Oprah is sooo not for children, because it is mostly violent and depression and has a horrible ending. If there is anything good in it then it's not an Opera, I think that it's an opereta, still... doesn't sound like something for kids.
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Have you read German fairy tales?
The original Little Mermaid is a downer.
The violence in Hansel and Gretel, and in the original Cinderella - wow!
Not German fairy tales, but I did read the original Little Mermaid and Cinderella. Little Mermaid isn't a downer - it's just Christian. As for Cinderella, Grimm Bothers stories were not meant for children, but as cautionary folk takes, forget what Disney did to it and to the Little Mermaid.
Little Mermaid lost her voice - forever - and didn't get the prince, either, in the original.
Scare tactics and horror stories seemed to be popular parenting devices.
But I grew up on a farm, with mostly German DNA, and we were expected to be stoic about death and bad things that happen.
The Little Mermaid did get a chance at a human soul, which is better than a prince. Also every time a child does what his parents want him to, her waiting time to get a soul grows shorter. Basically, the end meaning reinforces the values of being good and going to heaven. It's not a German story though, it's from Denmark.
the scary part is learning that your actions have consequences so it makes sense.