Fairy tale

A fairy tale (pronounced /ˈfeəriˌteɪl/) is a type of short story that typically features European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.

In less technical contexts, the term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending) or "fairy tale romance" (though not all fairy tales end happily). Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story or tall tale; it is used especially of any story that not only is not true, but could not possibly be true. Legends are perceived as real; fairy tales may merge into legends, where the narrative is perceived both by teller and hearers as being grounded in historical truth. However, unlike legends and epics, they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time rather than in actual times.

Fairy Tales (Cummings book)

Fairy Tales is a book of short stories by E. E. Cummings, published posthumously in 1965. It contains four stories: "The Old Man Who Said 'Why'", "The Elephant and The Butterfly", "The House That Ate Mosquito Pie", and "The Little Girl Named I". The book is printed in full color with illustrations by John Eaton.

Fairy Tales (Mother Gong album)

Fairy Tales is Mother Gong's first album, released 1979. All three tracks are popular fables told by Gilli Smyth.

Track listing

Personnel

References

External links