Alright, so today I wanted to actually use that old story “Faithful Johannes” with kids, see if it really hits home about being true and loyal. Y’know, not just read it, but dig into it properly, see what sticks for them. Heard this tale supposedly teaches loyalty big time.
Getting Started & Hitting a Snag
First step: grabbed the book itself. Had to hunt through my shelf – old fairy tale collection buried under newer parenting stuff. Dust bunnies flying everywhere, classic. Finally found Johannes staring out from the page. Sat down at the kitchen table, coffee in hand (cold by the time I actually started), ready to plan.
Problem? This story’s kinda… intense? Like, kids getting turned to stone? Poison gowns? The king nearly killing his best friend? Not exactly gentle bedtime stuff. My gut said some younger kids might freak out. Needed to figure out how to smooth those edges without gutting the main point about Johannes taking insane risks to protect the king.
Figuring Out the “How”
Flipped through my notebook where I usually scribble ideas. Remembered reading ages ago about using pictures to help kids process scary bits. Okay, that seemed like a possible plan. Dug out my big sketch pad and a bunch of colored pencils – gotta be honest, drawing ain’t my strong suit, stick figures it is!
Did a quick outline first:
- The Setup: Show the king making Johannes PROMISE everything, Johannes agreeing. Big, stern face on the king, super serious Johannes face. “Keep the king safe, no matter what.”
- The Sacrifice Bits: Three scary situations – statue, horse, princess. Planned to draw these moments before the super scary consequences hit. Like, Johannes seeing the danger, sweat marks drawn on his stick figure forehead.
- The Big Pain Point: Johannes stealing the kids… but show his face looking super sad. Maybe a tear? Important part being he’s only doing it ’cause he has to, to keep his promise.
- The Resolution: King finally trusts him, saves him. Big group hug stick figure (king, Johannes, kids).
Goal was super clear: Focus the visuals on Johannes’s worry and resolve before the really violent stuff happens. Highlight that feeling of “I hate doing this but I must be true to my promise.” That look on his face.
Actually Doing It With Real Kids
Had my neighbour’s twins over (Sam & Ellie, 7 years old). Promised their mom a calm afternoon, fingers crossed! Sat them down after snack time, juice boxes in hand. Started reading, but didn’t just read – paused a LOT.
Reached the part where Johannes first hears the ravens’ warnings? Stopped dead. Held up my super crude drawing of Johannes looking freaked out next to the golden statues. Asked them: “Whoa. Look at his face! Why do you think he’s so scared? But what did he promise the king?” They got it immediately: “He promised to keep the king safe! But… the statues look bad!”
Hit the horse warning next. Showed Johannes sweating bullets looking at the shiny horse. “Would it be easier for Johannes to just… NOT say anything and pretend he didn’t hear?” Both kids yelled “Nooooo! He promised!”. Ellie added, “He’s scared but he has to tell!”. Boom.
Then came the poison dress. Showed Johannes grabbing his head looking stressed near the princess in the bright red (poison) gown sketch. Sam piped up: “He doesn’t look angry, he looks sad!”. That was the moment. They were seeing his loyalty through his struggle.
The kid-snatching part… yeah, still controversial. Drew Johannes looking back at the king with a super sad face while carrying the kids away. “How does he look guys?” “Really sad.” “Why?” “Because… he has to do this bad thing… but it’s to save the king?” They connected the sadness to the duty. Even though they still thought snatching kids was horrible (obviously!), they grasped why Johannes felt he had no other choice to keep his word.
Finished it up. Got to the king saving Johannes, them all being friends. Happy stick figure drawing conclusion.
The Real World Test & What Actually Stuck
Wrapped up the storytime. Later that day? Pure gold. Ellie was building a mega block tower. Sam knocked part of it over by accident. Before Ellie could even start to cry… Sam blurted out: “I’m sorry! I’ll help fix it! I’m being Faithful Johannes!”. He didn’t mean Johannes snatching kids. He meant Johannes doing the hard, necessary thing to make it right – even if fixing blocks sucks. They focused on the core act of commitment despite difficulty. Talked it out together and rebuilt the tower.
So yeah, did it work? Absolutely. But it wasn’t just the story doing the teaching. It was pausing at the struggle points, showing Johannes’s face before the scary action, getting them to name that feeling of duty versus fear. That’s where kids connected the tale to being true – making a tough choice because you promised, because it’s right, even when your hands sweat and your knees wobble. Like trying to fix a block tower you messed up.
Worth the cold coffee and dodgy drawings? Totally. Real life application trumps perfection. Saw the lesson land right there on the playroom floor. Solid day.
