The Donkey (fairy tale) facts for kids
The Ass, also known as The Donkey or The Little Donkey (which is Das Eselein in German), is a famous fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. You can find it in their well-known book, Grimms' Fairy Tales.
About This Fairy Tale
This story is listed as KHM 144 in the Grimms' Fairy Tales collection, a number it has had since the second edition of the book. It's interesting because this particular tale wasn't heard directly from people telling stories. Instead, Wilhelm Grimm, one of the Brothers Grimm, rewrote it from a much older Latin story called Asinarius, which dates back to the 1300s.
What Kind of Story Is It?
Fairy tales are often grouped into different types based on their main ideas. This helps people who study them understand how stories travel and change over time. "The Ass" fits into a category called Aarne-Thompson tale type 430. This type is often called "The Ass" or "The Donkey Bridegroom."
Understanding the Story's Theme
Stories also have "motifs," which are like recurring ideas or elements. A key motif in "The Ass" is D721.3, which means "Disenchantment by destroying skin (covering)." This usually happens when a magical creature or person is trapped in an animal form, and they can only return to their true self by shedding or destroying the animal skin they are wearing. In this tale, it's about a donkey who needs to break free from his animal shape.
