Mrs K’s Fairy Tale Quiz Winners

After two weeks, we finally have a winner for Mrs K’s Fairy Tale Quiz.  Thank you so much to everyone who took part!  The response to this fun half-term quiz was overwhelming as is your response to all things ‘FAIRY’!  I’ve received emails – snailmail – comments and texts with answers and responses.  I’m so proud of you for having such knowledge!  But for now… here are our fairy tale extraordinaire winners and runners up…  Where were you Welbourn Staff!!!

WINNER – HARRY  –  Congratulations Harry – you nearly got them all right!

RUNNERS UP – KATIE, LIBBY, ELISE  –  well done all – there were only a few points between you all!

Prizes are on their way.  Here are my answers to the quiz.

 

1. In the tale of ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff‘, what lives under the bridge?

The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff is a famous Norwegian folktale that will charm any child.  A mean and hungry troll lives under a bridge. He’s hungry for a meal and would love to snatch and eat any goat attempting to cross his bridge.

2. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is set in what country?

‘Beauty and the Beast’ was originally written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740.  This original tale was initially influenced by the Ancient Greek story of Cupid and Psyche.  It has been rewritten many times, therefore there are many versions of it but all of them have been set in France.  In the most familiar, contemporary version of Beauty and the Beast, we meet Belle in a small provincial French town.

3. Who said ‘The sky is falling, the sky is falling’?

Henny Penny, who is sometimes known as Chicken Licken or Chicken Little, is a European folk tale.  The phrase “The sky is falling!” features prominently in the story, and has passed into the English language as a common saying indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is about to happen.

4. Who did the three bears find in their house?

Golidilocks and the Three Bears is an English 19^th Century fairy tale.  There have been three versions of this story.  The original version tells of a badly-behaved old woman who enters the forest home of three bears whilst they are out.  She sits in their chairs, eats their porridge and sleeps in their beds.  When the bears return and discover her, she wakes up, jumps out of the window, and is never seen again.  In the second version the old woman is replaced with a little girl called Goldilocks, and in the third version and by far the most well-known version the bears are replaced with Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.  Therefore, what was originally a frightening oral tale became a cosy family story with only a hint of menace.

5. In ‘The Three Little Pigs’, which pig made his house out of sticks?

The Three Little Pigs dates back to 1840 but the story itself is thought to be much older.  All the pigs built their houses out of different materials.  The first built his out of straw, the second built his out of sticks and the third, cleverly, built his out of bricks.  The ‘Big Bad Wolf’ blows down the first two pig’s houses made of straw and sticks but is unable to destroy the third pig’s house.

6. In ‘The Shoemaker and the Elves’ what gift do the Shoemaker and his wife give the elves?

This German story was originally split into three different stories.  They are all about a poor shoemaker who receives much-needed help from three young and helpful elves.  In return for their help the shoemaker and his wife make and gift the elves clothes and shoes.

7. What happens to ‘The Ugly Duckling’ at the end of the tale?

‘The Ugly Duckling’ published in 1843, is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Anderson.  The popular tale has been adapted into operas, musicals and animated films.  By the end of the story, the ugly duckling has grown into a magnificent white swan.

8. Who first penned and published ‘The Little Mermaid’?

 ‘The Little Mermaid’ was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson.  It was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children.  The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.

9. What did ‘Hansel and Gretel’ leave as a trail, in order to find their way home on the second time they were left in the woods?

 ‘Hansel and Gretel’ also known as ‘Little Brother and Little Sister’, is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.  The story is set in medieval Germany.  Being the children of a poor woodcutter, their stepmother decides to take the children into the woods and leave them there to fend for themselves as they have no food or money to feed or clothe them.  The first time they are taken into the forest, Hansel leaves a trail of pebbles so that they can find their way home.  But the second time he leaves a trail of breadcrumbs, which the birds eat and they do not find their way home.

10. From what tale does this quote come from….

 “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” —

J.M. Barrie – Peter Pan (Mrs Kinton’s favourite story of all time!)

Peter Pan is a free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up.  He spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on a mythical island called Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys.  He has fairy, mermaid and red-Indian friends, pirate enemies and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland!

11. (Pop question) Who sang… ‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’

1970’s rock legend band ‘Queen’

12. Who said …

‘If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.  If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.’

• Albert Einstein –

Albert Einstein, the physicist behind the Theory of General Relativity and other great theories of the 20th century, is often considered one of the greatest scientists of all time.  But did you know that he also loved folklore and fairy tales?

13. In which popular tale would you find a talking cricket?

 ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ is an Italian fairy tale written in 1883, by Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany.  Pinocchio was a puppet carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto.  Geppetto always dreamed of having a real boy not just a puppet.  So, when the puppet did become a real boy, Geppetto named him Pinocchio.  Pinocchio had a frequent tendency to lie which caused his nose to grow!  In the original book, the cricket was simply known as the ‘Talking Cricket’, who had been living in Geppetto’s house for more than 100 years.  Pinocchio actually kills the cricket in the original tale but when Walt Disney created the film of Pinocchio the cricket was named Jiminy Cricket and becomes Pinocchio’s sidekick and conscience.  (Phew!  I like Walt’s version better.)

14. In Grimm’s German version of the tale of ‘Rapunzel’, what is the name of the witch who imprisoned her?

In the German fairy tale Rapunzel collected by the Brothers Grimm, the name of the witch who imprisoned Rapunzel was Dame Gothel or Mother Gothel.  Dame Gothel means ‘godmother’!

15. Which of these is not one of ‘Snow White’s’ seven dwarfs…

          Sneezy, Dippy, Doc, Grumpy, Dopey, Happy

 ‘Snow White’ is a 19^th Century German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.  The seven dwarfs did not have names in the original fairy tale, again it was Walt Disney who individualised them and gave them names and character.

1. Doc
2. Grumpy
3. Happy
4. Sleepy
5. Dopey
6. Bashful
7. Sneezy

Therefore Dippy is not one of Disney’s dwarf names.

16. In the story of the ‘Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Anderson’ where does the Snow Queen live? 

 ‘The Snow Queen’ first published in 1844, was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson.  The story is one of Andersen’s longest and most highly acclaimed stories.  It is regularly included in selected tales and collections of his work and is frequently reprinted in illustrated storybook editions for children.  The Disney film ‘Frozen’ is based on this fairy tale and it was based in Norway.

17. In the original tale, how is the ‘Little Mermaid’ made to suffer?

Written by Hans Christian Anderson – ‘The Little Mermaid’ is deeply in love with a human prince and begs the sea-witch to make it possible for her to walk on land.  The sea-witch advises ‘The Little Mermaid’ not to go after the prince, because if it doesn’t work out between them, and the prince does not fall in love with her, the mermaid will die.  But the mermaid is determined: she gives up her voice, and heads to the surface, to ‘walk on legs that cut like knives at every step’ (OUCH!).

18. What do you think is the lesson taught in ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears?’

This is a classic cautionary tale about the dangers of going off and exploring unknown places. But where does curiosity give way to downright rudeness?  To me, Goldilocks is not a particularly nice child.  She’s allowed to wander off on her own (where are her parents?) and when she finds a home which is clearly not hers she walks right in and helps herself to whatever she can find.   Readers are often relieved to discover Goldilocks makes a quick escape out of the window, running back into the forest, saving her from what could have otherwise been a devastating conclusion!   Therefore, the moral of the story is possibly self-preservation (keeping yourself safe) and transgressive social rule-breaking.

19. What does ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ want from the miller’s daughter?

This fairy tale was collected by ‘The Brothers Grimm’ in 19^th Century Germany and published in 1912.  The miller’s daughter gives up hope of ever being able to spin straw into gold as the King and her father have demanded when an imp-like creature appears and does it for her.  Initially, he does it in return for her necklace.  Then a ring.  On the third day, the miller’s daughter has nothing left to pay with so promises that she will give Rumpelstiltskin her firstborn child.

20. (Gross, final question) In the original tale of ‘Snow White’, what does the evil queen do with (what she thinks is) Snow White’s heart?  (This fairy tale used to really scare Mrs Kinton when she was a child)

Snow White is a 19^th Century German fairy tale collected by ‘The Brothers Grimm’ and published in 1812.  In the original tale the huntsman is ordered by the wicked queen to take Snow White into the forest to be killed and as proof that Snow White is dead, the queen demands that he returns with her lungs, liver and heart.  The wicked queen then plans to eat the organs so that she can become as beautiful as Snow White.  The huntsman, however, does not kill Snow White and returns with a bore’s lungs, liver and heart instead.  Phew!

 

Mrs Kinton’s Book Club – Charlotte’s Web (Chapters 7-9)

Hiya remarkable and rad readers!  I’m so sorry I’m a little late with this weeks instalment.  It’s been a tad busy with schools imminently going back – lots of prep is underway, which is really exciting.  I hope you had a wonderful half term, with your feet up and a book in your hand.  Here are a few questions which came to mind when I was reading chapters 7-9 of Charlottes Web.  Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.  See you next week for chapters 10, 11 and 12.

Chapter 7 – Bad News

1. Wilbur has become increasingly fond of Charlotte.  He’s grateful for his new friend and is comfortably eating three big meals a day and is growing larger!  (This all sounds too familiar for me!)  ‘You know why they are fattening you up, don’t you’ comments an old sheep quite insensitively.  Wilbur doesn’t know why, and he and Fern are horrified when they learn that the farmers are planning to butcher him at Christmastime.  Once again, E.B. White deftly characterises the old sheep in just a few words.  There is no reason for the sheep to tell Wilbur about his fate and when she does she seems to take pleasure in telling him.  There seems no will to protect him and it doesn’t even seem to be a warning.  It’s just simply her wanting to give Wilbur bad news.  How does this make you feel towards the old sheep – do you think she is cruel?  And have you ever had bad news in this manner?
2. Charlotte seems quite irritated by Wilbur’s crying and speaks to him sharply ‘I can’t stand hysterics’.  Like the old sheep, Charlotte seems to disapprove of excessive emotion.  Do you agree with them that it’s best to restrain emotions and why?
3. The old sheep goes into detail about what will happen to Wilbur during the slaughter and he sobs and cries.  In an attempt to calm him, Charlotte does not deny the old sheep’s words, but she does say ‘you shall not die’ and that she will think of a way to save him.  Knowing that Charlotte is a tiny barn spider, do you think this satisfied Wilbur and why?

When I read the title of this chapter, Bad News I thought, it can’t be that bad, it’s a children’s book.  How wrong was I!  Poor Wilbur!  I think it’s only natural being a very young spring-pig, with his life at stake, that he is so very upset.  I think even at my age I would be just as upset.  I also think that E.B. White skillfully reflects human behaviours in his animal characters and makes it clear that animals too do not believe they are immortal and fear death.  Charlotte doesn’t like hysterics but neither does she like that the Zuckerman’s are fattening him up to eat him, which highlight her justness.

Chapter 8 – A Talk at Home

1. On Sunday morning, Fern tells her parents the goose eggs have hatched and that there was a ‘dud’ egg, which Templeton, the rat, rolled away.  In this ‘Talk at Home’ Fern quotes dialogue for the barnyard animals, which worries her mother.  Can you hear your animals at home talking to you and if so, how?  I’ve always wanted to be able to talk to animals!
2. I was pleased to see Fern’s father standing up for Fern in this chapter.  Saying, ‘maybe our ears aren’t as sharp as Fern’s.’  Why do you think Fern’s practical and pragmatic father would say this to Fern’s worried mother?

E.B. White adds deeper characterisation to Fern’s parents in this short chapter.  Her father seems more tolerant than the other times we have met him and he seem seems quite open to new and somewhat strange ideas.  E.B. White also keeps Fern’s mother likeable.  As a mother myself, I think it’s not surprising she is worried about her daughter.

Chapter 9 – Wilbur’s Boast

1. Why do you think this chapter is called ‘Wilbur’s Boast?
2. Wilbur attempts to make a web. Charlotte calls out instructions ‘now make an attachment with your spinnerets’ (which we know Wilburn doesn’t have).  He uses a piece of string instead and ends up falling on the ground quite embarrassed.  Charlotte tells Wilbur that even humans aren’t as good as spiders at spinning webs.  I think this is a lovely example, saying we all have our talents.  What’s your talent?
3. E.B. White refers to the ‘Queensboro Bridge’, which is in the world’s busiest city, New York.  It is a steel structure with design features that make it look like a spider’s web.  It took eight years to build and was completed in 1903.  Charlotte says that people don’t catch flies in it and that they just walk back and forth across it, ‘thinking there is something better on the other side.’  Why do you think that E.B. White has made Charlotte bring this city bridge (which we know Charlotte has never seen) up?

E.B. White did a great deal of preparation to write ‘Charlotte’s Web’  He made a model farm, (which I bet was great fun) researched spiders for a year to understand their habits and anatomy (not sure I could do this though) and like all writers made lots of notes on details he thought might help his plot.  He wanted his story to be as realistic as possible.  He also wanted readers to understand how much work Charlotte puts into making a web.  Otherwise I think it would be impossible for us readers to appreciate why adding words into a web (which she does later on in the book) is so complicated.

See you next Tuesday, 9th June 2020, for the next three chapters!

 

 

TALK MORE! IT’S EASY, IT’S FUN AND IT’S POWERFUL.

Hey, everyone.  Mrs Kinton here!  I couldn’t let May end without acknowledging that May is ‘Mental Health Awareness Month’.

I’ve no doubt you’re all feeling it, as I am and I’ve no doubt you’re very aware that anxiety in our children is on the rise, especially during these unprecedented times.  Therefore, I wanted to try and help in some small way by creating a resource, which parents everywhere can work through with their children in order for them both to better understand how to master their emotions, their fears, disappointments and their worries and really get them talking about how they are feeling inside.  Sadly, many of us have been taught to suppress, even invalidate our own emotions – it’s become part of our culture – and some of this has knocked on and unintentionally been learnt by our children.  We may not notice it or realise we are even doing it, but our ever-changing emotions compel us daily to take action in different ways, they influence our choices and enable us to form meaningful connections with the people around us.  Especially our children.  Which is why it is so important for children to be able to acknowledge, understand and talk about them.

Maybe you’re wondering why it’s so important to keep the lines of communication open and not stick our head in the sand and pretend our feelings don’t’ exist.  It may have worked for you in some instances.  If we ignore our feelings and pretend they aren’t there, maybe they might go away?  They might, but I doubt it.  What’s more likely to happen is a small worry might build up and turn into a bigger worry, this, in turn, might pile itself on top of a disappointment, which will then sit on top of a frustration, which will manifest into a fear… etc… you get the picture.  These emotions bottled up in a child’s mind and body will most likely build into something totally overwhelming and like with anything compacted in a fragile shell, the seams will stretch as the feelings look for an outlet.  Quite often the outlet will be negative; moodiness, tantrums, crying, isolation, inability to focus or worse.  When these things become consistent, it’s really REALLY important you notice and take the time to talk.

Talking is one of the simplest tools we can all use to help our children and you don’t have to be an expert in mental health to do it.    All you need to do is be honest and listen.  Validate their experiences by sharing your experiences, be calm, understanding, empathetic and non-judgemental.  Don’t put pressure on yourself to know all the answers or even try to fix things, just let them talk and see it as a joint conversation between you and your child to explore how they are feeling so that they don’t feel alone.

Getting children to talk about their worries and showing them that we take their worries seriously is one of the most important steps to helping them manage their anxieties. However, talking works best when it’s a two-way conversation, where you as the adult talk about your own experiences.  Research has proven over and over that communicating with our children about our own emotions and how we manage them helps them to build emotional intelligence.  Children also need to know that their feelings are totally normal; it’s what we do with them that counts.

If they find it hard to talk, maybe they could write a journal or draw a comic strip about how they are feeling.  I always find writing cathartic.  I hope that the attached, printable booklet is a useful tool and if it is please do let me know, so that I can have a go at creating more.  Learning to manage children’s natural, daily worries, is so important because we don’t want them to miss out on what’s really important;  real experiences that help them grow and learn.

Remember, talking is easy, it’s fun and it’s POWERFUL!  Talk more

From being Ruled by Reaction to being the Master of Emotion

 

Mrs Kinton’s Book Club – Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (Chapters 4-6)

 HAPPY HALF-TERM EVERYONE!

I hope you’re spending lots of time resting and relaxing in this wonderful spring weather and I also hope you’ve had time to read my fairy tale quiz post with your families and had a go at answering some of the questions.  Good Luck!  Remember, there will be prizes!

Here are my thoughts on the next three chapters of Charlotte’s Web by E.B White.  I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.  I hope you’re still enjoying it.  And if you’re not reading it – tell me what you are reading at the moment.  I’d love to get some recommendations from you.

There’s so much we can take from E.B. White’s story.  One thing that stands out for me particularly is that in doing nothing (which is familiar to us in these current times) and immersing yourself into deep thought, as well as noticing things around you that you wouldn’t normally notice, isn’t a bad way to spend your time.  Watching the world go by up in the trees during springtime and watching nature is really important – it reminds us that, even when life as we know it stops… the natural world around us goes on regardless and we are and should be massively part of that.

Chapter 4 – Loneliness 

1. The day after Wilbur’s great escape it rains and his plans for enjoying the day are ruined. I know I’ve had my plans spoilt before, especially recently.  I had plans to visit my sister but because of the pandemic, our flights were cancelled.  White creates such a familiar mood of disappointment for the reader, especially when Wilbur starts crying about Templeton eating his breakfast, which Wilbur doesn’t even want.  What plans have you made that have not happened?

2. It’s hard not to mope when exciting plans change and Wilbur is no exception. He does try to play with the other animals in the barn but no one is interested, so he sulks about it.  How did you feel when your plans were disrupted?  Did you sulk like Wilbur?

3. Because Wilbur is so melancholy, Lurvy, the farmhand, fears Wilbur might be sick and forces him to take some nasty-tasting medicine – sulfur and molasses. I wonder if you know what ‘sulfur and molasses’ is?  Have you asked your parents, or tried Googling it?  Let me tell you.  ‘Sulfur and molasses’ was a remedy thought to cure everything back in the 19^th century.  It was given to children who had been inside all winter as it was believed to help prevent illnesses.  It doesn’t.  All it does is make you go to the toilet, a lot! Clears out the digestive system, like a laxative.  Not very pleasant at all.  Other than that, it does nothing.  Have you ever had to take medicine that you thought tasted disgusting?

4. Poor Wilbur is left feeling lonely and rejected and with a nasty taste in his mouth. But that evening when everything is quiet and dark he hears a small voice overhead.  ‘Do you want a friend?’  How do you think this made Wilbur feel and why?

What an end to a chapter!  A voice in the darkness.  E. B. White is very clever, forcing us to move onto the next chapter to find out who the voice belongs to.  I wonder why Charlotte waits until now to talk to Wilbur.  Maybe she’s been watching him all day and feels sorry for him.  None of the other barn animals seems to know she’s even there or really cares about how Wilbur is feeling.

 

Chapter 5 – Charlotte 

1. It’s important to try and put ourselves into a characters shoes (or trotters in this case).  E.B. White makes it very easy for the reader to relate to Wilbur.  In this chapter, he finds it hard to sleep and waking early, he embarrasses himself by shouting out for his new friend.  He gets told off by the other barn animals for making too much noise so early.  Have you ever not been able to sleep and woken everyone in the house with your excitement?  I know I have.

2. Charlotte’s name is ‘Charlotte A. Cavatica’. Do you know what Cavatica means?

3. In nature, there is no place for squeamishness. Wilbur is horrified to learn his new friend kills insects and sucks their blood for her food.  Charlotte calmly defends herself saying ‘It’s the way I’m made.’  She also reminds Wilbur that the world would be overrun with insects if spiders didn’t trap them.  Could you learn to like someone this bloodthirsty?  What does the narrator say to help the reader like Charlotte?

For me, this chapter reveals some vital truths about nature, which I feel are at the heart of this story.  Charlotte admits ‘I am not entirely happy about my diet of flies and bugs’ but there’s no point in getting upset about something she can’t change.  She shows the reader that eating always means killing something, whether it’s an animal or a plant.  As well, the goose, who overhears the conversation between Charlotte and Wilbur, doesn’t seem distressed that Wilbur himself one day will become someone’s meal.  Death is something she is used to seeing.  E.B. White clearly shows the reader that life and death are fully intertwined and part of nature.

                                                               

 Chapter 6 – Summer Days

1. It is now early summer. Days are ‘warm and soft’ school is over, birds are singing and there’s new life everywhere.  Fern visits Wilbur almost every day and the animals are all used to seeing her.  As idyllic as this is, E.B.White uses this chapter to spotlight Templeton, the rat.  From the description E.B.White gives of him, do you think E.B. White likes rats and do you think E.B. White’s portrayal of Templeton is reasonable?

2. When the goose’s eggs hatch, why do the goose and gander agree to let Templeton keep the unhatched egg? What deal do they make with Templeton?

I think E.B. White uses Templeton as the potential villain, or else the whole story would be overly sentimental and lack tension.  He is however only a mild threat to the story.  Now if E.B. White had chosen to use Fern’s father or Mr Zuckerman as the bad guy, the story could have been a lot harsher.  A rat can kill a gosling if he wanted to but he’s not big enough to cause great harm the rest of the barn-animals.  I have a secret soft spot for Templeton, although his personality is dreadful, he is funny.  He talks like a gangster criminal in an old movie and has cartoonish wickedness, which endears him to readers.

See you next Tuesday 2nd June 2020 for the next three chapters!

 

 

 

Fairy Tale Quiz

HALF TERM FUN

Before we start – A bit about fairy tales 

Fairy tales go by many other names such as folk tales or wonder tales.  Over the years the tales have evolved into tales suitable for children but the original versions were often far too scary for bedtime reading.  They originated from cultures all over the world, from Japan to Germany, dating from as far back as 2100BCE.  Humans, from the Ancient Greeks to William Shakespeare’s era to authors of today have all been fascinated with the idea of magic and many fairy tales have been retold in many different ways.  I have heard versions of ‘Cinderella’, through poetry, novels, song, Disney movies, other movies, theatre and panto, just as I have ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.

But why are fairy tales so popular and why are they important?  Here are my top three answers.  Firstly, just as realism, life-writing, autobiography’s or biography’s, help us to understand real life and our history, fairy tales use magical ideas and imagined worlds, away from reality, to help us make sense of the world on a much broader level.  They send messages and teach us a moral, for example, Little Red Riding Hood‘s message is ‘don’t talk to strangers’.

Secondly; traditionally, fairy tale endings weren’t always happy, which is really important because reality doesn’t always dish out happy endings – another of life’s lessons – you don’t always get what you want.  For example, in the original version of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ the mermaid dies at the end (unlike the Disney version, where she lived happily ever after).

Lastly and I think most importantly, fairy tales open up our imaginations and help us believe in the invisible.  Believing in things we cannot see is really important.  There are many things in life we cannot see, touch, smell or hear, but we know they are real and we know they exist.  Gravity, black holes, emotions, consciousness, radiowaves, microwaves, electricity, trust, love (or, any abstract noun),  viruses, bacteria, air, oxygen, Wi-Fi.  The list is endless.  And the only reason these incredible things were discovered, is because someone somewhere used their imagination and said ‘what if’.  If these invisible ideas weren’t discovered and explained our lives would be very different today.  We need to be curious.  We need to imagine the impossible.  We need to ask ‘what if’.  We need to strengthen our imaginations and read fairy tales.  Imaginations are real and they are vital.

Now, you’re not likely to meet Aurora from Sleeping Beauty walking down the street, any more than you are a dragon with twelve heads.  But it is important to fantasise and dream.  Which is another reason these tales continue to matter.  These tales continue to make us question our hopes and dreams – our fantasies – and our relationship between these fantastical worlds and our seemingly more ordinary lives.

So without further ado, let us find out exactly how much you know about the fantastical world of fairy tales.  Write your answers in the comments below but remember your answers will not be published until Friday 5th June, along with everyone else’s.  There will be a winner and runners up and there will be prizes!  Good Luck and remember no Googling!  I know Google knows; let’s see what you and your family know.

 

1. In the tale of ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff‘, what lives under the bridge?

 

2. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is set in what country?

 

3. Who said ‘The sky is falling, the sky is falling’?

 

4. Who did the three bears find in their house?

 

5. In ‘The Three Little Pigs’, which pig made his house out of sticks?

 

6. In ‘The Shoemaker and the Elves’ what gift do the Shoemaker and his wife give the elves?

 

7. What happens to ‘The Ugly Duckling’ at the end of the tale?

 

8. Who first penned and published ‘The Little Mermaid’?

 

9. What did ‘Hansel and Gretel’ leave as a trail, in order to find their way home on the second time they were left in the woods?

 

10. From what tale by does this quote come from….

11. (Pop question) Who sang… ‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’

 

12. Who said …

13. In which popular tale would you find a talking cricket?

 

14. In Grimm’s German version of the tale of ‘Rapunzel’, what is the name of the witch who imprisoned her?

 

15. Which of these is not one of ‘Snow White’s’ seven dwarfs…

          Sneezy, Dippy, Doc, Grumpy, Dopey, Happy

 

16. In the story of the ‘Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Anderson’ where does the Snow Queen live?

 

17. In the original tale, how is the ‘Little Mermaid’ made to suffer?

 

18. What do you think is the lesson taught in ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears?’

 

19. What does ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ want from the miller’s daughter?

 

20. (Gross, final question) In the original tale of ‘Snow White’ what does the evil queen do with (what she thinks is) Snow White’s heart?

 

Good luck everyone.  Can’t wait to see your answers.