Quiz: How Well Do You Know Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes? Part 1.

by Dr. Donna Schwontkowski

Copyright 2007 Schwontkowski All rights reserved.

If you love fairy tales and nursery rhymes, this article is for you.--Editor

When young, most of us were taught fairy tales and nursery rhymes and listened to endless stories about people in different situations in life. Although the emphasis of the story was usually an application to life, there's another aspect to these fairy tale stories that's often left out — the relationship to health.

If you think you know your fairy tales and time-tested old tales pretty well, test yourself by taking this little quiz and find out if you learned the health aspects of these important tales.

Nursery Rhymes/Fairy Tales Health Quiz

1. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, what condition did the dwarfs have?
2. In the story, Alice in Wonderland, what was wrong with the Mad Hatter?
3. Little Bo Peep lost her sheep. What are some possible reasons why this happened?
4. What drove Hansel and Gretel to the home of the witch?
5. How did Paul Bunyan get so big and strong?
6. What was wrong with Bambi?
7. Rapunzel had extremely long hair? Medically, how is this possible?
8. What was wrong with Jack Sprat and his wife?
9. Little Miss Muffet had a psychological problem. What was it?

Answers.

1. The dwarfs had dwarfism, a condition characterized by short stature (adult height of 4 feet 10 inches or under, according to the advocacy group Little People of America (LPA). Dwarfism can be caused by any one of more than 200 conditions, most of which are genetic. The most common type, accounting for 70% of all cases of short stature, is called achondroplasia. Dwarfism can and most often occurs in families where both parents are of average height. In fact, 85% of children with achondroplasia are born to average-size parents. A genetic counselor can help determine the likelihood of passing on the condition in these cases.

Dwarfism is not an intellectual disability. A person with dwarfism is typically of normal intelligence. It isn't a disease that requires a "cure." Most people with the condition can live long, fulfilling lives. And it isn't a reason to assume someone is incapable. Little people go to school, go to work, marry, and raise children, just like their average-size peers.

More than 200 conditions are known to cause short stature in a child. Chromosomal abnormalities, pituitary gland disorders (which influence growth and metabolism), absorptive problems (when the body can't absorb nutrients adequately), and kidney disease can all lead to short stature if a child fails to grow at a normal rate.

2. The unhealthy Mad Hatter was mad because of his occupation. The process of making hats in olden time utilized the heavy metal mercury. When mercury accumulates in the body, symptoms such as loss of appetite, decreased senses of touch, hearing, and vision, fatigue, depression, emotional instability, peripheral numbness and tremors, poor memory and cognitive dysfunction, and neuromuscular disorders.

3. There are several reasons why Little Bo Peep would have lost her sheep. In the worst case scenario, she had early Alzheimer's disease or dementia (although improbable). She could have had a simple memory lapse and if this was a nutritional problem, it could have been due to a deficiency of protein, omega-three fats, calcium, boron, iron, or B vitamins. She also may have been suffering from dehydration. Following simple health principles, Bo Peep may have had full control of her sheep 24/7.

4. Hansel and Gretel were driven to the witch's house because they were hungry. Their blood sugar levels were low, and when this happens, people become hungry. The lower the blood sugar levels go, the easier it is for the body to go into a "survival" mode where food is the most important thing to consider.

In this type of survival mode, the brain and muscles are "crying out" for sugar, and any dangers in the immediate environment would not be as important as the need to get food. The same thing happens to many of us during the time period of 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. if we haven't eaten any snacks after a light lunch, and drives us to stop off at fast food restaurants and vending machines.

5. Paul Bunyan could have grown big, strong and healthy by eating all the right foods — protein, fat and carbohydrate, which means meat, milk, dairy products, nuts, seeds, vegetables (especially spinach), grains and fruits, along with some extra high-protein drinks and high protein snack bars OR he could have done it with the aide of steroids.

6. Nothing was wrong with Bambi. The deer was simply young, and may have had antler envy.

7. Medically, it's not possible to alter the length of one's hair because it's genetically programmed from birth. However, a lack of dietary protein, B vitamins, other minerals and not enough thyroid hormone makes hair grow very slowly and fall out easily. Too much thyroid hormone may make the hair fall out faster than normal. We know from this information that Rapunzel did not have any thyroid problems. Another disease called polycystic ovary disease creates a symptom called hirsutism, where an excess of facial hair is found along with excess body hair on the legs, arms and underarms. Rapunzel did not have this disease either. It's most likely that Rapunzel ate well-balanced meals while she was stuck in the castle room waiting for her lover to rescue her.

8. Jack Sprat had gall bladder problems, most likely a severe case of gallstones. His wife was probably addicted to fat and protein.

9.Poor Little Miss Muffet had arachnophobia.

How did you do on this health quiz? Isn't it fun learning about health this way? Check out Part 2 now. Contact the author about her soon-to-be released book on health and fairy tales.

Fairy Tale Resources

1. Fairy tales Fully animated versions of Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales.
2. More fairy tales Fully animated fairy tales as well as other online stories for kids here.
3. Fairy tales Classic folk stories and fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen with Flash animation and narration.

Nursery Rhymes

Little Bo-peep

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep,
And doesn't know where to find them.
Leave them alone and they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For they were still a-fleeting. 

Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left all their tails behind them.

Jack Sprat

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean,
And so, between them both you see,
They licked the platter clean.

Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away!