Do not read The Little Match Girl!

[elektra]

... unless you want to end up in tears!
DD has a big book of Christmas stories, most of which are abridged versions of classic stories. I stumbled across this one and I think I had read it before but had completely forgotten the plot and ending. I could barely make it through and poor DD did not understand why I was crying and she was upset and wanted me to "end on a happy one."
I just looked this one up and apparently the original is by Hans Christian Anderson. . I know it's a good thing to be aware of the suffering of many, and that for many people, just having clothing and food would be a blessing. But I was just wanting a cheery Christmas bedtime story for DD, not a tragedy!

[citymama]

I *hated* that story as a kid. Along with many other HCA stories and brothers Grimm. That stuff is *dark*!

[MommyAllison]

I did the same thing last year with the unabridged version! Got to the end and was stumbling all over myself trying to modify the ending for DD1. It is such a tragic ending.

[fedoragirl]

I love that story. I need to buy an abridged version for DD.

[TwinFoxes]

Nothing like a homeless child freezing on the street. Sweet dreams DD! I remember that one from childhood, but I was older (I read it to myself). Short of changing it completely I don't know how it could be abridged to be made child friendly for a four year old. Your poor DD! And poor you. :hug:

Don't read "The Little Mermaid" either.

[elektra]

Nothing like a homeless child freezing on the street. Sweet dreams DD! I remember that one from childhood, but I was older (I read it to myself). Short of changing it completely I don't know how it could be abridged to be made child friendly for a four year old. Your poor DD! And poor you. :hug:

Don't read "The Little Mermaid" either.
The story was not changed- just shortened. She still freezes to death in the street after getting so desperate as to light her last matches. The angel carries her away to heaven in the end, after she is able to see the Christmas tree and whatever else it was. Wahhhhh!!!! Merry Christmas!
I guess in this version it never actually says she "dies", but it's completely obvious to an adult that this is what happens.

[Melaine]

I *hated* that story as a kid. Along with many other HCA stories and brothers Grimm. That stuff is *dark*!

:yeahthat: I got it for Christmas as a book loving little girl and I was like, WTH? It's AWFUL.

[maestramommy]

Wow, I read it for the first time when I was 7? 8? I had a book called "Children's Literature," with that story in it.

[arivecchi]

How awful! I would have been in tears too. :hug:

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Don't read "The Little Mermaid" either.

sort of OT, but i agree, i can't believe the Little Mermaid was supposed to be a kids story. the Disney version is completely different from the original. in the original, i believe after becoming a human she finds out the prince she's in love with is going to marry someone else, and she ends up killing herself. Um, how's that for a kid's story??? :eek: i remember reading that when i was 11 years old (after the Disney Little Mermaid came out in the movies) and feeling so disturbed!!!

[MamaMolly]

I never ever liked that story. Even as a child I wondered why I ought to read something as dark and awful, but especially at Christmas.

[m448]

sort of OT, but i agree, i can't believe the Little Mermaid was supposed to be a kids story. the Disney version is completely different from the original. in the original, i believe after becoming a human she finds out the prince she's in love with is going to marry someone else, and she ends up killing herself. Um, how's that for a kid's story??? :eek: i remember reading that when i was 11 years old (after the Disney Little Mermaid came out in the movies) and feeling so disturbed!!!

LOL yup although the version we read in school came from the caribbean and is titled My Love, My Love. Still pretty tragic. I do think that unless the child is very empathetic (like one of mine) or even very young these stories help them safely process tragic things but in fiction. I still try to avoid them for nighttime though as we'll get a barrage of questions that lead to GREAT BIG LIFE discussions which in turn lead to nightwakings. So not fun to discuss tornadoes, arsonists and death at 3am.

[DrSally]

Very sad story. I personally love it (for myself,that is, prob wouldn't read it to the kids u less I wanted to do a lot of explaining)

[lmintzer]

Uggh, how awful!

Also make sure to avoid "Babes in the Woods" (I think this is a Grimm's "Fairy Tale" (ha!). Story about two little children who are left alone in the woods, die there, and are then covered with leaves by the birds.

I have no idea what business this story had being in an anthology of mine as a kid, but I was SOO upset by it and remember it to this day. I was definitely under 6 when it was read to me, and it stuck!

[Gena]

Very sad story. I personally love it (for myself,that is, prob wouldn't read it to the kids u less I wanted to do a lot of explaining)

I agree. I love this story too, but it's definately not for young children. Strange as it sounds, I really do like tragic stories. Growing up, I used to read "The Bird's Christmas Carol" every year.

[strollerqueen]

sort of OT, but i agree, i can't believe the Little Mermaid was supposed to be a kids story. the Disney version is completely different from the original. in the original, i believe after becoming a human she finds out the prince she's in love with is going to marry someone else, and she ends up killing herself. Um, how's that for a kid's story??? :eek: i remember reading that when i was 11 years old (after the Disney Little Mermaid came out in the movies) and feeling so disturbed!!!
LOL, this thread is cracking me up! It is so true. I also remember reading the Little Mermaid and going "Seriously"? or something like that. I read and re-read it, trying to figure out some socially redeeming message. I couldn't. Just that life sucks. So many fairy tales and rhymes are so disturbing that I never read them to my kids. I was wondering this week-end if that was the right thing to do, because I took them to Storyland, and they had no idea who any of the characters were.

[sntm]

I love that story but it is sad.

There was a great article out a few months ago arguing for the importance of those types of tales for kids - scary, sad, etc. Basically the premise was that kids have these thoughts anyway and reading the stories is cathartic. I thought it was very interesting. I read all of those stories when I was young (the authentic ones) and have never censored them with DS. It always seemed that they went over his head when he wasn't ready for them and led to interesting discussions when he was.

On a related note, I let him talk me into watching an episode of Bones with me when I wanted to watch while folding laundry and THAT was a bad idea.

[VClute]

I remember this story! When I was growing up, my elementary school would show this in the cafeteria around Christmastime. We all watched this AND the Tin Soldier. sob fest!

[DrSally]

I love that story but it is sad.

There was a great article out a few months ago arguing for the importance of those types of tales for kids - scary, sad, etc. Basically the premise was that kids have these thoughts anyway and reading the stories is cathartic. I thought it was very interesting. I read all of those stories when I was young (the authentic ones) and have never censored them with DS. It always seemed that they went over his head when he wasn't ready for them and led to interesting discussions when he was.

On a related note, I let him talk me into watching an episode of Bones with me when I wanted to watch while folding laundry and THAT was a bad idea.

Bruno Bettelheim, a therapist, wrote "the uses of enchantment", about how fairy tales "educate, support, and liberate the emotions of children".