Read the excerpt from "how the grimm brothers saved the fairy tale."

despite difficult personal problems and meager financial support from 1805 to 1812, the brothers proved themselves to be innovative scholars in the new field of german philology by publishing articles and books on medieval literature. in fact, they would be surprised to learn that they are more famous today for their tales than for their superb philological studies, which include pioneering work on german sound shifts, and the founding of the voluminous german dictionary in 1854. but it was their training in philology and the demands that they placed on themselves as researchers that assisted their collecting and editing the tales.

which idea does the author introduce first?

a the fact that the brothers are better known for their folk tales
b the brothers' founding of the german dictionary in 1854
c the brothers' ability to overcome difficulties to succeed as scholars
d the role that philology played in the brothers' research skills