'Aladdin' is an ancient story from the collection 'One Thousand and One Nights.' In this tale, Aladdin successfully eliminates the wicked sorcerer, while featuring two distinct genies.
Puss persuades his master to pretend to be the fictional Marquis of Carabas. He steals his owner's garments and informs the King that the Marquis was a victim of theft. Subsequently, the unclothed owner enters the king's carriage and is invited to marry the princess.
In earlier renditions, the wolf dismembers Red's grandmother, and keeps her skin in the pantry cupboard...
Red's grandmother's blood is even mixed with wine and served to her.
When the evil queen unwittingly turns up at Snow White's wedding, she's forced to dance to death in hot iron shoes.
In the original story, Hua Mulan returns home to discover her father has passed away and her mother has remarried.
Under pressure from a persistent khan, who wants her to be his concubine, she becomes overwhelmed and takes her own life.
Originally, the conclusion of 'Rumpelstiltskin' was rather horrifying. Having been deceived by the miller's daughter, the imp becomes intensely frustrated, causing him to rip apart his own body.
After discovering that the Prince has been visiting Rapunzel, the witch takes drastic measures by cutting off her hair and exiling her to the wilderness.
The prince goes back to the tower to visit her, only to have his eyes poked out by the evil witch.
According to Professor Will Brooker, the book has had many dark interpretations: "In the 1930s it was psychoanalysis, in the 1960s it was psychedelia, and in the 1990s paedophilia."
In 'The Goose Girl', a servant exchanges roles with a royal in order to wed a prince. She resorts to extreme measures, such as eliminating the talking horse, to cover her tracks.
She is ultimately undressed, then placed inside a barrel filled with spikes and rolled until she dies.
Historically, the Pied Piper is described leading the children on a military campaign and never brings them back to their parents.
In the original version, the glass slipper scene takes a peculiar turn. The step-sisters, determined to fit into the shoe, resort to cutting their feet and even shed blood onto it. Then, on Cinderella's wedding day, doves descend and unexpectedly peck out the eyes of the sisters.
Hansel and Gretel is quite unsettling, but it could have drawn inspiration from a genuine tragedy. It is said that a respected baker was unjustly accused of being a witch by a jealous competitor and tragically met her demise inside her own oven.
In earlier versions of 'The Frog Prince,' the main frog character undergoes a transformation into a prince after his head is severed. Eventually, the princess forcefully throws him against a wall to activate the spell's effect.
J.M. Barrie's tale covers mature topics as young Wendy is taken to Neverland to be a mother to the Lost Boys. Over time, she develops feelings for Peter, whom she primarily views as a "faithful son."
The initial versions of this amusing story depict the wolf devouring the piggies once he successfully demolishes their residence, leaving only the third piggie unharmed.
In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, the Little Mermaid experiences pain with each step she takes in her human form. The prince chooses to marry another person, leading to the mermaid's demise.
In the original story, the Ugly Duckling faces harassment and is forced to leave the pond. She then finds refuge among geese and ducks, but unfortunately, they all meet a tragic end. Later, she seeks shelter with an elderly woman, whose animals continue to mistreat the unfortunate duck.
In the original 'Beauty and the Beast,' Belle arrives at the castle and encounters a Beast who humbly requests her hand in marriage. Despite repeated refusals, Belle's heart softens when the Beast is on the verge of collapsing from sadness. As her tears touch his body, he undergoes a transformation, becoming a prince.
This story originates from the Tudor period, featuring unsettling events such as the king's command for a bishop to be publicly hung, drawn, and quartered.
Br'er Rabbit has origins in either Cherokee or African folklore. Some scholars interpret the American rendition as an allegorical story depicting enslaved individuals rebelling against their oppressors.
'Chicken Little' tells the story of a worrisome chick who predicts the end of the world. In earlier renditions, the foxes extend an invitation to the animals, only to ambush and devour them.
In the book, one of the owner's dogs is led by the Fox onto a railway and tragically killed by a train. Another dog is then taught to pursue the fox until it dies. The owner ultimately decides to euthanize the dog.
Giambattista Basile originally wrote the timeless story in 1528, but a detail that's later omitted is that the king impregnates the heroine in her sleep.
Pinocchio was first introduced in 1883. In the original version, he flees from his creator Geppetto. The police find the puppet and arrest Geppetto over abuse accusations. Later, Pinocchio kills Jiminy Cricket and is himself lynched on a tree.
In the original, the queen commands her huntsman to slay Snow White and retrieve her liver and lungs so that the queen may consume them.
Bluebeard is the tale of a brawny man with a blue beard, whose wives mysteriously vanish. Later, it's revealed that he kills them and keeps their corpses hanging from hooks in a locked room.
Some tales are so timeless that almost everyone came across them in childhood. Stories such as 'Snow White,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' and 'Peter Pan' have been shared with us in various forms, whether as a bedtime story, a comical parody, or more commonly, in a Disney movie.
However, these beloved tales often originate from dark and gruesome source material. Red Riding Hood's grandmother meets a horrifying end, Pinocchio calls the police, and Sleeping Beauty's romance is far from enchanting. Discover more astonishing revelations about your cherished childhood stories and fairy tales by clicking through the gallery.
The disturbing stories behind classic fairy tales
Uncover the creepy origins of your favorite childhood stories
LIFESTYLE Literature
Some tales are so timeless that almost everyone came across them in childhood. Stories such as 'Snow White,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' and 'Peter Pan' have been shared with us in various forms, whether as a bedtime story, a comical parody, or more commonly, in a Disney movie.
However, these beloved tales often originate from dark and gruesome source material. Red Riding Hood's grandmother meets a horrifying end, Pinocchio calls the police, and Sleeping Beauty's romance is far from enchanting. Discover more astonishing revelations about your cherished childhood stories and fairy tales by clicking through the gallery.