Don't do me like that

[Bêthberry]

While I am full of respect for Child's sauve and gracious manner of addressing this discussion, I think it perhaps it would behoove us all--and, yes, I will employ that archaic word, in the finest tradition of Tolkien--to return--as Lailith suggests--to a hint in Lush's first post.

Originally Posted by Lushious one

I suggest a good dose of Maria Tatar on the subject.

Here, for your deglutition, for a second time suggested is Maria Tatar on the subject .

There's lots I find very intriguing there, but especially this comment:

Originally Posted by Maria Tatar on fairy tales

"The real magic of the fairy tale lies in its ability to extract pleasure from pain," Tatar writes in the introduction to "The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales." It's this complex duality that fascinates her and, she says, that imbues fairy tales with powers therapeutic as well as entertaining.

Is Tolkien a tooth fairy with all his extractions?