How is the literary structure of fables and their importance in childhood

When we come into the world we have no notion of what kind of behavior we should have, of what is considered good or bad by the standards of society. We are clay to be molded.

To begin to form the conscience of children and keeping in mind that their minds are developing and all knowledge must be managed by doing use of tools that make it easier for them to assimilate the information, a technique was invented that by means of animated illustrations and simple narrations, stories are told so that the child feels identified with the plots, and the morals that they leave serve as reflection and support to guide their behavior in the best way and for the benefit of society.

This technique was called fables. The concept will be further expanded below.

What are fables?

Fables are stories, also known as short stories, generally starring animals that take human attitudes and making use of the language in verse or prose, they seek through the stories that describe the bad behaviors and attitudes of people, to give a message or moral.

Origin of the fables

Fables have their origin more than two thousand years ago in Mesopotamia, a country where the first illustrations of animals that told stories sculpted on clay tablets were found, they were used in libraries of the time.

Later in Greece in the XNUMXth century BC the author Hesiod released the first written fable, called the nightingale and then in the XNUMXnd century Nicostrato wrote a collection of fables for educational purposes.

Years later Rome was also part of this movement, when the author Horacio wrote several copies and Phaedrus implemented the language in verse transforming it into a poetic genre.

In the Middle Ages, fables became animal comedies, and this is where the poet María de Francia wrote 63 copies. Then in the Renaissance period, humanists like Leonardo da Vinci composed books of these types of stories.

In the XNUMXth century, fables were cultivated in the rest of the world, to later become a great literary revolution in the XNUMXst century.

Composition:

Fables are literary genres that consist of:

• Characters: mostly animals or inanimate objects, which unfold during the plot in complicated situations.
• Structure: they usually start with a brief summary of the place and the staging, with prose and / or verse language, and culminate with a teaching or moral.

• Content: habitually Topics of human behavior are covered, where vices, envy, arrogance stand out. Anger, dishonesty, greed and greed.

• Narrative: usually the fable is related by a narrator who tells the story in the third person.

Fables benefits

• The importance of gender lies in promoting good behavior and attitude in children and young people. They are useful tools that serve to teach them and motivate them, the following can be obtained from its implementation both at home and in the educational institution:
• The morals that these short stories leave teach children and adolescents to behave appropriately, always keeping in mind the values ​​of love, friendship, honesty, obedience, respect, understanding and others.
• They stimulate the imagination and ability reasoning of the child and the youth.
• With the fables they learn to respect and appreciate animals, thus preventing mistreatment of them.
• With the recreational activities that are developed with the use of the readings, the child learns to relate and share with others, as well as to develop and express themselves using drawing and singing.
• They promote interest in reading.
• Examples
• Here we show you some models of fables that will serve as teaching tool for children and adolescents or they will simply give you a time travel experience so that you remember those moments when you enjoyed these stories:

The tortoise and the hare:

Once upon a time there was a very proud and vain hare, who kept spreading that she was the fastest and made fun of the slowness of the tortoise.

- Hey, turtle, don't run so much you'll never reach your goal! The hare said laughing at the turtle.

One day, it occurred to the turtle to make an unusual bet on the hare:

- I'm sure I can win you a race.

- To me? The hare asked in amazement.

- Yes, yes, you said the turtle. Let's put our bets and see who wins the race.

The hare, very conceited, accepted the bet.

So all the animals gathered to witness the race. The owl pointed to the starting and arrival points, and without further ado began the race amidst the disbelief of the attendees.

Cunning and very self-confident, the hare let the tortoise outmaneuver her and kept making fun of her. Then he began to run quickly and overtook the tortoise who was walking slowly but not stopping. He only stopped halfway through a lush green meadow, where he settled down to rest before finishing the race. There she fell asleep, while the tortoise continued walking, step after step, slowly, but without stopping.

When the hare woke up, he saw with fear that the turtle was a short distance from the goal. In a start, he ran away with all his might, but it was too late: the turtle had reached the goal and won the race!

That day the hare learned, in the midst of great humiliation, that you should never make fun of others. You also learned that overconfidence is an obstacle to achieving our goals. And that no one, absolutely no one, is better than anyone.

This fable leaves us like moral, that despite the circumstances and adversities that arise, people should always remain optimistic and persevering, since in this life everything is possible. It teaches us the value of effort and that we should never make fun of others for their limitations or impediments.

The stork and the lion:

A fierce and arrogant lion was, on one occasion, devouring a delicious prey that he had just hunted. He was so hungry that he inadvertently stuffed too much meat into his mouth and choked on a bone. He started jumping, spinning, coughing… It was impossible, the bone was stuck in his throat and he couldn't remove it in any way. He even tried to put his own paw in his mouth, but only managed to scratch his nails and irritated his palate.

A stork was watching him from the top of a tree. Seeing that the lion was desperate, he took an interest in him.

- What's the matter, lion? You do nothing but complain!

- I am having a bad time. I have a bone stuck in my throat and I can hardly breathe. I don't know how to get it out!

- I could get rid of that bone that causes you so much anguish because I have a very long beak, but there is a problem and that is ... I'm afraid you will eat me!

The lion, hopeful, began to plead with the stork. He even got down on his knees, something unusual for the proud king of the jungle!

- Please help me! I promise not to hurt you! I am a wild animal and feared by all, but I always keep what I say. Word of king!

The stork could not hide its nervousness. Would it be safe to trust the lion ...? It was not clear at all and she was thoughtful deciding what to do. The feline, meanwhile, moaned and cried like a baby. The stork, who had a good heart, finally relented.

- It's okay! I will trust you. Lie on your back and open your mouth as wide as you can.

The lion lay down looking at the sky and the stork placed a stick holding its huge jaws so that it could not close them.

- And now, don't move. This operation is very delicate and, if it does not go well, the remedy may be worse than the disease.

Obeying the command, the lion stood very still and the bird thrust its long, thin beak down its throat. It took him a while, but fortunately he managed to locate the bone and extracted it with great skill. Afterwards, he withdrew the stick that kept his mouth open and at full speed, just in case, he flew away to take refuge in his nest.

After a few days, the stork returned to the lion's domain and found him very concentrated in devouring another large piece of meat. He perched carefully on a tall branch and caught the lion's attention.

- Hello, friend… How are you feeling?

- As you can see, I am perfectly recovered.

- I'll tell you something ... The other day you didn't even thank me for the favor I did you. It's not for nothing, but I think that in addition to your recognition, I deserve an award. Don't you think?

- A prize? You should be happy because I spared your life! That is a good prize for you!

The lion, after releasing these words with a rather impolite tone, continued his business, ignoring the noble stork that had saved his life. The bird, of course, was very angry at the contempt with which the lion paid for his selfless help.

- Oh yeah? So you think? You are ungrateful and time will prove me right. Maybe one day, who knows when, the same thing will happen to you again and I assure you that I will not come to help you. Then you will value everything I did for you. Remember what I tell you, ungrateful lion! And without saying anything else, the stork went away forever, leaving behind the lion, who did not even look at her, interested only in satisfying his appetite.

Moral: always we must be grateful to those who give us their support in a difficult circumstance. Otherwise it can be a cause of offense and enmity.

The donkey carrying salt and the donkey carrying sponges:

Two donkeys were going down a path. One carried salt and the other sponges. The first one stopped every so often, burdened by the weight, having to bear the ridicule of the second who was lighter.

They came to a river they had to cross, and the salt-laden donkey got into the water. At first it sank under the weight, but the water dissolved the salt and, now much lighter, it was able to reach the other shore. The second donkey, seeing that his companion had crossed, got into the water without thinking. As he was carrying sponges, they absorbed the water and increased its weight, sinking the animal and it drowned.

Moral: Never be fooled by the first impression, it is the end result that counts.

The lion and the mosquito:

Once upon a time there was a lion, he was very quiet in the jungle, when a very large mosquito decided to disturb him. " Do not think that because you are bigger than me I am afraid of you!«Said the mosquito challenging the lion, known as the king of the jungle. After those words, the mosquito neither short nor lazy, began to buzz the lion's head flying from one side to the other, while the lion looked for the mosquito like crazy.

The lion roared with rage at the audacity of the mosquito and despite its attempts to kill it, the mosquito bit it in different parts of the body, until the too tired lion collapsed on the ground. The mosquito, feeling victorious, resumed the path from which it came. In a short time the mosquito stumbled on a spider web and was defeated too.

Moraleja: There are never small dangers, nor insignificant stumbles.