On Sunday, I had the pleasure of helping out in the nursery. Kids from 18 months to 3 years. They are so fun and sweet.
So I am reading them a good book: Jack and the Beanstalk. Good story right?
Here I am reading about Jack selling his cow and buying beans. Growing a huge beanstalk, and climbing up it.
That's when it happened. I remember liking this story as a kid, but I guess it looks different when you become an adult. Or maybe it's because I work for the Department of Justice.
Jack climbs up the beanstalk and finds himself in a strange giant person's house. So really, didn't Jack technically break into the Giant's house? Ok, so the Giant is very grumpy and angry, but wouldn't you be if a person broke into your house?
THEN Jack see's the Giant's prized possession: a magic chicken that lays golden eggs. What does Jack do? Why he STEALS it! So what if the Giant is mean and grumpy. Does that give Jack the right to steal the Giant's magic-golden-egg-laying-chicken? NO I don't think so!
What is the moral of this story? That if you become poor because you made a bad business deal selling your cow, you are justified in stealing from your neighbors?
I know that there are probably different versions of this story. Maybe this version made the story simpler for younger kids and happened to leave out all the important parts that teach a good lesson.
I also know that as a kid none of this ever crossed my mind, and it didn't seem to bother the kids on Sunday. But really, I am not sure I will be reading this story ever again. Jack, I think it's over between us. Bad boys never were my type.
So I am reading them a good book: Jack and the Beanstalk. Good story right?
Here I am reading about Jack selling his cow and buying beans. Growing a huge beanstalk, and climbing up it.
That's when it happened. I remember liking this story as a kid, but I guess it looks different when you become an adult. Or maybe it's because I work for the Department of Justice.
Jack climbs up the beanstalk and finds himself in a strange giant person's house. So really, didn't Jack technically break into the Giant's house? Ok, so the Giant is very grumpy and angry, but wouldn't you be if a person broke into your house?
THEN Jack see's the Giant's prized possession: a magic chicken that lays golden eggs. What does Jack do? Why he STEALS it! So what if the Giant is mean and grumpy. Does that give Jack the right to steal the Giant's magic-golden-egg-laying-chicken? NO I don't think so!
What is the moral of this story? That if you become poor because you made a bad business deal selling your cow, you are justified in stealing from your neighbors?
I know that there are probably different versions of this story. Maybe this version made the story simpler for younger kids and happened to leave out all the important parts that teach a good lesson.
I also know that as a kid none of this ever crossed my mind, and it didn't seem to bother the kids on Sunday. But really, I am not sure I will be reading this story ever again. Jack, I think it's over between us. Bad boys never were my type.
7 comments:
Hah!!! Too funny! I haven't read/heard that since I was a kid either. It's amazing we all turned out ok!
SOOO funny Laura! I had the same sort of experience reading some Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme/stories to my kids-completely twisted.
I can so relate to that feeling. I get it all the time. Don't even get me started on how much I hate the Little Mermaid...
ha... I'm making a mental note now. If you ever have kids, I will not buy them that book or ever read it to them.
I've heard other renditions on the story, where the goose is actually Jack's father's and he's really just stealing it back.
Anyway, when I had a similar experience when I was telling the story to a niece the other day, but it wasn't that, it was all of the gruesome grinding bones to make bread and stuff that I thought was too much for little kids, but I don't remember it bothering me that much when I was a kid either.
wow! Never thought of it that way! and all this time I was afraid for Jack
hilarious! this is how i felt when singing "rock-a-bye-baby" the other day and then realized that the lyrics to that song are not soothing or appropriate for a baby at all!!!
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