Mirror, mirror on the wall, who loves fairytales most of all? We do, of course!

Whether it’s a tale of a brave knight battling dragons or a daring princess on a magical quest, stories of fairytales and legends have been passed down generations and enchanted us for centuries. Here at eatsleepdoodle, we love to head off on a ‘happily ever after' adventure - and so do you! Our fairytales and legends design is one of our absolute bestsellers - from the placemat to pencil case, crossbody bag to pillowcase, our iconic design is truly a fan favorite. It's no wonder that fairytales & legends was on the top of the list of designs when we created our NEW color-in Artie Bear!

In celebration of all things fantasy, we’re reading up on some of our most-loved fairytales and legends… From classic tales to legends that still influence today's culture, join us as we explore some different stories from our iconic design and share some fun facts about the tales (including some very spooky origins!).

So grab your favourite fairytales & legends colouring gift and let’s follow the breadcrumb trail into enchanted forests, legendary quests and magical worlds!

We’re starting off with of the most famous fairytales out there… the story of Cinderella!

Cinderella, a girl living in the shadow of her cruel stepmother and stepsister, is confined to a life of housework and cleaning the fireplaces – hence the ‘cinder’. Her life takes a magical turn when a fairy godmother appears and transforms her from housemaid to belle of the ball!

With a pumpkin carriage, glass slippers and a little magic, she captures the prince’s heart at dance at the castle - but must dash away before the clock strikes midnight and all her riches return to rags. But during her escape, Cinderella loses one of her signature glass slippers… the prince finds it and proceeds to test the slipper on the feet of all the women in the kingdom to find his true love from the ball!

After testing many feet, including Cinderella’s own evil stepsisters, the slipper fits Cinderella who is discovered as the mystery belle after all! Found by her soulmate, Cinderella escapes from her life with her stepmother and sisters and lives happily ever after with the Prince! 

Fun facts about Cinderella:

• The story of Cinderella is at least 2000 years old! It has many variants and ancient origins, with the earliest recorded version dating all the way back to Greece in the 6th century BCE. The story first began as an oral tale, which means it was told from person to person and because of this it was added to and altered many times, resulting in thousands of variations told and heard all over the world - there are over 500 variations in Europe alone!
• In earlier versions of the story, the stepsisters were much nastier, even going as far as to alter their feet in an attempt to fit into the slipper!
• There have been over 40 different films based on the story of Cinderella, including Disney’s famous animation and live action versions!
• Speaking of Disney – did you know that Prince Charming (as he is now known) was never called that in the 1950 animation? In fact, he didn’t have a name at all!

Next up, we’re exploring the rather ‘Grimm’ tale of Hansel and Gretel…

The story, formally written by the famous ‘Brothers Grimm’, goes that siblings Hansel and Gretel find themselves lost in a forest. Tired and hungry, they discover a candy-covered house made entirely of gingerbread and sweets. The catch? It’s owned by a wicked witch with a not-so-sweet plan!

Lured by the treats, the children fall into the hands of the cannibalistic witch who lives inside the house. The witch intends to fatten the children with sweets before cooking and eating them, but thanks to some quick thinking (and a bit of oven trickery), cunning Gretel outwits her and pushes the witch in the oven, allowing the two children to escape and return home safely. 

Fun facts about Hansel and Gretel:

• The original version of this story was far darker! Hansel and Gretel were not simply lost in the woods but abandoned there by their parents – this was inspired by real life-happenings during the Great Famine of the early 1300's when people were starving and some parents did leave children that they could no longer feed.
• The fairytale of Hansel and Gretel originated in Germany and was first told to the Brothers Grimm by their neighbour (and future wife of Wilheim Grimm) Dortchen Wild in Kassel. The brothers later included it in their 1812 collection ‘Children's and Household Tales’, but the original story was actually called Roland and May-Bird.

We’re continuing things in the forest with another Grimm-adapted tale, Little Red Riding Hood!

Little Red Riding Hood, named after the red hooded cape she wears, sets off through the forest to visit and deliver food to her grandmother, but things take a turn when she crosses paths with a sly wolf.

The wolf, wanting to eat her and the food in the basket, asks Little Red Riding Hood where she is headed. After telling him that she plans to visit her grandmother, the wolf tells Little Red Riding Hood that she should pick her some flowers as a gift. However, whilst she does this, the wolf breaks into her grandmother’s house, locks her in a wardrobe, then waits for Little Red Riding Hood disguised as Grandma.

When she arrives, Little Red Riding Hood observes some strange things about her grandmother, saying things such as “what a big mouth you have!”. The wolf responds saying "the better to eat you with!" then jumps out of bed and attempts to eat her before being killed by a woodsman who saves Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma!

Fun facts about Little Red Riding Hood:

• As with most other fairytales, Little Red Riding Hood has many variants that can be traced back centuries all the way to the 1600’s. The two most famous versions of this European fairytale were written by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.
• There have also been many different endings to this tale! In Perrault’s version, the wolf eats both Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, then simply falls asleep with no heroic woodsman to save the day! The later version by the brother’s Grimm is slightly happier, with the wolf eating them whole before a hunter cuts open the sleeping wolf and rescues Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma from its stomach! We certainly prefer the happier versions!

Finally, we’re moving on from fairytales and talking about the legend of George and the Dragon!

In this story, a brave knight named George faces off against a terrifying dragon that’s been terrorizing a town. In order to survive, the townspeople had been giving the dragon gifts and sheep, however these soon ran out!  After this, the town began to give one of their people every day to the dragon to eat. This continued until the dragon wanted to eat their princess. George, promised the princesses’ hand in marriage if he saved her, set off to kill the dragon and rescue the princess. After a thrilling battle, George defeats the dragon and saves the day, becoming a legendary hero! 

Fun facts about George and the Dragon:

• Recognise the story of George and the Dragon? It’s probably because the 12^th Century version of this story is the origins of St George, the patron saint of England.
• Despite being associated with England, the real St George was actually Turkish, born in the 3^rd Century! The legend itself has been told for centuries and has been set in many countries including England, Cappadocia & Libya and is said to symbolise good triumphing over evil.
• In some versions, it’s said the dragon represents much more than just a mythical creature and is instead a depiction of the devil.

Thanks for joining us on our quest to discover more about different fairytales and legends! We’ve turned the page on some intriguing facts about how these stories have evolved over the years (whilst uncovering some of their dark origins…) and how they continue to shape modern culture - from St George’s legacy to beloved Disney films inspired by classic fairytales. From bedtime stories to blockbuster films, these iconic fairytales are more than just stories - they’re woven into the fabric of our imagination and pop culture today! 

Don't forget, with eatsleepdoodle you can add a sprinkle of fairytale magic into your own world! With our range of color-in fairytales and legends gifts, kids can get creative and add a splash of color as they dive into their favorite stories this Christmas. Whether they dream of fairytale fun with our color-in pillowcase or inspire some imaginative play with our fairytale Artie Bear - our bestselling design is guaranteed to inspire hours of fun, creativity, and imagination. So, why not let your little ones add their own twist to these timeless tales this holiday season? Check out our magical range of color-in fairytale gifts now!

Don’t forget you can get in touch with us on social media and share your adventures and colouring creations by using #eatsleepdoodle – we always love to see what you’re up to! You can also tag us on Instagram (@eatsleepdoodle_), Facebook (@eatsleepdoodlehq) and TikTok (@eatsleepdoodle_).

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