Nearly every animated Disney classic begins and ends the same way, from “Once upon a time” to “happily ever after.” When it comes to the centuries-old fairy tales that often serve as source materials for these wholesome films, though, it’s not always so cut and dry. Did you know that The Frog Princess doesn’t end with a kiss? Or that Cinderella has no fairy godmother, and there’s a lot more blood at the end? We’re summarizing the original fairy tales that inspired some of the most memorable animated Disney films of all time.
— Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes