Fairy tales are the best reminiscences of everyone’s childhood. These memories are carried to adulthood and easily affect their future. A good fairy tale not only helps children create imagination, but also shows them the world of reality indirectly. Versions of Cinderella stories vary from culture to another. The book ‘Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum’by Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen focus on the five most popular versions of Cinderella stories. It includes French Cinderella by Charles Perrault; German Cinderella by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm; a Native American Cinderella called ‘The Rough-Faced Girl’ by Oochiegeaskw; Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” adapted by Campbell Grant and ‘The Last Cinderella’ by Anne Sexton. Standing tall among all these as the best Cinderella story is Wilhelm Grimm’s.Grimm’s story is about a young girl by the name Cinderella. The loss of Cinderella’s mum, as would be the case for any kid, changes her life forever and for the worst. Death of her mother leads her rich dad to re-marrying. He gets married to an evil woman who also happens to have two daughters who are no better than she is. Introduction of the trio to the family opens the chapter to Cinderella’s misery.

It is worth mentioning that Cinderella’s father brought her the first branch that knocked against his hat on his way home. Cinderella planted this branch on her mother’s grave and it grew to a tree. A bird made a home from the tree and is always there to help Cinderella on her hardships.The king, as was customary, organizes a three-day bowl. The evil in her stepmother would not let Cinderella attend. She creates every hurdle in deterring her attendance to the bowl. Cinderella seeks help from her only and trusted friend, the bird. The bird is reliable as ever. It brings her the most beautiful dresses and slipper each day and she is able to attend the bowl without the knowledge of anyone but her. The prince could not resist the beauty and charm in her and he immediately falls for her.

As fate would be, Cinderella loses her golden slipper on the last day of the bowl as she left. The prince decides to find the owner of the slipper and promises to marry the girl whose foot could fit in it. The two stepsister could not let this chance of their life slither. They cut their heels and heels in a bid to fit the slipper. Luck was not on their side, Cinderella’s bird revealed their ugly secret. Finally, the slipper fits Cinderella’s foot and is consequently married by the prince. The bird pecks the two stepsister’s eyes as a punishment for their dishonesty.While other existing books on Cinderella are available, such as the ‘The Rough-Faced Girl’ by Oochigeaskw is good for children, it has a lot that is missing to portray the world as it is. The does not exhibit plot on social class differences as encountered in a real world and as presented by Grimm. The Cinderella in the book, mainly portrayed as a magnificently beautiful girl by most books, is not as beautiful. The beauty of Cinderella is of importance in keeping the kids interested and to encourage them identify with her. As a fairy tale, it has some positive influences to children, but the short story is limited in terms of sparking kid’s imaginations and realistic meanings.

On the other hand, Anne’s Cinderella has a rich storyline, and the plot reflects a lot of social phenomenon as is today. Instances such as where the stepmother refuses Cinderella’s attendance of the bowl, Anne writes, “That’s the way with stepmother”. There is no denying; the word stepmother is not used as commendatory term. It is more an expression of bias children should purportedly against their stepmothers. In addition, Anna’s version uses of poetry in her Cinderella story. While it may be entertaining, children at this level should have simple approach in language use to understand the flow of the stories. The language in poetry is too short which makes it is hard to arouse children’s emotion and interest.Charles’ version is another outstanding children’s fairy tale. It has interesting stories such as the ‘godmother turn the rat to coachman’, ‘six lizards’ to ‘footmen in magic’. These stories easily stimulate children’s imagination. The downfall of this version is that it is more inclined to showing the bright side of the world but refrains from exposing the children to the ugly side of it. While the stories should encourage the spirit of forgiveness and repentance, bad characters should always go punished as a warning to the kids. In this series, bad characters have a good ending too. Instances such as where Cinderella is married to the prince and her two evil stepsisters also get married to “two great lords of the court” is against this spirit. This kind of plot gets children into confusion, and makes them feel that bad characters do not have to be punished.

Conversely, Grimm’s version has many scenes full of thought-provoking violence. Case in point is the two stepsisters cutting off their heels and toes and trying to fit their foot into Cinderella’s slipper. Many parents think the sanguinary plots in the story are not suitable for children as they instill fear that may affect children’s physical and mental development. They are apprehensive their kids may take after these characters and become violent in future. The truth is that shielding children from violent acts in a book is not the best way to protect them; this only eliminates factors in the real world. Exposing them to the evil that happens in this world helps prepare them face their future challenges, and also molds them in to being good people and reap from its benefits. Parents should not filter out all the things they consider bad, they should instead help their children realize that the world is not perfect. Childhood is the best period to cultivate children’s ability to differentiate between beauty and ugly, and good and evil in the reality world. Parents are obligated to teach them means of protecting themselves and others when they are faced by violence. These teachings are best captured in Grimm’s version of Cinderella story.

Compared to other versions such as Charles’ and Campbell’s, Grimm’s “Cinderella” story is more logical in its plots which help children build their logical thinking to suit the real world. Cinderella’s special slipper plays an important role in the story, it is created by godmother’s magic, and the prince finds the real Cinderella through it. In Charles and Campbell’s versions, godmother assures Cinderella that everything will disappear at midnight. Oddly, the slipper is not effected by this magic. The inconsistency in this story only help kids make exceptions in their worlds. In contrast, Grimm’s version is rigorous and logical. The author does not mention about the godmother bringing Cinderella everything through magic, but rather, it is through Cinderella’s effort of planting a branch that brings her a bird to provide for her. This explains the disappearance of the slipper, or lack thereof, logically. Grimm’s logical and meticulous writing technique is the excellent model for teaching children. It helps them improve their logical thinking skills.

Grimm’s “Cinderella” is the only version to create a character who asks for help. This is the right message to pass to children, encourage them never to shy from seeking help when in need. Seeking for help is not a sign of cowardice, but a strong display of brevity. Parents should encourage their kids to seek assistance any time they are in need. In a classroom situation, children who know how to ask anytime they do not understand perform better. Refraining from admitting being needy and failure to humble oneself is a vice that should be discouraged through Grimm’s story. In the real world, each person’s ability is limited and only through unity with everyone does one master all skills and knowledge.Finally, Grimm’s “Cinderella” ends with punishment where the birds pecked out the eyes of Cinderella’s two evil stepsisters. This is a lesson to the children that evil is punished. While many parents teach their kids many virtues on admitting a mistake and getting a forgiveness, the real world is harsh and may not always forgive. In Charles’s version, Cinderella forgives her two evil stepsisters and “give her two sisters a home in the palace, and that very same day married them to two great lords of the Court.” The real world is not this forgiving, the courts do not forgive offenders, not before paying a price. Grimm’s “Cinderella” has a bloody ending is a profound lesson for children. It teaches indirectly some mistakes are only met with punishment. These lessons act as guidelines against making silly mistakes with the hope of forgiveness.

In conclusion, Wielhelm Grimm’s Cinderella story is the best for children. The story incorporates a range of lessons based on the real world besides its immense entertainment value to kids. In the story, the kids are exposed to the reality world of evil and good. They are warned against choosing evil through punishment of the evil as happens in the real world. They are also exposed to violence and how to deal with it through logic. The power of true love is also unmasked for the kids to see and appreciate. All these lessons come in handy in day-to-day life. Grimm puts “Cinderella” as a perfect medium, and uses her as a guide for the children to touch and understand the reality world.

Works Cited

Disney, Walt. “Cinderella.”Adapt, Campell.Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^thed.

Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson,

2013. 236~40. Print.

Grimm. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the

1. 12^th ed. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper

Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 236~40. Print.

Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th

ed. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson,

2013. 236~40. Print.

Sexton, Anne. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th

ed. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson,

2013. 249~52. Print.

Tatar, Maria. “An Introduction To Fairy Tales.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th

ed. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson,

2013. 229~35. Print.

Oochigeaskw. “The Rough-Faced Girl”(A Native American “Cinderella”.) Writhing and Reading   Across the Curriculum.12^th ed. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River:  Pearson,  2013. 245~47. Print.

“Shiver and quiver, my little tree, Silver and gold throw down over me (Grimm version of Cinderella)”

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