Both fairy tales and myths present psychological conflicts universally encountered in human development. A difference between the two forms is stressed: myths direct attention toward fantasies of superhuman powers, thus suggesting regressive solutions to conflict, while fairy tales have a moral function, strengthening the ego by introducing it to realistic possibilities. The thesis is illustrated

by analysis of the attitudes toward death contained in several fairy tales, including "Sleeping Beauty," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Little Red Riding Hood." These stories present the idea that death and mourning are periods of waiting, to be followed by the sequence of detachment from sorrow and greater growth. In this way, the process of loss is experienced as a natural and inevitable part of development. Fairy tales help the growing child learn that too great a fear of physical loss and death can lead to psychological death, the state which is really to be feared.