Top 10 Fairy Tales

Since time immemorial, human race has practiced the art of storytelling. Adults and children alike never missed an opportunity to listen to any of the legendary tales. Talking about children, there was a time when they enjoyed the good-old bedtime stories recited to them by their grannies or grandpas. With the cycle of time clogging many years to its record, the children have become hooked to late night shows than ‘waste their time’ with fairy tales. Yet there are a few whose sincere efforts have reinstated the belief that ‘legends never die’ be it real life or stories. Topyaps lists the 10 best fairy tales that still stand the test of time and allow us once more to bring out the one hidden in all of us—the child.

10. Harry Potter:

JK Rowling has succeeded in bringing back the ailing children’s fiction on its toes. Using the magical world in which Potter resides, her writing took the readers to an almost real life journey into a tricky realm riddled with sinister plots and dubious allies. The success of the book and the movies based on them are no ‘Hogwart’s secret. It figures on #10 because it does not restricts itself to pure traditional children’s fiction and tries to break into the likes of something above it.

9. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs:

A queen obsessed with her beauty, a princess in distress and a group of dwarf brothers in the lonely woods all strewn into a popular tale read over the years on the sofa close to the fireplace. Every child’s must read before their hair turns white.

8. Alibaba:

One of the most recited stories ever. The adventures of the humble woodcutter and his exploits against the band of forty thieves have been glorified in countless television and film adaptations. Not only this, the story has been translated into a host of leading languages including regional Indian
dialects.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia:

This book too shares a magical world, mythical characters and mean villains with four siblings who find themselves drawn into a battle in a parallel world to their own. CS Lewis effectively creates a host of myriad characters each having a distinctness of its own. The movie adaptation has been widely popular but our suggestion is that the book is far better as it will allow you to explore your own imagination.

6. Gulliver’s Travels:

A giant man shipwrecked on a land inhabited by the tiniest humans. Lilliput, created by Jonathan Swift in the book, has almost become an adjective for all things small. With the passage of time the popularity has just grown through its countless adaptations.

5. Alice in Wonderland:

Lewis Carroll wrote this gem of a tale keeping in mind his little sister’s wishes and how. The specialty of this masterpiece is the creation of a unique fictional world inhabited by the strangest of all literary characters which leaves a deep impression on the minds of even first-time readers.

4. A Christmas Carol:

“Bah Humbug”, the words uttered in disgust by the meanest character in children’s fiction- Ebenezer Scrooge, has etched itself into the dictionary of fictional catch phrases like no other. The story of a humble clerk under the employment of a shrewd and niggardly businessman touches the hearts of all who read it. It finds its way in our list because of the sincere portrayal of human emotions shown through the eyes of Scrooge who is visited by three ghosts after he banishes the clerk a night before Christmas.

3. Peter Pan:

After reading this story you’ll find yourself questioning, “Can’t I remain young forever?” When JM Barrie wrote this book, he created a world where children will remain children and aptly named it Neverland—a place where you never grow up. The author was of the opinion (and perhaps rightly so) that growing up brings miseries in one’s life. However there has been a constant growth–in the number of readers.

2. Aladdin:

The most popular and recognized character in the world of fairy tales and children’s fiction finds his place firmly etched on #2 spot. The book tells us of the rags to riches story of an ordinary Baghdad boy who by a sheer twist of fate meets a genie. With Disney adapting this story, its popularity simply soared. It figures on our list because of its simplicity and of course, the genie.

1. Cinderella:

The reason why it ranks #1 on our list is because the essence of the story stands true in the lives of nearly all the girls even today. They may or may not have a wicked step-mom and jealous step-sisters but the ambition to meet the prince charming of their dreams is not dead and gone. This story surely creates dreams and weaves fantasies around the multitudes of pretty faces who are silently waiting for that special one. Is the fairy god-mother listening?

Written by: Manas on December 28, 2010.