How we cite our quotes: (Tale.Page)
Quote #1
Soon the twig grew and quickly became a beautiful tree. Three times every day Cinderella would go and sit beneath it and weep and pray, and each time, a little white bird would also come to the tree. Whenever Cinderella expressed a wish, the bird would throw her whatever she had requested. (Cinderella.80)
Yeah, it sucks when your mother dies, but Cinderella teaches us to turn lemons into lemonade: pray at the tree growing over your mother's grave, and it'll help you get ahead in life. Definitely a smart strategy for young orphans, and a useful lesson for budding adults.
Quote #2
[Hans] met the shabby little man in gray clothes, who asked him what he had in the basket. In reply, Hans said that he had apples for the king's daughter to help her regain her health. "Well," said the little man, "then so be it, and so shall it remain." (The Griffin.489)
Characters like Hans demonstrate their maturity by telling the truth about their intentions, even to weird-looking strangers in the forest. And that almost always pays off.
Quote #3
Since the old woman had spoken so kindly to her, the maiden plucked up her courage and agreed to enter her service. She took care of everything to the old woman's satisfaction and always shook the bed so hard that the feathers flew about like snowflakes. In return, the woman treated her well: she never said an unkind word to the maiden, and she gave her roasted or boiled meat every day. (Mother Holle.89)
Being a humble and hardworking young person is pretty much the way to guarantee that you are treated as an adult. Which is kind of still true today, right?
Quote #4
My God!" exclaimed the old man. "You are indeed my son," and the love for his child aroused his heart. "But," he added, "how can you be my son? You're a grand gentleman and live in wealth and luxury. How did you come by all of this?" (The Master Thief.553)
Kids change when they grow up, sometimes so much that even their own parents don't recognize them. The son's physical appearance being different than his father remembers also reflects how he has changed. No longer their little darling, he's now a professional thief with a rather loose set of morals. So yeah, the parenting didn't go so well in this one.
Quote #5
[T]he second son set out to look for the golden bird. Like the oldest son, he too met the fox, who gave him good advice that he did not heed. He came to the two inns and saw his brother at the windows of the inn in which there were sounds of carousing. When he his brother called out to him, he could not resist; he went inside and began living only to satisfy his lust. (The Golden Bird.200)
Part of being an adult involves delaying pleasure and gratification. But we can start that tomorrow….
Quote #6
Now the maiden lived all alone in the cottage. She kept herself bust by spinning, weaving, and sewing. The blessings of the good old woman graced everything she did. It seemed as though the flax in the room increased by itself, and whenever she had woven a piece of clothing or a rug or had sewn a shirt, then a buyer immediately appeared and gave her plenty of money. (Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle.546)
Being industrious is a good way to attract a wealthy patron or mate. Double bonus points for girls who are awesome at domestic tasks. In this case, a prince chooses to marry this maiden because she embodies being simultaneously rich and poor (the implication being that external poverty is okay if you're industrious and humble). And if the goal of growing up is to get yourself hitched, well this is definitely one way to go about it.
Quote #7
The gate was locked, but she was prepared to take out the drumstick. Yet, when she began unfolding the cloth, she found it was empty. […] She wanted to rescue her brothers but did not have a key to the glass mountain. So the good sister took a knife, cut off a little finger, stuck it in the gate, and was fortunate enough to unlock it. (The Seven Ravens.92)
Sacrifice. It's not for the weak. You didn't need that finger anyway, right?
Quote #8
The witch intended to close the oven door once Gretel had climbed inside, for the witch wanted to bake her and eat her too. But Gretel sensed what she had in mind and said, "I don't know how to do it. How do I get in?" […] Then Gretel gave her a push that sent her flying inside and shut the iron door and bolted it. (Hansel and Gretel.57-58)
Gretel has spent a lot of this tale crying (when their parents abandon them multiple times, when the witch captures them, and so on), but in this scene she finally grows up and shows that she has what it takes to survive childhood.
Quote #9
At length the three of them traveled together and came to an anthill. The two oldest wanted to smash it and watch small ants crawl around in fright and carry away their eggs, but Simpleton said, "Leave the little creatures in peace. I won't let you disturb them." (The Queen Bee.232)
Once a bully, always a bully. Kindness always goes a long way in fairy tales, especially when it comes to gaining help that aids you in winning a princess's hand. Being a brute, on the other hand, probably means you'll remain princess-less for a while yet.
Quote #10
There is also another tale about how Little Red Cap returned to her grandmother one day to bring some baked goods. Another wolf spoke to her and tried to entice her to leave the path, but this time Little Red Cap was on her guard. (Little Red Cap.95-96)
Learn your lessons, children. Or get eaten by a wolf and never advance to adolescence or adulthood.