What this nation needs is more fairy tales
What this great nation needs to remain great is to read more fairy tales. Let me explain. I was reading The Mysteries of Life in Children’s Literature (Neumann Press, 2000) by Mitchell Kalpakgian when I was struck by the connection between the buzz word “change,” staple of the last Presidential election and the Grimm fairy tale, “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage”.
The fairy tale shows what happens when the characters are more enthralled with change for its own sake, than really understanding that change can have either a positive or negative impact. It also illustrates the disastrous unintended consequences that can ensue from decisions imposed by a self-appointed “authority” that has no hands-on experience in the matters about which he is deciding.
Th three characters in the fairy tale — a bird, a mouse and sausage — embrace the idea of change, but they haven’t thought through the consequences of this change. A stranger, who is not familiar with their circumstances or able to demonstrate any knowledge or experience with their situation, introduces the idea of change by suggesting to the bird that he is being unfairly used by the mouse and the sausage. The bird demands change.
Kalpakgian says it perfectly, “Naively believing the opinion of an outsider and defying the counsel of friends and the wisdom of experience, the bird upsets the natural order of the household, assigns the household chores to the least qualified individuals, and causes disaster. When the sausage in his new job goes to fetch the wood, he is devoured by a dog; the mouse who is now doing the cooking by climbing into the pot like the sausage gets cooked with the food; and the bird who attempts to draw water falls in the well with the bucket. Thus wishes that do not conform to the nature of things, to the structure of reality, and to the laws that govern the world do more harm than good even as they seek improvement and progress.”
Those who voted for President Obama voted for “change” and “change” is what they got. I’m always amazed at the number of people who still boldly drive around with Obama bumper stickers. Maybe they haven’t heard about the kind of changes he is implementing or maybe the full impact of those changes hasn’t been felt by them yet.
In the fairy tale, once all three meet their demise, it is too late to unwish their “change.” In real life, “change” has its consequences, too. For the innocent, the voiceless, it is not a fairy tale. It is real. Let’s hope it is not too late.
