ABSTRACT
Different versions of fairy tales use incredibly different language but somehow remain recognizable. Within certain fairy-tale texts exist linguistic anchors, phrases that are recognizably stable among version. These linguistic anchors stabilize tales, create opportunities for playful linguistic variation, and come to represent tales outside the context of specific tale performances. Altogether, while the language of the fairy tale may be incredibly dynamic, these pockets of linguistic stasis help create the balance between tradition and variation.
