“Though many ancient tales might seem magical, miraculous, fanciful, superstitious, or unreal to us, people believed them, and these people were and are not much different from people today who believe in religions, miracles, cults, nations, and notions such as “free” democracies that have little basis in reality” (Zipes, 2).

I found this quote insightful and certainly helpful and important in understanding stories. I was speaking to my mom just the other day about the myth of Santa Clause and how I used to believe in all of the biblical stories I was taught as a kid in Hebrew school. We discussed the significance of these stories that are perhaps “unbelievable”. She said that it was not the literal story that was important, but the ideas and lessons that come from the stories I learned and other children learn as a kid. I remember when my Christian friends used to tell me their church stories, I would laugh at their apparent falsity. I’m sure my Christian friends felt the same way when I shared my stories from my religion. I think this quote speaks to this idea. There are many unique stories across cultures and religions that seem beyond belief to those who are not a part of the specific culture and religion. But when listening to one of these stories, it is important to keep in mind the common lessons or themes, which probably overlap frequently between cultures and religions. This helps us to understand and accept people’s unique as well as overlapping beliefs.