For my Karen lesson today, I was reading a children’s book with my teacher. I personally love children’s books; the sweet stories that often carry incredible virtues just under the surface. One of my favorites is Max Lucado’s You are Special or Judith Viorst’s Rosie and Michael.
This one was not so sweet nor virtuous. And like yesterday’s Karen lesson, it seemed worth sharing. This is a slightly shortened English version from my memory, but I’m certain you’ll get the point.
There was an orphan boy who lived with his grandmother in a small house in the jungle.
He set traps in the jungle and caught a bird. He let it go free and told it to go back to his grandma and ask her to cook him. When he got back to his house, he asked his grandmother about the bird. She said that was not the way to catch a bird. Instead, he should twist the bird’s neck and put it in his bag.
The next day the boy went out again and found some mushrooms. He took each one and twisted the neck of it and put it in his bag. When he went home his grandmother told him this was not the way to pick mushrooms. He should pick them one by one and put them in his bag.
The next day the boy found a bee hive. He picked the bees one by one and put them in his bag. They bit him many times and his face was very swollen. When he got home his grandmother said this was not the way to catch bees; he should chase them away with fire and take the honey.
The next day the boy saw a deer. He chased it with fire and it ran away. When he went home, his grandmother told him that he should throw a spear through the deer to kill it.
The next day the boy went out and saw a monk. He threw a spear through the monk and killed him. (!) When he got home his grandmother told him this is not what he should do when he meets a monk. Instead, he should pray to the monk.
And the next day the boy went out and came upon a tiger. He prayed to the tiger and it began to chase him. The tiger chased the boy until he caught him and ate him. (!)
The grandmother waited at home many days for the boy to come back, but he did not come back. She cried many days and died with a bitter heart.
What!?