12 Gruesome Scenes from Fairy Tales That Disney Wisely Decided to Gloss Over

Ah, the Grimm brothers. Grimm by name and even grimmer by reputation. When they first started gathering dark, bloodsoaked folktales and publishing them in the early 1800s, we’re pretty sure they didn’t expect them to comprise a multi-billion dollar empire. Especially since little Walt Disney (also of German descent) and the act of filmmaking itself wouldn’t be born for another century. Although those early Disney flicks have a darker, “old world” tone, Walt went the much safer route by excluding a ton of that grim Grimm Bros. content.

And it wasn’t just the Grimms. A ton of other well-known Disney classics are from other old school fairy tales that, for some reason, are sinister as all hell. What’s with the fairytales of yesteryear? Did no one think that children were into pleasant little stories about singing forest animals that happen to end with a princess kissing a prince? Nope! We guess one princess just had to be seven years old, huh? Disney left that part out, but maybe Woody Allen would have left that in. Snap! Here’s that and 11 other gruesome fairy tale scenes that Disney wisely decided to gloss over. 

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.