The magical world of fairy tales, with princesses, stepmothers, haunted forests, wise kings, dwarfs, and witches, has always been an integral part of childhood. Dr. Bettelheim wrote this book to help adults understand the irreplaceable significance of fairy tales. By revealing their true content, he shows how these stories can be useful for children and help them navigate their difficult emotional states, anxieties, and fears about the surrounding external world. By selecting the most well-known fairy tales, the famous American child psychologist reveals the mechanisms that operate, consciously or subconsciously, to ultimately support and liberate the child.