Life is a Fairy-tale

Every man's life is a fairytale written by God's fingers.
~Hans Christian Andersen

 

Who says fairy tales were meant for kids only?   Well, as an adult Thumbelina now, I still devour them.    Reading children’s stories revitalizes my mind and exhilarates my imagination.    My best-loved books are the Classic fairy tales of Hans   Chritian Andersen  and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis which has Christian themes.    (I do not like Harry Potter that much.)  And, of course, movies like Enchanted always amuse the child in me (horror stories do not entertain me). 

Fairy tales entice children and make them use their imagination.  They contain moral values to teach life's lessons, behave accordingly and treat others with respect.   They can even influence our choice of a lover.    

For instance, the story of Cinderella is not really a story of “from rags to riches”.   It rather conveys a sense of motivation in rendering service to others with the right attitude.

She was called Cinderella because she loved to sit in the cinders or hearth after she had done her work.  Hearth is a fireplace or oven used for cooking: its Latin name is focus.    The poor girl was silently focused and patient on doing the housework.  Despite the cruelties, she remained gracious enough to give due respect to her wretch Stepmother and her daughters.    As expected, the reward for her admirable service and attitude is a handsome (figuratively and literally, I think) Prince Charming!

 

There are however children stories nowadays, that can be a bad influence to the youngsters.  So parents, read first every story before it reaches your kids. Enjoy!

Just a little trivia:  C.S. Lewis, the finest Christian author of all times was a close friend of a devout catholic J.R.R. Tolkien, the man behind the Lord of the Rings.  They were both professors at Oxford University and members of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group.