As part of growing up and being a teenager, I am supposed to read more of text books and some serious knowledgeable stuff. But, still I cannot resist reading novels including fairy tales, whenever I find the opportunity. In fact, I’m more addicted to reading novels than surfing on Facebook!
As part of growing up and being a teenager, I am supposed to read more of text books and some serious knowledgeable stuff.
But, still I cannot resist reading novels including fairy tales, whenever I find the opportunity. In fact, I’m more addicted to reading novels than surfing on Facebook!
Whenever, I say fairytales most people imagine a love story between prince and princess (sometimes also a common girl) whose end is always happy. True in most cases but there is so much more than this in them.
Fairy tales are short narratives and have been in existence in the world for thousands of years. They were narrated verbally in each culture and community for adults and children alike. Fairy tales in printed form came from around the time of the, ‘Grimm Brothers.’ These stories are not only of fairies, but of magicians, witches, elves, goblins, and other imaginary characters. Even the human beings and animals characters are with some magic or out of the world experience. Apart from these, folklore about ghosts, super natural beings, which have been passed from generation to generation, have also been loosely grouped as fairytales.
I remember how soothing it was to know that there are good fairies to break the spells cast by evil step mothers. The terror of witches, enchantment of fairyland, thrill of travelling with Gulliver, fear of a spell being cast, I have experienced all that through fairytales.
It is not only me, but many others who will vouch for the pleasure of reading fairytales. Which young lady does not want to meet a prince charming, like Cinderella? Given a chance every young lad would like to climb up a bean stalk and kill a sleeping giant and kiss a beautiful princess.
Reading fairy tales used to be more exciting than the comparative dull lessons of English in school. I have improved my language skills more by reading fairy tales. Not only the language, but also my vision and knowledge of the different parts of the world and cultures has improved through fairytales of different parts of the world. Speaking animals in fables teach more about a proper code of conduct than the preaching of parents and teachers.
So folks, do not be discouraged if you are growing up. Continue to enjoy reading fairytales in your leisure time. I for sure will never tire of those stories.
The writer is a grade 12 student (S6) at Green Hills Academy.
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