Teaching Notes

The fairy stories that pervade our childhoods do leave us with a sense of living happily ever after, but as adulthood reveals other truths "to live with the living happily ever after" theories become lost in the midst of reality. But just like the fairy stories say: there are winners and losers in 2001.

New stories and television programmes only perpetuate these images and ideas. Living happily ever after seems to be defined in 2001 by the type of expensive car one drives or the high income one makes or the suburb in which one lives. These definitions of happiness seem totally distinct from the needs of the establishing and securing a peaceful world in 2001 for our children. Again these stories can be presented in many different ways but the awareness of the importance of finding and creating truly happy endings for everyone will be understood and honoured, and a new peaceful and peace loving thinking become instilled in the minds of our young people.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that some characters were able to live happily ever after in the traditional fairy stories, others were not, the wolf was cooked in a pot, the wicked witch thrown into the oven, and the horrible step mother banished to a life of service. A peaceful and peace loving world cannot occur when such consequences are sought. Only when everyone is allowed to win, when there are no losers, can world peace be possible.

The philosophy of "win win or no deal" is explored by Stephen Covey..see reference page.

 

fairy stories

examples of children's own fairy stories

examples of rewitten children's fairy stories

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