The Persecuted Maidens fairy tale type includes ...

Blue Beard

“Blue Beard.” Histories or Tales of Past Times Written for Children Told By Mother Goose with Morals, Charles Perrault, edited by J. Saxon Childers, London: The Nonesuch Press., 1925, pp. 30-40.

Tale Summary There was once a rich man who unfortunately had a blue beard, which made him so ugly that women hated him (it did not help, also, that he had several wives before, and no one knew what had become of them). He had a neighbor with two beautiful...

Blue Beard with a Knife

“Blue Beard.” Old French Fairy Tales, Charles Perrault, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1899, pp. 126-137.

Tale Summary A rich gentleman called Blue Beard is unable to find a new wife due to his unusual beard and rumors about his missing wives. After lavishly entertaining a group of ladies, the youngest daughter of a noble lady decides to marry him. He gives his wife a set...

Screenshot of first page of the tale, text only (French), "Griselidis Nouvelle".

“Griselidis Nouvelle.” Griselidis Nouvelle avec le conte de peau d’asne, et celuy des souhaits ridicules, Charles Perrault, Quatrième édition, Paris, Jean-Baptiste Coignard, 1695, pp. 5–62.

Tale Summary Griselidis Nouvelle tells the story of a young and valiant Prince who distrusts women. He is beloved by his people, who urge him to marry in order to have an heir, but his jealousy prevents him from seeking a wife. One day while hunting he gets lost and...

Screenshot of first page of the tale, text only (French), "Peau d'asne".

"Peau d'asne." Griselidis Nouvelle avec le conte de peau d’asne, et celuy des souhaits ridicules, Charles Perrault, Quatrième édition, Paris, Jean-Baptists Coignard, 1695, pp. 1-36.

Tale Summary A princess lives in the palace with her parents the king and the queen, surrounded by interesting people and horses, and a donkey with big ears that, instead of producing waste, produces gold coins. The queen grows ill, and makes the king promise to only marry another woman...

Screenshot of the first page of the tale, text only, "The princess in the Coffin".

“The Princess in the Coffin.” Danish Fairy Tales, Svendt Grundtvig, translated by J. Grant Cramer, Boston: The Four Seas Company, 1919, pp. 45-58.

Tale Summary In this Danish rendition of the Princess in a Coffin tale type, you observe a king and queen that are unable to naturally bear a child, so they must seek the help of a wise old woman to fulfill their desires. The queen becomes pregnant after she fulfills...

Ink Illustration of a queen kneeling in the forest eating a bud at the base of a tree.

“The Princess in the Chest.” The Pink Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1897, pp. 57-72.

Tale Summary Although it is modified for children, this version of The Princess in the Chest closely follows the typical narrative arc of this tale type. The tale begins with a king and queen who cannot have children. Instructed by a wise woman, the queen has a daughter, but the...

The Maiden and the Angel

Brothers Grimm. “The Maiden without Hands.” Grimm’s Household Fairy Tales, translated by Ella Boldey, with illustrations by R. André, New York: McLoughlin Bros., 1890, pp. 150-154.

Tale Summary The tale begins with an old man, the antagonist, who approaches a poor miller about an exchange for wealth for what is standing behind the mill (the miller was unaware that his daughter was standing behind the mill). Three years later the old man came to claim his...

Bluebeard's wife

“Bluebeard.” In Fairyland: Tales Told Again. Chisholm, Louey, illustrated by Katharine Cameron, New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904, pp. 6-12.

Tale Summary There once was a man who was incredibly rich, far richer than any other. He had a downfall in his appearance: a blue beard that no women liked to look at. He wished to marry one of two daughters, and since they both did not want to marry...

Donkey skin

“Donkey Skin.” The Grey Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1905, pp. 1-16.

Tale Summary The King has a donkey that at night pours gold out of its ears. Before the Queen dies, she says that the king should remarry a woman more beautiful than she is. The King wants to marry his adopted daughter, but she doesn’t want to. So she runs...

Gacieuse et Percinet First Page

"Gracieuse et Percinet." Les contes des fées. Tome premier, Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy, Paris, Chez Claude Barbin, au Palais sur la second perron de la Sainte-Chapelle, 1698, pp. 1-71.

Tale Summary The king and queen have a beautiful and beloved daughter named Gracieuse, who is admired far and wide. The ugly duchess Grognon is filled with jealousy. The queen dies, and after a year of mourning, the king goes out on a hunt and stops at the duchess's castle...