Fairy Tales

Okay, we have all read fairy tales at some point or the other. I have been reading and talking to Neha since she was barely 3 months old. Obviously at that point she may not have made any sense of it but I rumbled along anyway. Now at 3 and half, she is able to tell which of her 30–odd collections of books contains which story and she can relate the sequence of events by the picture.
As I child I don’t remember what I understood from the stories but from a parent’s point of view, I must say I am disappointed and shocked. What were the writers thinking? Almost all stories contain lying, swear words (Yeah, ‘stupid’ definitely is a swear word) etc. Don’t think I am over-reacting. I have to prove my point.

Let us take Jack and the Beanstalk for example.

Did Jack’s father really have to die? It is really difficult to explain death to 2-4 year olds. They could just have become poor.

Jack was a little boy, but yet his mother trusted him to be able to walk a cow to the market and even bargain a price for it. She surely did not tell him much he was going to get for it. I can say that she expected quite a bit because she was really banking on the cow to get food to the table at least till she thought of some other way to get money. What stumps me is that - why did she not do it herself?

Again when the magic beans sprouted and grew, she really did not stop her “little boy” climbing all the way up on into the sky on a plant!

And what is that about the Giant chanting a song that talks about killing a mere boy and grinding his bones to make his bread!! (That should not have come through the book censor in the first place!)

And then, sin of all sins, Jack stole the hen and the eggs. A little boy stealing was in bad taste. He thought he was being bold and brave at that!!!!!!!!

And that too, right in front of the giant’s wife. What a stupid woman! She is kicking at her own stomach and aiding and abetting a minor to commit a crime. (At least two years of Jail and a hefty fine)

All along the way to the beanstalk, Jack was so calculated and fearless that he did not for once think about dropping the hen and running for his life. Almost like a hardened criminal.

And now, as he climbs and shouts to his mother, she actually brings an axe. Handing over a weapon to a minor (She would have got 10 years of RI).

Again aiding and abetting a minor to commit MURDER. (She surely would have got the electric chair for this one!!)

As the giant fell to the ground, Jack and his mother are rejoicing at their good fortune that Jack stole. No remorse. After all, the hen was the giant’s property. I do not know how to portray the giant as the bad guy here.

And they live happily ever after! Crime after crime and they are happy??

This almost sounds like a bollywood thriller sympathizing with the bad guy for the way fate handed him so much misfortune and then him having no choice but to walk the dark alleys of crime to get to make it in this big, bad and ugly world!

And mind you, they call this a fairytale!