“The Little Red Hen” is a fable and folk tale that is said to have originated in Russia. It tells the story of a hardworking hen and her lazy farm animals neighbors. The plot of “The Tree Billy Goats Gruff” revolves around three male goats who come across a troll while crossing a bridge on the other side of a river. The latter story is a Norwegian fairy tale. The two works were published with the intention of conveying specific messages to children in the communities of which they were written. This paper reviews these two works and examines the message contained therein. It also investigates the messages in relation to the historical and cultural context within which the works were written and popularized.
The original authors of the two books have not been identified and there are numerous copies of the works by different authors in circulation. Some of the works have slightly different versions of the story but most of them maintain a similar story line. “The Little Red Hen” is intended for children to teach them about the value of hard work and participation in team work or communal activities that are beneficial to them. It is also intended to educate them on the importance of giving priority to beneficial work over luxury. The author of the story had in mind the nature of children and the need to instill in them values of hard work, team work, and learning how to choose their priorities in life. The story of the Billy goats was compiled and recorded by Peter Christen Asbjornsen together with Joe Morgen in 1845. During this period there was a renaissance of Norwegian literature and the desire to establish Norwegian literature using purely Norwegian language. The period also experienced a need to rekindle a nationalistic culture (“History of Norway” para 2-6).
The presentation of the two stories employ personification of the animals involved. The animals are given qualities of human beings such as the ability to communicate through speech, and the ability to do work like farming. The use of this tool helps the children to easily connect with the events that are being described in the two works. Personification also catches the attention of the young readers and the story more lively, and sensitive to the matters raised in the story.
Figure 1.0 Personification.
The author of “The Little Red Hen” uses repeatedly short sentences that are descriptive of the question and responses of the hen and the other animals. For instance, the hen asks, “Who will help me plant my corn?” and each of the other animals responds, “Not I.” Moreover, the author uses a common response when the hen asks the other animals if they would like to participate in eating the bread. All the animals respond by saying, “I will!” (Galdone 2). The use of these short sentences establishes a certain predictability of the story adds excitement to the story and makes the readers excited to guess the next question and response. The figures below illustrate the repetition and short statements used in the story.
Figure 2.1 Figure2.2
In “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” the author uses sound illustrations to describe certain events happening within the story. For example, to illustrate the movement of the youngest goat across the bridge, the author uses the expressions “trip, trap, trip, trap, trip trap” (Galdone 4). The author then ensures that they repeat this expression every time the other two goats are passing over the bridge. The use of these sounds makes the story fun to read and tell for children. It makes the fairy tale exciting for them. Figure 3.1 below demonstrates the use of these sounds to mimic the movement of the goats.
Figure 3.1
The alternate world presented in the two books reflects the actual world in which the works were written. To begin with, the interaction between the hen and the other animals teaches about the rewards of hard work. In every society, values such as the love of honest work and self reliance are taught to children when they are growing. The story therefore only serves to ensure that these values are inculcated in the children at an early stage. The story also ensures that team work and the need to have a plan for one’s life are understood by children early enough. In “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” the scenario portrayed is representative of the rebirth of Norwegian literature and the establishment of a new culture independent of the Swedish people. One can conclude that the story intends to demonstrate that the path towards better life may have obstacles but if one is wise and brave in dealing with them, he or she will be successful.
Works Cited
“Brief History of Norway.” History, Geography, and Way of Life. 2017. http://www.samfunnskunnskap.no/?page_id=815&lang=en
Galdone, Paul, Roberta Maxwell, and Harry Buch. The little red hen. Weston Woods Studios, 2004.
Galdone, Paul. The three billy goats gruff. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
We will email this sample to you with pleasure!
Type your email