SOURCE: "Who's Afraid of the Brothers Grimm?: Socialization and Politicization through Fairy Tales," in Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children and the Process of Civilization, Heinemann, 1983, pp. 45-70.

In the following essay, Zipes examines both the social and political messages of the tales and the attempts of later German writers to adapt them according to their own political agendas. Zipes also compares three versions of such stories as "The Frog Prince" and "Snow White " to demonstrate how the Grimms edited the tales to reflect social norms and beliefs.

 The wolf, now piously old and good,
When again he met Red Riding Hood
Spoke: 'Incredible, my dear child,
What kinds of stories are spread—they're wild.

As though there were, so the lie is told,
A dark murder affair of old.
The Brothers Grimm are the ones to blame.
Confess! It wasn't half...