fairy tale

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Genre of magical story, usually originating in folklore. Typically in European fairy tales, a poor, brave, and resourceful hero or heroine goes through testing adventures to eventual good fortune.

The Germanic tales collected by the Grimm brothers have been retold in many variants. Charles Perrault's retellings include ‘Cinderella’ and ‘The Sleeping Beauty’. The form may also be adapted for more individual moral and literary purposes, as was done by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.

The emblem reflects the Vatican's importance as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The colours of the flag are based on the gold and silver of the papal keys. Effective date: 8 June 1929. >>