Writer: Salma Eladly
Disney stories are every child’s favorite. Almost everyone grew up watching, or reading, Disney tales. The real question is, are all Disney stories magic and cotton candy, or are there dark secrets behind them?
1. Let’s start with every little girl’s favorite princess Cinderella and her heartwarming tale of how she fell in love with Prince Charming. The Brothers Grimm’s real story though tells a completely different tale. In the real story, the two step-sisters had to cut off parts of their feet to fit them in the glass slipper. Not only were their feet bloody when they attended the wedding, but doves had also pecked out their eyes, and they were blinded. This type of horror doesn’t just stop at Cinderella.
2. Sleeping Beauty is much more of a shock. In fact, it’s truly upsetting. In the real tale, written by Charlie Perrault, once Aurora touched the needle and went into a deep slumber, the Knight tried to wake her up. However, he failed and then decided to rape her. It doesn’t just end there; nine months later Aurora gives birth to a baby and only then is her curse broken.
3. Snow White’s tale might be more in our favor. Snow White and her Prince still have their happy ending; the darkness of the story concerns the witch instead. When she attends the wedding, she is given a punishment: for her to dance in iron-hot shoes burning her feet until she dies.
4. The Little Mermaid might be the most tragic of them all. In the tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, part of Ariel’s deal is that every step she takes with her legs will feel like shattered glass piercing through them. Not only will she be in constant pain, but if she fails her mission she’ll die. While saving the Prince, he never got to see her face, and so ended up marrying someone else. The only way for her to live was by killing the Prince, but she couldn’t do that because of her love for him. In the end, the sweet little mermaid dies and turns into sea foam.
Sadly, not all Disney stories we love are magic and cotton candy. In fact, they are truly dark and tragic. Nevertheless, we will continue loving Disney movies, albeit less delightfully.
