Putting the Grimm in Fairytale

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

This sinister Grimm tale may be based on true events. A glass window in a church of Hamelin depicts a piper and has an inscription that states in 1284: "By a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced, and lost at the place of execution near the koppen." Even today, no one is sure why the children were taken away or what exactly happened that year.

Moral lesson: You better keep your promise

Snow White And The Seven Dwarf

German scholar Eckhard Sander revealed the story of the fair princess poisoned by her step-mother may have been based on the true story of Margarete von Waldeck, a German countess born to Philip IV in 1533. She fell in love with a Spanish prince, whom her parents disapproved of, then died at the age of 21 under mysterious circumstances. A poisoned apple, perhaps?

Moral lesson: Jealousy is not worth of your time

Rumpelstiltskin

A miller's daughter is locked in a castle and forced to spin straw into gold. Fortunately, Rumpelstiltskin comes to her rescue, spinning straw into gold in return for her valuables. In the end, it doesn't quite work out for Rumpelstiltskin, who suffers the unusual death of being "split in two." The famous name comes from the German word "Rumpelstiltz," a type of goblin found in German mythology.

Moral lesson:  take responsibility for your actions