I aquired a free poster of Goldilocks and the Three Bears which is hanging over Mirette's bed. One day, I decided it was time to tell her the story.
I started off with Goldilocks' mother allowing her to go into the forest as long as she stayed on the path. We got to the part where she goes in the house and eats the porridge and sits on the chair and then, um, I forgot why she decided to go upstairs to the bedroom. I made something up. Thankfully, I remembered the part about the bears coming home. "this porridge is too hot, too cold, just right--blah blah blah." But what happens after they find Goldilocks? I couldn't remember. Also, I didn't want to make it too scary for her, after all she is only a toddler. So I made up some ending where they went back and had dinner together.
I skimmed through a book called The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim. Basically, he explains that fairy tales have many-a psychological-purpose. Though the parent may be afraid to read the darker stuff, it's really empowering for the child. Usually, it's about overcoming something dark, or learning how to cope with something. So psychologically speaking, my need to sugarcoat Goldilocks was, perhaps, not needed.
Anyway, all this to say that I decided to brush up on my fairy tales and learn what really went down in the forest with Golidlocks and the bears. What I found is that there is the stuff that is always the same and the stuff that changes from story to story (I guess that's the beauty of fairy tales--they are very flexible--stemming, I'm sure, from the oral tradition from whence they came).
Before me sit six versions of Goldilocks.
1. The very flamboyant Jan Brett's Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1987)http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=918195194777360091
2. Golidlocks and the Three Bears (2003) Retold by Jim Aylesworth, Illustrated by Barbara McClintock
3. The 3 Bears and Goldilocks (2008) by Margaret Willey, Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon
4. The Three Bears: A Folk Tale Classic (1972) by Paul Galdone
5. Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1988). This one is a Caldecott Honor book though I have no idea why. The pictures are not particularly amazing in my opinion. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=1966727367403836666
6. Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2008) by Lauren Child; Photography by Polly Borland and Emily L. Jenkins. This book is really cool. It's written by the woman who does the Charlie and Lola series. The photographers set up these amazing real live sets using dolls and a three foot high house.
Why is she in the woods in the first place?
In two of the books Goldilocks just appears with no context (the books start off with the story of the bears). In the other books, Goldilocks goes into the woods to get muffins in the next town, in search of adventure, to collect firewood, and to pick flowers. In almost every version she is curious, or mischevious.
How does she stray from the path?
She chases a butterfly, a bird, or goes in search of the house because her mom tells her not to.
Why does she enter the house?
She smells the porridge (yep, in every book it is porridge), she wants to play, and/or she's just curious.
Why does the chair break?
The "just right" chair isn't just right, she rocks on it too hard, or leans back too far.
Why does she go upstairs?
She sees the stairs and gets curious, she gets tired after eating all the porridge up, she rocks so hard on the chair that it tires her out.
What happens after the Bears find Goldilocks
The little bear gets to keep her red shoes that Goldilocks leaves behind, the bears never see her again, she decides to obey her parents from now on.
Of course, each book is written with it's own voice and funny details. It's amazing how one story can offer so much uniqueness. Though the bones are the same, the illustrations, voice, and details are all over the map.
Suffice it to say, I think I have now brushed up on my Goldilocks storytelling.
This reminds me of my childhood. All of the "Disney" fairytales are way more violent and grotesque in the original form than when adapted for movies.
ReplyDeleteI had a book of fairytales that were the "unpolished" ones. Cinderella's sisters cut off parts of their feet to fit into the shoe, the Little Mermaid is passed over for marrying the prince and is told if she doesn't murder him she'll turn to seafoam (she turns to seafoam), etc.
I loved the heck out of that book. So I think there's certainly something to the idea that kids don't want/need things sugarcoated (of course, I *was* old enough to read myself when I heard these versions).