Ogres, giants, and trolls have some things in common. All of them are human-like, big, and usually scary creatures from fairy tales and folktales. All of them are known for eating people, especially children. But they are not the same. The word “ogre” was first published in Charles Perrault’s Puss… Continue reading
Writing well involves choosing the right words — exactly the right words — to say what you want to say. This is easier if you know more words. For that reason, as well as the benefit for a reader or test taker of having a large vocabulary, it’s worth studying… Continue reading
“The Ugly Duckling” is not a fairy tale, since there are no magical elements, and it is not a folk tale, since we know that it was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1844. It is probably best described as a fable– that is, a story that makes a point… Continue reading
Rumpelstiltskin is a story from the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a miller claims that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king demands that she prove it. She is locked in a room full of straw, despairing, when a funny little man comes in and offers to do… Continue reading
We’ve spent plenty of time in Kansas, mostly driving through. From the road we usually take, this is what Kansas looks like. Kansas is the epitome of plains states, and it produces lots of wheat. Kansas became a state in 1861, as the Civil War was getting started. It was… Continue reading
Hansel and Gretel is a good, horrible fairy tale for when you want a creepy story. The University of Pittsburgh collection contains the basic Grimm’s version. The story is certainly among the most familiar of fairy tales. A poor woodcutter and his wife, faced with starvation, abandon their two children… Continue reading
