The "Gospel" of Fairy Tales

My husband and I went to the opera last Sunday -- not a complicated opera, but a simple opera. We saw Hansel and Gretel in the English version at Shenandoah Conservatory. What a delight! And, as I watched, I thought how right G.K. Chesterton was in his essay on Fairyland where he describes the mistaken notion of poets to think the fairies operate with a freedom that is really license to do exactly as they please. Chesterton vehemently disagrees:

I think the poets have made a mistake: because the world of the fairy-tales is a brighter and more varied world than ours, they have fancied it less moral; really it is brighter and more varied because it is more moral.

I think there is a "gospel" of fairy tales and I think Chesterton would agree. He goes on to make his case: 

But suppose a man were born in a modern prison, and grew accustomed to the deadly silence and the disgusting indifference; and suppose he were then suddenly turned loose upon the life and laughter of Fleet Street. He would, of course, think that the literary men in Fleet Street were a free and happy race; yet how sadly, how ironically, is this the reverse of the case! And so again these toiling serfs in Fleet Street, when they catch a glimpse of the fairies, think the fairies are utterly free. But fairies are like journalists in this and many other respects. Fairies and journalists have an apparent gaiety and a delusive beauty. Fairies and journalists seem to be lovely and lawless; they seem to be both of them too exquisite to descend to the ugliness of everyday duty. But it is an illusion created by the sudden sweetness of their presence. Journalists live under law; and so in fact does fairyland.

We all live under the law by virtue of our existence. No one can escape the natural law. If you jump off the roof of a tall building, you don't defy the law of gravity; you illustrate it. Water is essential to life. You can't live without it. But if you decide to breathe it in instead of drinking it, you won't last long. Many of nature's laws are unforgiving, but following them protects us.

The same is true of God's laws. They weren't made to spoil our fun or make us miserable. God put them in place to give us the freedom to enjoy life and be happy. Adam and Eve had one law -- Don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they broke the law they did not become like God as the serpent promised. They lost eternal earthly happiness for themselves and for their children. Listening to Satan always ends badly.

The myths and fairy tales show us truth. Pandora exercises her "freedom" and curiosity, opens the box she's been forbidden to touch, and unleashes multiple ills on the earth. Pinocchio disobeys the kindly Geppetto and almost ends up transformed into a donkey on Pleasure Isle. [Really -- Why did the transgender issue just pop into my head?] 

I read a story once about a village built on a tall flat-topped mountain. The village was surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, deadly to anyone who fell over. The children were so afraid of the surrounding cliff that they stayed far away from the edge severely limiting their play space. The parents and wise elders of the village worried. They wanted the children to run free and enjoy healthy play, just like God wants for us. So they built a fence all around the village within a few feet of the cliff edge. After that the children had a boundary that protected them from danger, but allowed them to play freely in every inch of the fenced area. 

That is what God's laws do for us. Laws don't limit our freedom; they extend it. Yes, Cinderella, you can go to the ball but you need to leave by midnight. Psyche, you can be married to Cupid and be eternally happy, but must never look on him. When Psyche breaks her promise, the law of their marriage, Cupid flees forever leaving her in sorrow and misery. That's what happens when we break God's laws. Remember Mary Magdalene's tears.

Many people think that without law they can be blissfully happy. They can do whatever they want, enjoy every pleasure and excitement on earth. But like the narrator of the Hound of Heaven describes, none of these things can fill the heart. The soul who puts his trust in pleasure, ends up disillusioned and dissatisfied. The only thing that can fill our hearts is the God who made us for Himself. 

And how can we return that love? Jesus told us. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." The unspoken follow up is. "And if you obey, no matter what happens, you will be filled with joy." The first century martyrs sang on the way to their deaths because they knew where they were going!

Can you be filled with joy in sorrow? Absolutely! St. John Chrysostom reveals the secret:

Tell me, if you were called to a temporal kingdom, but before entering into the palace, where you were to be crowned, had to spend the night in a dark and offensive stable, would this be hard for you? Would you not bear it cheerfully, in expectation of the kingdom?

The kingdom awaits, the mansions are prepared for those who love and serve the Lord.  The heroes of the fairy tales persevere through trials and troubles and receive the reward of their labors. That's a metaphor for us and we have help from our guardian angels like the fairies help mortals in their quest to find their way through the forest. 

Fairy tales teach morals and the difference between good and evil. They teach that evil can be overcome by good and that monsters and witches can be defeated. The dragon doesn't eat the princess but is slain by the hero.  

By obeying God's laws we defeat the dragon. By refusing to listen to Lucifer's lies we overcome the lies with the truth. By kissing the frog we break the evil enchantment of the prince. 

I think I'll pull out my Grimm's Fairy Tales and Aesop's Fables. What wisdom can be found there and imparted to our children through stories. And, in the process, we can be once again like little children, one of the requirements for reaching heaven. 

Let us share the stories of fantasy with our children. Remember these wise words of Chesterton: “Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”