#08-840: The King of the Golden Mountain

The black dwarf and the merchant and son (Wikipedia)

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Note: Magic almost never delivers on its "promise"; it seems there's always a catch, as in this story. Still, an honest person can come out all right in the end!

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Get Ready: What qualities must a folk-hero have to come out on top in the end?

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#08-377: The Three Snake-Leaves

(from a German wiki)

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Note: The Grimms published over 200 stories--most of which we never hear about, even though some, like this one, are really great!

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Get Ready: What do you think of a lover who puts unfair conditions on his or her partner?

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#08-332: Iron Hans

The young prince approaches Iron Hans (Wikipedia)

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Note: This has become a "men's story," but it really appeals to a much wider audience than that now-outdated demographic.

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Get Ready: What does it take for a young person to "grow up"?

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#08-306: Little Snow-White

The Prince meets Snow White (Wikipedia)

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Note: Who doesn't know the story of Little Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs? Still, it's always good to look back at the details to see what "really" happened.

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Get Ready: What lengths will people go to in order to maintain their position at the top--best, smartest, most beautiful, etc.?

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#08-301: The Bremen Town Musicians

The Bremen Town Musicians (Wikimedia)

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Note: The amusing tale of how four animals built a life together after getting rid of some bandits.

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Get Ready: What do you think should be done with "senior" animals who are no longer useful?

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#08-242: Little Red Riding Hood

"She was astonished to see how her grandmother looked"
(Wikipedia)

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Note: The familiar tale of a little girl, her granny, a wolf, and--sometimes--a hero.

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Get Ready: What do you know about Little Red Riding Hood and the other characters in the story?

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#08-196: The Elves and the Shoemaker

Strange doings in the shoemaker's shop
(Wikipedia)

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Note: This is another great story about the virtue of kindness from the Brothers Grimm.

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Get Ready: We don't get supernatural help any more, but how has modern technology made your life (and especially your job, if you have one) a little easier?

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#08-182: Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel meet the witch
(Wikipedia)

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Note: "Hansel and Gretel" is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.

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Get Ready: If you did not have enough money to feed your children, what could you do?

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#08-161: Rapunzel

From an East German postage stamp
(Wikipedia)

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Note: Many people know about Rapunzel "letting down her hair." But there's more to the story than that!

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Get Ready: How does the life of a boy or girl usually change around the age of 12?

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#08-095: The "Real" Frog Prince

The frog asks permission to enter
(Wikipedia)

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Note: We all know the story: the princess kisses the frog, and he turns into a handsome prince, right? WRONG! Learn the true story in this lesson.

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Get Ready: Do you think an act of violence can ever lead to a positive result? Why or why not?

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#08-085: The "Real" Cinderella

It fits!
(Wikipedia)

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Note: A coach made from a pumpkin, a fairy godmother, and a glass slipper lost at midnight? NOPE! As we see in this lesson, Grimm wrote of none of these.

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Get Ready: Why do you think fairy tales (and other stories passed from one generation to another) can change so much? What purpose is served by the changes?

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#08-060: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Bears at home
(Wikipedia)

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Note: Readers might be surprised to learn that "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is NOT a story from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Instead, it was first written down in 1837 by the English author Robert Southey, who seems to have picked it up from another source. In Southey's version, the intruder is an old lady; the little girl was substituted into the story by another author twelve years later, with the name "Silver Hair." Goldilocks didn't arrive (by that name) until 1904!

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Get Ready: The story of Goldilocks is about balance--not too much, not too little, but just right. How important is this idea of moderation or "the Golden Mean"?

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#08-036: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin dancing
(Wikipedia)

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Note: Few story collections are better known than those of the Grimm Brothers. One of my favorites is the tale of "Rumpelstiltskin," a warning to those who would try to "get rich quick."

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Get Ready: Is it wise to take shortcuts to achieve success, wealth, fame, etc.?

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#03-001: Little Red Riding Hood

Amanda Seyfried as Red Riding Hood
(Wikipedia)

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Note: Mark, an American student, and his Indian friend Sunil talk in their dorm about a new movie adaptation of an old fairy tale.

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Get Ready: Have you seen the film Red Riding Hood, or read the original fairy tale? What do you think of either one?

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#01-110: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

It's off to work they go.
(Wikipedia)

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Note: Everyone knows the seven dwarfs. But did you realize that, except for Doc, they all have adjectives for names?

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Get Ready: Do you know anyone with an adjective for a name? For example, "Linda" is Spanish for "beautiful," and "Bella" means the same in Italian. I have met women named "Precious," "Merry," and "Bonnie" (also "beautiful," this time in Scottish). And don't get me started on the mean nicknames we gave our playmates when we were kids!

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