Today I discovered that I need a "refresher course" on classic children stories. On the bookshelf in my classroom, there are some classic storybooks such as The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc. These particular books are fun because they are a "read-together" type book for young children. Sometimes pictures replace the words so the children you are reading to can help fill in the story.
Today for story time, two of these classic books were selected - The Story of Henny Penny and The Gingerbread Man. We read the Henny Penny story first. I wasn't really familiar with this story so I was enjoying reading about Henny Penny with her friends, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, Cockey Lockey, and Ducky Daddles. The kiddos and I kept laughing at their silly names. Then along came Foxy Loxy. I should have known that a fox entering the story could mean trouble, but that fact didn't click right away for me. Well, as the story continued on, the look on my kiddos' faces changed from smiles and giggles to looks of utter disbelief. Yeah, the story basically ends with the fox eating all of Henny Penny's friends. My poor kids were in shock, utterly devastated!
I then turned to our next story. I thought I knew the Gingerbread Man story pretty well, but soon discovered I had forgotten an important detail - the story ends by the Gingerbread Man getting gobbled up by...yep, you guessed it...a fox.
Oh yeah, it wasn't a good day of "happily ever after" in my classroom! My kiddos and I tried to come up with alternate endings for these stories, but the damage was already done.
Seriously, why do so many classic children stories have to end in such a sad, violent way?!
{Parents, if your children have nightmares of foxes gobbling up their friends tonight, I am truly sorry!}
Today for story time, two of these classic books were selected - The Story of Henny Penny and The Gingerbread Man. We read the Henny Penny story first. I wasn't really familiar with this story so I was enjoying reading about Henny Penny with her friends, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, Cockey Lockey, and Ducky Daddles. The kiddos and I kept laughing at their silly names. Then along came Foxy Loxy. I should have known that a fox entering the story could mean trouble, but that fact didn't click right away for me. Well, as the story continued on, the look on my kiddos' faces changed from smiles and giggles to looks of utter disbelief. Yeah, the story basically ends with the fox eating all of Henny Penny's friends. My poor kids were in shock, utterly devastated!
I then turned to our next story. I thought I knew the Gingerbread Man story pretty well, but soon discovered I had forgotten an important detail - the story ends by the Gingerbread Man getting gobbled up by...yep, you guessed it...a fox.
Oh yeah, it wasn't a good day of "happily ever after" in my classroom! My kiddos and I tried to come up with alternate endings for these stories, but the damage was already done.
Seriously, why do so many classic children stories have to end in such a sad, violent way?!
{Parents, if your children have nightmares of foxes gobbling up their friends tonight, I am truly sorry!}
1 comment:
Hahaha, this made me laugh! :-)
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