--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fairy tales have always got to have…" description: "\"Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary for children - as long as you make them laugh as well.\" — Roald Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg" --- # Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary… ![“Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary for children - as long as you make them laugh as well.” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg) > “Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary for children - as long as you make them laugh as well.” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children’s stories need a hint of scariness balanced with humor to engage and teach bravery. **In simple terms:** Scary plus funny makes tales effective. Key Takeaway Mix fear with laughter to teach courage. Themes storytelling balance education Mood playful thoughtful Type educational entertaining When to use this quote - parenting - classroom reading - creative writing Key Concepts fear humor learning growth Questions to Reflect On - How much scariness is appropriate for children? - How does humor soften fear? A Different Perspective Too much fear can overwhelm young listeners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bit Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bit-scary-672478/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy/) [Fairy tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tale/) [Fairy tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tales/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/) [Scary Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary-children-2992694/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [I have always been fascinated by the supernatural elements in stories, whether fairy tales, myths, film or literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-have-always-been-fascinated-by-the-supernatural-elements-in-stories/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [One might get the impression that I recommend a new methodology which replaces induction by counterinduction and uses a multiplicity of theories, metaphysical views,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/one-might-get-the-impression-that-i-recommend-a-new-methodology-which/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [He had read books, newspapers and magazines. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-doman/evil-isn-t-beautiful-on-its-own-you-know-well-good-people-are/) [Regina Doman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-doman/) > [I also like the whole idea of fairy tales and folk tales being a woman's domain, considered a lesser domain at the time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-also-like-the-whole-idea-of-fairy-tales-and-folk-tales-being-a/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Kami'd always retold her fairy tales to make the fair maidens braver and more self-sufficient, but she had never had any real objection to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/kami-d-always-retold-her-fairy-tales-to-make-the-fair-maidens-braver/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/fairy-tales-have-always-been-about-getting-through-the-worst-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [My father leaving the family shaped who I was and how I looked at the world. By the same token, my father telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/my-father-leaving-the-family-shaped-who-i-was-and-how-i-looked-at-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Fairy tales read before bed tend to make me dream. 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In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic and make-believe are reborn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/here-is-the-world-of-imagination-hopes-and-dreams-in-this-timeless/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [The naive was only a part of my fairy tales; humor was the real salt in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-andersen/the-naive-was-only-a-part-of-my-fairy-tales-humor-was-the-real-salt/) [Hans Christian Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-andersen/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. 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You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. 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This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) [Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary for children - as long as you make them laugh as well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roald Dahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-something-a-bit-scary-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-something-a-bit-scary-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/roald-dahl-899_bits_fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-some_1115264.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fairy tales have always got to have something a bit scary for children - as long as you make them laugh as…” — Roald Dahl", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roald Dahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fairy tales have always got to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-something-a-bit-scary-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/fairy-tales-have-always-got-to-have-something-a-bit-scary-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```