Sequels and Prequels
I have always been that child who asks questions. In the middle of Sunday mass asking my mum ‘how do you know if it’s a mummy cow and not a daddy cow?’ Then replying to my own question with the congregation hanging on every word “It has long eyelashes!” At school, my constant questioning was not always welcome either. I struggled with geometry for years because no one would or could explain to me why the value of pi is 3.14159 and that it wasn’t just some random number pulled out of thin air. Thank you Mr Tonkin for that information. My RE teachers used to cringe when I would put my hand up to ask questions about why we are so selective about who goes to heaven and are there different heavens for each religion like exclusive holiday resorts. A very out of reach concept for a camping and caravan kid. Maybe that is why I became a teacher - to try and answer some questions. I have to admit, my favourite students were always those who asked questions and thought outside the box.
But as a ‘mature’ adult (please don’t question that) I still want to know more. Whenever I read or hear a story or traditional tale, there appear to be vital elements missing. Why was Goldilocks wandering the woods by herself and did she ever get into trouble for what she did to the bear’s cottage? What did Red Ridinghood do after she survived the encounter with the wolf? Was she house bound with fear? Did the third little pig go on to build an estate of houses or patent his locks or chimney system? Who taught the pigs how to build houses in the first place? Who was BabaYaga’s dentist? How did Hades celebrate Persephone’s return to the underworld? Who trapped the Genie in the lamp the first time and after Aladdin released it, what did the Genie do or where did it go? And so on and so on.
This is the joy of storytelling with traditional tales. As long as the core of the story and the message stays the same, the teller can embellish the beginning or end. They can add teasing statements, posing questions and pushing the listeners to think outside the box. Indeed, a prequel or sequel can be linked to join several stories together. What if… Red Ridinghood was so affected by the wolf incident that she went in search of adrenalin pumping adventures such as breaking and entering woodland houses? Maybe Red Ridinghood had ‘golden’ hair beneath that hood all along!
Now you might very well say, write your own sequel or prequel! And I have to admit, in my mind there are many bits and pieces to go before and after these stories, but nothing yet committed to paper or keyboard. That is another of my ‘things to complete’ in the future. What stories or tales do you think have frustratingly inadequate beginnings or endings? Can you suggest what could have happened next instead of “happily ever after’? Please let me know and reassure me that I am not the only annoying adult out there still questioning ‘that’s how it is’.
I’ll finish with a quote from Stephen Hawking:
“I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”