As the books became wildly popular with middle-class families, the brothers softened the edges. Step-mothers replaced real mothers (who originally abandoned children). Sex was censored. Violence was toned down.
By the 7th edition, they had created the version most of us recognize. The Brothers Grimm
Most people don't know that the fairy tales were a side project. As the books became wildly popular with middle-class
So the next time you watch a fairy tale movie, remember: somewhere beneath the glitter and the songs, there is a dark German forest—and two brothers in a dusty library, determined not to let the trees be forgotten. What’s your favorite Grimm fairy tale? (The real version, not the Disney one.) The Brothers Grimm
How Two Bookish Brothers Saved Fairy Tales (and Gave Us Nightmares)