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As some of you might know, I’m writing a novella series retelling fairy tales while weaving in the fruit of the Spirit. Anyhow, my first one was a retelling Beauty and the Beast and was about love. The second one is focusing on joy and is a retelling of Rapunzel. Right now I’m trying to plan the third story which will focus on peace.
I want to retell the Twelve Dancing Princesses (though there is the possibility of doing Hansel and Gretel). The story takes place in the aftermath of a war-torn fantasy land. The rebels are defeated, though there are plenty of dangerous folk abroad to make a story interesting…but I’m rambling.
I currently just have the fairy tale (Twelve Dancing Princesses) that I want to retell and don’t have any idea what I’m doing with it. I’m not asking you guys to think up a story idea for me, but I’m just wondering if you have any thoughts about what you think could be cool twists with this fairy tale or things which have irritated you about it and which you’d change.
Any and all random ideas are welcome… 😉
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
In case you’d like some inspiration, Ruth Sanderson’s paintings and telling of the story is my favorite and the best! You should look it up.
As to what I like and what irritates me about the story, I’ll go remember it and come back 🙂https://rolenahatfield.com/
You know what, I don’t even know this story… can it be briefly sketched? Or do you know where I could read it?
Here’s a snop of the story as it was written from it’s German origins.
Twelve princesses, each more beautiful than the last, sleep in twelve beds in the same room. Every night, their doors are securely locked. But in the morning, their dancing shoes are found to be worn through as if they had been dancing all night. The king, perplexed, promises his kingdom and each daughter to any man who can discover the princesses’ midnight secret within three days and three nights, but those who fail within the set time limit will be put to death.
An old soldier returned from war comes to the king’s call after several princes have failed in the attempt. Whilst traveling through a wood he comes upon an old woman, who gives him an enchanted cloak that he can use to observe them unawares and tells him not to eat or drink anything given to him in the evening by any of the princesses and to pretend to be fast asleep until after they leave.
The soldier is well received at the palace just as the others had been and indeed, in the evening, the eldest princess comes to his chamber and offers him a cup of wine. The soldier, remembering the old woman’s advice, throws it away secretly and begins to snore loudly as if asleep.
The twelve princesses, sure that the soldier is asleep, dress themselves in fine dancing gowns and escape from their room by a trap door in the floor. The soldier, seeing this, dons his magic cloak and follows them. He steps on the gown of the youngest princess, whose cry of alarm to her sisters is rebuffed by the eldest. The passageway leads them to three groves of trees; the first having leaves of silver, the second of gold, and the third of glittering diamonds. The soldier, wishing for a token, breaks off a twig of each as evidence. They walk on until they come upon a great clear lake. Twelve boats, with twelve princes, appear where the twelve princesses are waiting. Each princess gets into one, and the soldier steps into the same boat as the twelfth and youngest princess. The youngest princess complains that the prince is not rowing fast enough, not knowing the soldier is in the boat. On the other side of the lake stands a castle, into which all the princesses go and dance the night away.
The twelve princesses happily dance all night until their shoes are worn through and they are obliged to leave. The strange adventure continues on the second and third nights, and everything happens just as before, except that on the third night the soldier carries away a golden cup as a token of where he has been. When it comes time for him to declare the princesses’ secret, he goes before the king with the three branches and the golden cup, and tells the king all he has seen. The princesses know that there is no use in denying the truth, and confess. The soldier chooses the first and eldest princess as his bride for he is not a very young man, and is made the King’s heir. The 12 princesses are put under a curse for as many nights as they danced with the princes.
https://rolenahatfield.com/
@hope So is the princesses secret dancing castle a hideout from the rebels? Does the shoemaker play a role in your story? I always wondered what the poor shoemaker thought. hehehe!
Oh you’re going to have so much fun with this retelling. The adaptions of this story make it one of my favorite fairy tales, so I’m so glad you’re making your own! The original story is somewhat dark, which is the case with most fairy tales. Oh and I’ll want to read this when it’s finished!https://rolenahatfield.com/
@rolena-hatfield Ooo, I really like Ruth Sanderson’s paintings…I wonder if our library has her retelling of the story?
And a secret castle or hideout; that’s a good idea. 😉
Hmm *slips into rambling mode to think better…no one need take notice*
Why are the princesses dancing? What are they really doing and what are they trying to hide in their nightly disappearances?
Who wants to find out about where they go, and why?
Is the soldier who eventually discovers them on there side or on the king’s side? Or is he the shoemaker who’s upset his shoes aren’t lasting and so is determined to follow and see what the girls are doing to them? And why don’t the shoes last? It’s got to be something more than dancing.
And who is the youngest sister? Is she a double agent, or the only one alert among the group?
*Takes deep breath*
Questions, questions, questions. Stories are only an answer to the writer’s questions. Hey, that actually sounds cool…like something which could be on a shirt. *Chuckles and goes away to design shirt while leaving everyone else to question The Twelve Dancing Princesses to pieces*
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
Ah… I see. Wow, I’ll have to think about it! 😀
Why are the princesses dancing? What are they really doing and what are they trying to hide in their nightly disappearances?
Who wants to find out about where they go, and why?
Is the soldier who eventually discovers them on there side or on the king’s side?I’ll just pick up where you left off @hope *takes a super deep breathe* The king, being the king, if obviously concerned with the rebels.
What exactly was it about the king/kingdom that the rebels were rebelling against? How much do the rebels really know about what they were rebelling against? Why was the king locking the princesses up every night? Was he merely concerned for their protection, or was he trying to hide something much darker?
Why did the soldier decide he would be the one to solve the mystery? Was he concerned for his life in anyway? What was the soldiers motivations for solving the mystery?
Who were the twelve princes who showed up every night? Was the nightly meeting solely for dancing or was there another purpose?
@adry_grace Hmm, I hadn’t thought of those questions. Why are the princesses (though they probably won’t really be princesses in my story) having to sneak out? And who is watching/guarding them? And why?
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
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