| Author | |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: April 02 2008 at 8:23am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Yesterday as we read from our Aesop book, we came across the fable of the Cat and the Cock (of which I had never heard). Here it is:
"A cat one day caught a cock, and resolved to make a meal of him, but first wanted to find a plausible excuse for killing the bird. She alleged that he made himslef a nuisance to men by crowing at night and preventing them from sleeping. “Nay,” answered the cock, “I only crow in the service of man,” and he said he did men a good turn by waking them when it was time for them to start their day’s work. “What nonsense you talk!” said the cat. “You are mistaken if you think that I’ll be done out of my breakfast by an excuse like that,” and she at him.
Moral: An evil nature is bent on wrongdoing even when it hides behind the cloak of fairness:
So.... my boys gave tons of other examples of other animals doing this kind of stuff. But my postpartum brain was having a hard time steering them towards an everyday life example! (postpartum brain??)
I was thinking that maybe one of them wanted to hit the other because he was annoying and was looking for any excuse to appear justified? Does that fit? It seems like I'm missing something Help! I haven't had coffee yet and I'm really in trouble because I can't even judge if I've got a moral correct! 
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Rachel May
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 24 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2057
|
| Posted: April 02 2008 at 10:01am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Isn't the moral basically that if you want to do something wrong, you will find a way to justify it? For example, I had a woman tell me that her doctor told her that she shouldn't have any more children because she had a life threatening problem (ironically, I have the same thing, and I have never had a doctor mention it being a problem). She happily turned to artificial contraception. I have (almost) 4 healthy babies and a healthy mom.
For an example for the kids, how about when you are sharing a drink 5 ways, and someone finishes half the bottle saying, "It was almost gone, Mom!" knowing that he is leaving disappointed siblings thirsty. Not evil so much as mean, I guess.
__________________
Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: April 02 2008 at 10:13am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Rachel May wrote:
| Isn't the moral basically that if you want to do something wrong, you will find a way to justify it? |
|
|
I think my problem was stuck on "evil" and making sure the other person was really innocent and attacked for no reason!! Sometimes I way overthink things. 
I love your example... we do that kind of stuff a lot.
I put off narrations until lunch in hopes that coffee would jump start my brain. So your explanation came just in time!! 
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Rachel May
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 24 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2057
|
| Posted: April 02 2008 at 1:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm glad it helped!
I have to clarify this:
Rachel May wrote:
| I have (almost) 4 healthy babies and a healthy mom. |
|
|
At the time she had 3 and so did I, so now I have almost 4 MORE healthy babies than I did. My coffee hadn't kicked in either!
__________________
Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: April 02 2008 at 2:18pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We speak the same "before Coffee speak" -- because I understood that.
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Forum Locked) 
4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Can you explain the moral?
