Page 29 - Whos A. Fraid

In the “food recognition” part of the story, Fraid does not want to learn how to catch mice. He wants his life to continue as it was when he was younger, with others making sure that his needs are met. All of us have acquaintances that even as adults continue to be dependent on others for their financial or emotional support. For Fraid, it was just too easy to have others do the necessary but difficult things for him and he was very resistant to change.
In the flying lesson part of this story, you see another behavior of those who are like Fraid. They ridicule those who are not fearful and who are willing to take on the necessary tasks of life. It is an unfortunate fact of our modern society that those who are the most diligent in their effort to succeed are the most belittled by their peers. They are the “nerds” or whatever term is in favor. Rather than recognize that these students have the “Good Thinking” skills necessary to succeed and should be admired, they are instead... shunned.
In the final part of the story, a fox manipulates Fraid by agreeing with Fraid’s irrational “fear inducing” beliefs. The fox is seen as a friend and despite the warning of Smartest, Fraid refuses to accept that this is a fox not a dog. It is not his inability to see the deception but rather, his overwhelming need to have his irrational fears validated. This need to be right is so important that he is willing to do something that is not in his best self-interest. And thus ends the story because, “Fraid had no more lessons to learn.”
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