of those tales were told as "morality-tales" and written for scaring children into doing the "right thing" or not doing "wrong things". In days of old, children were not particularly impressed with the saccharin tales they are fed these days. They witnessed animals bring slaughtered for their meals, criminals were beheaded or hung in public, and life in general was not especially easy. Maybe we should go back to scaring the "Hell" out of them, and making them understand that there are, [or should be]
consequences for wrongful behavior? I never heard the one about the mermaid one before! I had to go look it up. ~Geezer.
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Not only scare us into doing the right things as Gee says but teach us that pretty, sweet things are not always what they seem and not to be fooled by them or there could be dire consequences. Good write! I am a fan of dark fairy tales. Wrote a few of my own many years ago.

A story where Snow White was white because she was a vampire. This reminded me of that instantly.

Creepy and quick for the win,
Tim