i can't remember how it got brought up, but last week i told my five year-old the story of the boy who cried wolf. he had been "crying wolf" in some form or another i guess. (is it still ok to say "crying wolf"? is that offensive to wolves or little liar boys or some other group? i know you can no longer say "indian giver", so maybe i'm just confused).
he really liked the story and asked to hear it most nights after that. around the fourth night in a row of requesting it, he started getting a little noticeably anxious as we approached the part where the wolf shows up and gets the sheep. he stopped me just before that part and said, "ok dadda, this time don't say that nobody comes. this time, let the villagers come get the wolf".
i said, "well, buddy, that kind of goes against the whole point of the story. you know, how you shouldn't make things up because then when you're telling the truth, no one will believe you".
he nodded and said, "let's have the villagers shoot the wolf".
i've found through experience with him that you can't scare him before bed if you want him to sleep, so in our version, the wolf has now been (1) shot, (2) stabbed with a sword, (3) hit by thrown rocks, and (4) burned in hot lava.
why do i feel like jerry bruckheimer started out the same way as a boy?
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