Fairy Tales and the Happily Ever After?

                We all loved fairy tales and most children can tell them to you by heart.  They all begin quite innocently enough with Once Upon A Time……. and end with …….They Lived Happily Ever After. 

                My question for you today is, but what is their reality?  Pretend it has been twenty years since that magical the ceremony in which you were bound to Love, Honor, and Obey your own True Love.  You will take on the persona of a popular and well-known Fairy Tale Hero/Heroine and write a letter to someone about your life over the last twenty years or you may choose to write the letter about the Fairy Tale persona if it can be better told with a different voice.

                Now, in some of the stories, your Happily Ever After might be a big surprise to us as to what they have been doing these last 20 years.  Did they marry, become missionaries, teachers, writers, or what? Some of the stories that would fall into this category are Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Jack & the Beanstalk.  But, briefly write the ending your story if needed and then write your letter.

                If you would like to research some fairy tales from other countries to use, you may do so.  You have three days to select your story or write the ending of a story, before you begin your letter.  If you choose a story I might not know, please furnish me with a copy of it.

Timeline:

Days 1-2: Choosing stories, writing endings to stories we want to use that didn’t have a happily ever after.
Days 3-4: Begin and finish rough draft.
Days 6-8: Editing, revising, reading, typing.
Day 9: Stories will be due at the beginning of class and we will be sharing our letters in class.  Each of you should practice reading your story so that you can do a good job of presenting it.  This will be a separate grade from the written letter grade.

Rough Draft:  Must be hand-written.
Final Draft for grading: Times New Roman, 12 font, margins of  1-inch top and bottom; 1.5 inches on the sides.  Double space, black ink.  Use the Friendly Letter form.


PLEASE SCROLL YOUR DOWN FOR A……..
Very short example:  Based on ‘Little Miss Muffet’ ( I didn’t want to use up one of your fairy tales, so I will use this nursery rhyme as my example.  Also, note that the character herself is not writing this letter.  If your story would be better told from another’s voice, please check with me before beginning.)  Please note that my example is TOO SHORT.  I expect yours to be no less than 250 words not counting the date, heading, closing, and signature.  My example is 180 words.

                                                           December 11, 1743 

Dear Mother,

            As you know I have been visiting my sister, Sarah, these last twenty years monthly without fail here

in the Candy Land Psychiatric Hospital.  She has seen no improvement since her terrible fright-induced

psychotic event when that huge, dreadful old Black Widow spider sat down beside her and frightened poor

Sarah away.

            The police and I searched for her all over Candy Land and finally found her in an old abandoned

barn outside the city limits in a profound catatonic state.  She was transferred to the Psychiatric Hospital at

that time and much expense and effort has gone into an attempt to return her to reality.
         
            Unfortunately, the doctors have given me no hope for her recovery.  Today, during yet another

electrical shock treatment, her heart stopped and she passed on to be with God in His Heaven. 

            I donated her body to the hospital for further research in hopes others might not have to endure

the long, agaonizing journey that was Sarah's.  I do not plan to hold a funeral.  I hope this meets with your

approval, Mother.

Sincerely,
                                                                     
Emily