Moral of the Story

Ever noticed that the morals of many stories meant for kids are way, way beyond their comprehension? Even worse, the wording of the moral is such that no kid could possibly assume that it applies beyond the one scenario described in the story! A few examples to prove my point:

-         “Those grapes are sour”: This reaction to what we can’t get comes as we grow up, certainly not to kids.

-         “A stitch in time saves nine”: Long term thinking. Like that’s what kids do!

-         “Boy who cried wolf”: Track record matters. Like kids can understand that.

-         “Who will bell the cat?”: Planning is easy if you don’t worry about the execution part. Don’t you need life experience to get that?

I could go on, but you get the point…

Recently, my 5 year daughter, who’d been part of a pack of brats on the school bus who refused to listen to the bus ayah, turned a new leaf. (Courtesy being read the riot act by her parents). “But does the bus ayah notice or acknowledge the change”, demanded my daughter. “No, she doesn’t, she treats me like I am still one of those kids who misbehave”, she said in righteous anger. I tried explaining the boy who cried wolf concept. It did no good at all. Because in a kid’s world, if they change, the world should act based on the new reality. Immediately. History and track record are alien concepts for a kid.

Another time, though, my daughter surprised me by showing that she’s had enough life experience to get one of the other morals from her stories. Though it still was not because of the story. Here’s how it happened: I was telling her this Greek mythology story of the king who asked an architect to build a labyrinth to keep the half-bull, half-human monster known as the Minotaur. Upon which she asked, “So who will put the Minotaur in the labyrinth?”

I love that: after all, isn’t “Who will put the Minotaur in the labyrinth?” so much cooler than the oh-so-timid “Who will bell the cat?”