Story Time

A couple weeks ago, Anna, in the second grade, had several photocopied pages to read for homework. She was less than enthusiastic, but we settled onto the couch and began reading.

Here's a summary:

Mister Seguin had a beautiful little white goat. He made sure she had everything she needed. The goat wanted to go into the mountains. Mister Seguin said that it wasn't safe, that last year Renaude, another of his goats, had gone to the mountain. She had fought off a wolf through the night, and it ate her in the morning.

The beautiful white goat insists that she wants to go, so Mister Seguin locks the goat in the barn, but forgets to close the window. The beautiful white goat escapes.

She spends a lovely day frolicking in the mountains.

The beautiful white goat is happy. Really, really happy.

Night falls, she hears Mister Seguin calling for her. She hears a wolf. She chooses to stay on the mountain.

At this point in the story, I have a bad feeling about this. Anna is getting teary-eyed. I skim ahead. Anna is right.

The goat fights off the wolf all night. Morning is coming, and the beautiful white goat lays down, covered in blood, and the wolf eats her.

Really.

Is that not the worst bedtime story you have ever heard?

I don't think Disney will be making this into an animated feature anytime soon.

I know there are plenty of disturbing stories out there for kids. Hansel and Gretel comes to mind. Little Red Riding Hood. But the witch doesn't get to eat the kids. Little Red Riding Hood, even in its most gory version, gets cut out of the wolf's stomach and has a nice lunch with Grandma.

Poor Anna. To put salt on the wound, she had to memorize a poem on the goat as well. At least it was the happy part about her frolicking in the mountains, but still...