Disney may have turned classic fairytales into sparkles and singalongs, but the original stories? Oh, they were brutal. These princesses weren’t just waiting for true love’s kiss—they were out here getting cursed, losing limbs, and being straight-up traumatized. Let’s take a look at 15 classic princess fairytales that make Disney’s versions look like a soft-core bedtime story for a plush teddy bear.
1. Cinderella (The Brothers Grimm Version)
In the Disney version, Cinderella gracefully loses a shoe. In the OG fairytale, her stepsisters cut off their toes to fit into the slipper. And the best part? The prince notices the bloody shoe and calls them out.
Meanwhile, Cinderella is chilling with birds that later peck out her stepsisters’ eyes. A true girlboss moment.
2. Sleeping Beauty (Giambattista Basile’s Version)
In Disney’s version, she gets a kiss from a prince. In the original? She doesn’t wake up from a kiss—she wakes up after giving birth. Yeah. She was asleep. And somehow had twins.
I have so many questions.
3. The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen’s Version)
Forget the happy ending with Eric. The real Ariel had to walk around feeling like she was stepping on knives the entire time. And when the prince didn’t pick her? She didn’t just go back to the sea—she turned into sea foam.
Moral of the story: Don’t change for a man. You’ll literally evaporate.
4. Snow White (The Brothers Grimm Version)
Disney’s Snow White gets a little nap from a poisoned apple. In the original? The Evil Queen tries three separate times to kill her. First, she strangles her with a corset, then poisons her with a comb, and finally the apple does the trick.
Oh, and the prince doesn’t wake her up with a kiss—his servants drop her coffin, and the apple just falls out of her throat. True romance.
5. Beauty and the Beast (Villeneuve’s Version)
Disney’s Belle reads books and sings about adventure. The original Belle? She has two evil sisters who try to trap her in the castle forever out of sheer pettiness.
Meanwhile, the Beast just sits around, emotionally damaged, waiting for love. Basically, it’s an 18th-century toxic situationship.
6. Rapunzel (The Brothers Grimm Version)
In the Disney version, Rapunzel’s just a quirky girl with glowing hair. In the original? She gets pregnant in the tower—yeah, the prince was visiting.
When Gothel finds out, she cuts Rapunzel’s hair, blinds the prince, and throws them both into exile. That’s what we call next-level parenting.
7. The Frog Prince (Grimm Version)
Disney makes this a cute love story where a kiss breaks the curse. The real version? The princess gets so annoyed with the frog that she yeets him against a wall.
Boom. He transforms into a prince. No kiss necessary—just pure, unfiltered violence.
8. Thumbelina (Hans Christian Andersen’s Version)
Disney would make you think this is about a tiny girl finding love. Nope. The original is just her getting kidnapped over and over. First, a toad steals her. Then a beetle. Then a mole.
The story is basically: How many men can one woman escape before she finally finds peace?
9. Red Riding Hood (Charles Perrault’s Version)
Disney would’ve had singing woodland creatures. The original? No woodcutter. No happy ending. Just a wolf eating a girl.
The moral of the story was literally “If you talk to strange men, you will die.” Subtle.
10. The Goose Girl (Grimm Version)
A princess is betrayed by her servant, forced to swap identities, and ends up tending geese. How does she get revenge? The king orders the servant’s punishment: She’s put in a barrel lined with nails and rolled down a hill.
Just your average medieval HR policy.
11. Rumpelstiltskin (Grimm Version)
In Disney’s world, the miller’s daughter would’ve figured out a loophole or sung a catchy tune. The original? When Rumpelstiltskin realizes she guessed his name, he rips himself in half out of sheer rage.
Dude just… implodes. Mood.
12. The Six Swans (Grimm Version)
A princess’s brothers are turned into swans, and to save them, she must stay silent for six years. During that time, she’s accused of being a witch and almost burned at the stake.
And you thought keeping secrets was hard.
13. Donkeyskin (Charles Perrault’s Version)
A princess runs away because her father wants to marry her. To escape, she wears a donkey’s skin and hides as a servant.
This is what happens when therapy isn’t available in medieval times.
14. The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Grimm Version)
A king locks his daughters in their rooms every night, but they keep sneaking out to a magical underground dance club.
It’s basically medieval Footloose—except the king hires a spy, and once he catches them, the magic realm disappears forever. The worst bouncer ever.
15. Bluebeard (Charles Perrault’s Version)
A young woman marries a rich guy with a creepy beard. He tells her not to open one specific room. She does—and finds his collection of murdered ex-wives.
Moral of the story: If your man has a secret room, just move out immediately.
Final Thought
These original fairytales weren’t just dark—they were full-blown horror movies with a sprinkle of trauma. So next time someone says Disney “ruined” the classics, just remember: They had to. Because the alternative was princesses getting blinded, cursed, and straight-up murdered.
And somehow, that would be harder to market on a lunchbox.
