Can Fairy Tales Teach Children What It Means to Be Human?
Janice LawrenceHow Fairy Tales helps children understand love, courage, and loyalty
Fairy tales give children a safe, imaginative space to explore some of life’s biggest questions—like who they are, what love means, and how to tell right from wrong.
They build moral foundations Fairy tales present right and wrong in vivid colors. Children see kindness rewarded, cruelty punished, and sacrifice honored.
They teach emotional wisdom By watching characters wrestle with fear, love, jealousy, or grief, children learn how to name and manage their own emotions.
They nurture identity and imagination Magical transformations and unexpected heroes help kids explore different ways of being in the world—and imagine new ones.
They model resilience and creative problem-solving When danger appears, characters don’t give up. They change forms, ask for help, or outwit their enemies.
They challenge bias and expand empathy In the right stories, gender roles are flipped and power dynamics questioned. That helps children reflect on inclusion, equality, and fairness.
In the fairy tale, The Kind Boy Escapes the Witch, a kind boy and a housemaid fall in love and must escape a cruel witch. They’re chased, cornered, and nearly caught—but through clever transformations first into a rosebush, next a church, and finally a pond with a duck, they survive together.
Each time they transform, the boy repeats a vow: “If you never leave me, I will never leave you.” and the girl replies, "Neither now nor ever, will I leave you.” These vows of love and loyalty become a lifeline. The Kind Boy Escapes the Witch is a story about the kind of love and trust that protects and transforms.
Stories Mirror Life
The Kind Boy Escapes the Witch It reflects what children may feel—scared, small, or confused—and shows them how love, loyalty, and imagination can carry them through. It doesn't preach. It invites reflection.
Here's Why...
Doing good when no one is watching. The boy helps a lost child with no promise of reward. That kind of quiet kindness matters. When children don’t learn this, they may only act right when someone’s looking—or when there's something in it for them. They might lie, blame others, or refuse to help unless prompted. That can be frustrating . But when children begin to value goodness for its own sake, you know their heart is growing.
Emotional anchors that hold steady. “If you never leave me, I will never leave you.” The line repeats like a lullaby — soft, strong, familiar. Kids need that. Without emotional anchors, children can feel adrift. Big feelings like fear, loss, or loneliness may overwhelm them—and they may act out, withdraw, or shut down. But when they have words to hold onto, they feel safer, and can use them in moments where they are stressed or afraid.
Turning feelings into images. Rosebush. Church. Pond. Duck. These magical shapes aren’t just escape tricks—they’re metaphors for what safety feels like. When kids can’t explain their emotions, they often act them out. But if they have an image to guide them, they have a way to say, “This is what I need right now.”
The power of sticking together. The vow the boy and girl repeat is more than a line—it’s loyalty in action. It shows that real love isn’t just a feeling; it’s a choice we make again and again. Without that model, kids may give up on friendships too quickly. But when they understand loyalty, they become steady, trustworthy, and easier to trust in return.
Noticing who gets to be the hero. This story flips the usual script. The girl doesn’t wait to be saved—she helps save them both. And in the end, she ends up a duck. It’s not the ending we expect, and that’s the point. Kids need stories that say: heroes come in many forms, and sacrifice doesn’t always look like a medal. Sometimes, it looks like a duck swimming peacefully on a pond.
Try it Out
Try this guided reading experience to help your child reflect on loyalty, courage, and love.
- Read The Kind Boy Escapes the Witch aloud with your child or watch the Read-Along video. (Scroll down the story page to find the “Watch the Video” button.)
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Pause to notice acts of kindness and loyalty:
- Ask: “Why do you think the boy helped the lost child even when no one asked him to?”
- Ask: “What do you think it meant when he kept saying, ‘If you never leave me, I will never leave you’?”
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Talk about emotional safety and fear:
- Ask: “Have you ever felt scared and didn’t know what to do?”
- Ask: “What helps you feel safe again?”
- Ask: “If you had to hide using magic, what would you turn into?”
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Encourage deeper conversation about fairness and sacrifice:
- Ask: “Why do you think the girl stayed a duck at the end?”
- Ask: “Do you think that was fair—or something else?”
- Share your own stories and feelings. Tell your child about a time when you kept a promise, acted out of kindness, or made a hard choice for someone you loved.
TIPS
Don’t explain everything. Let the magic work on its own. Children often understand more than they can say—and their interpretations may surprise you.
Be patient with “I don’t know.” If your child shrugs off a question, try again later or offer your own answer first. Modeling reflection is part of the learning.
Use the vow as a touchstone. “If you never leave me…” can become a family phrase. Try whispering it during bedtime or when your child is feeling unsure.
Honor quiet kids. The girl never says much, but she acts with strength and loyalty. Let your child know that being brave doesn’t have to be loud.
Stop 'n' Think
At the end of the story, the girl stays a duck. No spell is broken. No prince appears. The boy still loves her—just as she is. That’s not the ending most fairy tales offer. So what is this story really saying? What if love doesn’t fix everything? What if it doesn’t need to?
What if this story gave you the words to start a conversation that really matters?
Read The Kind Boy Escapes the Witch and start a conversation about love that stays, courage that transforms, and the quiet kind of strength we all need to feel human.