Handy References

• Traditional European: the brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Mother Goose, et al. You’ve surely read them: “Beauty and the Beast,” “George and the Dragon,” “Puss in Boots,” “The Little Mermaid,” etc. For more inspiration, see also www.childrenstory.com/tales/.


• Celtic and Arthurian: Druids, leprechauns, fairies; Morgan Le Fay, Queen Guinevere and that handsome, philandering swashbuckler, Lancelot. Try www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt.


• Nordic and Teutonic: There’s Odin the One-Eyed Wanderer and gloomy Beowulf and Grendel; elves, dwarves, and Valkyries; Wagner and Tolkien too!


• Asian: Draw from the lesser-known realms of Japanese or Chinese mythology: monks and samurai; foxes that turn into deceitful pretty ladies; temples, ghosts, and snapping heads... See www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html for more inspiration.


• Modern: Frankenstein! Elvis: life, death, and reincarnation! Be really original and invent something totally new for us. There’s a website for general thoughts on fairy tales and another on “The DNA of Fairy Tales”