The Problem with Fables

It had been thirty years or more since I had seen the magazine “Highlights” for children. It is still being published and was in the magazine rack at my doctor’s office. I used to read it cover to cover and enjoyed learning about new and exciting things and places. But my favorite part of the magazine was the “Hidden Pictures” where you try to locate things that don’t belong.

I snatched the September 2003 issue and started reading. On page 15 a short story titled, “The Ant and the Dove, an Old Fable,” appeared. It was about an ant that fell in water and almost drowned. But a dove saved its life by dropping a leaf in the water for the ant to make it safely to safety. One day a hunter was going to shoot the dove with an arrow. The ant bites the hunter making him miss and the dove flies away.

Before I got too carried away with the story, I thought I would seek the input of a couple of experts. My son Kolton, age 11 and daughter Matti, age 7 were each given the story to read and to separately offer their thoughts. Prior to reading the story I asked them to define what a “fable” is.

Matti described a fable as a story with characters that could come true. Kolton’s definition was a story where characters are used to get a point across. Matti read the story and had this to say. “Ants can’t swim and doves wouldn’t carry leaves in their beaks. And I don’t see how anybody could ever shoot a dove with an arrow. You have a hard time hitting them with a shotgun,” she said with a smile. I asked her, “by your definition of a fable, could this story of happened?” I don’t think so was the reply.

Kolton now had his turn. He laughed while reading it and said, “This is a bunch of bull. No way this could happen. All they are doing is trying to convince kids that hunters are no good and that animals help each other.”

It was good to see how the kids felt, fable or not. Later that evening Kolton said, “Daddy, the best thing about this magazine is looking for the Hidden Pictures, which is what we did.”

There are so many subtle ways that hunting is negatively portrayed. If you actually take the time to look around it may surprise you. It is no wonder many kids have negative feelings about hunting. When loveable animal characters are used to tell stories, these little critters can be dangerous. If you are a parent, take a look at what your kids are being taught. It may surprise you.