Welcome to the third installment of my special bite-sized blog posts going alongside my Fairy Tale Re-Draw project! I hope you’re all well and staying safe. Allow the next few moments to be a welcome escape from the real world; these three tales are especially magical and filled with enough whimsy to make you smile.
If you want to know more about the Fairy Tale Re-Draw Project, you’ll want to have a read of this post I did at the beginning of the project. It has all of the details you need including information on the upcoming zine and the first three fairy tales I posted. You can read about the next three here, and make sure you’re following me on the Puddles of Ink Instagram so that you don’t miss my DAILY uploads, or any behind the scenes sneak peaks! You can also check out the handy Highlight I’ve created in case you’ve missed anything - details on all the art supplies I’ve used are on there too!
Now, without further ado, let’s begin…
The Princess and the Pea
When I was little, my mum used to read me this particular fairy tale from Sally Gardner’s A Book of Princesses, and there was something about the beautiful illustrations alongside this completely enchanting story that made me fall in love with it. I definitely think this may be my favourite of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales, and I think it’s because it’s a little bit different and quite random! You can have a read of it here and see what you think; I’d love to know your thoughts because it’s one that isn’t talked about as much, and yet I think it provokes interesting questions. Appearances being deceiving is one thing, but I find it fascinating how little is said about the fact that, as soon as the princess passes the test, she is seen as legitimate marriage material, even though no one knows a thing about her and she knows next to nothing about the people who have essentially tricked her! I know some critics have said it’s likely to be Anderson poking fun at the importance noble families placed on ensuring pure bloodlines, but many also counter that with the argument that many fairy tales feature this instant-love trope, and that runs through many of Anderson’s tales. What are your thoughts? Let’s have a discussion in the comments!
There are also some interesting discussions around where the story originates from, as although Anderson claimed he’d heard it growing up, there doesn’t seem to be any clues to place its origins in Denmark. This is a really interesting article I’ve found that gives a good run down of potential places of origin including Sweden, Italy and even India.
All of that aside, I adored my original composition for this piece and wanted to keep it as similar as possible, but I knew I’d need to adjust it a little and an injection of colour has really brought it to life. I think it’s potentially my favourite so far - what do you think?
The Spindle, the Spool and the Needle
“Spindle, spindle, go on out,
and bring a Suitor to my house.”
Not much is known about this tale; at number 188, it’s one of the more obscure and lesser-known of the Brothers Grimm’s collection. I’m not entirely sure why it’s not as widely circulated because it’s quite entertaining, mild in terms of the darker themes fairy tales can explore, and it has the conventional happy ending. In fact, even with it’s enchanted tools and whimsical plot, it features a good message about a heroine that develops a skill that she enjoys and is also practical enough to give her an independent income and a stable life, which is such a positive message to send to children.
Have a read of it here and see what you think. I’d love to know if this is a fairy tale you grew up hearing or reading, because I hadn’t come across it until I first attempted this project in 2018! Just like the previous piece, this illustration is incredibly similar to the original too; I just played a little more with the text layout and added a pop of colour. What do you think?
Oh: The Tsar of the Forest
This is one of my favourite new discoveries from my fairy tale research binge back in 2018. I downloaded this collection of Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and as soon as I read it I knew I wanted to include it. You can see my original illustration here and you’ll also be able to see that I didn’t change it much at all - ironically that seems to be the interlocking theme of all three of these pieces! I just loved what I initially came up with and wanted to keep it as close as possible, and I think this really works better with colour. Let me know your thoughts in the comments; have a read of the story or listen to it here, and tell me if you’d have portrayed any other scenes or details - I’d love to know!
A father is disappointed with his son’s inherent laziness and, after a lot of despairing, decides to take him to another kingdom where he can learn to be useful. Along the way, they come across a dark, mysterious forest, and it’s as they’re passing through that they encounter a little old man. If you’re getting Hansel and Gretal vibes then you’re on the right track: I like to think this is a cross between that story and Rumplestiltskin, and you’re either going to really enjoy it or be unnerved by it. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
And just like that, we’ve reached the end of another round-up. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and had fun learning more about the past three fairy tales. Make sure you check out my Instagram tomorrow for the next one, and stay tuned for another blog post on Tuesday!
Thank you for reading!