Through the Eyes of a Child (Extra Credit)

“My first and last philosophy, that which I believe in with unbroken certainty, I learnt in the nursery … The things I believed most then, the things I believe most now, are called fairy tales.” -G.K. Chesterton 

"Absolute poppycock!"

Fairy tales are nowadays often considered a story medium limited for children. After all, fairy tales are just stories about the impossible happening, like magic beanstalks, and fairy godmothers. Children are the only one’s that have the imagination to believe in such things, right? I don’t know about you, but if this mindset was actually true, I’d much rather be a kid rather than an adult. I’m reminded about Mr. Darling from Peter Pan. He doesn’t believe in the adventurous tales of Peter, and he’s not someone I’d like to hang around with. He’s gruff and stingy, and has no imagination. Fairy tales are usually told to us at a young age, and if we let go of our sense of wonder when we grow older, fairy tales cease to be delightful forms of storytelling. Whether one is a young or old, it’s best to look at fairy tales through the eyes of a child. Just like Chesterton who learned these stories at a young age and never stopped believing in them. When did adults lose their imagination, and start to think that the real things in life are the most important? As Walt Disney beautifully put it, “That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up.”