Questions of Quality sec 1.qxd

What are fairy tales? Folk tales are stories orally passed down from generation to generation that are modified as they are told to remain current in their contextual frame. Folk tales are categorized as pour quoi tales, tall tales, or fairy tales. Pour quoi tales are stories that answer “why” or have a moral, such as fables. Tall tales are characterized by legends, and communicate historical facts or admirable traits of idealized figures. Fairy tales contain the grouping of stories that frequently feature fairy godmothers or contain other emphases on magical elements (Temple, et al., 2002). Folk tales and fables were not originally written for children; they were intended to reflect philosophical thought. More often than not, early tales depicted adult customs, beliefs, and habits of a particular time. (Morgan, 1999). Oral tales were told by adults for adults. The purpose of the oral folk tale was to foster a sense of belonging and hope that miracles were possible for a better world (Zipes, 1979). They were closely connected to the customs, beliefs and rituals of tribes and communities. Oral folk tales were interactive. The audience could participate and even modify the tales to fit the needs of the community. Thus, it is rather remarkable that over the years they have become staples in the lives of young children. Actually, fairy tales became staples in children’s literature only since the nineteenth century. In the United States, “chapmen” (peddlers) traveled from town to town selling sundries and “chapbooks” (fairy tales) that were made popular by the young readers at the time. Fairy tales had their beginning in children’s literature then, as a marketing tool for cheap vendors (Cashdan, 1999).