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Fairy tale Quote by Anonymous

“This story was written many moons ago under an apple tree in an orchard in Kent, which is one of England's prettiest counties . . . I had read at least twenty of the [fairy tales] when I noticed something that had never struck me before--I suppose because I had always taken it for granted. All the…” quote by Anonymous
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““This story was written many moons ago under an apple tree in an orchard in Kent, which is one of England's prettiest counties . . . I had read at least twenty of the [fairy tales] when I noticed something that had never struck me before--I suppose because I had always taken it for granted. All the princesses, apart from such rare exceptions as Snow White, were blond, blue-eyed, and beautiful, with lovely figures and complexions and extravagantly long hair. This struck me as most unfair, and suddenly I began to wonder just how many handsome young princes would have asked a king for the hand of his daughter if that daughter had happened to be gawky, snub-nosed, and freckled, with shortish mouse-colored hair? None, I suspected. They would all have been of chasing after some lissome Royal Highness with large blue eyes and yards of golden hair and probably nothing whatever between her ears! It was in that moment that a story about a princess who turned out to be ordinary jumped into my mind, and the very next morning I took my pencil box and a large rough-notebook down to the orchard and, having settled myself under an apple tree in full bloom, began to write . . . the day was warm and windless and without a cloud in the sky. A perfect day and a perfect place to write a fairy story.””

Anonymous

About This Quote

The author observes the stereotypical depiction of princesses in fairy tales and imagines a story with an ordinary heroine, highlighting bias and the desire for diverse representation.

In simple terms: Fairy tales often show only idealized princesses; the author wants a more realistic heroine.

Key Takeaway

Challenge stereotypes, imagine inclusive stories.

Themes

fairy tales representation bias creativity diversity

Mood

critical inspired curious

Type

literary social commentary creative

When to use this quote

  • writing a new fairy tale
  • examining media
  • encouraging inclusive narratives

Key Concepts

gender norms media influence imagination storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do media standards shape our expectations?
  • What would a story look like with a non‑idealized heroine?
A Different Perspective

Stereotypes can limit imagination and reinforce narrow ideals.

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