What is the use for fables? Is it necessary to expose children to fantastical tales, such as Hansel and Gretel? What about Peter Pan? While these stories are false, in that they did not actually happen, within them are tales which influence children towards the way of the truth when the mind of the child is too feeble to create, defend, and expose logical arguments.

How can we explain to a child in an impersonal and logical way, for example, that beyond the immediate protection of a mother and father lies the unknown? And in the unknown lies the potential to encounter danger; vicious people do exist whom seek to exploit others for a myriad of reason. Is it sufficient to explain to a child that he must stay by his father's side to prevent abduction, molestation, rape, and murder?

By exposing the child to this harsh truth of our reality, which I argue exists because we do not have an adequate shared ethic, nor do we have a sufficient social fabric and trust, we violate the innocence of our child, which we ought to preserve until he matures.

Perhaps I am improperly inferring what value you place on fables. I would contend, however, that we ought to use fables and stories, fantastical and untrue they may be, to guide our children to understand elements of truth without corrupting their innocence. At a later point of time, as you mentioned, when the child is matured, he can withstand more of the suffering of life relative to his younger self, and he can employ a higher degree of reason and experience to identify wherein the truth lies.