This book contains the following stories:
Cinderella
Cinderella REALLY wants to go to the ball but her wicked stepmother and ugly sisters think she's better off at home doing the chores. Along comes the fairy godmother, waves her magic wand and Cinders's clothes are transformed into a gorgeous ball gown. Off she goes to the palace ball in a pumpkin coach and horses transformed from mice. But when the clock strikes midnight Cinders reverts to her tattered old self, and the prince has only a glass slipper to find his gorgeous girly.
The original tale of "Aladdin" is a part of the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales known as "One Thousand and One Nights" or "Arabian Nights." It was first introduced to the Western world through a French translation by Antoine Galland in the early 18th century. The tale of Aladdin tells of an impoverished young lad in a Chinese town, persuaded by the evil sorcerer Maghreb to retrieve a magic lamp containing a genie. The story follows the escapades of Aladdin and Maghreb as they fight to own the lamp and the magic it contains. Here is a summary of the plot based on the original tale:
Plot Summary:
Act 1: Aladdin's Humble Beginnings Aladdin is a poor young boy who lives in the city of Agrabah. He survives by stealing and doing odd jobs. One day, he meets a sorcerer (not named Jafar in the original tale) who claims to be his long-lost uncle and offers him an opportunity to find wealth and riches.
Act 2: The Magic Lamp and the Genie The sorcerer takes Aladdin outside the city to a hidden cave and instructs him to retrieve an old oil lamp. However, he warns Aladdin not to touch anything else in the cave. Curious, Aladdin rubs the lamp and accidentally releases a powerful genie who can grant him three wishes.
Act 3: Aladdin's Wishes Aladdin uses his first wish to be transported back home, and he uses his second wish to become a wealthy prince. With the help of the genie, he transforms into a grand prince and arrives at the palace in Agrabah. There, he meets Princess Badroulbadour (not Jasmine) and falls in love with her.
Act 4: The Sorcerer's Deception The sorcerer returns to Agrabah, disguised as a merchant, and recognizes Aladdin. He tricks Aladdin's mother into believing that Aladdin is dead, and convinces her that he can help find her son.
Act 5: The Final Confrontation The sorcerer finds Aladdin and tricks him into giving him the magic lamp. However, Aladdin refuses to hand over the lamp before the sorcerer pulls him out of the cave, leaving Aladdin trapped inside.
Act 6: Aladdin's Rescue and Victory Aladdin uses the genie to escape from the cave and devises a plan to defeat the sorcerer. With the help of the genie, he exposes the sorcerer's deceit and regains the lamp.
Act 7: Happy Ending With the magic lamp back in his possession, Aladdin uses his third wish to set the genie free. The genie, grateful for his freedom, grants Aladdin and Princess Badroulbadour a life of happiness and prosperity. They live happily ever after.
The original tale of "Aladdin" is a captivating story of rags to riches, magical adventures, and the power of true love. It has inspired countless adaptations and remains a beloved part of world folklore and literature.
Beauty and the Beast
The Beast lives alone in his castle, enchanted by a wicked fairy and waiting for true love to break the spell. Could Beauty be the one to see through his ugly exterior? Or is he destined to remain a beast forever?
Hansel and Gretel
Two children are sent into the woods. The first time, they follow a trail of stones back to the house, but the second time they use breadcrumbs, which are eaten by the birds. Lost and alone, they come upon a tempting gingerbread house, they can't resist entering. Little do they realise that inside lives a witch... and she thinks they'd make a delicious dinner.
The Firebird
The firebird was stealing the Tsar's famous golden apples, so he set his three sons a quest to find the firebird and bring it back to him. Dimitri and Vassili set off together and the youngest son, Ivan , was forced to go alone. When the Grey Wolf tears Ivan's horse to pieces he thinks it is all over for him, but guilt at his actions forces the Grey Wolf to carry Ivan to his destination. With help from the wolf Ivan manages to beat his brothers and retrieve not only the firebird but also the beautiful princess.
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood as told by Charles Perrault tells of the good little girl who divulges to the Big Bad Wolf the location of her grandmother's house in the forest. Wolf eats grandma then lies in wait for Little Red. She arrives and is eaten by the wolf. In later versions of the story Red and her Grandma are saved by the Huntsman who cuts open the wolf and pulls the living, breathing Red and Granny from the wolf's belly.
Rumpelstiltskin
Rumplestiltskin helps a miller's daughter turn straw into gold in return for her first child. Only if she can guess his name will she be set free.
Sleeping Beauty
After a curse is placed upon her as a baby, a princess pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday. One hundred years later, a handsome prince rides past the forgotten palace. He must undo the curse and finally awaken the princess.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
A queen sat sewing and pricked her finger. A spot of blood fell on her white cloth and she sighed. 'How I wish I could have a daughter with cheeks as red as blood, hair as black as ivory and skin as white as snow'. The queen's wish was granted and soon she gave birth to a beautiful daughter who she named Snow White. But then the queen died and the king remarried. The new queen was very vain and every day she would ask her mirror 'Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all', to which the mirror would reply, 'You are the fairest o queen'. Time passed and the queen got older and her face dropped, and Snow White grew into a beautiful woman. The day came when the mirror in all honesty could not say that the queen was the most beautiful of them all, but had to reply 'O queen lovely as you are, Snow White is now fairer'. The queen was very cross and ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her, bringing back her heart as proof of the deed. The huntsman could not bear to kill Snow White so he left her alive in the forest and took back the heart of an animal instead. But the mirror revealed that Snow White was still alive and living as a housemaid with seven dwarfs. The Queen set out to kill Snow White herself. When the girl ate the poisoned apple she dropped down as if dead and the Queen was satisfied. The dwarfs wept over the glass coffin. A prince was so taken with Snow White's beauty that he lifted her from the coffin, dislodging the apple and so brought her magically back to life. The two were married, and the Queen superceded.
