The cautionary tale has probably been part of human storytelling for as long as we have told stories. They are often enduring stories as well, especially when they are told to the young. Many of them contain an element of the fantastic. The story of Little Red Riding Hood serves to caution children against talking to strangers using a talking wolf, likely because it was less disturbing than the idea that there were people who might do what the wolf did or worse. The tale of the Billy Goats Gruff served to warn against highwaymen who like the mythic troll might hide under a bridge.
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