Fables, Tales, Urban Legends

In the news this week there was a story that caught my attention. In Miami there was a six-year-old boy who got stuck in a washing machine in a laundromat http://www.thedenverchannel.com/irresistible/17438022/detail.html. The horrible part about this story was that the machine was actually running. The boy's mother thought the machine was broken and moved to a different machine after inserting her money into, and leaving, the first machine. Her two children proceeded to play in the machine and minutes later her daughter was screaming that her older brother was caught. After finally getting the door open, the boy was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was recovering well.

Although this may sound like a fable, it is indeed true in fact. This tale can be used to teach a moral story without any fabrication of the truth: always watch your children, especially in public areas containing numerous machines. This story is scary in and of itself without adding any false facts. By presenting it in such a straightforward manner, the attention of readers and viewers alike is grabbed, making them think twice about how careful they are about watching their children in unfamiliar settings. By simply stating the facts of such an unbelievable tale, the audience reading or watching this story feels compassion for the family and makes them become aware of the dangers of a simple piece of machinery.

Further, this article could be used to make a couple of arguments. Firstly, one might argue that washing machines are unsafe, especially for children. This article would prove that point head on. Secondly, one might argue that parents nowadays do not keep a close enough watch over their children and kids are able to run too freely. Again, this story would prove the point that children require a watchful eye at almost all times. In contrast, this story could be used to refute an argument in which one is trying to prove the dangers of a laundromat.

In conclusion, a simple tale can be used to teach a lesson, it doesn't even need to be something as outrageous as a fable or urban legend. Scary experiences happen everyday, and something can be learned from almost all of them.