The author rediscovers the lost meaning of fairy tales and shows how they can have a profound positive influence on the developing mind of the child.

1. The Inner Meaning of Fairy Tales 2. The Destiny of Primal Wisdom 3. Snippets of Knowledge 4. Helpful Beings 5. Secrets of the Seasons 6. ''The Juniper Tree'' 7. Brothers and Sisters 8. Becoming Human 9. The Cosmic Mystery of the Twelve 10. Animals as Humanity's Helpers 11. Enchantment and Release 12. The Powers of Darkness 13. The Michael Mystery 14. The Mystical Wedding 15. The Virgin Sophia 16. Observations on Some Motifs: Educational points of view The mystery of the horse Bearskin Trades in the fairy tale Fairy tales of nixies The mystery of winter The apple The heavenly twins The ravens The trinity of the soul's powers Thumbling The white snake Hats and caps The mystery of ''fourteen years'' Forces which have been held back The kingdom of the dead The hidden picture 17. Fairy Tales Around the World: Russian fairy tales Fairy tales from Grisons Fairy tales from Gascony Nordic fairy tales African fairy tales The Celtic heritage of wisdom