小娃看問題就是犀利：）

開學一周了。這學期，孩子學校每周都發簡報，向家長匯報學校情況。今天的簡報來了。有個小朋友的小故事，讓俺這個大人自歎不如阿！

小朋友的名字都沒給，從孩子的閱讀內容看，我猜可能是一年級和二年級組的小朋友幹的事兒。

 

After completing a literature web on Aesop’s “The Wolf and the Lion” (key words, feelings, ideas, images and symbols), we composed a letter to a local attorney to discuss the legal implications of the scenario in the fable.

Excerpt from Our Email to a Houston Attorney:

We have had a legal issue come up in class. We were discussing one of Aesop’s fables in Language Arts. In the fable, a wolf stole a sheep and started to take it back to its lair. Then, a lion came up and stole the sheep from the wolf.

Some of us think that the wolf’s theft is worse than the lion’s, because it stole the sheep from an honest shepherd. The lion just stole the sheep from a thief.

Others of us thought that the lion was worse than the wolf, because when he stole something that was stolen, it was double-stealing. If they were people and not animals, do you think that they should both get the same prison time? Here are other examples. Pretend someone stole 10 pencils from someone. Then, someone else stole the pencils from that person. Who gets the longer punishment? If someone robs a bank, then another robber robs the robber, who gets the longer prison sentence?

We would appreciate your professional opinion.

Sincerely,

Ms. Cr’s Period 6

 

His reply:

Dear Friends in Period 6:

I always love hearing from Mrs. Cr’s class. You raise some very interesting questions. 

It is important to recognize that there can be a difference between “legal” and “moral.” An act is legal if it is allowed by the law. An act is moral 

if it is seen as good or right by a person or community. Let me give you an example. If Joe* (who would never do such a thing) told Sue* a lie 

about what he did over the summer break, I think we would all agree that was wrong. Joe’s lie would be immoral. But guess what? It would not 

be illegal. The State of Texas does not have a law that would make it a crime to tell a lie in that situation (telling lies can be a crime in other 

situations, but that’s for another day). So, legal and moral are not always the same.

Now, about that wolf and lion… 

The law would look at the wolf and the lion as equally guilty of the crime of theft. From a “legal” perspective, their actions 

are not different. They both stole property from another person. They would both face the same criminal charge and the same punishment.

But I can see how people might see things differently from a “moral” perspective. Some people might view the wolf’s conduct as being worse 

because he stole from the innocent farmer. Or someone else might think the lion’s conduct worse because his crime had two victims: one innocent 

victim (the farmer) and one not-so-innocent victim (the wolf). 

These same principles would apply to the pencil and robbery examples. It’s the same crime in the eyes of the law, but people might form different 

opinions or beliefs about which conduct is worse.

I hope this helps. 

By the way, here is something interesting to think about. In Texas, both the wolf and the lion would face more severe punishment simply because 

they stole a sheep. The State of Texas adds extra punishment whenever a person steals “livestock” (cows, horses, goats, sheep). Most other states in 

the United States don’t recognize a special category for theft of livestock. I bet if you thought about it a little, you could figure out why a state like 

Texas might do that.

Have a great day!!

 

*Names have been changed to protect student identities