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The original first edition of the Brothers Grimm Fairytales, which is no doubt a staple story book in most homes, was not too long ago translated into English for the first time, and people were shocked with the gory details of the stories.
Most of the following tales are probably familiar to you in a Disney-fied version which ends Happily Ever After, but earlier editions tell another story, often filled with blood and carnage.
In case you have been living in an alternate universe where there is no such thing as Disney, or fairytales, there will be spoilers.
1. Sleeping Beauty
In the original story, a king finds a woman sleeping and rapes her.
Still sleeping, she gives birth, and her child wakes her up by sucking a splinter from under her finger. It eventually culminates in the King trying to kill his wife (yes, he was married) who had attempted to trick him into eating his own children.
2. Three Little Pigs
In some versions, the first two pigs, whose houses were made of straw and sticks, get eaten by the wolf.
In other versions, the three pigs manage to catch the wolf coming down the chimney of the third, bricked house, whereupon they boil and eat him.
3. The Frog Prince
In the original Brothers Grimm version, the princess throws the frog into a wall in an effort to force him back into a prince.
In a darker version, it isn’t a kiss which transforms the frog into a prince, but cutting off his head.
4. Cinderella
Cinderella loses a glass slipper, and the prince instructs every woman to try it on. He will marry the woman whose foot fits the slipper.
In the original Grimm version, the younger sister actually cuts off a piece of her heel in an attempt to fit into it.
If that isn’t gory enough, the eldest sister then cuts off her toes in an attempt to fit into the same slippers.
Finally, as she is getting married to the prince, Cinderella’s dead mum sends doves, who peck her older sisters’ eyes out.
Talk about revenge beyond the grave.
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
The PG-version of the story is still fairly dark – evil step mum pays huntsman to bring back the heart of her stepdaughter – but the Grimm version is grimmer (sorry) still.
The evil queen shows up to the prince’s wedding, not realising her former stepdaughter will be there.
She is quickly forced into burning hot iron shoes, and instructed to dance. Until she eventually dies.
Picture: Disney/YouTube
6. Mulan
17th century Chinese writer Chu Renhuo’s version of Mulan sees the girl come back from war to find her dad dead, her mum remarried and the Khan – the ruler at the time – forces her to be his concubine.
What does she do? She kills herself. The end.
7. Rumpelstiltskin
The unnamed miller's daughter makes a deal with an imp (Rumple) who agrees to weave gold out of corn for her if she gives him her first born. When the time comes, she doesn’t want to, so he challenges her to name him. If she can guess his name, she can keep her child.
Sounds ok, right?
She overhears him singing, and catches his name. Presenting his name to him, he gets really angry, stomps his right foot into the ground, grabs his left foot and promptly tears himself in two.
8. The Fox and the Hound (Daniel P. Mannix)
The original writer for the Fox and the Hound, Daniel P. Mannix, spun a tale much more gruesome than the Disney movie.
The fox leads a dog onto railway tracks on purpose, where the dog dies.
The dog's owner then trains another dog to chase the fox, which the dog does, and the fox eventually dies of exhaustion.
If that isn’t depressing enough, the second dog is then shot and killed, because no pets are allowed in the nursing home the man is in.
Basically, everyone dies.
9. Little Red Riding Hood
In an older version, the wolf doesn’t eat the grandma whole: instead, he puts some of her flesh in the pantry, and pours her blood in a wine bottle.
The wolf then offers Red her grandma’s blood and remains to eat, which she does unknowingly.
...indy100 would like to apologise for any trauma and/or permanent damage that may have been caused to fond childhood memories.
SORRY.
With help from list25
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