I am trying desperately not to think of what they intended the moral of that story to be... I am failing. So far I think it must mean "don't lie, or you may bring joy to obscure quasi-supernatural beings, but you will indirectly cause the death of absolutely everyone you know". But I may be wrong. Can anyone think of anything else though?
The Grimm brothers were collectors and scholars of folklore, not creative authors, so they didn't mean anything in particular. In context it could convey many morals: the interdependence of society, the importance of maintaining appropriate social roles and fulfilling obligations, nature is amoral and fearsome and if we worship the Great Old Ones we will gain power over life itself... erm, perhaps not that one.
Other versions might be interesting - it looks like it's going to turn into a Reynard story about half-way through, and doesn't.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
More stories should end like that. That's Hamlet-esque.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
(Sadly, not in the original Klingon.)
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I am failing. So far I think it must mean "don't lie, or you may bring joy to obscure quasi-supernatural beings, but you will indirectly cause the death of absolutely everyone you know".
But I may be wrong.
Can anyone think of anything else though?
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Other versions might be interesting - it looks like it's going to turn into a Reynard story about half-way through, and doesn't.