As children growing up, we were enriched with stories, folk tales and fables passed from generation to generation. These fables served as entertainment and taught life lessons that we still carry on today. These stories helped to preserve our innocence and youth until adulthood. Fables were stories that teach a moral (right vs. wrong) or valuable lesson to the reader. Fables and fairy tale heroes were a big part of my childhood. The tooth fairy was one of my favorite heroes. When I lost my first tooth I thought it was the end of the world when I saw that blank space in my mouth.
My mother reassured me and explained that each time you lost a tooth you would place it under your pillow that night. In exchange for leaving the tooth under your pillow, the tooth fairy would appear to get the tooth and leave money in its place. This was quite a thrill of childhood because I thought the more teeth I lost the richer I would become. However it was not until I was about (10) years old that I realized that the tooth fairy was one of my parents. Every night before bedtime was story time. From Aesop’s fables to fairy tales a myriad of stories were read to me over the years.
My favorite story was that of three little pigs. This story was about three little pigs that grew up and left home to live out their lives. Their mother had always told them to work hard, do your best and beware of the big bad wolf. The first little pig found a spot of land and built himself a house made out of straw. The second little pig built a house out of wood. The third piggy’s house was made of bricks. One day the big bad wolf strolled by the straw house. The wolf knocked on his door and said “little pig, little pig, let me come in or I’ll huff and puff and blow your house in. The first pig was very proud of his creation and thought the house to be very sturdy and easy to build, so he shouted, “not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. ”
When the big bad wolf blew his breath on the house of straw it was destroyed and the little pig became dinner. Upon seeing the second piggy’s house, the wolf still hungry knocked on his door and stated, “little pig, little pig, let me come in or I’ll huff and puff and blow your house in. ” The second pig thought his house was much stronger than his brother’s straw house, and shouted, “not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. Once again the wolf blew his breath on the house of wood causing it to collapse and the second piggy was eaten. After that meal the wolf happened upon the third piggy’s house. The wolf still craving a taste of pig knocked on his door and stated once again, “little pig, little pig, let me come in or I’ll huff and puff and blow your house in. ” The third piggy was smarter than his brothers and knew his house would not be destroyed, so he stated, “not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. ” As he had done before the wolf blew and blew and blew as hard as he could, but to his dismay the house did not fall.
Hating to be outdone by a pig, the wolf discovered another way into the house to devour the pig. The wolf climbed down the chimney of the house only to land into a hot boiling pot in the fireplace. (Galdone, 1970) The third piggy had gotten rid of the big bad wolf forever. In this story each pig felt that the time spent on their project was acceptable. The first two pigs thought that by going the easy route, saving time and using straw and wood to build, they would have something sturdy that was quicker to build than their third brother who took the time to use bricks and cement to make a safe home.
From this story the reader can see the lesson learned is in everything you do requires hard work and preparation. There are no shortcuts. Hard work always pays off in the end and you have a great feeling of accomplishment. (Janaro & Altshuler 2012) In today’s world the pigs’ story still holds true. With anything to be done or accomplished hard work is the key ingredient to success. Time used with shortcuts to save time or money will end up costing you your ideas, job or even family. The time spent can never be retrieved and the great feeling of accomplishment will never be felt.
An example of hard work would be the time spent studying and being attentive in class, instead of cheating for an exam. This practice would yield a passing grade. Cheating will only get a person caught and in deep trouble. To children stories can reach them in a way that they are able to understand what is expected of them in life. Children identify better with characters, such as, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. Stories help children as well as adults to follow a better path in life. Using rules is to teach values is good but can sometimes make a person feel limited, restricted or afraid to push forward.
References
Janaro, R.P., & Altshuler, T.C. (2012). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. (Kaplan University 3rd custom ed.). New York: Pearson Education. Galdone, P. (1970). The three little pigs. New York: Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
