What is a fairy tale? Fairy Tales are considered a particular type of folk tale, which involve many characters and usually some form of magic. These tales were not written down and would be told from one generation to another for hundreds of years, which is what makes them so remarkable as many of them have survived for hundred of years. 

The oldest fairy tales that are still very commonly told or watched are Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin which are over 4000 years old! 

Originally fairy tales were not meant for children and they could often have scary and gruesome parts of the story, however these have been modified over the years so that children can enjoy the magic and romance of the stories. 

There are a few famous authors that wrote many of the fairy tales that we love today:

Charles Perrault was the first of the great fairy tale authors, writing in France, Versailles in the 18th century. Perrault wrote many stories such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast.

The Brothers Grimm collected folk stories from German households in the 19thcentury. The Brothers Grimm wrote many stories such as Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel. 

Hans Christian Andersen grew up in a Danish village and moved to the big city where he wrote many of our favourites such as The Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, The Emporers New Clothes and Thumbelina. 

So why don't you have a try at writing your own fairy tale!