fairy tale definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

fair·y tale (plural fair·y ta·les)

noun

Definition:

1. story about fairies: a story for children about fairies or other imaginary beings and events, often containing a moral message

2. unlikely explanation: an improbable invented account of something, often a false excuse

Cultural Note


	Grimm's Fairy Tales, a collection of folk tales (1812-1815) compiled and edited by German scholars Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Based on written sources dating back to the 16th century and on German folk tales, it includes many stories now famous worldwide, including "Cinderella," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Rumpelstiltskin." With their universal themes the tales were seen by the Grimms as repositories of the hopes, passions, and fears of humankind.