4 Lessons I learned from Little Red Cap

I read a post on LinkedIn today questioning whether children should be told Fairy Tales. After all, if you read the classic versions of the tales they can be rather disturbing. I think you need to look at the tale before you tell it and make sure that the version you are reading is appropriate for your kiddos, but I also posit a question: When did telling our children CAUTIONARY TALES turn into being afraid to scare them?

Most mythology, especially "Faery Tales," are based in the idea that a fantastical story can be used to broach difficult subjects with young children, or anyone really. Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault, and it's German version "Little Red Cap" as recorded by the Grimm Brothers, is a good example. In the story there are several lessons that you can pull out. Take a look:

Lesson 1: Don't tell identifying information to strangers

This one should be obvious. The wolf is a strange creature to the girl, but when he confronts her and asks where she is going, she tells him how to get to her grandmother's house. If she hadn't told him, and just kept walking, her grandmother would never have been eaten.

Perrault says it this way, "Moral: Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all."

Lesson 2: Don't deviate from the directions/obey your parents

Little red takes a couple of detours from her path: she takes her time on the path gathering nuts, looking at flowers, and entertaining herself. Each time, the little girl leaves the path that her mother had told her to take. Because of her delay, the wolf reaches the grandmother's house in enough time to set his trap.

Lesson 3: There is safety in numbers

In Perrault's version of the tale, there are some woodcutters in the forest. It is because of the woodcutters that the little girl is safe in the woods, for the wolf doesn't want to alert the men by attacking her. In the German version of the story, called "Little Red Cap," a huntsman comes and saves the little girl and her grandmother.

Lesson 4: Learn from your mistakes

The Grimm Brothers' version of Little Red Cap, after the huntsman has saved the little girl and the grandmother, there is a second variant. It tells of a second trip to Grandmother's house with baked goods. This time, the girl does not speak to the wolf and goes straight to her destination without stopping. The wolf follows her, but because she did not repeat her mistakes, Little Red Cap and Grandmother are able to trap the wolf instead.

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Image: “White Bear In Red Hood” by Sura Nualpradid Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com

Image: “Businessman Thinking Right Or Wrong” by 89studio Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com