Detail of a painting by Susan Seddon Boulet (1941-1997)
Pomegranate Publishers, Inc.

9 May 2000,
Author's Note:

Jungian therapist, Marie-Louise von Franz, spent much of her life studying the world's folklore.  Since folklore represents the collective consciousness of humanity, at one point she wondered if it would be possible to find a single ethical core running through all the stories -- a golden thread by which, for all our ethnic and other differences, we humans might be wisely led through the shifting labyrinths of time.  She found none -- at least not in general folklore.  What she did find, however, is that in stories with animal helpers/guides, one must never harm them or go against their advice or else one is doomed.  Her comments are worth quoting here:

   The one exception to the rule of contradiction... seems to be that one must never hurt the helpful animal in fairy tales.  I have found a few cases where disobedience leads to trouble, but in the long run does not lead to disaster; you may temporarily disobey the advice of the helpful fox or wolf or cat.  But if basically you go against it, if you do not listen to the helpful animal or bird, or whatever it is, if any animal gives you advice and you don't follow it, then you are finished.  In the hundreds and hundreds of stories that is the one rule which seems to have no exception.  However, when we analyze what the animals say, again it is completely contradictory: one says to run away, another says to fight, another to lie and another always to tell the truth.  The animal plays it this way and that, from an ethical standpoint, but if you go against it you are lost....In all nations and all fairy tale material I have never found a different statement.
(Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales.  Boston & London: Shambhala, 1995; pp. 145-146.)

In a time of worldwide, growing abuse of animals and their habitats, von Franz' pregnant words are worth noting.  Animals from the "real world" call out to us now for help.  Their survival is at risk -- and as worldwide fairytale wisdom warns, so is ours.

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