Entry #3 (Happy Friday the 13th!)

Nearly every child grew up listening to the romantic and beautiful tales of the princesses in towers, or little girls in red hoods. They're familiar, and comfortable. Almost every person I know could recite the story of Snow White by heart. But what really makes a fairy tale, a fairy tale? In the center of every single fairy tale is magic. Whether that be a fairy godmother, or a house made of sweets, no fairy tale is written without at least a whisper of magic.


There are many characteristics that you can look for in order to spot a true fairy tale.

1. Almost every fairy tale is going to start with that famous phrase "Once upon a time...", or something along those lines.

2. Fairy tales hide important underlying symbols or numbers that typically play a crucial part of the story itself. That can also be an animal or inanimate objects as well.

3. Fairy tales thrive on a strict diet of repetition. You'll almost always see the use of repetition in fairy tales.

4. There will commonly be strict contrasts that outline the plot. Whether that is good vs. evil, sun vs. moon, etc.

5. No matter what, every fairy tale ends with a happy ending.

A fairy tale is a literary journey, with magic and battles of good and evil. Without the lessons they teach and the happy endings that they bring, childhood would not have been the same.