German Childhood Fairy Tale Quotes

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?"

The moment I hear this phrase I am instantly transported back into a land where witches crave beauty, beautiful princesses survive dark forests in gowns, and 7 little men are whistling while they are working. Many of us have been introduced to fairy tales (Märchen in German) either by Disney or through bed times stories. They were an important part of our language education and sometimes other ethical lessons.

So while you were listening to fairy tales in English, Austrians had the same experience of course in German! In fact, many of the classics came from two German brothers, the Brothers Grimm (die Brüder Grimm or die Gebrüder Grimm), in the 1800s. Below are a list of a few stories with their English and German titles:
  • Little Red Riding Hood- Rotkäppchen (Little Red Hood)
  • Snow White - Schneewittchen
  • Cinderella - Aschenputtel
  • Sleeping Beauty - Dornröschen (Little Rose Thorn)
  • The Frog Prince - Der Froschkönig (The Frog King)
  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin - Rattenfänger von Hameln (Rat-Cather of Hamelin)
Here are some quotes, phrases from some different fairy tales in English and the German equivalent...
  • Fairy tale start: "Once upon a time..."
  • Anfang von Märchen: "Es war einmal..."
  • Snow White: “Mirror Mirror on the wall, Who’s the fairest one of all?”
  • Schneewittchen: "Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand, Wer ist die Schönste im ganzen Land?"
  • The Three Little Pigs: “Or I’ll huff and puff and blow your house in.”
  • Die drei kleinen Schweinchen: "Ich werde strampeln und trampeln, ich werde husten und prusten und dir dein Haus zusammenpusten."
  • Little Red Ridding Hood: “Grandma, what big eyes you have. > All the better to see you with my dear.”
  • Rotkäppchen : “Großmutter, was hast du für große Augen. > Dass ich dich besser sehen kann.”
  • Fairy tale ending: “And they all lived happily ever after.”
  • Ende von Märchen: "Und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute." (And when they didn't die, then they still live today.)
Below are three links to some German fairy tales.

#1 Old Long Live Action Fairy Tales in German

#2 Newer Animated Short Fairy Tales in German


#3 Märchen (es war einmal...) Story text Website


German Exercise for the Week:
Übung für Adjektive 3 - Nominativ und Akkusativ (Level: A2)
This will give you practice with the Nominativ and Akkusativ case adjectives and also provides you a their tables.

Popular posts from this blog

Old year reflections and new year dreams

Image
Being a big fan of self-reflection, I love to think about what is to come in the new year and dream. New Year's resolutions has been seen more now as a shallow promise to make a big change, but I like to think of this more as an opportunity to look back on the previous year and then stop and think about where I want to be, what I would like to do, the possibilities that await. And if you can find a friend or friends who are also into a review, then all the better! Sharing visions and dreams can sometimes really become fuel for a wonderful journey. I've put together 2 small things to get the conversation going. It's not all questions about the meaning of life, but allows for looking into the previous year and then a little thought as what is to come. I recommend this mini reflection workshop below. New Year Reflection Program #1 Find a friend or friends who want to reflect together! Make it a date :) #2 Sit down together and enjoy some snacks and tea/coffee.
Read more

Halfway in the year review (Level 10 Life)

Image
 So it's July and halfway through the year. It felt very good to finish June. The end of a studies and work semester, the completion of different group projects, and participating in 4 concerts was all part of June and despite getting sick the last Friday of the month, it all worked out. And funny enough, once I got the okay that things are settling down, the impulse to think of the future kicked in. Yes, of course I am enjoying this freedom of time with relaxation too. And I think when things slow down, one feel good thing is thinking positively about what is in the present and what is to come. So I looked at what I did last year December, the Old Year Reflections again and my last Level 10 Life. It was a good feeling to see that some things have already been completed, and also a reminder of old ideas. And I was motivated to then re-do my Level 10 Life. What is a Level 10 Life? It's a way to be intentional with your life focus(es). It's a concrete method to reflect and c
Read more

Tool: Online map maker

Image
When you think of world maps, you might think of a history teacher, but generally not a music teacher. But it does come in handy! As a music teacher, part of what we can do is introduce musical instruments to students. Recently another music educator made a really cool lesson about castanets and so I asked if I could use her self-made castanets for Kindergarten students. When introducing the instrument to the students, it's good to mention where the instrument originated. And especially if they are younger students, having visuals is important.
Read more