Definition

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as fairies, globins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants, mermaids or gnomes, or usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies. The stories may nonetheless be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tale

Common elements

§  "Once upon a time" beginnings, mostly in a faraway past time

§  Princesses, princes, kings, queens, and royalty

§  Animals are often animated and can have special abilities

§  Humans can take on unusual forms, such as giants, dwarfs

§  Setting is often enchanted, including kingdoms, castles, and forests

§  Magic is used - wave that magic wand to help your protagonist out!

§  Innocent, good characters, subjected to misfortune or evil misdoings

§  Evil and often powerful antagonists

§  Problems, heightened action, climax, and solutions, all leading to...

§  "They lived happily ever after" endings

§  Fairy tales can often teach a lesson

http://www.everydayteaching.com

FAIRY TALE	SOMEONE GOOD	WANTS	BUT SOMEONE BAD	WANTS	SO
ALADIN	Aladdin’s mother	To find her son	Abanazar	To kill Aladdin	Alladdin finds a secret way out.
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD	Little red riding hood	To take some food to her grandma	The wolf	To trick and eat Little red Riding Hood.	The wolf is discovered by a hunter.
RAPUNZEL	The Prince	To rescue and marry Rapunzel	The witch	To keep kidnapped Rapunzel.	Rapunzel escaped and find the Prince.
PINOCCHIO	Gepetto	To convert Pinocchio in a real boy	The fox	To steal Pinocchio’s money	Pinocchio became a real boy and Gepetto was his father.
CINDERELLA	The fairy godmother	To help Cinderella to feel confident	The Cinderella’s stepsisters.	To try Cinderella as a maid.	Cinderella falled in love with the Prince and they lived happy.