Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or
any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the
evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world
already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What
fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of
bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an
imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill
the dragon. Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a
series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a
limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies, that these strong enemies
of man have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the
universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear.
G. K. ChestertonTremendous
Trifles
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