FAIRY TALES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 60, 12 March 1938, Page 22

FAIRY TALES.

TO TEACH RELIGION. GERMAN EDUCATION. BERLIN. Adolf Hitler as the fairy prince rescuing Cinderella-Germany from the toils of her wicked Social-Democratic stepmother is the picture one religious author paints for children in a special

number of the "Silesian Educator," official organ of the Silesian division of the Nazi Teachers' Union. Devoted to the teaching of religion in schools, this number advocates the use of German fairy tales for religious lessons in schools. Cinderella, representing the clean soul of Germany which has been suppressed by the "rule of matter and reason." is liberated by the prince. Hitler, who. "seeking so I fle.sslv. and iiim-elf with a : clean soul, is the only one that can do ; it." This example is proposed as a j method of illustration to little children the "redemption of the people's soul by the Fuehrer." Using the story of Little Red Riding j Hood, for example, the "Silesian Educator" shows why little children must say J their prayers each night. "Little Red Hiding Hood is the Sun, which gives light and warmth to it.s | "original mother.' the earth," the organ says. "Each day she brings the Earth cakes and wine, since the Earth it- old and weak. Only if she does her duty lean the Earth exist. What would lia\e | happened if Little Red Hiding Ilood had (remained in the belly of the wolf'r" This theory is interpreted to the children as an example of why they should "render account to God of what you did during the day. Has the bad wolf pursued you, or even swallowed you Y Then you must pray for new strength in order to be able to start the next day as fresh as Little Red Riding Hoikl (i.e.. the sun). The Sun and your conscience, each ol them Little Red Hiding Hoods, must become sisters, aiid must be felt as children of God." The tale of Rumpelstilzchen, who entangled an innocent maiden with unlimited amounts of gold, is used to show the fate of Germany at the hands of the Jews. "The golden curse with which the Judaic Rumpelstilzchen has entangled the suffering girl—the German national soul — must be exposed in all its atrocity in order to reveal the full joy of redemption," says the "Educator." Other "articles in the special number on religious teaching demand the expulsion of the "Jewish Old Testament" from schools and advocate a "purge" from the gospel of all Jewish elements.