Fairy tales, online tales

Tales (also Fairy tale) is a short epic fictional story in which often appear the supernaturaland and fictional creatures (elves, fairies or dragons). Fairy tales are usually written in prose. Originally it is a folk genre.

Currently, the term tale is used also for stories in which there are actualy no supernatural or fictional creatures. But it almost always have an extremely happy conclusion - so called "fairytale" ending.

There is a distorted image about the fairy tales that  it  always must  ends well and that they are for children only. But a large number of short stories and tall tales is known that are not intended for children and their endings can not be considered as good or uplifting. Such tales are motivating and educational stories about the human qualities that the children were told before they went to sleep.

The primary theme in fairy tales is often struggle between good and evil. Fairy tales for children usually end up winning good. Good and evil is usually represented by some fanciful, fictional beings governing specific, very definite characteristics.

The Czech tales are even in the world considered among the most betifull.

A specific feature of Czech fairy tales is that the evil in them is rarely destroyed, but is only remedied.

Many stories, especially those for children, include a moral appeal. They guide the children to distinguish good and evil and how to deal with it. Unfortunately some contemporary fairy tales began to rely on the plot only. Fantastic motifs of fairy tales in the past were not mere decoration - had its symbolic meaning, often very moral.

Among the best known authors and collectors of fairy tales from all around the world we find names such as Hans Christian Andersen. Among his best known works are The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes. The Brothers Grimm fairy tales are scarier and more adventurous than the tales of others and theirbest known works are Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White.

Among the Czech authors of fairy tales, we must not forget Bozena Nemcova, Karel Jaromir Erben, Jiri Mahen, Jan Drda, Milos Macourek, Jan Karafiat, brothers Karel and Josef Capek, Ondrej Sekora and others.