A: Babe, am I a geek?
D: No. (the very safe, right answer)
A: Is anything about me geeky?
D: No.
A: If something about me had to be geeky, what would it be?
This continued on, me trying to convince him that I needed something, anything and him not quite understanding why... anyway, he was no help at all. I'm pretty sure my sisters could have found something, but due to time and self-respect, I didn't ask.
I'm not techy enough to be geeky that way, so my pretty lame conclusion was that I'm geeky because I love to read, although it really is a stretch right now considering how little I've been reading lately, aside from children's books. Which leads me to my SPT focus.
Recently while putting Cooper to bed- we had long passed bedtime and had rushed a little through the routine- I was laying with him on his bed in the dark, not willing to get up, turn the lights back on for another story, yet he was not quite satisfied with my quick attempt to get him to bed. I offered another story on the condition that I could just lay there and tell it to him. He was intrigued, so out came my first motherly attempt at The Three Little Pigs. To be quite honest, the delivery was much less than stellar, but must have impressed because the request has followed each night since...thus prompting my need to research and refresh my fairy-tale knowledge.
I know this is long, stay with me. I discovered, through my quality time with google, that I was quite deceived as a child. These stories are much more disturbing than I remember! I confronted my mother on this issue and apparently she was deceived as well as she does not recall so much morbidity either. I am referring to the fact that in every version of the Three Little Pigs I came across, book or online, the first two little pigs die! The wolf gobbles them up after he huffs and puffs and blows their house down! This did not happen when I was little. When the straw house was being blown to bits, the first little piggy ran as fast as he could to the house made of sticks, then the two of them high-tailed it to the brick house, where they lived safely, happily ever after... apparently not the case?? Quite a disappointment I must say. That version is much better than what I found recently.
To make matters worse, I was shocked to find out that Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother were both eaten by the wolf?! WHAT?? The wolf arrives at grandma's house, eats her, assumes her identity, eats little red and then a hunter comes by, shoots the wolf, cuts him open and out pop granny and little red riding hood. Not right. I mean, that's the story, but I don't appreciate telling my little boy that the wolf gets blown away and then sliced open- I much prefer the version of my childhood where granny gets locked in a closet and the hunter comes by to save them just before the wolf devours Little Red- is this not what you grew up with? I was relieved to find that at least Goldilocks escapes- after all this I kind of wondered if she got gobbled up to.
So, after having these new stories requested multiple times a day for the last few weeks, we took a trip to Barnes and Noble to find Cooper his own books so he can read them whenever he wants to, and mom can participate occasionally. We found the stories, the demented versions, but I can alter them as I tell- heaven help us when he learns to read and is exposed to the awful truth of it all. Perhaps these stories are simply meant to "tell" rather than to "read," and therefore giving parents license to have them be as gruesome as we like, or don't.
My geeky-ness can only be exhibited in this photo of Cooper and I after finding his three little piggy treasure.
At least my offspring enjoyed the book store, perhaps we have another geek in the making!
8 comments:
I rememeber the nice versions too!!!! I don't remember the three little pigs ever being eaten! Then it would only be one little pig living happily ever after, how sad! Hmmm... maybe someone should rewrite them.
Amberly, The Brothers Grimm were a perfect reflection of their name. I remember when I found out the same sad truth you found. My children were just about the age of yours when I thought it would be grand to have the REAL Brothers Grimm book in my home. I gleefully bought it without looking at the stories and to my horror, the first time I read one outloud.....well you know what they are like. Yikes. I went back to verbal dramatic storytelling.
One day years ago, my sister and I were talking about Disney's "Little Mermaid" while standing at the register at Blockbuster. One of us happened to mention how the Little Mermaid's legs turned to seafoam and she died in the real story. The 16-year-old boy behind the register looked at us wide-eyed and said with genuine pain in his voice, "The Little Mermaid DIED?!?!"
I actually do remember the real version of Little Red but was pretty upset at the morbid version of the Pigs. On the subject of wierd fairy tales...any thoughts on why there are three men in a tub? Supposedly it was something political...my, there certainly is a lot of interestion trivia in "children's" liturature!
I keep forgetting about SPT. I asked my better half for an example of your "geekiness" - he offered this nugget. Amberly uses the word "purchase" instead of "buy". So, add that to your geekiness list. :)
Fairy tales are really violent. I am not eager to introduce them to Jack considering he'll see enough in daily life (not if I can help it), but why add to it? Know what I mean?
i'm glad you put up an spt! isn't it strange how we all learned "watered down" versions of the grimm stories?
I would never call you a geek.
I love the gory versions of the tales, designed to horrify children into obedience. My favorite as a mason's daughter was The Three Little Pigs, and I really felt sorry for anyone who didn't live in a brick home!
Also, your valances look great.
Too funny. I had no idea about how tragic those stories were. No thanks. Although my boys are really getting into monsters. So, we have our own scary thoughts at night. No need to add to it. :)
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