The folklorist Alan Dundes once said "In fairy tales, the protagonists are almost always sons or daughters, not parents." Sadly, he did not mention any exceptions. I've decided to rectify that by offering readers a list of tales with dads and moms as the leads.
1. “Rau-Whato” in Treasury of Maori Folklore by A.W. Reed.
A father sacrifices himself to save his son while the mother swims their child to safety.
A father sacrifices himself to save his son while the mother swims their child to safety.
2. “The Stolen Bairn and the Sidh” in Thistle and Thyme, Tales and Legends from Scotland by Sorche Nic Leodhas.
A widow goes on a long journey to retrieve her son from the fair folk.
3. “Two Girls Kidnapped by a Kayéri” in Folk Literature of the Cuiva Indians by Johannes Wilbert & Karin Simoneau.
A man slays a monster to save his daughters.
4. "The Twelve Months" in Folktales of Greece by Geōrgios A. Megas.
Two women do everything possible to feed their children.
5. "The North Wind's Gift" in Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino & George Martin.
A father confronts a nature spirit to provide for his wife and kids.
6. "Glara Saves His Sons" in Trickster Tales: Forty Folk Stories from Around the World by Josepha Sherman.
A father saves his sons from the lion that wants to eat them.
7. “How Wungala Defeated a Wulgaru” in Tales from the Aborigines by W.E. Harney.
A woman outwits a monster and protects her son in the Outback.
8. “The Ogres and the Infant” in From Our Mothers' Hearths: Bukusu Folktales and Proverbs by Namulundah Florence.
A mother retrieves her child from a group of cannibalistic creatures.
9. “The Vampire Skeleton” in Iroquois Stories: Heroes and Heroines, Monsters and Magic by Joseph Bruchac.
A woman carries her child to safety as a monster chases them.
10. "The Robber and His Sons" in The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jack Zipes.
A man tells a queen stories to free his children from incarceration.
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