#135 The Louse, the Flea, and the Unmoralizable Tales

In this episode, Geoff and Katrina go back to the previous episode's topic of moralizing fairy tales. If anyone can get a moral out of these tales…seek help. Our brains naturally want to make sense of, and gain life lessons from, the stories that we hear, especially when they are told to us in fairy tale forms. Thanks to people like Charles Perrault and centuries of children’s publishing, fairy tales have gained a reputation for being a teaching tool. But that was not the original intent. Some stories were meant to amuse with their raucous and ridiculous situational comedy. And some teach the beautiful moral (that Katrina made up), “You can’t outsmart a helpful idiot.” Stories Told: The Louse and the Flea from the Brothers Grimm collection   Freddy and Katy from the Brothers Grimm collection   Other Episodes Mentioned:  #134 The Fisherman and The Stonecutter