Folklore featuring impossible tasks

Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper, is a French fairy tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world. The protagonist is a young girl living in unfortunate circumstances who is suddenly blessed with remarkable fortune, ultimately ascending to the throne through marriage. The earliest known version of the Cinderella story is usually considered to be the Greek story of Rhodopis, as described by the scholar Strabo sometime between 7BC and AD23, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt.

thumb|Theseus after having slain the Minotaur, freeing captive Athenian boys; Cretans approaching to marvel the scene, Antique fresco from [[Pompeii]] Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages.

"Rumpelstiltskin" ( ; ) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of ''Children's and Household Tales''. The story is about an imp who spins straw into gold in exchange for a woman's firstborn child.

Japanese monogatari and folktale

series of feats carried out by Heracles

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

English traditional folk song; variant of "The Elfin Knight" (Roud index #12)

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm

Russian folk tale

Welsh tale

thumb|"Issun-bōshi" from Otogizōshi is the subject of a fairy tale from Japan. This story can be found in the old Japanese illustrated book Otogizōshi. Similar central figures and themes are known elsewhere in the world, as in the tradition of Tom Thumb in English folklore.

German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

Norse fairy tale

character in Jean de l'Ours

thumb|right|350 px|Askeladden by Theodor Kittelsen (1900) Original painting owned by the National Museum, Oslo Ashlad (Norwegian "Askeladden" or "Oskeladden", full name "Esben Askelad" or "Espen Askeladd" or "Espen Oskeladd") is a main character in several tales collected in Asbjørnsen and Moe's Norwegian Folktales.

Romanian fairy tale

Russian fairy tale

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

folk tale version by the Brothers Grimm

Dapplegrim (Norwegian: Grimsborken) is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book (1890).

literary work

folk tale

fairy tale version by the Brothers Grimm

Russian folk fairy tale

Russian fairy tale

fairy tale version by the Brothers Grimm

one of the Shahnameh story, seven difficult stages that Rostam went through

South Slav fable

folk tale by the Brothers Grimm

German fairy tale version by the Brothers Grimm

Fairy tale by Giambattista Basile (1634)

traditional song

Norse fairy tale

Russian fairy tale

Italian fairy tale

Romanian fairy tale

fairy tale by Giambattista Basile (1634)

Irish fairy tale

fairy tale version by the Brothers Grimm

East Slavic Folk Tale

fairy tale

Shortshanks is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr.

Danish fairy tale

Norse fairy tale