Victorian times - Bronze Age - William Shakespeare - Grimm Brothers

2-a Go to the link below

2-b  While you listen, say whether these statements are True or False according to the recording

1.       Current film versions of fairy tales are highly original

2.       In Shakespearean times fairy tales had a moral

3.       In Victorian times fairy tales were very dark

4.       The brothers Grimm were the creators of Beauty and the Beast

5.       There is no kiss in the Frog Prince by the brothers Grimm

“Don’t whistle,” said her mother.

“Don’t whistle,” said her father, but the child was good at it and went on whistling.

Years went by and she became a woman. By this time she whistled beautifully. Her parents grieved. “What man will marry a whistling woman?” said her mother dolefully.

“Well,” said her father, “we will have to make the best of it. I will offer half my kingdom and the princess in marriage to any man who can beat her at whistling.”

The king’s offer was duly proclaimed, and soon the palace was jammed with suitors whistling. It was very noisy. Most were terrible and a few were good, but the princess was better and beat them easily. The king was displeased, but the princess said, “Never mind, father. Now let me set a test and perhaps some good will come of it. ”Then she turned to the suitors, “Do you acknowledge that you were beaten fairly?”

“No,” they all roared, all except one, “we think it was magic or some sort of trick.”

But one said, “Yes.” “Yes,” he said, “I was beaten fairly.” The princess smiled and turning to her father she pointed to this man. “If he will have me,” she said, “I will marry him.”

By Suniti Namjoshi (1941 –   )