On fairy tales

Godmother told Cindy to show up in a pumpkin.
Or did she get the schedule mixed up?

Recently I've been working on re-imagining a fairytale. I hear this genre/trend/mental exercise is hot lately, though sometimes the weakest point of a good story. (Unfortunately I haven't kept up with any of the new fairytale television cutesies. I saw the first episode of Grim, and my brain threw up.)

To be fair, anything that calls itself Grim has a lot to live up to. I grew up listening to the real Grimm tales, and they were really damn grim. As I recall, Cinderella's step mother ended up dancing on red hot iron shoes. It was great. I think it formed me into the cheery person I am today.

But I don't know that I am completely behind the Brothers Grimm interpretations either. The young girls still seemed too innocent. 

The way I see it, there's no reason to lock a girl up in an impenetrable tower to keep her isolated. Not unless she's done something to require this maximum security dragon-guarded prison. And signs do point to criminal behavior. Clearly, Goldilocks could be convicted of breaking and entering. Snow White seemed to have some slave driving mining operation going on. And Rapunzel? She carries a garrote with her everywhere. Don't get me started on Cinderella. 

The powers that be put princesses in towers not as a cruelty, but to try to stem the tide of destruction. But then the much put-upon girls lean their pretty little heads on their hands and sigh out the windows until a prince rides up. One look and the prince can't keep his sword in his pants.

Just one look, and that maximum security prison crumbles. He sweeps her off her feet so her pretty little shoes won't get dragon's blood on them. The poor prince is smitten. He wants to keep her safe. But can he keep his land safe from her?