Why People Tell Fairy Tales

I love fairy tales. No double meaning there, I assure you. As a magician member of the Academy of Magical Arts, the Magic Castle, I opened my close-up act years ago with a fairy-tale-inspired bit called, “Goldie Locks and the Three Balls,” in which little balls appear and disappear in, on, and around three magic cups; it’s one of the oldest bits in magic, performed hundreds of years before the common era. I was Goldie Locks, with a curly blond wig – and a full beard as it happened – and carried my magic in a wicker basket, on my way to Grandma’s house. This was not, you may have guessed, very serious magic. In fact, several balls appeared, then, un-magically, rolled off the table. It seemed I was in trouble! However, another ball always appeared to take its place under one of the cups. My closing line was, “You probably think it took a lot of balls to do this trick.”

It did.

Fairy tales often feature a virtuous hero, an evil witch, and an innocent young woman who, in some of the most popular tales, eats a poisoned apple. Have you seen “Once Upon A Time” on ABC television recently; an updated Snow White fairy tale for a young, female audience? I love it.

As an amateur magician, I have noticed that not everyone loves magic. It seems quite odd to me, but many people of faith dislike the magical arts. An old friend and devout Christian won’t even visit the Castle with me. Since I am not religious, I find that odd; what with Adam and Eve and the apple, and the devil, and the hero who comes to save everyone. I’m very much into ethical dramas, and stories we tell children to help them learn good from bad. People have been telling those stores for centuries.

However, I don’t mind admitting there is no such thing as a “magician” – only talented actors who spend years learning their craft – learning the tricks of the trade. But, if you know me, you know my life has been magical.