Time & Distance is Relative
A place is "beyond that mill you see there, at the first house in the village", or lies "east of the sun and west of the moon, and you will be a long time in getting to it, if ever you get there at all".Time is measured in days, nights, years, often in increments of 3 or 7 or 100, which enhance the dramatic impact of the tale, rather than being a strict measure of passing time. "They rode for three days - whether by a near or a far road, or on highland or lowland, the tale is soon told, but the journey is not done quickly". And of course, fairytales exist outside normal "chronos" time, as is signified by "Once upon a time".

The numbers 3 & 7 are significant.
Events often happen in three's, or there are three siblings, three little pigs. There's seven league boots, seven dwarves, "seven at one stroke!".

People and objects are often the opposite of what they appear:
The beast is a prince, the queen is a wicked witch, the coach and horses are really a pumpkin and mice, the wonderful gingerbread house is a deadly trap. In fairy tales appearances are everything, but are also the most fickle. Mirrors appear often in tales, and what is a mirror but an object to see "one's true self".

Words are important - what is spoken is "true":
1. What is said definitively and agreed on is accurate : "She is beautiful and kind", "he is an evil ogre". This is subtly different to rumours or assumptions about a person: "He looks like a beast so he must be evil", "She is so beautiful and wondrously dressed she must be a princess".

2. Promises are binding contracts and are always kept, even by villians. They may be twisted and manipulated, but cannot be broken. A common theme is a promise not being honoured the first time, and the hero must perform a second, then third deed. The third deed clinches the contract.

The youngest child is significant.
They are the purest of heart and motive, and end up being the luckiest and rewarded(but only after trials and tribulation)

Courtesy is crucial:
Lack of courtesy & manners is always punished

People get their just desserts:
But it can be a long time coming. Good is eventually rewarded, evil is eventually punished.