Stories From My Childhood Days

Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Fairy Tales and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales were all part of the stories of my childhood. In her desire to pass on her love of reading to my brothers and me, my mother read to us classic tales every night. It worked!! As time went by, my brothers and I graduated from being eager listeners to being avid readers.

Looking back, I realized that my mother's bedtime stories also helped to shape my character because a lot of her stories showed consequences of actions. I can still remember her story on "Selfishness". The story goes like this...

A bad old woman died. In her whole life she had not done one good deed. So Satan grabbed her and threw her into the sea of flames. But her guardian angel did not give up. "Can't I recall a single good thing that she had done?" he thought hard and long. Then he brightened up and said to God, "I distinctly remember one time that she dug a small potato out of her garden and gave it to a beggar."

"All right," said God. "Take that same small potato and hold it down to her in the sea of fire and try to lift her up with it. If you succeed, she will go to heaven."

So the angel began to pull her up very carefully. But when the others saw what was happening and she began to go up, they all began to hang onto her. The woman started kicking them off, shouting, "I'm the only one supposed to be rescued by this little potato. It belongs to me alone; it's not yours."

At that, the potato tore apart and she fell right back down into the sea of fire, where she still is. The angel wept.

When adults want to impart important things - like faith, belief, values - to children, it's often best related in the form of stories. Stories are more easily understood and enjoyed.

The character of your children tomorrow depends on what you put into their hearts today. So, tell them bedtime stories!! :)