From 'Cinderella' to 'The Bear Prince': International Fairy Tales Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
From 'Cinderella' to 'The Bear Prince': International Fairy Tales Quiz
Image: Bettmann/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Every culture has its fairy tales to teach and entertain, but you may be surprised to learn how the themes of these stories transcend borders. Take our quiz to see how much you know about tales from nations near and far.
The 2013 film "Frozen" is based on a story by this fairy tale master.
Brothers Grimm
Hans Christian Andersen
Aesop
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The adventures of Anna and Elsa in a little film called "Frozen" are based on a 19th-century tale by Hans Christian Andersen called "The Snow Queen."

What is the name of the young girl in "The Snow Queen"?
Gretel
Anna
Gerda
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Danish tales focuses on the lives of a young girl named Gerda and her best friend, a boy named Kay.

True or false: In the original "Cinderella" fairy tale, the wicked stepsisters finally get what they deserve for their bad behavior.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the fairy tale that inspired the much kid-friendlier Disney classic, the stepsisters chop off portions of their own feet to fit the glass slipper and eventually have their eyes pecked out by pigeons.

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In what country did the story of Cinderella originate?
Spain
Russia
Germany
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Cinderella" is a German story written by the Brothers Grimm during the mid-19th century.

What was Sleeping Beauty's name in the fairy tale version of the story?
Talia
Tanila
Tasha
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The early version of the Sleeping Beauty story originated with Basile of Naples in 17th century Italy. The sleepy princess in the tale was named Talia.

Who awakens Sleeping Beauty in the original fairy tale?
her father
her baby
her prince
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the story, the prince heroically tracks down the sleeping princess, then rapes her. She eventually gives birth to twins, who wake her from her slumber by sucking a splinter out of her finger.

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What country did the tale of Pinocchio originate in?
Germany
Italy
France
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Pinocchio" was written by Italian Carlo Collodi in 1881. The original story ends with Pinocchio being hung from an oak tree.

What happened to the talking cricket in the "Pinocchio" fairy tale?
lived happily ever after
married and had baby crickets
killed by Pinocchio
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the original story, Pinocchio gets tired of the talking cricket acting as his conscience, so he smashes the cricket with a hammer.

How old are the earliest written versions of "The Thousand and One Nights"?
9th century
14 century
17 century
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The oldest written scraps of this collection of Arabic tales dates back to the 9th century.

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True or false: In the fairy tale version of "Aladdin," the plucky street urchin is killed by the genie.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Aladdin" is one of those rare fairy tales with a happy ending. Aladdin ends up rich, marries the sultan's daughter and lives happily ever after.

How many thieves did Ali Baba have to deal with to get his hands on the treasure?
20
40
100
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In another tale from "The Thousand and One Nights," Ali Baba outsmarts 40 thieves in order to steal the treasure they've hidden in a cave.

Where do the 40 thieves hide when trying to trick Ali Baba?
piles of hay
barrels
oil jars
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The thieves hide in oil jars, where they are killed when Morgiana pours hot oil into the jars.

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How many voyages does Sinbad undertake?
three
five
seven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sinbad, or Sindbad the Sailor, must complete seven dangerous voyages in Basra, or modern Iraq.

What classic fairy tale was written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont?
"Rapunzel"
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Snow White"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Beaumont wrote "Beauty and the Beast" in the 18th century. The story is similar to modern versions of the tale, except in the story, Beauty has two sisters who get turned into stone thanks to their wicked ways.

What grew into the tiny girl Thumbelina?
magic beans
stones
barley seed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the Danish fairy tale, an old witch gives Thumbelina's mother a barley seed, which eventually grows to form a tiny girl.

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Who wrote "The Little Mermaid"?
Brothers Grimm
Hans Christian Andersen
Basile of Naples
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This 19th century tale comes from Danish fairy tale master Hans Christian Andersen.

True or false: The Little Mermaid marries the prince in the fairy tale version of the story.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sorry, Disney. In the fairy tale, the prince marries someone else, and the poor mermaid is turned into sea foam.

How do Hansel and Gretel kill the witch?
hit her with a chair
bury her alive
burn her in the oven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hansel and Gretel trick the witch to get her into the oven, then cook her so they can escape (to the parents that abandoned them in the woods).

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What creature had entirely too much leisure time compared to the hardworking ants?
grasshopper
turtle
sparrow
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Aesop's tale "The Ant and the Grasshopper," the ants work hard to prepare for winter, while the grasshopper fails to stock up for the coming cold weather.

What country were Asbjornsen and Moe from?
Sweden
Norway
Iceland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Asbjornsen and Moe were the Brothers Grimm of Norway, who compiled classic Scandinavian fairy tales in the 19th century.

Where did the tale of "Cannatella" originate?
Spain
France
Italy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Italian Giambattista Basile penned this 17th-century tale of the princess who was destined to wed a man with golden hair and teeth.

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Which of the following was NOT one of the "Bremen Town Musicians"?
frog
cat
rooster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In this tale by the Brothers Grimm, a cat, hound, rooster and donkey travel to Bremen Town to find careers as musicians.

What country has tales centered around a sea ghost named Draugen?
Norway
Japan
South Africa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many Norwegian stories focus on either Draugen the sea ghost or his inland counterpart, Nixie the river sprite.

What creature eats Tom Thumb in the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm?
whale
lion
wolf
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Thumb ends up inside of a wolf but is rescued when his father cuts the wolf open to free him.

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True or false: In the Brothers Grimm version of "Snow White," the dwarves have no names.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the German fairy tale, the dwarves are unnamed. The silly names they are associated with today are strictly a Disney creation.

What happens to the wicked queen in the "Snow White" fairy tale?
shot by an arrow
dances to death
eaten by wolves
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The wicked queen in the story is invited to Snow White's wedding, where she is forced to dance to death in hot iron shoes.

What are "The Emperor's New Clothes" made of?
chain mail
nothing
silk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In this Hans Christian Andersen tale, a gullible emperor parades naked through town after being swindled into buying invisible clothes.

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True or false: In the Brothers Grimm story, Rapunzel pulls her prince into the tower, and they live happily ever after.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Grimm version of the story is much grimmer. Rapunzel is cast out into the desert, where she gives birth to twins. The prince ends up blind and must wander the desert for years to track down his family.

What country did "The Bear Prince" originate in?
Australia
Mexico
France
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In this Mexican fairy tale, a young girl agrees to marry a bear in order to save the lives of her family.

What kills the frog-woman in a traditional Spanish fairy tale?
chicken bones
venomous snake
pack of wolves
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After turning chicken bones into gold, the frog-woman is killed when a flying chicken bone hits her in the head.

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You Got:
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