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Peter and the Wolf PC?

kittynh

Penultimate Amazing
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The children in lower el (grades 1-3) are going to a performance of "Peter and the Wolf". I'm subbing for a vacationing teacher (usually I do the ages 3-5) and to prepare the children I read them the book of "Peter and the Wolf". In the end, the duck is still eaten, but the wolf is taken out to the woods to "live in peace". Huh?

Then we listened to a recording later on. In that version, the wolf is taken off to the zoo to live! And the duck is still happily in the belly of the wolf.

This is a Russian story! They has a history of NOT liking wolves. I can't believe the zoo was ever in the story! Is my memory so faulty that I am picturing the wolf ending in a bad way (but in keeping with Russian culture)?

Why the PC endings? And why does the duck still take a hit?

The teachers and I were thinking the kids really need to know the REAL story. Not the watered down story. You can believe they picked up on the "zoo" vs. "peace in the woods" differences.
 
That's insane.

I'm livid, really. Trying to prolong childhood is funderscored up to begin with- kids are in training to be resonsible adults.

My kids got the full dose of anything we presented to them. They are ten and twelve and they watch R-rated movies with us. It's their "sheltered" friends that are immature and emotionally crippled.
 
Children's fairy-tales have always been filled with un-PC stuff and violence. Hopefully the little-'uns will understand where imagination ends and reality begins fairly soon. Although you could prevent backlash from some parents by preceded the event with an announcement (in your best Miss Teacher voice): "This is just a story, not real life."
 
but really, what happened to the wolf in the end? We are having trouble finding the REAL vision of the composer! The school is going to read the REAL story and then we are going to compare how it has been changed. The kids will get a great lesson, and the poor composer will stop turning in his grave for a bit.
 
I love modern times. On the one hand, edit fairytales to remove the unpleasant parts. On the other, tell the kids all about the warning signs of pedophiles trying to kidnap them. Can't have a wolf-killing in a story, but they have to be told about possible razor blades in Halloween candy.

Yeah, good move. Let's replace fairytale horror with real horror. That'll work.
 
kittynh said:
but really, what happened to the wolf in the end? We are having trouble finding the REAL vision of the composer! The school is going to read the REAL story and then we are going to compare how it has been changed. The kids will get a great lesson, and the poor composer will stop turning in his grave for a bit.
Click to expand...

prokofiev isn't turning in his grave. at least not at the bit about the zoo:

How the bird worried the wolf! How he wanted to catch him! But the bird was clever, and the wolf simply couldn't do anything about it.

Meanwhile, Peter made a lasso and carefully letting it down, caught the wolf by the tail and pulled with all his might.

Feeling himself caught, the wolf began to jump wildly trying to get loose.

But Peter tied the other end of rope to the tree, and the wolf's jumping only made the rope around his tail tighter.

Just then, the hunters came out of the woods, following the wolf's trail and shooting as they went.

But Peter, sitting in the tree, said: "Don't shoot! Birdie and I have already caught the wolf. Now help us take him to the zoo."
Click to expand...

http://www.philtulga.com/Peter.html

:)
 
You should try to get a hold of the Wendy Carlos version narrated by Weird Al Yankovic. It's a scream!
 
so the zoo is ok?

cool! But the duck is still in the tummy. Though he seems to be a very Russian duck and depression is second nature to him.

I think taking the wolf to go live in peace in the woods is a bit much.

We are doing something about wolves in fairy tales and wolves in real life (that do NOT attack humans, unless you are stupid enough to keep one as a pet).
 
the duck still living is in the original as well. you see, the wolf was in such a hurry to eat the duck he swallowed it whole...

(you can still hear the duck's theme during the procession to the zoo)

:)
 
I think the depressed duck is pretty cool. Children also enjoy the Dahl stories like the "Witches" where the little boy remains a mouse at the end. In the movie they had to change the ending for the parents.
 
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