Yes Indeed, We Prefer the RobotIn “A Toy Princess,” a fairy tale from the 1877 collection On a Pincushion by English writer Mary de Morgan, an...
Fairy-Tale Files
Browse submissions from past editions, web exclusive content, author Q&A, and more.
Fairy-Tale Files: On the Border
Folkloric HomecomingMichael Mejia's “Coyote Takes Us Home” is a contemporary fairy tale about a group of children traveling to the U.S.-Mexico...
Fairy-Tale Files: Organ Narratives…
The Three Army Surgeons The Brothers Grimm kick things off with this tale about a trio of surgeons gathered at an inn, trying to prove their...
Fairy-Tale Files: Elfology 101
Not Your Handmaiden’s YodaThe idea of an elf varies greatly across time and culture. Earliest descriptions are found throughout the Scandinavian...
Fairy-Tale Files: Gender Equality, Rising Through Time
Fa MulanAlso known as Hua Mulan, a legendary Chinese warrior from either the Northern Wei or Tang dynasty (accounts differ). The sixth century...
Fairy-Tale Files: Spader and a Haircut, Pandora to Wit
Edward ScissorhandsA cuticle-challenged Johnny Depp plays the incomplete project of an inventor whose death leaves Edward with blades for digits and...
Fairy-Tale Files: Bullying
The Ugly Duckling Bullied since the day he was hatched, Hans Christian Andersen’s titular character flees his barnyard abode to live among the wild...
Fairy-Tale Files: Rats and a Dark Chapter from Tucson’s Past
Victorian RatpourriWe’re a few months shy of National Rat Catcher’s Day, July 22, and 639 years past the Pied Piper’s hasty exit, per Robert...
Fairy-Tale Files: Fishy Relations
Hans Christian Atlantic Broadway, books and the big screen: Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” has enjoyed a considerable fanbase throughout its...
Fairy-Tale Files: Native American Folklore Monsters and Their Slayers
Navajo Ye'iitsoh (Big Giant) In Navajo culture there is no monster more fearsome or powerful than Ye'iitsoh (the Big Giant). A creature from the...
