1. It doesn't seem very odd to me that mother warns Little Red Cap against straying off the path lest the wine bottle is broken. I think the mother sees everything and everybody in this world very nice and kind. And Little Red Cap is such a pretty girl, wearing her grandmother's gift - the red cap, such an angel. Who is going to touch her? The family probably has never seen any rudeness, danger, and cruelty.I absolutely understand the warning about the bottle. Red cap is a little girl who likes to play, run, jump as all the children. Sometimes kids fall because they are not as careful as adults, they get bruises, break their knees and cloths. No wonder mother is trying to protect her child.The bottle of wine was very important because the grandmother probably did not have central water system and it was hard for her to get the water from the well at the backyard. And I understand the word "wine" not as an alcoholic drink, but the water. Though it would be hard to think like me for the little children who this fairy tale was written for.
2. I found few elements which tell about gender and sexual symbolism in the story. Of course, the red color. It represents passion, fire, eroticism, and love. Maybe the red color of girl's cap made the wolf stop her in the woods. Another way to look at it: the red color is the color of love. The grandmother made the gift to the granddaughter in red color to show how much she loved the little girl. The family in the story consists of women only(mother, daughter, grandmother) - that points on gender. The fairy tale has a lot of sexual symbols. Little girl is being stopped in the woods by the wolf - adult man and there is nobody around. It makes me think about a maniac who is looking for his victim. When the girl reaches her destination she sees the wolf in bed. Why couldn't he be in the chair? And when wolf ate the grandmother he "pulled the curtains shut". The atmosphere is very erotic. Then he "jumps on the top of poor Little Red Cap" and ate her. It is also interesting that the Red is being delivered twice - from mom's stomach and wolf's: "He cut a little more, and the girl jumped out."
3. I liked Aesop's fables very much. Wolf is shown not as just a greedy hunter but also as a smart and fair animal. For example, in "The Wolf and the Crane" the wolf doesn't kill the crane as we would expect though he doesn't keep the promise of reward the way the crane wants. But from wolf's point of view he made "enough reward" to let him go. In reality wolfs don't hunt alone, they are always in flock. In the stories wolf is alone and all his victims are little to him: kid, crane, lamb. I am sure if he met a bear or a big muscular man, he would never attack them, he is not that stupid.
From Aesop's Fables
The Wolf and the Lamb
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside,
when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning todrink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he called out to the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"
"Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up
there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to
me."
"Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names
this time last year?"
"That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."
"I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was
your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb
and
.WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA
.ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out
."Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
The Wolf and the Crane
A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, whensuddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he couldnot swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ranup and down groaning and groaning and seeking for something torelieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to removethe bone. "I would give anything," said he, "if you would take itout." At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lieon his side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Craneput its long neck down the Wolf's throat, and with its beakloosened the bone, till at last it got it out. "Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said theCrane. The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: "Be content.You have put your head inside a Wolf's mouth and taken it outagain in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you." Gratitude and greed go not together.
The Wolf and the Kid
A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking downsaw a Wolf passing under him. Immediately he began to revile andattack his enemy. "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do youhere near honest folks' houses? How dare you make an appearancewhere your vile deeds are known?" "Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf. "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."
The Dog and the Wolf
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened tomeet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog."I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruinof you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your foodregularly given to you?" "I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could onlyget a place." "I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come withme to my master and you shall share my work." So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part ofthe Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how thathad come about. "Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the placewhere the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; itchafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it." "Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, MasterDog." Better starve free than be a fat slave.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing tothe vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it foundthe skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so itput it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf waswearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so,leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, andfor some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoyinghearty meals. Appearances are deceptive.
The Shepherd's Boy
There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep atthe foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonelyfor him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get alittle company and some excitement. He rushed down towards thevillage calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out tomeet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerabletime. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards hetried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help.But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from theforest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course criedout "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time thevillagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy wasagain deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. Sothe Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock, and when the boycomplained, the wise man of the village said: "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."
The Nurse and the Wolf
"Be quiet now," said an old Nurse to a child sitting on herlap. "If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf." Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the windowas this was said. So he crouched down by the side of the houseand waited. "I am in good luck to-day," thought he. "It is sureto cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a longday." So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at lastthe child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before thewindow, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail. But all theNurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and thedogs of the house came rushing out. "Ah," said the Wolf as hegalloped away, "Enemies promises were made to be broken."
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside,
when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning todrink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he called out to the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"
"Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up
there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to
me."
"Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names
this time last year?"
"That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."
"I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was
your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb
and
.WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA
.ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out
."Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
The Wolf and the Crane
A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, whensuddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he couldnot swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ranup and down groaning and groaning and seeking for something torelieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to removethe bone. "I would give anything," said he, "if you would take itout." At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lieon his side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Craneput its long neck down the Wolf's throat, and with its beakloosened the bone, till at last it got it out. "Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said theCrane. The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: "Be content.You have put your head inside a Wolf's mouth and taken it outagain in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you." Gratitude and greed go not together.
The Wolf and the Kid
A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking downsaw a Wolf passing under him. Immediately he began to revile andattack his enemy. "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do youhere near honest folks' houses? How dare you make an appearancewhere your vile deeds are known?" "Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf. "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."
The Dog and the Wolf
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened tomeet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog."I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruinof you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your foodregularly given to you?" "I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could onlyget a place." "I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come withme to my master and you shall share my work." So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part ofthe Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how thathad come about. "Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the placewhere the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; itchafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it." "Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, MasterDog." Better starve free than be a fat slave.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing tothe vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it foundthe skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so itput it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf waswearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so,leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, andfor some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoyinghearty meals. Appearances are deceptive.
The Shepherd's Boy
There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep atthe foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonelyfor him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get alittle company and some excitement. He rushed down towards thevillage calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out tomeet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerabletime. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards hetried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help.But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from theforest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course criedout "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time thevillagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy wasagain deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. Sothe Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock, and when the boycomplained, the wise man of the village said: "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."
The Nurse and the Wolf
"Be quiet now," said an old Nurse to a child sitting on herlap. "If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf." Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the windowas this was said. So he crouched down by the side of the houseand waited. "I am in good luck to-day," thought he. "It is sureto cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a longday." So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at lastthe child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before thewindow, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail. But all theNurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and thedogs of the house came rushing out. "Ah," said the Wolf as hegalloped away, "Enemies promises were made to be broken."
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
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