Zipes, Jack. 1986. Don't Bet On The Prince. New York: Methuen. ISBN: 0-416-01381-3.
Don't Bet On The Prince is a collection of fairy tales edited by Jack Zipes. These fairy tales are written from the feminist perspective. They seek to present a more realistic picture of life than the typical fairy tales of the past. In these stories, women are not passive, quiet, submissive, obedient�yet beautiful�victims. Many of these writers saw traditional fairy tales sending the wrong types of pictures to children. For example, beauty equals virtue; ugliness equals vice. And of course one major problem with "traditional" fairy tales is that women are shown not as clever or resourceful (or capable) but as completely reliant on men. Men were the heroes, the rescuers. Women had to wait for men to "save" them.
The book is divided into three sections. The first section is entitled "Feminist Fairy Tales For Young (And Old) Readers." It has nine stories. Some stories are more original than others; that is some stories are retellings of traditional stories. In the first story, "The Princess Who Stood On Her Own Two Feet" for example shows how the heroine learns that she has to be true to herself. At first, she tried to mold herself into her suitor's "perfect" woman. He didn't like the fact that she was taller than him, so she pretended she was paralyzed. He didn't like the fact that she talked so much�was intelligent�so she pretended she was mute. Eventually, she learns that her happiness is more important than trying to pretend to be something she is not. She learned to be proud of who she was. She saw that she was "perfect" just the way she was�and if she were to marry�the man would have to love her just as she was. She couldn't be passive, submissive, and weak. "Moon Ribbon" by Jane Yolen is a unique twist on Cinderella. (Another variation of Cinderella is Judith Viorst's "and Then The Prince Knelt Down and Tried to Put the Glass Slipper on Cinderella's Foot.") Overall, I enjoyed the stories in this section. Contributors include: Jeanne Desy, Tanith Lee, Jay Williams, Angela Carter, Joanna Russ, and Jack Zipes�among others.
The second section is entitled "Feminist Fairy Tales For Old (and Young) Readers." There are seven stories in this section. Contributors include: Margaret Atwood, Michael de Larrabeiti, Tanith Lee, Sara Henderson Hay, Olga Broumas, Anne Sexton, and Meghan B. Collins. Honestly, the stories in this section were not as enjoyable to me. It includes several poems which I found were "beyond" my understanding. The most interesting story is "Malagan and the Lady of Rascas." In that story, a lord is preparing to fight in the crusades. He's worried that his young and beautiful wife will be unfaithful, so he asks the court magician to turn her into a hideous beast. Years pass, the wife grows accustomed to her appearance�as do the tenants. Everyone accepts her as she is. The lord returns from battle. He sees his ugly wife. The magician is long gone�thought to be dead�and he's stuck with an "ugly" wife. His solution is to lock her away in a tower and pretends she doesn't exist. More years pass, an old magician appears at the court. He tries to undo the spell, or so he claims. In actuality, he turns the lord into an equally ugly beast. The wife helps her husband with his change�and through the process�he realizes that beauty is superficial. He loves his wife more than he ever did before. He learns what it means to love. He obtains all sorts of virtues on account of his misfortunes. I would definitely say that story is one of the best in the collection.
The third section is feminist literary criticism. Contributors include Marcia Lieberman, Sandra Gilbert, Susan Gubar, Karen Rowe, and Jack Zipes. These four essays would be useful to scholars studying fairy tales�but are essentially useless to the average reader looking for a good story.
This collection emphasizes the humanity of women. Women are not seen as weak, good, helpless, feeble, unintelligent, reliant, obedient, submissive, beautiful creatures in need of men. Women are seen as strong and intelligent. Some women find true love with men. Other women learn to rely on themselves without men. Marriage is not portrayed as "bad" or as "good." In traditional fairy tales, marriage is the only option for women. Marriage is seen as "perfect." The reality is that marriage is hard work, and that it isn't "happily ever after." Men, women, and marriage are all presented more realistically.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection of stories. These "new" fairy tales contain applaudable morals and messages to today's girls�and children in general. The book addresses the strengths and weaknesses of traditional fairy tales and asks some thought-provoking questions. The stories and poems themselves are, for the most part, entertaining. While this book wouldn't be considered "entertaining" by everyone�I think there is a definite value in this collection. (I don't think this book would be considered as "entertaining" as a picture story book of "Cinderella", but I think it is quality material.)
Culture Six is an assortment of miscellaneous cultures.