Fairy tales

In the old times, grandmothers told their offspring fairy tales in order to educate them and to shape their character in preparation for adulthood. In such confrontations as the industrious and the lazy, or the rich are misers and the poor are generous, it is clear what character the kids are expected to imitate and to emulate. That is all the easier as the good are always rewarded while the bad are punished.

Cinderella suffering from utter injustice, thanks to her industry and perseverance eventually marries the prince while the lazy, haughty daughters of the bullying and scheming stepmother are condemned to go blind for their wickedness and falsehood.

In “The Wishing-Table”, the “Gold-Ass” and the “Cudgel in the Sack”, the hard-working apprentices are rewarded by their masters w hile the thievish inn-keeper who wants to take advantage of their fortune is punished.

In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs it is about beauty and jealousy that eventually brings down the depraved queen and rewards the brave, decent girl.

Red Riding Hood disregards the warning of her mother: Do not speak to strangers! Do not stray from the right way (of decency and chastity)! Instead she listens to the bad wolf who stands for the crafty seducer and rapist. Moral: Obey your parents.

Rapunzel is a victim of overprotection.

The most adequate tale for Filipinos is “The Poor and the Rich”. Lord Jesus, after a long journey, looks for an overnight lodging. The rich man sends him off, while the poor couple welcome him, share food with him, and even let him sleep in their bed while they sleep on the floor. Their hospitality is rewarded while the greedy egoist loses his fortune.

Most of the fairy tales known in the Philippines come from America, but they originated in Germany. The Brothers Grimm, Jakob and Wilhelm, collected old folk tales from many sources and in 1857 edited their Grimms Märchen (Grimm’s fairy tales).

In order to understand the historic setting we have to know that a German state did not exist before 1871. Germany was divided into the over-mighty kingdom of Prussia, five other kingdoms, and a number of lesser duchies, landgraviates, and counties all ruled by princes who were believed to be instituted by God and therefore claimed some privileges.

Therefore the figures in the fairy tales are queens, kings, princes, and princesses and their struggling subjects. For the children’s sake, to bring the tales to a happy end, miracle-working fairies or magic animals are often used.

As a child I was deeply impressed by the tales. I thought a lot of them and felt with the victimized characters and felt satisfaction and schadenfreude when the depraved were punished, the harsher the better.

As a teacher I enjoyed telling tales to my spellbound students.

When I tried to tell my granddaughter (eight years old) tales, she knew them already. The internet and E-books are faster and more entertaining than an old man’s spoken word.

Erich Wannemacher

Lapu-Lapu City