Now, Reading of the Nursery Tales
Outline
Introduction
I. Marchen ( "Grimms selected tales" )
a "Marchen"
b The background of "Grimms selected tales"
c The change from the first edition to the seventh
edition of "Grimms selected tales"
II. "Grimms selected tales" ( the first edition )
a ASHIEPATTLE
b HANSEL AND GRETEL
c Marchen's cruelty
III. The nursery tales to adults
a Examination on nursery tales for adults
b Opinions about nursery tales for aduts
c A lifelong education
Conclusion
Introduction
You should read "Grimms selected tales" such as "Snow White", "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood". "Grimms selected tales" is popular next to the Bible in the world. Do you know that the tales have eroticism and cruelty and violence?
Last summer, the movie of "Snow White" was released. The word was said to be faithful to the original. In fact, it was more horrible than the original "Snow White", but surely the eroticism and cruelty of the movie exist in "Grimms selected tales".
We, adults enjoy the eroticism and cruelty seeing the movie of "Snow White". However, the eroticism and cruelty were not characteristic of movies and are written in primarily the first edition of "Grimms selected tales". Needless to say, the first edition was not written to enjoy the eroticism and cruelty. Although Grimms deleted them for children, I consider the nursery tales with the eroticism and cruelty have the important meanings for us. Because that the eroticism and cruelty in nursery tales are different from them for dramatization in the movie. For this reason, I will pay my attention to the cruelty of "Grimms selected tales" in this paper.
What is the essence of "Grimms selected tales"? What do nursery tales insist to us? After considering the essence of "Grimms selected tales" in Chapter I and II, I will think over the significance of nursery tales to adult in Chapter III.
Chapter I
Do you know a German word, Marchen? Unfortunately, there is no equivalent word in English. For the sake of convenience, I translate "Grimms Marchen" into "Grimms selected tales" in my paper. The word corresponds to "tale" or "fairy tale", but they are a little different from Marchen. I heard that it means "unreal" or "improbable" short stories, namely negative images.
There is a wide difference between Marchen in German and Meruhen as loan-word which we know well in Japan. Meruhen which we image are happier stories. To take an example, they end with the happy picture of the prince and princess who would live happily ever after. However, "Grimms selected tales" have cruelty and erotic interpretations. After Snow White came to like a prince and she went with him. While their wedding was prepared with great splendor and magnificence, Snow White's stepmother has to put her feet into the red-hot shoes and dance till she drops dead in the wedding. This story in the first edition was changed to no cruel story in the seventh edition, but the stories in the first edition are the very stories which handed down from ancient times.
Have you heard many stories told by your mother or family or teacher? For instance, picture books, picture-card show, children's song, and children's story. Particularly, folk talks must be handed down from grandmother to you. I was handed down many folk tales from my grandmother. Marchen were handed down like folk tales, and brought together in a single volume by Grimms. Grimms gathered tales from many people. One of characteristics in the first edition is that most tales were told by very young people or children, and that they were women. We notice the tales have many heroines. Needless to say, Grimms did not write just as they were told. Grimms met many collaborators and found new tales, and so that "Grimms selected tales" were revised and went through seven editions. However, I think tales in the first edition were most important in seven editions. While the seventh edition was written by Grimms, not exactly the stories: Marchen that were handed down.
"Grimms selected tales" are still our favorite stories, and the reason of this popularity is because they are Marchen. What is the meaning of the cruelty and violence which Marchen have? First, I want to examine why Marchen were paid attention to by Grimms or many people.
In Germany, when Grimms grew up, Germans began to take a deep interest in German things. It had relation with changes of political powers in Europe. In 1786, when young brother, Whilhelm C. Grimm was born, Friedrich the Great passed away. Three years later, the French Revolution broke out, and German political situation became unstable. To prevent the revolution from spreading to Germany, reactionary policy was carried out. In 1807, Germany was dominated by Napoleon. At this time, old brother Jacob L C. Grimm was twenty-one years old, and young brother Wilhelm C. Grimm was twenty years old.
In such a social situation, the romantic poets in Germany found a worthy literature of Marchen. Because they sought for German native literature, they were interested in folk tales. Grimms were affected by those poets, and had a great interest in German history, and ancient and medieval literature. Grimms gathered tales for Clemens Brentano, a poet of romantic school, at first. Grimms did not think they published tales by themselves, since Brentano asked for Grimms' help to gathered tales. Grimms send selected tales to him and looked forward to publishing tales, yet he did not. After all, they published them by themselves.
The book had eighty-six stories in all and simple academic notes. The first edition was said to be printed nine hundred copies. Grimms wrote in introduction in the first edition as follows:
This literature has purity which makes children splendid and happy. That is the reason why we make this books useful as educational books. We do not need such educational books with fake purity, as adult get rid of circumstances and conditions which were not hidden and happen in our daily life. Neither is purity which make us have illusions, as happenings in the books are realized. We need purity in the truth of honest stories which injustice is not hidden.
This is their view of Marchen. The first edition certainly has purity.
What was the response to the first edition? The fact is that there were very few people who supported it. "This tales is not suitable for children because of a selection of tales and a tone of story." said, especially educators. It was criticized for the lack of childlike quality and for the obscenity. Grimms thought over this problem between children as readers and the literary description, and continued to rewrite the tales and made their style of "Grimms-tales".
In 1819, young brother Wilhelm published the revise second edition. It has serial numbers. The first volume has eighty-six stories and the second volume has seventy-four stories, and then nine saint legends for children. The academic notes were removed. In the second edition, the word of revision was left to Wilhelm, because Jacob devoted himself to linguistics. Conscious of children as reader, Wilhelm revised tales to respond to criticisms about the first edition. The second edition also has frontispiece for the first time. Despite those alterations, the second edition hardly sold. "Grimms selected tales" were rewritten many time after that. It seems to me as if he revised it to sell.
On the other hand, Jacob was not convinced to rewrite. He wanted Marchen to be worthy both as academic material and the readable books as literature. However this is impossible, considering that the readable books as literature do not have the worth of Marchen as academic material. After all, "Grimms selected tales" remained readable books as literature.
I am not convinced of rewriting. Indeed "Grimms selected tales" became readable books for children, but it is not Marchen. I do not think the worth of Marchen as academic material is better than readable books. The reason why the "Grimms selected tales" has still being read, is not the revision by Grimms. Even if the Grimms did not gather tales, the tales must have been handed down. What Grimms did was to popularize tales. The work of revision is only means for popularization. It is true that the present-day "Grimms selected tales" is mostly tales from the seventh edition, but many books based on the first edition are also published for adult. You will be aware of different appeal if you read the first edition. Let us read it in the next chapter.
Chapter II
"Ashiepattle" is a popular story as "Cinderella" in English.
Nevertheless, how many people read "Ashiepattle" in the first edition? I have never read it, neither. If you read it, you will know cruelty in "Grimms selected tales". I want you to read the whole story in appendix.
The cruel scenes begin when the prince seeks for owner of shoe and came in Ashiepattle's house. Mother said to her real daughter, "Chop off your toe --- when you're queen you will not need to do any more walking." The first sister chopped her toe off, forced her foot into the shoe. The prince tried to take her as his bride, but their way took them past the grave, and there the two doves called out. "Her foot is bleeding in the shoe, her foot is too long or too wide. He is left her behind, the rightful bride." In a similar way, the second sister chopped a slice off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, gritted her teeth against the pain. Then the prince tried to take her as his bride, the two doves pointed out the same. Of course, there are no descriptions like this in picture book, "Cinderella".
Although the cruel events happen near Ashiepattle, she do not appear of her own will. She never say that the shoe is hers and that princess at the ball is herself. This is a point which we should pay attention to. She is waiting for the prince to find her, though the prince came into her house seeking her.
Perhaps Ashiepattle wanted someone to accept herself as a being. It is not that she say she want you to accept her but that the prince need her and want to marry her. She lost true mother when she was a little, so that she had not been loved amply. How much she want to be needed by someone. I can understand the fact that she makes sure of the prince's feeling, in short, whether the prince loves herself. Ashiepattle at the ball feels as in a dream, though she is certainly there. In fact, she in her daily life is order around by stepmother and stepsisters. She must want to be helped hand to her in her daily life.
Therefore, even if her appearance changed, person who fits the shoe is absolutely Ashiepattle. Even if anybody except Asheipattle makes her foot fit the shoe, the owner of shoe must be her. The cruel description strongly convinces us.
How do you remember the story of "HANSEL AND GRETEL"? The story based on the seventh edition looked happy, but the story itself has cruelty. When you read it contrasting the story in the first edition, you become aware of the cruelty the story has.
First, the reason the parents left the children in a forest is cruel and realistic. Hansel and Gretel's family is the same blood. Picture books explain that the parents do not want to see children who are tormented with hunger. The parents love children, that is why they left children. This is very strange. They tried to justify themselves to save themselves, and this is the egoism.
In the first edition, this family is still the same blood. However Mother say to father, "If we take the children into the forest, all four of us will have to starve". Father who left children in forests betrays children and tricks them in leaving them. Today, this is changed in picture books. Grimms changed real mother into stepmother when the fourth edition published. Grimms took The cruelty action of real mother into consideration. They also changed real mother into stepmother and into witch in other works. So that, there are many witches in "Grimms selected tales" of picture books.
Unless the story's description changes, we cannot hide cruelty of this story. This is mainly because the action of parents' to leave children is itself cruel. The cruelty is an expected result. The picture book is only camouflage.
Second, I let me point out Gretel's murder. This story in the first edition describes Gretel's growth. In the first half, Gretel is only a crying girl, but in the second half, she became a girl who been not cry, since Hansel was captured by the evil. If she is still a crying girl, she cannot give the evil a push inside the oven so that she fall in. Gretel at the ending is not a girl depending on Hansel.
Though I did not feel her action to be cruel until now, I began to think the old woman is too poor to represent the evil. The old woman eats human flesh, but it is the same as we eat beef or pork or chicken. Do you feel your cruelty when you eat those meat? In Japanese tales, there are the similar stories in which the old woman try to kill and eat children. Most children can run away, which the old woman killed by the priest. Thinking of the Japanese tales, Gretel's actions surprise us. What she did in this story are the murder and robbery, which are very brutal.
In picture books, Gretel does not notice the plot, she do just as the birds have told her. I think Gretel's change is an appeal in "Hansel and Gretel". Gretel's change is necessary for severe attack the old woman as the evil.
Taking notice of those tales, you know those tales bring up many questions. In "Grimms selected tales", The heartless feelings and cruel actions make us hope for happiness. Describing more cruel, Marchen want to indicate the opposite of cruel. Grimms decrease the cruelty by many revisions for children, but I do not think the revisions was necessary. Nursery tales must have several morals, and not only be readable story. We have to learn something from the story.
For example, what things do people who know the real war tell? In Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Okinawa, there were unhappy incidents during war, and those things were not ambiguous cruel. The reality of war is there. The reality must not make us only fear, but make us hope peace and thank today's happy.
Marchen describe all process for one scene when the hero and heroine become happy. Toshio Ozawa ("record of fantastic travel about Grimms", translation by me, 1994, p.65), the leading expert of "Grimms selected tales" showed, "Grimms selected tales have many scenes, which are fearful, happy, beautiful, cruel, and so on. However Marchen want to tell the goal of the story. Marchen like to tell the way the hero and heroine change and grow up." I think the final happiness of the hero and heroine is in effect existed the cruel scene. Therefore the cruelty and violence are not emphasized in "Grimms selected tales". Those description is necessary for the ending.
We can remember the introduction in the first edition. Should we seek for that purity? Becoming adults and rereading nursery tales, we find the tales describe only happy false world which does not have the reality. Marchen is different from those tales. Marchen do not hide the reality but make us learn true moral with telling unrealistic stories.
The adults who have been separated from happy tales do not dream. They understand that they cannot escape to the dream world, but they are escapismists in the face of reality. They may think the childhood in which they do not know the reality were good. Is it happy not to know the reality? Of course, it is important that we know the reality and deal with the problem. The people who cannot deal with reality are unhappy human who annoy others.
We should be better at living, and reading "Grimms selected tales" is one way. The cruelty of Marchen has worth which Marchen have handed down for a long time. This year a perfect translation of "Grimms selected tales" published will be again in Japan. As far as I know, the books is the ninth "Grimms selected tales" in the first edition. Adults do not want to read unrealistic nursery tales for children. They want to read tales as Marchen. Nursery tales for adults have some form. One typical example is that the stories describe the cruelty, violence and eroticism, or they can be the guide of life, or healing books.
Do adults need nursery tales which do not hide the truth, just as Marchen? I will think about nursery tales for adults in the last chapter.
Chapter III
How long have not you read the nursery tales? I had not read them since I was six years old probably. When I was sixteen years old, I began to read them again. My high school librarian recommended one picture book to me. The book moved me and I was shocked to know that picture books moved many adults. Some picture books for children move adult, that is to say, the books are also for adults. I will think picture books for adults in this chapter.
The title of the book which the librarian recommended me is "boku wo sagasi ni [the missing piece]". Searching the piece [ ], the missing piece [ ] continues to roll. If children read it, they enjoy by simple pictures and easier words. If Adults read it, they read it as life story. Yumiko Kurahasi (1982) wrote as follows:
"The missing piece" and a continuation of "The missing piece: Meets the big O" are nursery tales for adults. They are written by simple lines and the shortest words. Though you may think that the word of "for adults" contradicts the word of "nursery tales", I consider most of adults to be children who can pretend to be adult or cannot do well. In literature there are some works for this children. (postscript of "The missing piece: Meets the big O", translation by me)
I support her. Those books make us interpret one story as many meanings. We can learn a lot from picture books. Some people contributed to "Da Vince", which is a information magazine about books and comics, about "The missing piece" as follows:
This book has simple pictures and short sentences, but it is rhythmic story and interesting. However, I do not know why, I feel lonesome. (written by Furuta Harumi, 31, Anjyo city)
Although children do not read between the lines, they can find this story interesting. If children who read this book grow up and read it again, they will find what writer wants to say and be moved by it. They can be pleased twice by this story. (written by Mizumoto Yoshiko, 25, Osaka city)
In addition to these opinions, I show nest opinions about another picture, which is "100 man kai ikita neko [The cat lived one million times]. This is picture book for children and also for adults.
Living beings will die someday. This book teach this true meaning to children and also adults, but we feel a little relief. Reading the last page, I feel like crying every time. (written by Erica Amamiya, 33, Fuchu city)
The cat lived his true life and died, and never have come back to life. I think he was both happy and poor, but I also envy him. Few books make me have mixed feelings. (written by Misaki Yokka, 30, setagaa-ku)
The picture books are thing for children and also adults. Adults who know this express those opinions. They say that the picture books have something to teach us. The something is the nucleus of life.
For example, "Sa-chan no mahou no te [Sa-chan has magical hand]" is the story of a physical handicapped person.
A physical handicapped child have sorrow for her physical handicap and her mother have affliction. However Sa-chan will overcome the handicap and grow up. When I read this book alone, the story always moved me to tears. I want to read it with my child and think together about discrimination. (written by Miho Fujiwara, 27, Kyoto city)
It is difficult for adults to talk about physical handicapped persons, but this picture book shows us with childlike sense. I insist on your reading it. (written by Yoshie Shimazaki, 32, Hachioji city)
This work for children is more approachable than stories of struggling with illness, moreover the matter is of great concern to adults. We can face the realities by this story.
I wrote characteristics of Marchen in chapter I. It is true stories and purity which injustice is not hidden. The picture books, which have this characteristics of Marchen, are published recently.
The fact is that a good book for children is good for adults. The nursery tale brings up us. We grow up with reading it in our lifetimes. To sum up, reading the nursery tale is lifelong education. Lifelong education is literally education which everybody can learn, regardless of age.
Adults do not know everything of the world. We need to think over trivial things which we overlook. We should treasure small emotion. The nursery tales are means to do so. When we can find a small matter of importance, we can know true emotions which we made believe to know.
Conclusion
Last year I found one picture book and was deeply moved by the story a long time. The book was written by Mr. Yasunari Murakami who is a professional illustrator and a writer of picture books. Last November I met him and we talked about picture books together. He said to me, "Picture books are not texts which teach language to children, but reductions of the reality." His book moved me, because the story was "the reductions of the reality". The book taught me true emotion.
I began to buy picture books since I entered the university. Though my parents game me many picture books, they gave those books to their friends' children. I have no books which I read in my childhood, so that I want to buy the books. I seldom discover good books which I want to read if I become to be grandmother. I have 18 books which I collected for two years. I want to meet many good books. Did many books which I read in my childhood make me grow up? Now, I want to read the nursery tales.
References
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