dec 20, 1794 - Goethe's "A Fairy Tale"

Description:

Goethe’s ellusive Fairy Tale
Goethe’s “Märchen,” known in English as “The Green Serpent and the Fair Lily” or as simply “Fairy Tale” is really a quite extraordinary work. It so brilliantly achieves it’s purpose that it is often published out of context. But removing the context often leaves people baffled, confused and unsure of what to make of this rich but mysterious tale. Placing it in a collection of short stories or anthology of fairy tales further hides its motivation and serves to make it even more confusing. Placing it back into it’s context provides readers with a better understanding of its motivation and provides a better basis for making confident interpretation.

Link to tale text: https://germanstories.vcu.edu/goethe/maerchen_e.html