Diploma thesis deals with the motif of animal groom in fairy tales. The first written source that contains this motif is Apuleious' tale of Cupid and Psyche, which will be compared with French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Differences between this two fairy tales result primarily from the fact that the French fairy tale was written for children, while Apuleious' story wasn't. Nevertheless, both fairy tales are linked at several levels, so I can say that Beauty and the Beast was influenced by Apuleious' tale. Motifs that are common to both stories can be as well traced in Slovenian folk tales. Among analysed folk tales Enchanted Castle and the Bear, The Dragon Became Man and The Fisherman Son stand out the most. Not only they possess classical motifs that characterize the cycle of fairy tales with animal groom, but they also contain motifs that links them with Apuleious' and French fairy tale.
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