Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Grimm. (2012). "The White Bride and the Black." Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales. New York: Fall River Press.

This fairytale is about a mother and two daughters (one called the Black Bride and the other called the White Bride). The White Bride helped a poor man after all others refused. God then granted her 3 wishes, so she wished for beauty (white), endless money in a purse, and the Kingdom of Heaven. The White Bride's brother, Reginer, was the coachman for the King. One day, after the king's beautiful wife died, he saw Reginer's picture of his sister (the White Bride) and thought she looked as beautiful as his late wife. He fell in love with her, so he requested to meet her. The evil mother of the two girls made Reginer half blind and the White Bride half deaf. On the coach ride back to the king, the mother tricked the half deaf White Bride to switch her dress with the the Black Bride's ugly dress, and then she tricked the half deaf White Bride to fall out of the coach. Because the brother was half blind, he could not tell the difference now that the Black Bride was wearing the White Bride's dress. The Black Bride ended up marrying the king, but a white duck who repeatedly visits the king later turns out to be the White Bride. When the king discovers the trick played on him, he ends up marrying the White Bride.
This fairytale could also be used to teach about lying and consequences.
I also think this would be a good fairytale to compare and contrast to Cinderella.

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