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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

Why are nursery rhymes and fairytales so dark?

A Gustave Doré engraving inspired by Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood
A Gustave Doré engraving inspired by Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood. Photograph: PHAS/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Why are so many traditional stories for children, be they folk stories, fairytales or nursery rhymes, so dark, creepy or macabre? Rachel Parks, West Yorkshire

Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.

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