ABSTRACT
One of the most well-known, most loved, and most influen-tial genres of literature is the fairy tale. Since it was originally a product of oral tradition, this genre dates back, not just to the Middle Ages or biblical times, but to well before recorded history itself. Oral literature inevitably precedes written culture, and the earliest written records in almost every culture acknowledge the preexistence of fairy tales. In addition to its oral popularity, the fairy tale genre has enthralled millions of readers through numerous published collections of folklore-such as those produced by the Grimms and Andrew Lang-as well through its cultivation by literary notables such as Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, John Ruskin, William Makepeace Thackeray, Oscar Wilde, and L. Frank Baum. This long and diverse heritage makes the task of defining the genre difficult, especially in light of its dual existence in folklore and belles lettres.
