favorite fairytale or folkatale

What is my favorite fairytale or folktale? Does it say something about my life?

This is a tough one for me to answer, as I love just about any fairytale, folktale, and fable alike. I have always been drawn to these stories that have been around longer than any of us, tales that have been told by the mouths of ancestors throughout generations. Tales that have been told so many times that they have twisted and turned, changed and adapted, but are still told by mouth or through books to this very day. What an amazing journey! My overall love of these stories I think very openly displays my love for the connectedness we all have, whether with someone standing beside us in the now, or someone that has stood on the same ground so long ago. It amazes me that their hearts and lives still live on through the sharing of these tales. What more proof could you ask for that shows how we all leave a mark upon this beautiful planet?

Now, more deeply, I have to say I utterly adore fables. I am in my 30's, and can sit down and enjoy Aesop's Fables better than any novel out there on the market today. I love the messages, and how cryptic they can sometimes be, and how they are shared through such a medium that anyone at any age can be drawn in. Pure wisdom of what it means to be human. My favorite fable is probably The Tree and the Reed. I love that the idea of needing to be flexible in our lives, whether it is being unexpectedly late for an appointment, to something more severe as having to adjust your life for a chronic illness, is shared so simply.

As for fairytales, I really loved Once Upon a Winter's Night, which is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The descriptions of the wintry lands in this novel are so beautifully written, they have been imprinted on my mind. I did not, however, like some parts near the end of the book that left me feeling I will never reread it. I have never read the original tales that this book is based off, but I think maybe I would like that tale the most. Otherwise, I really just love all fairytales. Old versions, new versions, creative retellings. Any and all I find so fascinating and brilliant. I really love creativity in written form, especially when it is to continue on such a tradition as fairytales.

* I got this prompt from The One-Minute Writer. Please click here to see the post.