Presented at the CiRCE National Conference 2022.

Why should we read tales about a girl who threw a frog against the wall or about a frog becoming a prince? What happens when we read stories about a prince magically hidden in a beast’s form only to be released by the voluntary expressions of a maiden? How do we cultivate wonder and interest in our world? Fairy tales are a fertilizer for the seeds of wonder already present in each person. Fairy tales don’t just include apples; no, they include a world alive with golden apples, fairy godmothers, and coachmen made from rats. Like a young tree that needs staking for its initial year in new soil, the fairy tales provide support for the world around us by showing us magical possibilities. For adults, these tales prompt us to set the world aright once more.