Value of Fairytales

Have been spending time doing some culling of old files in my office and library and came across a couple of quotes from Rudolph Meyer 'The Wisdom of Fairy Tales' that I obviously thought were worth writing out on the second page of a notebook.

The notebook was saved from the recycling bin because of them so I thought I'd better post the quotes for what passes for blog posterity.

'The characters in fairytales lead us to discover the treasures in our own souls. We become instinctively aware of the sorrows of life and the guidance of destiny.'

Well, I don't think I believe in destiny but I must admit as I look at the news reports of the tsunami in Japan I do wonder about the forces of nature and the sometimes disastrous effects they have on life.

'Fairytales told and retold by mother to child (father to child, storyteller to audience) enrich those depths of soul from which our later hopes and ideals are born.'

I did two shows today with preprep children. One of the centres always requests the same three stories. 'The Tailor', '3 Billy Goats Gruff' and 'Caps for Sale'. Afterwards, the director said,'You know we'll be playing '3 Billy Goats Gruff' and 'Caps for Sale' for months after you visit. They take turns being the characters and the narrator.'

Will those depths of their souls be enriched? Who knows. They'll probably have lots of fun though.