Classic Fairytales For Children.. Seriously??

I'm looking down the barrel of 40. It has been eons since I've heard or read a fairytale and my vague memories of them are warm and fuzzy with "Happily Ever After" endings. For 3 weeks now DH and I have been reading bedtime stories and I have ONE question:

What were those freaky writers on and WHY are these horrid stories being read to children before bed?

(Sorry, that was 2 questions).

*The Gingerbread Man is a whack job on speed.

*Hansel and Gretel's dad basically left them for dead (thanks to a nasty step mom) and were fattened by a witch that wanted to eat them.

*Goldilocks forced entry.

*Jack (of Beanstalk fame) is beyond greedy.

*Cinderella was neglected and verbally abused.

*The wolf in the 3 Little Pigs was obsessive compulsive. And mean.

*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs .. where do I start?

Although Jack and Jill may be too young, we've started to read Paddington. Now THERE is a classic.