"Jangan monyet, jangan!"- that is the phrase that I remember the most from my favourite fable - Hikayat Sang Kancil dan Monyet. I used to use the phrase all the time with my friends. I bet many other people around my age could still remember this story. RTM (the only tv channel at that time) used to air this everyday whenever they had extra five minutes between programmes. I was ecstatic every time this opportunity came. This simple yet wonderful story was among many other fables that I learnt and enjoyed in my childhood. Mama is the first person who introduced me to the exciting world of fables and fairy tales. I still remember how me and my sisters used to sit around Mama eagerly while she read from this thick book with beautiful coloured illustrations. I just miss those moments.
While fables mostly involved animal characters, fairy tales include the elements of fantasy and magic that always have happy endings. Who can forget the phrase “…and they lived happily ever after”, that some of us even grow up believing that life can be just like a fairy tale. I enjoy both fables and fairy tales when I was young though I was more excited about the latter. I believe fables and fairy tales are the two alternative texts that are most appealing to children below the age of 12, so teachers can use them in the classroom. Nowadays, it seems like less and less parents seem to have the time to read books to their children, therefore teachers can make up for this.
Fables teach us a lot of moral values either explicitly or implicitly. We are shown how patience and determination wins against pride and conceit in The Hare and the Tortoise; never to be too trusting and get lost in compliments in The Fox and the Crow; always accept who you are and never try to be something you are not in The Jay and the Peacock; and that when you do good to others, others will do good to you in Androcles.
I believe fables can also be used for older learners. Secondary school students can be asked to write their own fables after discussing the plot and the language of various fables in the classroom. They can even choose their own animal characters to make it more interesting. My wish is that fables and fairy tales will live on in Malaysian's classrooms for a long, long time.
Below are the links to some websites on fables and fairy tales:
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