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The Brothers

항햗햔햙햍햊햗햘 핲햗햎햒햒

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The

Letter from the Chair:

Dear Delegates,

My name is John Ruela and I will be your Chair for the Brothers Grimm Crisis Committee at SHUMUN XXI. I am currently a sophomore majoring in History with minors in Arabic, Middle Eastern Studies and Religious Studies. Although I am personally most interested in the Middle East, I have a love for oral tradition that carried stories to become famous over centuries, and because of this the Brothers Grimm anthology is extremely interesting to me. In my free time, you can find me reading sci-fi, forfeiting sleep to watch bad Netflix shows, and talking too much about world news.

Although I had a brief one year experience with Model Congress in high school, I started doing Model UN in my freshman year when I joined Seton Hall’s competitive Model UN team. I co-chaired in SHUMUN XX last year for the Napoleon’s 100 Days Crisis Committee. That was a blast and I cannot wait to experience chairing a fantasy committee this year! With a wide range of local legends and fables, we hope to see the sort of creativity that originally inspired these stories. During the conference I hope to see you excel in your debate and writing skills!

I cannot wait to see you all. If you have any questions or concerns about SHUMUN XXI or the Brothers Grimm Crisis Committee, please feel free to email!

Best Wishes,

John Ruela Brothers Grimm Crisis Committee Chair SHUMUN XXI [email protected]

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Letter from the Crisis Director:

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to SHUMUN XXI! My name is Sebastian Kopec, and I have the pleasure of being your Crisis Director for the Brothers Grimm Crisis Committee. I am a Sophomore studying International Relations and Diplomacy at Seton Hall University with minors in Russian, History, and Eastern European Studies. This is my second year of doing Model UN and my first time being a Crisis Director. Although I didn’t do Model UN in highschool I’ve found a family in SHUNA our school’s collegiate club. Outside of MUN you can find me playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading, or watching movies.

As your Crisis Director I’m excited to see what kind of shenanigans you guys can come up with in your crisis arcs. The Grimm Brothers’ fables offer a really diverse array of stories to draw inspiration from, and are rich in culture. I hope you can find some really interesting details while you do your research! I expect to see some really unique and creative storytelling of your own as the committee deals with the crises that arise as the weekend progresses.

I can’t wait to see all of you in March, and until then don’t hesitate to reach out to me about anything crisis related. If you’re unsure how crisis works or how to send crisis notes I’d be more than happy to go through it with you. If you have any other more general questions about the Brothers Grimm Committee or SHUMUN XXI I’d be happy to answer those as well. Welcome again, to SHUMUN XXI!

Your Crisis Director,

Sebastian Kopec Brothers Grimm Crisis Committee Crisis Director SHUMUN XXI [email protected]

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Notes on Procedure 1. SHUMUN uses Parliamentary Procedure (often abbreviated as Parli Pro) to run committee. A cursory Google search will give you more than enough information on how this is used in Model UN, and any other questions can easily be addressed in committee. 2. SHUMUN has a zero-tolerance policy regarding bullying, offensive remarks, harassment, discrimination, or anything of the sort. Model UN should be a fun activity for delegates to participate in and no one should feel excluded at any point during the weekend. If at any point Senior Secretariat is notified of any violation of this policy, the delegate and advisor will be contacted and the issue will be discussed, potentially resulting in expulsion from the conference or disqualification from awards. In general, if you think even for a second that something would offend someone, don’t do or say that thing. 3. Profanity is prohibited. 4. Pre-writing is defined as any notes or directives written outside of committee time and is strictly prohibited. Delegates are allowed to bring research into committee, but not pre-written notes or papers. Engaging in pre-writing will result in immediate disqualification from award consideration. 5. Technology is not allowed to be used within the committee room. Research must be done prior to the beginning of committee sessions. Any usage of cell phones or laptops in the committee is grounds for disqualification. 6. If you need to use the restroom during committee, you do not need to raise your hand or ask permission.

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The Brothers Grimm

해햓햙햗햔행햚했햙햎햔햓

“How often when we are comfortable, we begin to long for something new!”-Brothers Grimm

There once lived an Olde lord whose people were all of the magical sort, and he ruled a land simply named, The Black Forest. And so, the Olde Lord of the Black Forest wished to keep his many subjects happy, for he was a just and kind ruler. Even though the Olde Lord is a peaceful man, the neighboring King of the Hill has attacked his subjects! Alongside this new conflict that will soon ravage the land, the life force of the land is draining! With trees withering, birds flying away, and the critters of the forest are fleeing, and the brink of war upon the realm, the Olde Lord has rallied the most notable people and creatures of the realm. The notables he has gathered are tasked to combine their unique positions to solve the crisis at hand, leveraging their diverse powers to their own advantages or the goals of the committee.

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The Brothers Grimm Stories The Story So Far… The “Lore” The Black Forest is a large and magically rich realm that rests between the River and the mountains of the Hill. The streams, ponds and trees of the forest is host to a diverse number of magical creatures and beings. Griffons and winged horses fly the skies. Faeries, fauns, trolls and centaurs move about the flora of the forest. The Kingdom has a small village where the townsfolk live, farmlands, and of course a large and mighty castle.

The Village The small village is where the majority of the populace of The Kingdom lives. Within this town there are all sorts of businesses you expect to see, there is an apothecary, blacksmith, tailor, carpenter, and a general store, among other shops. There is of course a large tavern where most of the townsfolk gather after their days of hard work. This village also has a well, horse stables, church, market, and fields of crops surrounding the town, and most notably, a town hall where the committee has assembled.

The War An invading force from the land of the hill is progressing towards the Black Forest. The armies of the King of the Hill are progressing towards our great land as they move to take all that is held near and dear by our great committee members. Wizards, Witches, and even Gnomes have been taken by the King as he marches his army closer and closer to our town hall. So far no magical creature has been able to stand against the might of the King of the Hill.

King of the Hill Leading the army that is marching towards the good people of the Black Forest is “The King of the Hill. A cruel but charismatic man, the King of the Hill has somehow convinced the people of the neighboring lands to follow him to war against the people of the Black Forest. Noone knows why the King of the Hill wishes to see the destruction of the Black Forest, how he obtained such a large army, or who he truly is, but one thing is for certain, he will not stop until the Black Forest is burned.

Effects on the Village Morale in the village is at an all time low, with many people fleeing for their lives. The Lord of the Black Forest has assembled an unlikely crew of heroes and villains in preparation for the battle.

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Many villagefolk are unsure about the ensemble, because many of them have been affected in one way or another by these heroes and villains.

The Army of the King of the Hill: Unfortunately the army of the King of the Hill has its own band of magical creatures. Trolls, Goblins, Witches, Wizards, and evil step-mothers alike have joined the army of the King of the Hill. The army has grown in size as the denizens and villains of the Black Forest have quickly rallied to join the king in his war against the good people of the Black Forest.

The Corruption The Black Forest: In the Kingdom, a mysterious corruption has appeared to be plaguing the woods, as trees and plants are wilting. The woodland denizens have begun to act strange, and townsfolk that have gone into the forest alone disappear without a trace. Rumours of strange beasts wandering in the forest have been spread around causing fear and panic among the townsfolk. While it seems to only affect the edges of the Kingdom, the corruption seems to be spreading, and it must be rooted out stem and root.

The Farmlands: Across the Kingdom’s farmlands and fields, poor harvests are causing great concern among the common folk. The source of this issue seems to be the same corruption that has been afflicting the forest.​ ​If a solution to the crisis is not found quickly the food stockpile in the Kingdom will quickly deplete leading to starvation.

Points to Consider ● While The Black Forest is a real place in modern-day , this committee takes place in an alternate, mythical world.

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● Other characters that are introduced by the crisis staff (ie. witches, step-mothers, fairies, etc) are a generalized version of that character, unless stated otherwise. ● Most characters have general or vaguely named characters within their stories (Ex: The King, The Prince, The Witch), if these characters are mentioned in committee they are not referencing the characters in your story unless specifically mentioned. ● Sadly you cannot just wish your problems away. You can contact and talk to magical helpers such as the fairy godmother but do not expect them to do whatever you ask of them (no people in committee will have magic wishes at the start of the committee but they could possibly earn them) ● Since there are some who will be up to no good, when writing notes to crisis, don’t leave any breadcrumbs lying around. ● Be careful when working with other characters on crisis and make sure not to share too much of your plans, especially if they relate to any other characters in the committee. ● Do not be afraid to throw others to the wolves. You are only worried about your own interests. ● Be Creative! This committee is rooted in fairytale, so have fun with it!

Committee Direction Current Situation The King has called together all of the important denizens of the land to investigate the new corruption that is spreading in the Black Forest. Delegates will bring together their unique backgrounds and powers to ensure the safety of the Kingdom, as well as combat any threats that may arise. This will be a crisis committee, so delegates are encouraged to engage in different personal crisis directions, including advancing your own positions, sabotage, or anything that falls within the realms of your individual characters. In addition to working on your own crises, you may also work with other delegates through joint crisis notes. The King and the land are depending on you. Good luck!

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Note on Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales The Brothers Grimm stories cover a wide array of characters which we have moved all into one setting. While many of these stories are self-contained stories, for the ease of committee we have laid out relationships between various characters. This was done in order to keep various characters such as the multitude of princesses powers and roles more clearly defined since the setting takes place primarily in one the one Kingdom.. Besides these changes the characters follow the stories where they originate, but you are encouraged to draw inspiration from stories not included in the positions. In order to familiarize yourself with these stories further we suggest looking up and reading the story where your character appears as well as others you might be interested in incorporating into your crisis arc. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to reach out to either the Crisis Director or Chair.

Positions

The Miller’s Daughter From “The Girl with no Hands”. After her father foolishly promises whatever is behind his mill to an old man who was really the devil, The Miller’s Daughter is to be given away. However, due to her extreme pious nature, she was too clean for the devil to take. Ultimately, her hands had to be chopped off to keep her from cleaning herself. After this didn't work, the devil admitted that he

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The Brothers Grimm could never claim her. She leaves her home and eventually marries a king and has a son. She holds power in that regard, but has enemies all around her. 1

The Servant From “”. After eating some of the king’s meal that was always covered with a cloth, The Servant finds that he can suddenly communicate with animals. A very clever man, he is able to use the help of animals to gain information and help. Currently, he is trying to find The Tree of Life so he can bring a princess an apple and marry her. 2

The Prince From “”. After stealing the key from his mother, The Prince sets free Iron John from a well. Iron John has shaggy hair, iron-like skin, and is frightening. Afraid that he would be punished for freeing this terrifying man, he flees into the forest with him. He is tasked with guarding the well by Iron John because if anything touches it, it will turn to gold. The Prince plays in the well and his hair turns golden. Iron John is angered by this, and banishes him to experience poverty. However, The Prince can still call upon Iron John for help if he says his name three times. 3

The Two Eyed Girl From “One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes”. Little Two-Eyes was always bullied by her mother and her sisters Little One-Eye and Little Three-Eyes for being like all the normal folk and having two eyes. In her despair, a wise woman approaches her and teaches her to summon a table with food that she is free to eat from by reciting a poem to a goat. The sisters find out and kill the goat. So Little Two-Eyes buried the heart of the goat and a tree sprung with gold and silver. For some reason, only Little Two-Eyes can climb and pluck branches from the tree. It doesn’t allow anyone else to reap its benefits.4

Cinderella From “”. Coming from humble beginnings, Cinderella was abused by her Stepmother and two Stepsisters following the death of her mother. However, as fate would see fit the Prince visited her household and after granting her two stepsisters gifts of luxury, she humbly asked for a

1 Grimm, Jacob, and . “The Girl with no Hands.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and ​ ​ trans. Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 127. 2 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “The White Snake.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. ​ ​ Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 72. 3 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “Iron John.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. Margaret ​ ​ Hunt, vol 2. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 193. 4 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. ​ ​ Ed. and trans. Margaret Hunt, vol 2. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 169. 10

The Brothers Grimm twig. After planting the twig, it turned into a glowing hazel tree that summoned doves to grant her wishes. Soon enough the King held a festival for the Prince to choose a bride, during which Cinderella caught his eye. After discovering that a leftover slipper had belonged to her they married. Due to her marriage of the Prince she holds a strong sway in the King’s court. Kind, humble, and pious she is beloved by the people of the Kingdom.5

Princess Briar Rose From “Little Briar-Rose” also known more commonly as . After receiving a prophecy from a wicked fairy that their dear Princess would die after pricking her finger on a spindle, the King banned all spindles from the Kingdom in hopes of saving his daughter. Unfortunately, the prophecy came true and Rose pricked her finger, but rather than dying she fell into a deep sleep. Eventually, after a Prince from a neighboring Kingdom finds her, breaks the curse with a kiss, and the two get married. Rose has ties both in this Kingdom and of the neighboring Kingdom of her husband. She is Cinderella’s sister-in-law and sister to the Prince. Rose also has two twins named Sun and Moon.6

Death’s Godson From “”. All the worldly creatures of the world walk different paths, and live unequal lives, but there is one great equalizer: Death. Death is indiscriminate, unbiased⁠—they do not care about most petty squabbles of the world. As it turns out, Death may have a soft side, a poor father came across Death and accepted him as the child’s godfather. The child grew up to be a skilled physician, and with the help of Death, he could tell if someone were to die or live from their illness at a glance. Death’s Godson is still a human, he has the same vices and virtues humans have, and his longing for a wife may be his success or downfall.7

Mother Holle From “Mother Holle”. Mother Holle is a reclusive woman who lives at the bottom of a well. The well leads to a strange land with a large meadow, and beyond the meadow lies sentient plants and food. Mother Holle values efficiency, productivity, and good manners above all else. She is more inclined to side with the industrious and works hard at all tasks, minute or significant.8

The Mouse, The Bird, and The Sausage From “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage”. For as long as they remembered, the Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage worked together as a cohesive team, with the Bird acting as leader. Unified,

5 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “Cinderella.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. Margaret ​ ​ Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 93. 6 Ibid, 197. 7 Ibid, 171. 8 Ibid, 104. 11

The Brothers Grimm they all had their own jobs which kept them fed, safe, and warm. The Mouse collected the water, the Bird collected firewood, and the Sausage cooked the food. When working as a team, these three partners could achieve a successful life! Others may think them odd, but they are happy knowing they are skilled in cooperation and management.9

The Ungrateful Son From “The Ungrateful Son”. The Ungrateful Son is a very unlucky man, but it seems that what has happened to him is a result of karma’s vicious cycle. Legend says the Ungrateful Son hid his chicken dinner from his father, which led to the dinner turning into a toad that now sits perpetually upon his face. The man feeds the toad daily, because if he does not, it will attempt to eat him. The Ungrateful Son wishes more than anything to be freed from this toad, but his punishment endures, as he has yet to learn his lesson or reform from his greedy, gluttonous ways.10

Rapunzel From “”. ​Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair! ​Imprisoned in a tower at a young age by her evil foster mother and sorceress, Rapunzel eventually escaped captivity with the help of prince who heard her beautiful singing and instantly fell in love. With her long blonde hair and stunning looks, Rapunzel is the most beautiful women in the Kingdom and lives with her husband, the prince, and their two children in luxury. She is a prominent noblewoman, using her beauty and flowing blonde hair to win many friends and admirers in the King’s court.11

Rumpelstiltskin From “”. A powerful magical imp with the power to, among other things, spin straw into gold. Although he lost his bargain with the Queen to guess his name in exchange for her firstborn son, many years have passed since then and Rumpelstiltskin has gotten over it. He is now more powerful than ever, using his powers of deal-making and deception to endebt many wealthy and powerful people in the Kingdom to him. Rumpelstiltskin hates humans, especially the King, and seeks to make their lives as miserable as possible.12

Snow White From “Little Snow-White.'' Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? ​, of course! The daughter of the last king, Snow White was raised in royalty until her stepmother, the Queen, attempted to kill her out of jealousy by using a poisoned apple. Snow White was rescued by Prince Charming and the Seven Dwarves, however, and took vengeance on the evil

9 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage.” In Grimm’s Household ​ Tales. Ed. and trans. Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 103. ​ 10 Ibid, 212. 11 Ibid, 50. 12 ibid, 221. 12

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Queen. Today, Snow White lives together with her husband and is one of the most powerful women in the kingdom. She serves as the King’s ambassador to the dwarfs, maintaining excellent relations between the Kingdom and the dwarf high council.13

Puss From “”. After being received as inheritance by the son of a miller the cat, who can speak, requested a pair of boots. The son agreed and the cat began to walk on two feet. By tricking the King he made the son a count and got him a great deal of wealth. He also tricked a sorcerer to turn into a mouse and took his castle. He gave the son the castle and the King gave him his daughter. After the King died he became Prime Minister of the Kingdom. The cat is silver-tongued, charismatic, and adept at catching mice. Using his words and trickery he will surely make an excellent Minister for the Kingdom.14

Hansel From “”. Hansel is a young boy who was dealt some bad cards. Hansel and his younger sister, Gretel, were both left in the forest by their mother after their family was on the brink of starvation. Hansel is very clever and knows how to be resourceful. He is also a quick thinker. It was him who came up with the plan, to leave white stones to remember how to return home, after he overheard his mother discussing the plan to leave the twins in the forest. But he is still a child, and his backup plan of leaving breadcrumbs instead of stones did not go to plan. Hansel does care about his sister dearly and is almost always there to comfort her.15

Gretel From “Hansel and Gretel”. Gretel is a young girl who was abandoned, alongside her older brother Hansel, by her parents in order to avoid starvation. Gretel is very clever and knows how to get things done. She saved her brother by tricking the witch to close enough to the oven to push her in. Gretel also has a way with animals. She asked a duck to take her and Hansel across a river, so that they could return home.16

The Frog Prince From “”. The Frog Prince is quite unfortunate. A witch turned him from a handsome prince into a frog. The only princess who could change him back into a prince was absolutely repulsed by his frog self. The Frog Prince is persistent though. He continues to pursue her until she throws him against a wall, which changes him back into a prince. The Frog Prince also

13 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “Little Snow-White.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. ​ ​ Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 207. 14 Ibid, 110. 15 Ibid, 62. 16 Ibid, 62. 13

The Brothers Grimm has a servant named Heinrich with iron bands around his heart to keep it from breaking. Heinrich is so loyal that when he sees that the prince is no longer a frog, the bands on his heart begin to break.17

The Fisherman From “The Fisherman and His Wife”.The Fisherman is a very poor man who lives with his wife in miserable hovel. He is also an honest man. He goes out to the shore one day and catches a fish that claims to be an enchanted prince, so he throws it back to the sea. He always wants to please his wife, so he continually goes back to the shore to ask the fish to grant his wife’s wishes , each wish becomes more extreme than the last. He is content with what they have. In the end, the fish takes away all that was given to them, and they end up back where they began.

Trusty John From “Faithful John”. Trusty John, also known as Faithful John, is a servant to an old king. Thanks to his hard-work and loyalty, Faithful John saved his king's life but unfortunately was turned to stone. Eventually he was revived from the curse by the king and has now made a trip to the Black Forest where he is intending to be as faithful now as he was before.18

The Valiant Little Tailor From “The Valiant Little Tailor”. A cunning and crafty man, the tailor is proud of his skill and strength proudly boasting that he killed “7 in one blow”. The Tailor even goes so far as to wear a belt that shows off his glorious feat and because of this, others are wary of angering him. With his incredible skills the Valiant Little Tailor is going to be an invaluable fighter in the war to come.19

The Bremen Town Musicians From “The Bremen Town-Musicians”. A band of unlikely travelling companions, the Bremen Town Musicians have joined together to find a new purpose in their lives. Although this band of travellers is irregular they are all able to play off of each other’s strengths in order to solve any problem that comes their way.20

The Huntsman From “Donkey Cabbages”. A smart and loving man, the Huntsman once had a glorious cloak that allowed him to teleport anywhere as well as a bird heart that makes a gold coin appear beneath his pillow every night. Unfortunately circumstances have changed and now all the Huntsman has in

17 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “The Fisherman and His Wife.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. ​ ​ and trans. Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 78. 18 Ibid, 23. 19 Ibid, 85. 20 Ibid, 114. 14

The Brothers Grimm his possession is cabbage. One cabbage patch makes people turn into donkeys and the other reverts them to normal. With his loving wife the Huntsman just wants happiness and will use his donkey cabbages to achieve his desires.21

Bearskin From “Bearskin”. Bearskin was once a young soldier who made a deal with the devil. For a whole seven years Bearskin cannot wash himself in any way. He must also wear a green coat, and an old bearskin cloak. If Bearskin does not die or bathe and continues to wear his bearskin then he will receive his freedom and immeasurable wealth. On the bright side the green cloak always has an abundance of gold coins in its pockets so maybe he can pay people to ignore his horrible stench.22

The Boy From “The Story of the Youth who went forth to learn what Fear was”. A boy who literally does not have the ability to feel fear or shiver in any capacity. His courage knows no bounds much to his own dismay. More than anything this boy wants to know what it is like to be truly afraid of something. Maybe in the crisis to come the fearless boy can find something that will finally make him scared.23

Fundevogel and Lina From “Fundevogel”. These two siblings have formed an everlasting bond and are inseparable. Due to their bond and their magic connection, Fundevogel and Lina can shapeshift into related items as long is they are within contact and agreement with each other. After their narrow escape from a witch who wanted to eat Fundevogel, they have developed a strong hatred and distrust for witches as a whole.24

The Elves and the Shoemaker From “The Elves”. Although the Shoemaker is very good at job, the relationship with a band of tiny elves gives him a leg up on the competition. Since the elves are extremely loyal, efficient, and tiny, they will be an invaluable asset to the defense of the Kingdom. Luckily the Shoemaker carries no hatred for the people of the Black Forest and will be useful in this crisis.25

The Wolf

21 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “Donkey Cabbages.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. ​ ​ Margaret Hunt, vol 2. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 139. 22 Ibid, 65. 23 Ibid, 11. 24 Ibid, 200. 25 Ibid, 161. 15

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From “Little Red-Cap”. The Wolf is a stealthy predator. He excels at mimicking voices, and with the proper disguise can nearly fool anyone. But while he may be smart and stealthy, he lacks muscle and thus relies on stealth. He also deeply cares about the Black Forest because it is his home.26

Little Red Riding Cap From “Little Red Cap”. Her iconic red cap can be recognized from a mile away. Little Red Riding Cap (or as she is more commonly known) is a young girl who dearly loves her mother and Grandmother. Despite her young age and small size, Little Red Riding Hood knows her way around the Forest like no other and extremely perceptive eyes that let her see danger coming from a mile away. Having knowledge of the way in which to navigate the Black Forest and the ability to avoid danger is going to be useful in the war to come.27

26 Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. “Little Red-Cap.” In Grimm’s Household Tales. Ed. and trans. ​ ​ Margaret Hunt, vol 1. London: George Bell and Sons, 1884, 110. 27 Ibid., 110. 16