The Devoted Friend
Context
This is a story developed by Oscar Wilde to educate children on the importance of valuing friends. The story has been passed from one generation to another, and different versions of the same have come up. The different versions differ with some characters being added to the later versions. There is also some variation in the length of the different versions of the stories, but the original message remains.
Significance
The story’s main theme is friendship and family and how important it is for individuals to have people they can trust as devoted friends. The author introduces little ducks and their mother who was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water. According to the mother, the little ducks would never be the best in the society unless they can accomplish this task. The mother was worried that the little ducks seemed to pay no attention to this lesson. A water-rat was watching and remarked that the little ducks deserved to be drowned because of their disobedience. The mother disagreed saying it is not the place of parents to be impatient because for everything there must be a starting point. A story is then told of Rich Miller and poor Hans who were devoted friends. This is despite the fact that rich Miller did not share any of the riches with Miller. Hans helped Miller in every way he could, but he did not get anything back. In the end, Hans lost his life in a storm while trying to run an errand for Miller.
Meaning
The meaning of this story is that people should always value friends and reciprocate their actions. In the story, the water-rat did not believe in family or love and thought friendship to be the noblest thing. However, his idea of friendship was that a friend should be devoted to him but not he to the friend just like poor Hans was devoted to Miller. This means that being in a friendship where one is a recipient of everything and the other only gives could be catastrophic. One can be a devoted friend, but that does not mean that the relationship is mutual. If an individual is in a friendship that is not mutual, he should quit before it is too late. Hans was exploited by his rich friend, and as a result, he shared all he had and worked for Miller instead of working on his farm.
Implication
The implication of this story is that people should always be careful when choosing friends. A friend should be that person who would lend help when others are in need without expecting anything in return. In the same way, the help given by a friend should not only be appreciated but also reciprocated. The moral of the story is for individuals to help their friends as opposed to exploiting them for personal gain because they might end up losing them. Similarly, the family is equally important, and parents should always be patient with their children if they are to teach them anything.
Connection
In the second passage, a story is told of a devoted friend who did all his friend asked him. Due to the numerous errands, he ran for his friend he ended up neglecting his family. Just like in the first passage, he put his friend before self. However, in this story, the devoted friend did not lose his life, but he lost his family. The connection between this two passages is the fact that friends can be manipulative at times and when this happens those who are devoted end up losing. If anything is to be learned from these passages, it is that family should come before friendship and a mother’s love is greater than any friendship.
Works Cited
Craig, Russell. Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: The Devoted Friend/ The Nightingale and the Rose. New York: Nantier Publishing Inc., 2010. Print.
