would rather lie at my ease by the fire than run around the house after the mice, my mistress said she was going to drown me. And though I have been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am going to live on.

Oh! said the donkey. By all means, come with us to Bremen. You have a good voice and could make your fortune as a street singer. The cat was pleased with that thought and joined the dog and the donkey.

Soon afterward, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a rooster

Reviews for Grimm’s Fairy Tales

[regoodrich · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ever since I was a child all snuggled up under the covers with my stuffed bear, I have either been read or pursued on my own the imaginative fairytales written by a host of authors over the centuries. The Grimm brothers are perhaps the best-known.  Their tales are short and unique and without any barriers on creativity. I wonder if they were the first to make inanimate objects come to life?  Young or old, there is much enjoyment to be had in these treasured Fairytales. 

[drardavis · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Although this was one part of a two book set, there was a great contrast to Andersen’s Fairy Tales. At times it seemed as if this were the Cliff Notes of fairy tales, rather than what I would have expected from the Ugly Duckling, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and others. I suppose that over time the details of these stories have been embellished by others all the way up to Walt Disney. The lesser known tales have the usual heads chopped off, people transformed into animals, parents abandoning their children, wicked stepmothers, and so on. A surprising number of these tales repeat themselves. For example, several evil characters are cut open and filled with stones, then sown up again. Quite disappointing. You should read the revised versions.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With love from Mummy and Daddy Xmas 1959, I was three and the words and pictures have never left me. A rock on which the rest of my life was built. The book records a moment in time and place, defined by stories, marked on every page by the history of the world, cousin to other stories in other places all over the world and full of the expectancy of the ever changing future.

[pomo58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm with illustrations from Arthur Rackham is indeed, as the Rock Point series says, a timeless classic.This is specifically a review of the Rock Point edition in their Timeless Classics series. It uses the 1897 Margaret Hunt translation as its source and the Rackham illustrations from a 1909 edition. Reviewing the tales themselves doesn't make a lot of sense here, we have all read at least some of them, whether in this form of one of the many variations. The introduction in this volume does a nice job of introducing the tales and gives a very brief overview of what exactly these stories represent both culturally and historically. If you want to learn about all of the questions and issues around them you will not want a collection of the tales for that, you will want a book devoted to the topic, though a collection like this one will be necessary to fully understand those issues.This edition is packaged wonderfully and will serve as both a nice addition to a library as well as a book you can read from, ideally to your children, then pass down to them when the time comes. The addition of the illustrations in beautiful plates adds to both the pleasure of reading and the pride of ownership.There are some writers that deserve a "complete works of" volume in most libraries and the Brothers Grimm are among those writers. This particular edition will serve that function very well.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[linyarai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So many stories in this version! Quite a few I'd read before, but most were new to me. Read the ebook version, seemed to never end.

[danielstj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These were hit and miss tales. Yet, there was so much to gain from reading some of the better ones that it augmented the rating significantly. These are classics, through and throughout, and they touch on the simpler, more moralistic sense of storytelling and manage to convey so much with so little. Overall, it was well worth reading and I feel I am all the better for it.4 stars!

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The original versions not Disneyfied. Lots of deaths. Tricksters. Fools. Kindness rewarded. Cleverness rewarded. Some have morals. Some are just for fun to laugh at the foolishness.

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved these tales (in German) when I was a child. Now I'm reading this book to our almost 5-year-old and he loves the stories also. I'm realizing how odd some of them seem in translation, and there sure are a great deal of religious references. But the main stories (Ashputtle, The Bremen Musicians, etc. ) are still classics!

[antao-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 2005-11-16)In Genesis there is suddenly this sentence/observation about giants walking the Earth in them days... I always see those elderly male Jews in Babylon, staring glumly at some campfire, thinking about the good old days and thinking up revengeful plans to smite the enemy. They tell the stories of their tribes but there is that one quite senile idiot always going on about 'them giants' - so in the end they say, "Okay, we WILL put them in. Now shut up already!" I can see myself being the Giant Guy (if more all over the place) and I'm not sure the good campfire folks here need the distraction... I don't know if it is only about 'folk tales' per se, but I am with most people on the campfire and howling wolves. For me the atmospherics are very, very important. Our culture no longer has much in the way of campfires and wolves so our writers have had to incorporate them, figuratively, into the fictions themselves. The rest is literary history.I don't see fairytales simply as children's stories; that's a relatively recent- and, of late, receding- viewpoint. There is a vast quantity of material around beyond Grimm and Andersen and little of it aimed at children. Perrault or Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy were writing for the amusement of adults, and the Arabian Nights were not exactly suitable bedtime reading for under-5's, while Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen achieved almost occult-like effects in her wondrous tales, which float somewhere between Baghdad and Copenhagen.Fairytales are most powerful when they access the taboo, the suppressed, or the deepest fears and desires within us. And they do so often. Your "children's rituals" and "simple messages" are really only the tip of the iceberg. For that matter, “The talented Mr. Ripley” (LINK) fulfills a similar role - a very wicked and challenging little tale full of deliciously gratuitous moments, the enjoyment of which made me at least think long and hard about my own morality.I was raised on the standard stuff: Grimm and Andersen mostly. There is obviously darkness there - and taboos, yes. (It's interesting that in the stories where children are imperiled the original versions had 'mother' and the later versions 'stepmothers'.) The ones I and probably most children end(ed) up with are the simpler, safer ones though, don't you think? I love Angela Carter's “Bloody Chamber” but most kids will be more likely to see Disney as the centre of the fairytale universe - which truly is a disservice to fairytales, of course.I am no longer that interested in stories where the characters are merely there to move things alone. Like standard puppets that can be used and reused for all kinds of similar types of stories. As I mentioned elsewhere, that goes for all kinds of stories, including movies. What I find fascinating about the early stories passed along (mutating on the way) is more that they give us some kinds of fleeting glimpse of the origin story of stories. Because most of the early part of that origins stories is/was in an oral form we can never really know how stories began and evolved. There are no helpful fossils - or not enough to have more than (slightly) informed theories.Did stories start as parts of religious/ceremonial chants? Were they like cave paintings: meant to magically influence the outcome of the hunt? Where did fiction start to make an entrance, if the earliest stories were mostly a sort of remembering (the deeds and wisdom of) dead tribe members? All endlessly fascinating to me - and no more than useless musings in the end.Back to fairytales for a moment. They may no longer really work for me as entertainment but the reason they don't is in a way part of their strength. That they are predictable is partly why they work so well as stories. They warn us about the evils of the world but they are also almost like a church service: a repeated ritual to explain the world. They bring order to what basically is a chaotic system. Which is of course also why they are so enduringly popular with children, who like rituals and the idea of safety-through-repetition. I like my stories, like “Grimms Märchen,” more complex but it is easy to see how stories that carve simple messages out of the complex narrative of the world will be as enduring as the world. In that way they are exactly like religion (for me at least). The Grimms, despite their initial attempt to be "invisible" curators of folklore, began increasingly to modify and colour the tales they transcribed. Italo Calvino discusses this phenomenon at length in the introduction to Italian Fables, his own attempt to replicate the Grimms' work in Italy.

[raykhenberg · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely horrible. I would have been more entertained reading a dictionary. I found myself yelling at this book in my head asking why in the world anyone considers these stories good. I am convinced that all the high ratings people are giving this book are based on the Disney stories that were loosely based on the pure garbage contained within this book.

I don't care if it's "good for its time" or "loses something in translation". Unless it was translated by house cat with slightly below average intelligence or written at a time when people considered gouging their own eyes out a leisure activity there is no reason for it to be this bad.

Do not read this crap to your children, they will become entitled racists who play the lottery.

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This collection is a load of interesting little stories. These originals are way more twisted than fairytales of my childhood. In these versions, the repercussions are more bloody and less forgiving.

[filialibri-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

Märchen, Märchen, Märchen… Ich sollte dringend mal die Kategorie/Genre-Darstellung auf dem Blog reparieren und passend einrichten, sodass man einen besseren Überblick über all die wunderschönen Märchenbücher bekommt, die ich in letzter Zeit so rezensiert habe…

Da wären „Grimms Märchen“ von Phillip Pullman, „Die Märchen der Brüder Grimm“ und „Die Märchen von Hans Christian Andersen“ aus dem Taschen Verlag, „Grimms Märchen ohne Worte“ von Frank Flöthmann und „1001 Nacht – Tausendundeine Nacht“ oder auch Hörbücher wie „Es war einmal und wenn sie nicht“ oder „Es war einmal: Autoren auf Grimms Spuren“.

Zugegebenermaßen, meine Märchensammlung ist derzeit auffällig Grimm-lastig und mit diesem Buch kommt noch eine weitere Ausgabe der Grimmschen Märchen hinzu: Die „Kinder- und Hausmärchen“ der Brüder Grimm aus der Reclam Bibliothek sieht nicht nur wirklich gut aus, sie ist auch tatsächlich einmal eine vollständige Ausgabe aller dieser Märchen.

Ja, ich besitze bereits eine vollständige Ausgabe der Grimmschen Märchen, eine wunderschöne dreibändige Ausgabe, die allerdings auch schon ein paar Jährchen auf dem Buckel hat und sich nur bedingt zum „einfach mal drinrumlesen“ eignet. Daher habe ich mich wirklich gefreut, als ich diese Ausgabe gefunden habe, denn die wurde wirklich sehr gekonnt zusammengestellt und besonders der Punkt „weitgehend an der originalen Sprachlichkeit orientiert“ hat es mir angetan.

So sind die Märchen in dieser Sammlung zwar z.B. grammatikalisch auf dem neusten Stand und auch sprachlich nicht mehr im „Originalzustand“ aber sehr nah dran. So kommt der ursprüngliche „Zauber“ der Grimmschen Märchen nach wie vor rüber, während sich die Märchen trotzdem etwas angenehmer und flüssiger lesen lassen als in der Originalversion.

Alles in allem ist „Kinder- und Hausmärchen“ der Brüder Grimm aus der Reclam Bibliothek eine Ausgabe dieser Märchensammlung, mit der man kaum etwas falsch machen kann. Die Umsetzung ist sehr gut gelungen und inhaltlich bin ich ja sowieso ein riesiger Fan dieser Märchen. Von daher definitiv eine dicke, dicke Empfehlung für dieses Buch.

[mgeorge2755 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic stories. It is interesting how these stories have been altered through the years. Another reminder that life isn't always a "happy ending."

[stephenbarkley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published a collection of German fairy tales. A second volume was published in 1815. After various revisions, a total of 211 stories were collected.My English hardcover contains 55 of these stories, taken from both volumes. Many of the stories are very familiar: The Frog Prince, Rumpelstiltskin Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs to name a few.The violence in these stories is shocking. The brothers received criticism for it even in their day. In 1825 they printed a Children's Edition which included some of the safer stories. Walt Disney has rendered even the safer stories innocuous.Take the original Cinderella, for example. When the prince came to find the sister who fit the golden slipper, the eldest tried first:Her great toe prevented her from getting it on. Her foot was too long.Then her mother handed her a knife and said, "Cut off the toe. When you are Queen you won't have to walk any more."The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the slipper, stifled her pain, and went out to the Prince. ...Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was streaming from it. So he turned his horse round and carried the false bride back to her home, and said that she was not the right one. (162-3)She was the lucky one! The second sister had to pare down her heel. In the end, Cinderella was married to the prince. As they walked into the church, a dove plucked one eye from each of the false brides. On their way out of the church the dove picked the other eyes. "And so for their wickedness and falseness they were punished with blindness for the rest of their days" (165).I suppose that's one way to get children to behave!These stories are part of our culture. They have staying power that is rarely seen. Enjoy them—just watch out for vindictive doves.

[cporte8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The one thing I would change about this book is to add more color to the illustrations in the stories. This way it would be more appealing to the students than just a black and white illustration.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ever since I was a little girl, fairy tales have always made a way into my heart. I will never forget staying up late reading stories about Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. The more I read these fairytales the more I wanted. Then I found my way to the fae. Another realm of stories I fell into. Then I learned about The Brother’s Grimm. I was immediately consumed with learning about all these stories and fascinated that even existed. I wanted the beginning. I wanted the truth of how and where this stories began. So I began searching for the perfect book to open that door. I found it in my local indie bookstore. I ask if they have a collection of the “real” Grimm’s brothers stories. They said yes and brought me this beauty…Can I talk about how BEAUTIFUL this book is? Cause it truly is. Leatherbound, eerie and smelling wonderfully (yes I sniffed the book). It has gold pages laced with the real stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc. I have it sitting by my bedside in which I read a story each night. And each story has brought me so much satisfaction.The stories themselves aren’t anything new. Most of us all heard of the Grimm’s stories either by movies (Disney has turned many Grimm’s stories into movies) or tv shows. I personally love reading the real thing. I feel like I stepped into a whole other world when I open this book. And maybe there is hope that something, maybe something strange will happen…you know, just like in stories. (WINK, WINK)If you are a fairytale lover like me and enjoy reading, go pick up this beauty. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore this book. I’m not even half-way through it (as I’m reading it slowly) but it is truly a wonderful collections of stories. I will warn you that these stories don’t all have happy endings. These stories were meant for children as lessons for life. Some end in happy endings while others not so much. With each story, I think about the life lesson that the Brothers Grimm are portraying. The way the capture it so beautifully in just a mere couples of pages always leaves me in awe.

[courtney_chance-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These are Stories I have read and loved as a child and Adult.

[fearless2012 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are alot of good fairy tales, but alot depends on the editor or the edition, and going for "The Complete" isn't always the best choice. Repeating a story simply because it was told in the past isn't always a good idea-- it's a bit like turning on the TV and watching something simply because it's being aired. After a certain point, editing is required, whether you admit it or not, after all, there are infinite possible variations to every story, some of which have even made it into writing. So calling any collection "The Complete" is an illusion, and a damaging one, I think. If they simply mean that it's a translation of the "original"-- in terms of the written word-- Brothers Grimm collection of the 1810s, they could simply indicate that in some way. Perhaps-- 'Grimm's Fairy Tales-- Children's and Household Tales', or something like that. I suppose that even of this type of translation there are different versions, and the edition I have (Arthur Rackham as [mediocre] illustrator), doesn't have an introduction (which can be good as well as bad), and doesn't really explain the name-jokes when they come up-- "Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie"..... I mean, if you're not going to do something like that well, then maybe you shouldn't include it at all.... should you stuff it in there, just because you have this illusion that there can ever be a "complete" book of fairy tales? In the end this is to me more like a mine from which good stories can be picked, rather than a really good version in itself; my favorite collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales at this point is a google book's version with Edna Henry Lee Turpin as editor, from about a hundred years ago, although there are probably also other good versions, actually meant to be read by, I don't know, children and householders. (I don't want to get into specifics, but if you glance at the list of stories, even, you'll find at least one that clearly you wouldn't read to people of today.... which is why it only makes sense to edit it, as any story-teller modifies what he or she receives from the past....) In the end, the *average* quality of *all* these stories is simply that-- average. It could be better, although it could be worse, too. That's my take. (8/10)

[breksarah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic book of many traditional fairy tales and more. I would use this for upper level elementary students when discussing how the same story can be told in different ways.This is really a great read for third grade on up.

[bnielsen_30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Indeholder "Katten og musen", "Eventyret om en, der drog ud for at lære frygt at kende", "Den tro Johannes", "De tolv brødre", "Pak", "De tre små mænd i skoven", "De tre spindersker", "Hans og Grete", "Fiskeren og hans kone", "Den tapre lille skrædder", "Askepot", "Gåden", "Mor Hulda", "Rødhætte", "De Bremer stadsmusikanter", "Djævelens tre guldhår", "Lusen og loppen", "Den kloge Hans", "Den kloge Else", "Bord dæk dig", "Tommeliden", "Tornerose", "Kong Drosselskæg", "Snehvide", "Ranselen, hatten og hornet", "Rumleskaft", "Guldfuglen", "Hunden og spurven", "Kongen af det gyldne bjerg", "Det lille æsel", "Ferdinand Tro og Ferdinand Utro", "Jernovnen", "Enøje, Toøje og Treøje", "De seks tjenere", "Jernhans", "På rejse", "Historien om en roe", "Den stærke Hans", "Bonden i himlen", "De to brødre", "Den lille bonde", "Guldgåsen", "Historien om seks, der kommer gennem verden", "Nelliken", "Den kloge Grete", "Bedstefaderen og sønnesønnen", "Bror Lystig", "Lykkehans", "Den fattige og den rige mand", "Den kloge bondepige", "Djævelens snavsede bror", "Bjørneskindsmanden", "De klge folk", "Den fattige møllerdreng og katten", "De to vandringsmænd", "Det blå lys", "Kongesønnen, der ikke var bange for noget", "De tre håndværkssvende", "Salatæslet", "Levetiden", "Bonden og djævelen", "Alfernes gave", "Haren og pindsvinet", "Ten, skytte og synål", "Marsvinet"."Katten og musen" handler om ???"Eventyret om en, der drog ud for at lære frygt at kende" handler om ???"Den tro Johannes" handler om ???"De tolv brødre" handler om ???"Pak" handler om ???"De tre små mænd i skoven" handler om ???"De tre spindersker" handler om ???"Hans og Grete" handler om ???"Fiskeren og hans kone" handler om ???"Den tapre lille skrædder" handler om ???"Askepot" handler om ???"Gåden" handler om ???"Mor Hulda" handler om ???"Rødhætte" handler om ???"De Bremer stadsmusikanter" handler om ???"Djævelens tre guldhår" handler om ???"Lusen og loppen" handler om ???"Den kloge Hans" handler om ???"Den kloge Else" handler om ???"Bord dæk dig" handler om ???"Tommeliden" handler om ???"Tornerose" handler om ???"Kong Drosselskæg" handler om ???"Snehvide" handler om ???"Ranselen, hatten og hornet" handler om ???"Rumleskaft" handler om ???"Guldfuglen" handler om ???"Hunden og spurven" handler om ???"Kongen af det gyldne bjerg" handler om ???"Det lille æsel" handler om ???"Ferdinand Tro og Ferdinand Utro" handler om ???"Jernovnen" handler om ???"Enøje, Toøje og Treøje" handler om ???"De seks tjenere" handler om ???"Jernhans" handler om ???"På rejse" handler om ???"Historien om en roe" handler om ???"Den stærke Hans" handler om ???"Bonden i himlen" handler om ???"De to brødre" handler om ???"Den lille bonde" handler om ???"Guldgåsen" handler om ???"Historien om seks, der kommer gennem verden" handler om ???"Nelliken" handler om ???"Den kloge Grete" handler om ???"Bedstefaderen og sønnesønnen" handler om ???"Bror Lystig" handler om ???"Lykkehans" handler om ???"Den fattige og den rige mand" handler om ???"Den kloge bondepige" handler om ???"Djævelens snavsede bror" handler om ???"Bjørneskindsmanden" handler om ???"De klge folk" handler om ???"Den fattige møllerdreng og katten" handler om ???"De to vandringsmænd" handler om ???"Det blå lys" handler om ???"Kongesønnen, der ikke var bange for noget" handler om ???"De tre håndværkssvende" handler om ???"Salatæslet" handler om ???"Levetiden" handler om ???"Bonden og djævelen" handler om ???"Alfernes gave" handler om ???"Haren og pindsvinet" handler om ???"Ten, skytte og synål" handler om ???"Marsvinet" handler om ???

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to read and repetitive. Every story is a variation of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty. There's lots of long paragraphs, little dialogue, and the narrative does little to evoke imagination. Everything happens in sets of threes, and I know nothing is going to happen the first two times, so I would just skip to the third.Every story is the same. Someone goes out into the world to seek fortune, marry someone, or defeat evil. He/she collects some magic artifacts. Something happens based on wordplay or puns. Then he's told not to do something, and inevitably, he does it. Because where would the plot be if anyone actually followed directions? Otherwise we wouldn't have "Gremlins". Go see the Disney versions.

[teampeeta254 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My copy used to belong to my mother, who gave it to me one day when I complained about having read all my books. And now that I see what Barbie and Disney have based their princess stories off of, It makes me like them even less.

[gold_gato-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These are the unabridged tales of the Brothers Grimm, which means death and envy and not-nice endings. These are old German tales, which can bring back rather Teutonic visions of paganism and malicious parents. One can understand the superstition of the Germanic population and how many of these tales originated during the Thirty Years' War, when entire families and villages vanished in flames. I suppose if I had to survive during those times, my mind would have created wondrous stories that focused on retribution and survival. While the Grimms collected these tales in the 19th Century, the horrors of the previous centuries come through loud and clear.

There are many patterns throughout the stories with the numbers 3 and 7 being very popular. Three sons venture into the world, seven brothers are turned into swans, three puzzles must be solved by the potential groom, seven years must be served under the Devil...and so forth and so on. Wives and mothers do not come out well here, either being selfish or witches or both. Hansel and Gretel still resonates, more so after reading the original version (as in, parents not wanting the kids).

I took my time reading this over several months, so I could enjoy each story. There are many favorites but the one I enjoyed the most was the shortest:MISFORTUNE, which quickly tells the tale of a man who couldn't win, even as he was being saved (crushed by a wall).

When misfortune pursues any one, it will find him out into whatever corner he may creep, or however far he may flee over the world.

Book Season = Autumn (season of the witch)

[weeta-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this over and over again as a kid (obviously not the "kindle" edition, but it was one big volume.)

[cjyurkanin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great thing to reread all these old tales again, most of them as if for the first time! I'd forgotten how much simpler and purer many of these are than their Disney versions (although I do appreciate those also) such as Rumpelstiltskin and how explicitly Christian many of them are such as Our Lady's Child, my favorite, from which Tomie Depaola's classic "Clown of God" obviously draws from. I think the translation is one of the most readable I've seen, keeping a touch of old world flavor without sounding too foreign to modern ears. Great collection.

[gundulabaehre · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a reprint of Friedrich Panzer's 1913 publication of the first edition of the fairy tale collection of the Brothers Grimm (from 1813). Although his introduction is quite dated, the real find are the fairy tales themselves, as many of the tales are slightly different from the later editions (most modern editions of the tales are of the seventh or final edition from 1857). For example, in the 1813 version of Rapunzel Rapunzel is sent into the wilderness by Mrs. Gothel (the fairy) because she is obviously pregnant, a fact that is not mentioned in the 1857 version of the tale. And in the original tale of Snow White, the heroine was pursued by her jealous mother, only later was the jealous mother turned into an evil stepmother. While I would probably not recommend this edition for casual reading, as even some of the language and orthography are somewhat old-fashioned, it is a very interesting and enlightening addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the genesis and development of Grimms' fairy tales. It is, however, in German, and I do not know if an English translation of the 1813 edition even exists.

[kaitlyn5johnston · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I myself always appreciated Grimm's Fairy Tales when I was younger, that being said it is definitely a collection one should really be wary of when suggesting to students. The language is not always as clear as some students may need, and despite the allure of fairy tales, some students may not appreciate the darker and more graphic representations. This book is something I would suggest more for older readers, perhaps 6th and on, as the material within the stories may again put some younger readers off. However, for students who are interested in folklore and the like, this is a collection they would likely be interested in ,and enjoy seeing some of the the original versions of widely known tales.

[ashleyhill2012 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This fairytale was about a brother and sister named, Hansel and Gretel, who are lured into the woods by their evil stepmom. They can't find their way back home and come upon a gingerbread candy house. They begin to eat the house and then get invited in by a witch who tried to fatten them up to eat them in a stew. They trick the witch, kill her, and then find their way home to their father with riches. The theme of this story could be triumph and perseverance. This story is kind of scary to teach as a lesson but I think it is a great book to have in the classroom for special story days to read about fairytales and the different types of them.

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an extensive collection of 210 stories, fairy tales, and legends written by the Grimm Brothers and is 845 pages long. It includes a few of their more famous stories, like Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Cindarella, along with many that are not as well known.It's interesting to see how the versions of their famous stories in this book differ from the popular versions that are usually told.

[mbrittain_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a reread for me, as I read a volume of these when I was nine or ten. What always resonates for me is the violence that was in these stories and how lessons were always to be learned for the reader/listener. Stories of comeuppance and knowing ones’ place in society are in many of the tales, but so are stories of “happily ever after.” For me, it’s the sheer volume of stories that is intriguing. It’s easy to pick a favorite story for however one might be feeling at the time and get a lift or feeling of vengeful satisfaction in the misfortunes of the bad characters that remind us of terrible bosses or the guy who cut us off in traffic.