MOST OF US have a favorite fairytale, one whose peculiar blend of magic and danger we recall clearly at any age. But which aspect explains the story’s enduring hold—the glittering enchantment, or the dark violence that undercuts it? Consider “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Do we remember the dozen flawlessly beautiful sisters, the forest of gold, silver, and diamond trees they slip into each night to dance their shoes to pieces? Or do we remember their dark side: that they drug their suitors to protect their fun, unruffled when the prank turns fatal? Probably we remember both.
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