Children Quote by Jacob Grimm
““What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?” “I’ll tell you what, husband,” answered the woman, “early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.” “No, wife,” said the man, “I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?—the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.” “O, you fool!” said she, “then we must all””
About This Quote
Source Story: Grimm Fairy Tales, 1812
A desperate couple contemplates abandoning their children, revealing moral decay under extreme poverty.
In simple terms: Poverty can corrupt moral judgment.
Key Takeaway
Do not let desperation justify cruelty.
Themes
poverty
morality
family
despair
survival
Mood
tragic
somber
Type
cautionary
literary
When to use this quote
- family crisis
- economic collapse
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
ethical decay
human nature
extreme hardship
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you do in extreme scarcity?
- Can society prevent such moral collapse?
A Different Perspective
The scenario is fictional and dramatized; real decisions may differ.
