What is your favourite traditional tale?

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Aesop’s Fables, including:

The Ant and the Chrysalis

An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came
across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The
Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant,
who then saw for the first time that it was alive. “Poor, pitiable
animal!” cried the Ant disdainfully. “What a sad fate is yours!
While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish,
ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with
power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail.” The Chrysalis
heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after,
when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained.
Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly
shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly.
“Behold in me,” said the Butterfly, “your much-pitied friend! Boast
now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to
listen.” So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along
and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the
Ant forever.

“Appearances are deceptive.”

@GeorgeGee Aesop’s fables were fantastic.

I love these sorts of stories. I still need to finish reading the fairy tale collections I purchased (Anderson, Grimm, and Perrault). It’s one of the courses I look forward to taking when I get my masters in Children’s Literature :) A few of my favourites:

The Little Matchstick Girl by Hans Christian Anderson
Ole Lukøje by Hans Christian Anderson
The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Anderson
The Two Brothers by The Brothers
Hänsel und Gretel by The Brothers Grimm

Brer Rabbit
Lil Black Sambo
Pandora’s Box
Classics

@muppetish The Little Matchstick girl stuck in my head for weeks after hearing it in class! Excellent shout.

@muppetish also best of wishes for finishing your masters!

This.

I agree with @boots :)

Snow White is pretty awesome.

There’s a beautiful chinese [?] tale about a caged bird refusing to sing… I was just searching for it recently but could not find it. The emperor hires many wise people to advise him on how to get the bird to sing. Of course, the actual answer was to release the bird. (If you love somebody, set them free….)

Oh yeah, Aesop really stuck with me as a kid and an adult. And Little Matchstick Girl stuck with me, too!
Now I’ve got to reminisce for a while…

A Knight’s Tale with Heath Ledger.

Rumpelstiltskin for sure!

Beowulf! :-/

Ulysses and Pinocchio

Peter Rabbit out of pure nostalgia.

I like the tortoise and the hare. It has a big message that’s easy to understand.

My favorite one is The Princess Who Never Smiled.

Cinderella!