What is "fairy tale"

fairy tale \fairy tale\ n.

1. a story about magical or mythological creatures, such as fairies, elves, goblins, trolls, orcs, unicorns, wizards, dragons, etc., usually composed for the amusement of children; called also a fairy story.

2. a false story intended to deceive or mislead, especially one involving unlikely events or situations; called also a fairy story.

n. 1 A folktale featuring fairy or similar fantasy characters. 2 An unrealistic story.

1. n. a story about fairies; told to amuse children [syn: fairytale, fairy story]

2. an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse [syn: fairytale, fairy story, cock-and-bull story, song and dance]

A fairy tale (pronounced /ˈfeəriˌteɪl/) is a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, unicorns, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables. The term is mainly used for stories with origins in European tradition and, at least in recent centuries, mostly relates to children's literature.

In less technical contexts, the term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending) or "fairy tale romance" (though not all fairy tales end happily). Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story or tall tale; it is used especially of any story that not only is not true, but could not possibly be true. Legends are perceived as real; fairy tales may merge into legends, where the narrative is perceived both by teller and hearers as being grounded in historical truth. However, unlike legends and epics, they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time rather than in actual times.

Fairy tales are found in oral and in literary form; the name "fairy tale" was first ascribed to them by Madame d'Aulnoy in the late 17th century. Many of today's fairy tales have evolved from centuries-old stories that have appeared, with variations, in multiple cultures around the world. The history of the fairy tale is particularly difficult to trace because only the literary forms can survive. Still, according to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, such stories may date back thousands of years, some to the Bronze Age more than 6,000 years ago. Fairy tales, and works derived from fairy tales, are still written today.

Folklorists have classified fairy tales in various ways. The Aarne-Thompson classification system and the morphological analysis of Vladimir Propp are among the most notable. Other folklorists have interpreted the tales' significance, but no school has been definitively established for the meaning of the tales.

Fairy Tale is the third solo album by Malaysian singer Michael Wong, released on 21 January 2005.

A fairy tale is a story featuring folkloric characters.

Fairy Tale(s) or Fairytale(s) may also refer to:

Fairy Tale is a Canadian LGBT dating television series.

Hosted by Nelson Tomé and produced by Canadian media company Hiltz Squared Media Group, the program premiered on PrideVision in 2003, and aired for two seasons. One of the show's first contestants was comedian Trevor Boris, who was later also a writer for the series.

Fairy Tale is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on October 23, 2002.

Fairy Tale is a non-collectable card drafting game originally released in Japan. It is printed in North America by Z-Man Games.

Josef Suk wrote the music for Julius Zeyer's mythological drama Radúz and Mahulena in 1897-8. It was first performed on 6 June 1898, under the baton of Adolf Čech.

In 1899-1900, Suk extracted a four-movement Suite to this Pohádka (or Fairy Tale). Zeyer greatly impressed Suk. The style and orchestration is much affected by Richard Strauss (who was ten years Suk's elder), although Suk's writing is somewhat simpler. There are harmonic sideslips and turns of phrase that could almost have come out of Strauss's A Hero's Life (1898), yet Suk's manner is essentially simpler (and has at its centre the same lyricism which also makes his earlier Serenade such a delightful piece). Dvořák thought this Suite "music from heaven". The Suite was revised in 1912, and remains one of Suk's most successful works.

The four movements are:

1. About the Constant Love of Raduz and Mahulena and Their Trials
2. Intermezzo. Playing at Swans and Peacocks
3. Intermezzo. Funeral Music
4. Runa's Curse and How It was Broken by True Love

Category:Compositions by Josef Suk Category:Incidental music Category:Orchestral suites Category:1898 compositions