When I went to UPenn, I took an introductory class in folklore. I had this idea in my head that I loved really old stories, like the ones you hear sitting around the campfire or as a child before going to bed. In retrospect, while I got an A in the class because I was damned if I was going to get anything less, I found the analysis of old stories quite tedious; over-analysis killed the fairytale for me.
Fast forward to today, drinking coffee in the mid-afternoon, reading my email, browsing through sites recommended by Utne, the ubermagazine of all magazines. Along comes a link to a fairytale generator!
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/FR0133/Fairytale_Generator/gen.html
Using all the components of standard fairytales (examples include departure, receipt of a magical agent, transfiguration, and wedding), you too can become a creator of tall tales! The generator is imperfect, of course, but still, the results are whimsical and entertaining! Give it a try!
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