Tuesday, January 02, 2018
Yertle
Probably many of you remember Yertle the Turtle. He was a creation of Dr. Suess. Yertle was the king of the Turtles, and he decides he wants to stack his subjects up so he can be on top-- eventually he wants to be higher than the moon. The turtle at the bottom, Mack, registers a complaint and is told to be quiet. Eventually, Mack burps, Yertle tumbles, and then becomes "King of the mud."
I remember as a kid talking to other kids about the story, and there were a few theories on what it meant:
-- some kids thought Yertle had the right idea and just did not execute properly
-- others believed that it was a story about madness for power for the sake of power
-- meanwhile, I thought it actually was a story about Mack.
What is (or was) your theory?
Comments:
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I like your idea about Mack. It's interesting that we don't learn his name until later in the story. At first he just appears as one of the eight turtles on which Yertle is sitting.
I read it for the first time today.
There are a lot of layers and lessons for a children's story.
Ambition can get you places, but blind ambition is dangerous. You can declare yourself king of whatever you want, but it doesn't make it so. Being important isn't as important as being nice to others, especially those "lesser" than you. The team is only as strong as the weakest link. The actions of the small can topple the great.
I was struck most though by how the other turtles just got in line and did what they were told. They knew they didn't want to be part of this, but did it out of obligation or fear. And what happened to them? Used and abused, and they would have just taken it had it not been for little Mack.
Darn good story though. I can think of a few people who should get a copy.
There are a lot of layers and lessons for a children's story.
Ambition can get you places, but blind ambition is dangerous. You can declare yourself king of whatever you want, but it doesn't make it so. Being important isn't as important as being nice to others, especially those "lesser" than you. The team is only as strong as the weakest link. The actions of the small can topple the great.
I was struck most though by how the other turtles just got in line and did what they were told. They knew they didn't want to be part of this, but did it out of obligation or fear. And what happened to them? Used and abused, and they would have just taken it had it not been for little Mack.
Darn good story though. I can think of a few people who should get a copy.
I can think of someone who would not see the comparison...
Read a preview, will head off to Barnes and Noble to read the entire story. We did not read lots of Seuss books and I'm not sure why. So many good lessons, fables in a different light.
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Read a preview, will head off to Barnes and Noble to read the entire story. We did not read lots of Seuss books and I'm not sure why. So many good lessons, fables in a different light.
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