Hi Karen and Laura, great to see our little community growing.

I wanted to ask you guys a question and these seemed like the appropriate thread. What is your favourite fairy tale from when you were little? And can you see any similarities between it and the fantasies that you love to read/write?

I'm interested to hear what you think of this. Mine was Alice in Wonderland and I'm sure you can see the similarities between that and Destiny

I remember a story I read when I was a kid, I cannot recall its title. But it was about a chimney sweep child who for some reason I can't also recall, runs away and hides underwater, and there were all these little people living in the river. I know I am very vague on the details, but I really liked the story. If anyone knows what I am rambling on about please tell me. LOL!

Another movie I liked years ago, was a musical called Brigadoon. Had lots of dancing and swirly dresses in it. Gene Kelly and Van Johnson (I think) stumble upon a village in Scotland that only appears every hundred years and of course Gene kelly falls in love. Gene Kelly and co. leave and come back and can't find the town. But their true love brings the town back from its hundred year sleep. After watching the movie I got my mum's wedding dress and put it on and danced around the house like a wirling durbish.

deb

Deb, I'm sure you mean "Water Babies". Gosh that brings back memories - I had a really old copy that was my Dad's when he was a kid. Beautiful and old and falling apart. I'll have to see if Dad still has it and read it again.

Louise, loved The Little Mermaid - ever since the Hans Christian Anderson movie with Danny Kaye - so sad and tragic - yet I adore the Disney version as well. I wonder if my love for tall dark and handsome men comes from Disney's Prince Eric (and how is that for a priceless name!)

I think I've mentioned John Christopher before - my grade seven teacher introduced my to him and I love all of his books. I definitely think my writing style is very similar. His "Prince in Waiting" trilogy is wonderful. I remember reading it over one week at Coolum as a thirteen year old and crying my eyes out for days at the end of it. It's out of print but can still be found in some libraries. My copy is falling to bits!

And now I quite enjoy Dick Francis books. His writing style is sooooo simple, his characters self-depracating and endlessly engaging, and each chapter seems to end on a mystery point which keeps you reading. I love humour and intelligence in a book. The first book I ever started writing ("Tremont Street" - which will also be my name on the chatroom) is very much in his style - I hope!!!

Off the track: Reading "Memoirs of A Geisha" at the moment and though I thought the subject matter could not be less interesting it's excellent. If you are looking for a book with the most original and imaginative similies and metaphors (dozens per page) it's beautiful.

My favourite fairy tale (?????) was the Happy Prince. It's the story of the statue of a prince that has jewels for eyes, the pommel stone in his sword, and in his crown etc etc.

The prince sees all the pain and suffering in his "town/city" and asks a swallow to distribute the jewels to various poor and needy people. In doing this the swallow delays his trip south for the winter and ends up freezing to death. The town council decide to melt the statue down because of his lack of ornamental value.

Not a happy ending you might say! However, God asks all the angels to bring him the most precious things that they can find. One of the Angels takes him the body of the swallow and the "melted heart" of the prince.

It's a bit morbid I guess, but I liked the fact that the sacrifices that the prince and the swallow made were recognised in the end. I think the similarity between this and the fantasies I read now is the fact that they all seem to have an underdog or an anti-hero and that whilst things may not go to plan, there is usually some sort of a "happy" ending.

Oh, I remember the Water Babies. I LOVED that story. I drowned in a past life and the idea of being able to live under water with ease was thrilling to me. I'd completely forgotten it, thank you SO much for reminding me, Deb. That was such a happy memory.

And I've never seen the Danny Kaye version of The Little Mermaid. Thanks for that Alyson, I'll try to look it up.

The Happy Prince. I remember that story now, Karen. I loved it too. It created such an odd mix of emotions in me, sadness and yet such a feeling of rightness about the outcome. I guess it was the first time that I'd considered you could do wonderful things for people and never be found out, never get any glory, and that would still be okay.

Aren't fairy tales wonderful things. I must get my old dog-eared Readers Digest Fairy Tale anthology out and see if I can find the Happy Prince.

I'm definitely going to track down the Water Babies. Wonder who wrote it. Do you remember, Alyson?

Lou, I just looked the author up. It was Charles Kingsley who wrote The Waterbabies. Wonder if you can still get that book these days!

deb

The Danny Kaye movie is "Hans Christian Anderson" where he writes The Little Mermaid for a ballerina. One of my earliest memories - pre school I think was a cartoon serial of The Little Mermaid and I used to get up soooooo early (evne before my Mum) and turn the TV on to see what would happen next. In that version she had to make the prince fall in love with her and she had once sat in a field with him and they spoke of how they loved 'forget me nots' flowers. Then this other girl gave him a bunch and he thought that she was the one he loved. Since he did not fall in love with her the princess had to stab him if she wanted to stay human - but of course she couldn't so she died and became foam in the ocean. I bawled and bawled! It was so sad and beautifula for a little kiddy cartoon!

I supppose this isn't really a fairy tale, but the first story i remember adoring was C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series, it really enthralled me. One of the first sci fi fantasy novels i ever came across was read to my class after lunch every day at school by my grade six teacher. It was John Wynd's 'The Chrysalids'
I loved that book, i couldt wait for reading time every day. Of course, when i got older, i hunted out more books of his and read Day of The Triffids, which was also really good.

To date though, my favourite book/series is Isobelle Carmody's 'The Obernewtyn Chronicles' It has left an indelible mark on me, her writing is so captivating.

I love The Chrysalids. I have re-read it millions of times and still love it. Dozens of times they have threatened to make a movie of it but nothing yet. Last I heard Winona Ryder was hooked up with the project. Hmmm.

I've read The Day of the Triffids, but not The Chrysalids, must grab it to read. And thanks for the title of the Danny Kaye movie, Alyson. I'll look it up at the video library. There are so many movies I want to see, but books take precedence!

One of my fave books when I was 10, was about a girl with special powers. She could move objects just by concentrating on them and willing them to move. She had one green eye and one grey. Can't remember much more, but it was a story our 4th Grade teacher read to us in class and I loved it! If anyone can help me with a title I'd love to read it again. Fi