Moral of the Story: Read Your Kids Something Else

If you’re a bookworm or a fan of the macabre, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the Grimm brothers. Responsible for some of your favorite fairy tales, their 1800s minds conjured some of the most bone-chilling morals, all meant for the kiddies. Come with us as we open their pages and brave their stories together. 

Elisabeth Baumann on Wikimedia

1. “The Robber Bridegroom”

It’s a tale as old as time: a young girl is promised to her wealthy betrothed. However, things take a toe-curling turn when fingers land in laps and birds warn of an imminent demise. The story targets the foolishness of blind trust, but even for 1812, it was pretty gruesome. 

Robert Anning Bell on Wikimedia

2. “The Juniper Tree”

You’ve heard of an evil stepmother, but the Grimm brothers took it several steps further. Readers learn all about a callous woman’s evildoing through a young boy who…technically has a good head on his shoulders. If there was ever any doubt before, you’d never think twice about your actions catching up with you again. 

w:Louis Rhead on Wikimedia

3. “Cinderella (Aschenputtel)”

The Disney version was already pretty traumatizing, but at least those stepsisters were only terrible singers. These sisters, on the other hand, stop at nothing to stuff their freshly cut feet into the prince’s golden slipper. Their schemes didn’t even work, and they were instead struck blind by his doves in the end. 

Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia

4. “Rapunzel”

Researchers have traced variations of Rapunzel to the 15th century. She’s seen Italian adaptations, German adaptations, and most notably, fell into the Grimm brothers’ hands. Their version technically had a happy ending, but there were a lot of thorns in the eye before that. 

Florence Harrison on Wikimedia

5. “Snow White”

Disney’s Snow White came with its problems—we saw a 14-year-old girl move into a strange cabin, all while attempting to outrun the Queen’s envious eye. However, the Grimm brothers’ version featured a mere seven-year-old. To make matters worse, when the Queen finally loses, she’s made to wear red-hot shoes and dance until she falls for good. 

Stalfur on Wikimedia

6. “Hansel and Gretel”

“Hansel and Gretel” was never meant for children. Cry “stranger danger” all you want, it still followed two children pushing an evil woman into her own oven. The kids get away in the end, and they live happily with their father and the old woman’s money, but the whole tale was a bit much. 

Arthur Rackham on Wikimedia

7. “Little Red Cap”

You may know her better as Little Red Riding Hood, a traditional tale traced back to the 15th century, but you probably don’t know the original story. Though tame by the brothers’ standards, their retelling (and previous versions) feature the grandmother and granddaughter consumed whole before they’re rescued. Upon their rescue, they replace their weight in stones, so when the wolf tries to drink from a well, he falls inside it. 

Jessie Willcox Smith (1863 – 1935) on Wikimedia

8. “The Girl Without Hands”

Don’t worry, folks, good deeds are always rewarded. You may have your hands removed in the process, but keep that pious attitude and you’ll best the devil himself. At least, that’s the moral of this horrific story. Divine intervention, true love, and unshaken faith all make appearances, but you’ll need a strong stomach to reach the final sentence. 

Philipp Grot Johann (1841-1892) on Wikimedia

9. “Fitcher’s Bird”

There’s nothing like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale—and there’s nothing like a sister’s love. With houses set ablaze and makeshift costumes of honey and feathers, readers learn all about resourcefulness in the face of danger. They also learn never to poke their heads in a sorcerer’s room. 

Robert Anning Bell on Wikimedia

10. “The Goose Girl”

If identity theft was ever in your plans, you might want to reconsider. While you probably won’t face the same punishment as this faux princess, you’ll certainly think twice about integrity. Unless, of course, you want to get stuffed in a barrel. 

George Cruikshank on Wikimedia

11. “The Willful Child”

No one wants to learn obedience from the Grimm brothers. Unfortunately, children everywhere were warned about the dangers of rule-breaking. Long story short? Do what you’re told—forever—or succumb to the earth.

Otto Ubbelohde on Wikimedia

12. “The Blue Light”

Don’t fly into the blue light. Better yet, just don’t touch anything you find in a witch’s well. This one doesn’t quite compare to the monstrosities of their other tales, but it’s a good reminder of consequences and a protagonist’s so-called morality.  

George Cruikshank on Wikimedia

13. “The Frog King”

It’s probably not a good idea to throw your husband into a wall, even if he is a frog. But a spoiled princess is as a spoiled princess does. After reneging on her promise, her father forces her to keep her word to a helpful frog. She does, and despite the physical altercation, the transformed prince and princess marry in the end. 

Tagishsimon on Wikimedia

14. “Rumpelstiltskin”

Greed, power, responsibility—you’ll find it all in this fairy tale, which follows a poor girl dealt terrible hands throughout her life. First, she’s made to spin gold to impress the king. Then, she’s deceptively led into a deal with the impish Rumpelstiltskin. Were it not for a kind-hearted messenger, she’d have nothing but a broken heart and an empty bassinet. 

Hohum on Wikimedia

15. “The Little Shroud”

It’s no surprise that many children in the 1800s met untimely ends, so this heartbreaker was practically inevitable. After a seven-year-old boy passes away, his mother weeps so severely that he visits her from the beyond. He asks her to stop her tears, for every one falls on his shirt and prevents him from resting peacefully. Upon hearing this, she eventually stops, which allows him to rest for good. 

Otto Ubbelohde c1893 on Wikimedia

16. “The Twelve Brothers”

True love always wins in the end, despite kingdom banishment and evil mothers-in-law. A young girl, determined to save her brothers, refuses to laugh or speak for seven years. That’s all it takes for her mother-in-law to cry witch and sentence her to the pyre. She’s saved just in time, but not before another barrel makes its appearance.

Henry Justice Ford on Wikimedia

17. “The Three Snake-Leaves”

Here you thought your partner was loyal. A young man falls in love with a princess, who is only allowed to marry should her suitor follow one rule: if either of you perish, the other one must be buried alive beside them. Sure enough, she croaks, but the heartbroken prince manages to bring her back to life. He soon regrets the decision as her resurrected form falls in love with another man and plots to end the prince. What a waste of leaves. 

Sebastian Münster on Wikimedia

18. “Mother Holle”

Thankfully, this one doesn’t include ring fingers or missing toes. It does, however, include a harrowing tale about the importance of hard work. If you’re too lazy to spin and try to swindle Mother Holle in the well, you’ll get no gold but a lifetime of pitch on your head. 

Robert Anning Bell on Wikimedia

19. “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage”

“Learn to be content with your lot in life.” That’s all the brothers had to say. Instead, we got a story about how envy can end in your demise. A mouse, a bird, and a sausage live happily in a home, and each is tasked with their own chores. One day, the bird feels like he does more work than the others and demands they all switch roles. However, they soon realize just how suited they were for their respective duties. 

Robert Anning Bell on Wikimedia

20. “The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear”

With a title like that, what else did you expect? A dim-witted boy embarks on a series of terrifying adventures to learn what fear is, but he doesn’t get a taste of it until a bucket of cold water is tossed on him. Turns out, it’s not so bad when you’re literally too foolish to get scared. 

Ricardo Maragna, Andrew Lang (Editor), H.J. Ford (illustrator) on Wikimedia