I'm No Cinderella

The fairy tales I remember most are the ones that scared me (like Hanzel and Gretel and The Three Billy Goats Gruff)- not Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. So, though while some women may grow up and fall prey to the Prince of Darkness rather than Prince Charming I grew up being afraid to walk across bridges for fear that some troll might be lurking underneath. Though I did like the black and white movie version of Cinderella starring Leslie Ann Warren and Stuart Damon (the man who would become General Hospital's Alan Quartermaine), for some reason I just didn't internalize the idea that some man with a shoe was going to look high and low to find me. So this definitely doesn't apply to me.

"Young girls who enjoy classic romantic fairy tales like 'Cinderella' and 'Beauty and the Beast' are at greater risk of becoming victims of violent relationships in later life, a British researcher says.

A study of both parents of primary school children and women who have been involved in domestic abuse claims than those who grew up reading fairy tales are likely to be more submissive as adults.

Susan Darker-Smith, a graduate student who wrote the academic paper, said she found many abuse victims identified with characters in famous children's literature and claimed the stories provide 'templates' of dominated women.

A more senior academic at the University of Derby said the topic was sure to spark debate but merited further research.

'They believe if their love is strong enough they can change their partner's behaviour,' Darker-Smith said. 'Girls who have listened to such stories as children tend to become more submissive in their future relationships.'"

Rosa Too Little was actually my favorite childhood story. It was the story off a little girl who was constantly told she was too little to do certain things (I was a teeny thing so I definitely identified with this story). Ultimately, the highlight of the story was that when she learned to write her name, she got a library card and was able to check out books (that, too, was me). Gees, somehow I missed out on the Prince fantasies. I was buried in books as a child and I'm buried in books now! LOL!