Grimms' Fairy Tales - EBook

This Book - Grimms' Fairy Tales - was created by The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859). They were born
in Hanau, near Frankfurt, in the German state of Hesse. Throughout
their lives they remained close friends, and both studied law at Marburg
University. Jacob was a pioneer in the study of German philology,
and although Wilhelm's work was hampered by poor health the brothers
collaborated in the creation of a German dictionary, not completed until
a century after their deaths. But they were best (and universally) known
for the collection of over two hundred folk tales they made from oral
sources and published in two volumes of 'Nursery and Household Tales' in
1812 and 1814. Although their intention was to preserve such material as
part of German cultural and literary history, and their collection was
first published with scholarly notes and no illustration, the tales soon
came into the possession of young readers.
Grimms' Fairy Tales is the best fairy tale collection in the world. This was in part due to Edgar Taylor, who made the first English translation in 1823, selecting about
fifty stories 'with the amusement of some young friends principally in
view.' They have been an essential ingredient of children's reading ever
since.