Top 10 Best Fairy Tales by the Grimm Brothers

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first introduced by the Grimm Brothers in 1812. It's one of the most beloved Grimm tales worldwide. The story revolves around a beautiful princess with skin as white as snow and lips as red as rose. She has to flee into the deep forest to escape the wicked queen's harm and is kindly taken in by seven kind dwarfs. The evil queen continues to devise various ways to kill her, eventually succeeding. However, an unexpected turn of events occurs when a neighboring prince awakens her with true love's kiss. The wicked queen is punished, and Princess Snow White lives happily ever after with the prince.

In literary analysis, key symbols in the tale include the poisoned apple, the number 7, the dwarfs, the magic mirror, the waistband, the comb, contrasting colors black-red-white, the drop of blood, and the winter season. Additionally, the stepmother's character and the deathlike sleep share similarities with the American version of the tale, Sleeping Beauty. The Grimm Brothers published this tale in their first edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales in 1812. Its German title is Schneewittchen, and the Grimms finalized the official version in 1854. Over the two centuries since its publication, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appears to be the most complex and iconic work by the Grimm Brothers.

Featuring a beautiful princess cursed to sleep in a stunning castle deep in the woods by an enchantress. She awakens only with the true love's kiss of a handsome prince who genuinely cares for her. The earliest known versions of this tale include Perceforest, composed between 1330 and 1344 and first printed in 1528. In fact, we encounter many renditions of Sleeping Beauty under different names like Princess Briar Rose in the Grimm brothers' version or Princess Talia in Basile's version, and Princess Zellandine in another from the Middle Ages.

The Grimm brothers include a variant of Sleeping Beauty, Little Briar Rose, in their collection (1812). Their version concludes with the prince arriving to awaken Sleeping Beauty (named Rosamund) and does not include the second part found in Basile's and Perrault's versions. The brothers contemplated rejecting the story, citing its origin in Perrault's version, but the presence of the story of Brynhild persuaded them to list it as an authentic German tale. Their decision is noteworthy as there is no Teutonic mythology, meaning neither the Poetic and Prose Eddas nor the Volsunga Saga, where their sleepers are awakened by a kiss, a fact Jacob Grimm knew since writing an encyclopedia on German mythology. The story of Sleeping Beauty that children encounter will be Princess Briar Rose from the Grim fairy tale, which is close and familiar to Vietnamese and global children.

Cinderella is one of the most globally varied fairy tales to date. The protagonist, Cinderella, is a young girl known for her kindness, forced to live with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters. She is constantly abused and made to work from morning till night, always surrounded by the chores of the kitchen, cleaning, and more. Due to her constant soot-covered appearance, people nicknamed her Cinderella. The fairy tale leaves a beautiful impression on the minds of many young readers not just because of Cinderella's kind nature but also because of the valuable lessons embedded in the story. Children, read this tale to draw many useful lessons for yourselves; live well, and good fortune will come your way.

Cinderella is a folk tale portraying the narrative of oppression, injustice, and the rewarding triumph. Thousands of variant versions of this story have been known worldwide. The main character is a young girl living in unfortunate circumstances but eventually married to a prince. The story was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, titled 'Cendrillon ou la Petite Pantoufle de verre' (Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper) and also recounted in the Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales. The story of Cinderella has been adapted into numerous notable works of art. The earliest being operas and ballets in France and Italy. The tale was first staged as a play in 1904 at the Drury Lane Theatre, London.

For nearly two centuries, the enchanting tales of the Grimm Brothers have continued to captivate children worldwide. Each story unfolds fascinating aspects of the magical fairy tale world, imparting meaningful life lessons to children. Alongside stories about the enchanting world of beautiful princesses and talented princes (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Frog Prince), children are also introduced to humorous tales like the journey of The Musicians of Bremen or the story of Little Red Riding Hood, who, due to her love of play, falls victim to the cunning wolf... Moreover, the story of The Old Man and His Goldfish teaches children that greed and cruelty only lead to failure.

The tale of The Frog Prince narrates the story of a beautiful princess who accidentally drops her beloved golden ball into a pond. Suddenly, an ugly frog retrieves the ball and offers to be her true friend, but the princess dislikes the frog. In frustration, she throws the frog against the wall. And miraculously, The Frog Prince is enchanted, transformed into a frog, and only returns to human form when receiving the true love's kiss from the princess. The story has become an endless source of inspiration for generations of readers. Children, read the fairy tale The Frog Prince with many intriguing details.

For children, fairy tales are the first connection to literature. As we grow older, we all remember the stories we were told in our early years. Fairy tales leave deep and lasting impressions on every individual. Through fairy tales, children and adolescents grow up with lessons that help distinguish between good and evil in a very emotional and profound way. Young ones learn that every action has consequences. Therefore, fairy tales often emphasize justice and individual responsibility within a community. Tom Thumb is one of the popular Grimm fairy tales in Western countries, recounting the adventurous journey of the clever Tom Thumb.

To help his parents escape poverty, Tom Thumb persuaded his father to sell him in exchange for a large sum of money. From this point, Tom Thumb's perilous adventure begins with countless dangers. How will Tom Thumb fare when no longer sheltered and protected by his parents, and everything around him seems too vast for his small stature? Will he find his way back to reunite with his parents as promised? Children, embark on an adventure with Tom Thumb.

The most widespread version of this tale is the one recounted by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century. It tells the story of a little girl, known as Little Red Riding Hood, who ventures into the woods to bring food to her ailing grandmother. A wolf trails her and plans to devour her. The wolf asks where she's going, and the innocent girl replies. The wolf then suggests she pick some flowers. Meanwhile, the wolf arrives at the grandmother's house, eats her, and disguises itself as the old lady. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, she too falls victim to the wolf. A huntsman arrives, cuts open the wolf's belly, rescues both the little girl and her grandmother, and puts a stone in the wolf's stomach, causing it to die.

Little Red Riding Hood is a famous fairy tale worldwide, revolving around a little girl and a wolf. The story has various versions. The first printed version is known from a 1697 book titled Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals. Tales of Mother Goose. Earlier versions trace back to Italy in the 14th century. The narrative vividly depicts the contrast between the safe world of the village and the dangers of the deep woods. It also imparts the lesson for young listeners to heed their mother's advice. This is one of the fairy tales beloved by children globally. To discover the fate of Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, whether they are rescued from the cunning wolf, let's read the story together and draw lessons for the little ones!

This tale revolves around a poor miller's family with three sons. When the father passes away, he leaves behind meager inheritances for his sons: a flour mill, a donkey, and a cat. The eldest son hastily claims the flour mill, the second son takes the donkey, and the youngest, left with nothing else, reluctantly accepts the cat. It seems like the youngest will face hunger with his unfortunate inheritance, but no... This is no ordinary cat; it's a talking cat. With a pair of clever boots, the cat transforms the impoverished master into a wealthy Marquis, even marrying a beautiful princess. Read Master Cat to discover how this extraordinary cat, armed with his remarkable boots, elevates his poor master to Marquis and helps him win the heart of a princess.

Master Cat will lead young readers into a world of vibrant colors with magnificent, splendid castles; beautiful, kind princesses; and intelligent, handsome princes. The story imparts profound moral lessons, teaching children about goodness, interpersonal relations, and nurturing their pure hearts and characters. The book is adorned with captivating images that draw children into every twist of the story, allowing them to imagine and visualize better. The language is clear, easy to understand, and suitable for the young readers' age group.

Translated from the original text in the 1857 edition and illustrated from the 1894 edition by artist Hermann Vogel, Grimm's Fairy Tales still maintain the essence of ancient stories in distant Germany. They convey the soul of each story in its purest form. In the original world of Grimm's fairy tales, historical and religious characteristics are vividly depicted, along with a unique ancient writing style that creates a distinctive charm compared to stories from other cultures. When talking about the list of the most beautiful and meaningful Grimm's fairy tales, we cannot overlook the story Brother and Sister. This is a fairy tale about family love, with many interesting and vivid details, making it a favorite of many young readers.

The story is about two orphaned siblings living with their wicked stepmother. Due to the stepmother's cruelty, the siblings decide to leave home. Along the way, the stepmother, who is also a witch, tries various ways to harm them, turning the brother into a deer. How does the story end? How does the brother return to human form? The little sister meets a kind king and becomes a queen, and how is the wicked stepmother punished? Like a gift sent from the 19th century, Grimm's Fairy Tales is a valuable book for those who love fairy tales worldwide. Children, read the story to find out.

This tale explores love and the selfless sacrifice of a young princess for her twelve brothers. In summary, long ago, a queen gave birth to twelve sons at once. The king decreed that if the thirteenth child was a girl, the twelve princes would have to die. The youngest prince, Benjamin, was especially favored by the queen. Curious, he inquired and was shown the twelve coffins the king had prepared. Prince Benjamin discussed with his brothers, escaped the royal palace, entered the forest, and waited until the queen gave birth. If they saw a tower with a white flag, the twelve princes would return to the palace. However, if the flag was red, indicating the birth of a girl, the twelve princes would have to die.

The twelve siblings fled deep into the forest. As the princess grew up, she took twelve tiny shirts and set out to find her brothers. Lost in the forest, she eventually found her brothers and lived happily with them. A significant event occurred when the spell of an evil witch turned the twelve brothers into twelve ravens. Through the love of the siblings, the witch's spell was broken, and the princess lived happily with her husband, brothers, and parents. The story of the twelve princes is among the top Grimm's fairy tales, rich in meaning. Read the story to witness the love between the little princess and her brothers, dear little ones.

Fairy tales are an integral part of childhood, closely tied to our earliest memories. Born into an affluent family with nine siblings, the Grimm brothers were well-behaved and exceptionally studious from a young age. Fueled by an enduring passion for the German language's historical aspects, they became renowned not only for their fairy tales, famously compiled in Grimm's Fairy Tales but also as scholars in history, religion, ethnology, linguistics, and literary criticism, producing many notable research works. Rapunzel is a German fairy tale from the Grimm brothers' collection, first published in 1812 as part of 'Children's and Household Tales.'

The story revolves around an elderly couple longing for a daughter. They agree to a pact with a sorceress to give the girl to her in exchange for the sorceress's lettuce. The girl, named Rapunzel, grows up to be beautiful, with long, golden hair, confined in a high tower. Later, she encounters a prince and escapes the sorceress's captivity, living a happily-ever-after life. The plot of Rapunzel has been reused in various mass media. The tale shares some similarities with a 10th-century Persian story about Rudaba, found in Ferdowsi's epic Shahnameh. The captivating and enchanting elements of the story will surely capture the imagination of young readers.