marchen (n.)

"German fairy or folk tale," 1871, from German Märchen, "a story or tale," from Middle High German merechyn "short verse narrative," from Old High German mari "news, tale," from Proto-Germanic *mērijaz "renowned, famous, illustrious" (source of Old English mære "famous, renowned," Old Saxon mari,  Dutch maar, mare) + diminutive suffix -chen.