Favourite Fairy-Tales?

[mainecoon76]

Today I had the pleasure of listening to one of the most brilliant talks I have ever heard (and I've heard many). I attended a small conference about storytelling and its significance for social work, which was highly enjoyable in itself and moreso because I went for professional reasons. This particular talk was held by a literature scientist and professional storyteller who specializes in fairy tales. She began by shutting down the laptop which her predecessor had used for drowning us in powerpoint slides, then told us an Irish folk tale like I've never heard anyone tell a story, and proceeded to talk about the nature of fairy tales and the reasons why they fascinate such a broad audience, and always have. I have a few thoughts on that, being a psychologist with a certain (if very critical) interest in Jung, but hers was a new perspective.

I would have liked to occupy that lady for the rest of the afternoon and possibly the evening, but at least I talked to her briefly and received her card, a few literature tips and the invitation to email her and chat about the subject.

So now I'm highly motivated to brush up my knowledge on fairy-tales. And since it would be nice to get to know a few that aren't as widely known around here, I thought my f-list could give me a few recommodatons? Titles, summaries, links to your favourite fairy-tales?