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Question: "Page 2 of Babar" - anything in a book that shocked or saddened you in early childhood!?
Early on 'The Story of Babar' the little elephant's mother is 'shot by a cruel hunter', with an accompanying picture!. Some parents think this is too much for little children to take!.
At age three, I saw the picture of Henry the Green Engine, sobbing bricked up in a tunnel, and I disliked it so much I tore it out of the book!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
This poem used to just break my heart, seriously!. My first taste of empathy, I guess!.

King John's Christmas, AA Milne

King John was not a good man --
He had his little ways!.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days!.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air --
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown!.

King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he!.
He stayed in every afternoon!.!.!.
But no one came to tea!.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself!.

King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears!.
They'd given him no present now
For years and years and years!.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out!.

King John was not a good man,
He lived his live aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof!.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
"TO ALL AND SUNDRY - NEAR AND FAR -
F!. Christmas in particular!."
And signed it not "Johannes R!."
But very humbly, "Jack!."

"I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I don't mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts!.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!"

King John was not a good man --
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to this room again,
Descending by the spout!.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears!.
"I think that's him a-coming now!"
(Anxiety bedewed his brow!.)
"He'll bring one present, anyhow --
The first I had for years!."

"Forget about the crackers,
And forget the candy;
I'm sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I don't like oranges,
I don't want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts!.
But, oh! Father christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!"

King John was not a good man,
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: "As I feared,
Nothing again for me!"

"I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts!
And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red,
india-rubber ball!"

King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow!.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all !.!.!.
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!

AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!

And another by the same author:

http://www!.cs!.rice!.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels!.!.!.

I was always so glad that he did get a little bit of butter for his bread!

I'm sure there are more, but those are what sprang to mind!.
Nice question, thanks for asking!.


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eh, it is like the parents that won't let their child see Bambi!.

You don't want your child to end up a hothouse flower!. If they can't take reading Babar, what happens when someone they know and care about dies!? Do you run out and buy a "special" book to help them deal with the death!?

!.!.and because I can't resist referencing Herman Hesse in an answer on Babar!. It reminds me of in Siddhartha when the hero has never seen an old person in his life, do you really want your 21 year old to have a people-die epiphany in college!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

well i am not sure but i always loved Barbar the elephant as a child, i don't think when you are that age that one really understands that this is cruel!. I mean read some books nowadays and you wonder what the children's authors were thinking, violent and disturbing beyond belief!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Robert Louis Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verses is filled with poems that are very sad and even as a child I understood the sadness!. He felt his loneliness and isolation from being a sick child, that touched me as a kid and still does today!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hi Jim!.

I am sorry I have not read this story so am unable to answer your question, so I am forwarding your question in question and answer column!. Better luck next time!.

Gurmit!.Www@QuestionHome@Com