When was the last time you read, or heard someone read, a classic fairy tale? Did you know the Brothers Grimm printed over 200 stories, but most of us are aware of only a handful? Centuries ago, fables were told by word of mouth, perpetuated by folks who couldn’t read, or couldn’t afford a printed version. When the Brothers Grimm collected and published popular folklore in the nineteenth-century, it opened a completely new door to literary romanticism in Europe.
GLVWG member and resident storyteller, Charles Kiernan, is one of those rare talents that can hold an audience captivated, no matter how many times you’ve heard the tale. It isn’t just the words, it’s how it’s told. He shares with us the fundamental elements of a classic fairy tale.
And yes, his resemblance to Mark Twain is uncannily accurate.
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Charles Kiernan
I am going to take apart a fairy tale (I don’t think any harm will come to it from my doing so) to see what makes it tick. Below is a piece from the Brothers Grimm’s – The Goose Girl.
Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group 