Hello, fellow Disney lovers. Today, we’re teaming up with FT to share some of the odd origins stories behind some of your favourite tales. If you haven’t been, please check out FT’s Disney-themed week in their forum section! They have things planned out over the course of the entire week, and there’s a little something for everyone! Before diving into the origin stories, I have to warn you that some of them are a little creepy and may not be what you expect.

Disney focuses on giving the happily-ever-after that most young girls watching would die to have. Even as a child, I always imagined growing up and marrying a prince (don’t judge me please), but what we may not know is that some of the stories behind these classic tales aren’t always what they seem. 



Cinderella



The story of Cinderella has been speculated to have started around the year 1697 in France, this classic tale was written by Charles Perrault under the name Cendrillon. The story revolved around a young girl whose abusive stepmother and stepsisters forced her into servitude. But why do we call her Cinderella? The term was coined from the Perrault version as well, each morning she would wake up covered in ashes and was given the name from her family.

Another version was the one written by the Grimm brothers, they have adapted many classic tales in the past. Their version was written in1812, and was given the name: Aschenputtel, or “Ash Fool.” In this version, she loses her mother and cries so much at her mother’s grave that magical trees start to grow. Well, fortunately, the trees help her get ready for the ball where she meets the prince. Now, this is where it gets dark when the prince comes to their house to find the owner of the shoe. One of her stepsisters cut off her toe, while the other one is cutting off their heel both trying to fit into the shoe. Well, the prince notices this, and he doesn’t believe it. Cinderella is eventually found, and at their wedding birds start to peck at the stepsisters’ causing them to go blind.



The Little Mermaid 



Written in 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen, this story about a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity to gain a human soul. Over the years, is has been adapted on various media platforms, including musicals and animated films.

Just like in the movies, the Little Mermaid grows up with sisters who are born one year apart, and once you turn fifteen, you are finally able to swim up to the surface and catch a glimpse of the world above. This is where she catches a glimpse of the prince and falls for him, there is a violent storm, and she ends up saving the prince. After this incident, the little mermaid becomes melancholic and asks if humans can live forever. We find out that mermaids live up to 300 years, but when they die, they turn into sea foam and stop existing. She decides to go and visit the Sea Witch in a very dangerous part of the ocean. The witch agrees to give her a potion to give her legs, but in return, she must give up her tongue and her beautiful voice.

Once things are complete, the Little Mermaid will be able to walk, and dance like no other human has been able to dance before. There is a downfall to all of this; whenever she walks, it will feel like she’s walking on a bunch of sharp knifes. The prince and her meet, and he becomes infatuated with her dancing, and they become companions. The prince’s parents want him to marry a neighboring princess in an arranged marriage, but he tells the Little Mermaid that he will not as he is not in love with her. In the end, the prince ends up marrying the neighboring princess, leaving the Little Mermaid alone. On the day of the wedding her sisters show up with a knife from the Sea Witch, and if she lets the princes blood drip on her feet, she will be able to return to her life as a mermaid.

In the end, she is unable to kill the prince and throws herself and the knife into the ocean, and she becomes sea foam. Now you may think that this is the end of the tale. However, she does not cease to exist. She has become a daughter of the air, she is given a chance to earn her soul by doing good deeds for 300 years, and will one day rise into the Kingdom of God.



Beauty and the Beast



Originally titled, “La Belle et la Bête“ was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740. Although the story we know is fairly similar to the original, there are a few key differences. She lives with her father, who is a widower merchant and has six children in total. Of course, Beauty has much more beauty inside and out. While their father is away, they often treat her as a servant. On one trip, he asks his children if they want anything brought back as a gift Beauty asks for a rose as they don’t grow where they live, while the others ask for more lavish gifts.

Upon his arrival, he finds that his ship’s cargo has been seized to pay his debts and cannot buy his children gifts. On his way
back, he stumbled upon a castle, and since it is empty, he stays the night. In the morning when he leaves, he notices a rose garden only to remember that it was the one thing Beauty asked for. He gets caught by the Beast and finds out he must pay for this with his life. When the Beast finds out that the flower is a gift he agrees for him to go back if he or one of his children returns. The Beast sends him on his way with money, jewelry, and fine clothes for the other children. Once he arrives home, he tries to hide the secret from his children, but Beauty pries it from him. His sons say they will go out and fight the Beast, in the end, Beauty ends up going.

Once she arrives, she is informed that she is the mistress of the castle and he is her servant now. Each night, after supper the Beast asks for her hand in marriage, but she must decline as she sees him only as a friend. The Beast doesn’t know, but she has fallen for a prince, the man in all of the pictures in the castle. She assumes that the prince is being held captive and spends most days looking for him.  

After months of luxurious living, Beauty breaks down and admits that she is homesick. The Beast allows her to go home, as long as she comes back on time or else he will die. She sets off back home with a magic mirror and ring; the ring will allow her to return to the castle. Once back, her sisters are very envious of the life she has been living and try to sabotage her from going back in hopes the Beast will eat her alive. They go so far as to put onions in their eyes to make it appear as they’ve been weeping. She feels guilty for breaking the promise and uses the mirror to see the Beast, and she sees him laying half dead near the rose bush.

Once she returns, she weeps over his lifeless body, and when her tears hit his body, he morphs back into the prince he once was.