purpose of tales

Aside from entertainment, the tales serve as a lesson to the audience. Here are a few highlights of what I've gleaned from the stories.

I was a tad bit confused by the lesson in "The Three Spinsters." While it does demonstrate that you will be rewarded by keeping your word, it gives a conflicting message about lying. The mother lied to the Queen, and therefore received nothing, yet the daughter lied to the Prince and recieved a life of leisure and luxury.

"The Fisherman and His Wife" teaches the audience to be careful with what you wish for and be happy with what you have. I also think it encourages us to stand up for what we believe in -- since the fisherman always complied with his demanding wife (against his better judgement), he never enjoyed a day's rest or peace.

"The Elves" is one of my favorite childhood stories. Although I recall it ending a little differently, the moral of the story is the same: One good turn deserves another.

Although I think "The Queen Bee" emphasizes the same moral as "The Elves," I also believe it points to the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Witling's high regard for others led the creatures to look out for him and help him gain his fortune. His mean brothers, on the other hand, ended up getting what they deserved...