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'Aladdin' -

'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.

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'Pinocchio' -

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. 

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'Sleeping Beauty' -

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. 

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'Puss in Boots' -

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. 

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'Little Red Riding Hood' -

In earlier renditions, the wolf dismembers Red's grandmother, and keeps her skin in the pantry cupboard...

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'Little Red Riding Hood' -

Red's grandmother's blood is even mixed with wine and served to her.

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'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' -

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.

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'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' -

When the evil queen unwittingly turns up at Snow White's wedding, she's forced to dance to death in hot iron shoes.

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'Mulan' -

In the original story, Hua Mulan returns home to discover her father has passed away and her mother has remarried.

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'Mulan' -

Under pressure from a persistent khan, who wants her to be his concubine, she becomes overwhelmed and takes her own life.

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'Rumpelstiltskin' -

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.

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'Rapunzel' -

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.

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'Rapunzel' -

The prince goes back to the tower to visit her, only to have his eyes poked out by the evil witch.

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'Alice in Wonderland' -

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."

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'The Goose Girl' -

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.

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"The Goose Girl" -

She is ultimately undressed, then placed inside a barrel filled with spikes and rolled until she dies.

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'The Pied Piper of Hamelin' -

Historically, the Pied Piper is described leading the children on a military campaign and never brings them back to their parents. 

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'Cinderella' -

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.

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'Hansel and Gretel' -

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.

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'The Frog Prince' Rew -

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.

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'Peter Pan' -

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."

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'The Three Little Pigs' -

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.

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'The Little Mermaid' -

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.

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'The Ugly Duckling' -

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.

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'Beauty and the Beast' -

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.

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'Little Jack Horner' -

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. 

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'Br'er Rabbit' -

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.

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'Chicken Little' -

'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.

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'Bluebeard' -

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.

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'The Fox and the Hound' -

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. 

See also: Celebrities who have published children's books

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