I’ve discussed before that the happy ever after ending is one reason why fairytales remain so popular. Even as children, there is some awareness that life is not always fair (just ask any child who has ever been bullied) and the idea that things will work out all right in the end for the good character is very appealing. But of course where you get a good character, there is their nemesis, the source of their problems in the first place. So what might have happened to some of these characters once Cinderella and co waltzed off into the sunset?
- Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters. My first published story, A Helping Hand, in Bridge House Publishing’s Alternative Renditions anthology, looks at the Cinderella story from the viewpoint of the younger of the ugly sisters. While not giving anything away, I think it is a fair deduction that the stepmother and stepsisters would not have been that welcome at the Court Cinderella would have been in charge of along with new husband, Prince Charming. Banishment I think would have been the likely answer. (And would Cinderella have been that sorry if the stepsisters had to take up cleaning jobs to make ends meet? Probably not!).
- The big bad wolf would have regretted not pursuing an easier target the moment he realised he wasn’t going to escape that cauldron.
- Hansel, Gretel and the Witch. As the advert says, she should’ve gone to Specsavers. Her lack of sight meant she hadn’t realised Gretel was pushing her towards the oven the Witch meant to cook Hansel in. Equally maybe the Witch had some regret about not turning vegetarian. It would’ve meant a quieter, less eventful and above all else longer life.
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