Excellent post.
Related:
Progressive Google cooperates with Libertarian Telegraph.UK to Honor Founder of Fairy Tale Genre
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3382762/posts
There are something over 800 different Cinderella stories from all over the world. Every culture has it's own version and the French one has a mistranslation, which makes a FUR SHOE, into a GLASS SLIPPER.
I much prefer the gory original versions, which I also did at the tender age of three. :-)
Fairy Tales were originally for ADULT enjoyment. After many years they fell out of favor with adults, but those looking after children ( nannies and such ) still remembered these tales, cleaned them up some, and told them to children.
The famed Bruno Bettleheim claimed that fairy tales were very good for children, as it helped them to get over their fears and how to deal with them.