What would it be like to live in a land where having two eyes made you "different"? In this humorous variant of Cinderella, the tale of One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes!: A Very Grimm Fairy Tale is about a young girl, named Two-Eyes, who is teased daily because she is not normal like her two evil sisters. She has two eyes, while her older sisters have one eye and three eyes, respectively. Two-Eyes is always hungry because she only gets leftovers from her wicked sisters. They are ashamed of her, give her hand-me-downs, and make her take the family goat out to graze every day. As the story unfolds, Two-Eyes discovers from an old lady that her goat is a magical resource that can give her all the food she could ever need. Two-Eyes also receives a seed from the old lady to create “a tall tree with leaves of silver and apples of gold.” These occurrences allow Two-Eyes to eat whenever she pleases. Little did she know, the ‘old lady’ was actually a fairy godmother! One day, a knight in full armor rides through and has two eyes, to One-Eye and Three-Eyes’ astonishment! He wants an apple, but only Two-Eyes is able to provide for him. He gives her a wish, and she gets to spend forever with the knight in his castle!
One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes!: A Very Grimm Fairy Tale embodies the elements of a fairy tale with magical characters, an idealized moral where good triumphs over evil, and a cheerful “happily ever after” ending. This amusing fairy tale has many elements and motifs of traditional literature. The characters are stereotypical with one very good sister, two evil sisters, and a heroic, old woman who symbolizes her fairy godmother. The magical old woman appears in the story to assist Two-Eyes with the unfortunate circumstances with her sisters. She gives Two-Eyes magical quotes to recite to help her acquire food when she is hungry, and a magical song to sing to put her wicked sisters to sleep while she eats her magical fare. She also gives Two-Eyes a charmed goat to bring her food, and an apple tree made of silver leaves and edible, gold apples. Trickery is also involved when Two-Eyes sings the magical song to make them sleep while she consumes her delightful meals. The use of the numbers one, two, and three in the title of the book and in the names of the characters, is a common motif in traditional literature. Repetitive Phrasing is also a motif used in this tale when Two-Eyes repeats her magical spell, “Bleat, goat, bleat. And bring me lots to eat!” and her song, “Is your eye awake, is your eye asleep?” The plot is symbolic of a fairy tale. It is predictable because Two-Eyes repeatedly defeats the evil of her sisters and ultimately wins the heart of the handsome knight with the help of her magical fairy godmother.
I loved this book because it is a great way to portray the tale of Cinderella in an entertaining yet different way. I would use it in my classroom because it teaches children how to treat others fairly and not to discriminate because of appearance. I also think it would be a great tool to use in the classroom while reading because if children know the story of Cinderella, they might be able to follow along with the outline of the story. It has many characteristics of Traditional Literature, such as numbers, a theme, magic, and more! Overall, I loved this book and thought it was a very cute rendition from the fairytale classic we all know. -Lindsay
We chose this book for our blog this week because of this story’s unique twist on the fairy tale, Cinderella. It is a very charming tale with quirky, fun illustrations that children of all ages will enjoy. I really appreciate that the virtuous character, Two-Eyes is not portrayed as more beautiful than her sisters, but just “different” than they are. Instead of the sisters being portrayed as physically ugly, they are cruel and callous toward Two-Eyes, and that proves to be unfortunate for the both of them. I teach my children to live by the Golden Rule of treating others as you wish to be treated, and One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes!: A Very Grimm Fairy Tale epitomizes this. It primarily teaches children that you should not mistreat others no matter how different they may seem. I hope you will share this story with a child. - Elma
