Final answer:
The statement about fairy tales being told and collected over time is true, with the Brothers Grimm as iconic examples of tale collectors. These stories provided moral lessons and helped shape cultures before scientific methods emerged, and have continued to influence literature and storytelling.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that fairy tales were told over time and collected through the ages is true. One of the most notable collectors of such stories were the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, who gathered German folk tales and published them. These stories, often involving mythical creatures and magical happenings, served to provide moral lessons or explanations for the world around us before the advent of scientific inquiry. Mythical tales like those from Aesop's Fables and the Arabian Nights were integral in shaping cultural narratives and morals over time.
Myths were integral to providing answers and structure to societies, such as the Homeric epics during the Homeric Age. Nathaniel Hawthorne later adapted Greek myths for children, indicating their enduring impact on storytelling and moral instruction. Such tales, even when known to be fictitious or not entirely accurate, are often referred to as 'broken myths,' which are propagated for the values they impart rather than their factual correctness.