Chapter VI: Part IV: On Truth in Art

_Preface to a Miscellany, “The Flower Garden,” for Children._

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good
things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh. The good man out of his good treasure bringeth
forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure
bringeth forth evil things. And I say unto you, that every
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” (Matt.
xii, 34–37.)

In this book besides stories in which true occurrences are narrated there are also stories, traditions, proverbs, legends, fables, and fairy tales, that have been composed and written for man’s benefit.

We have chosen such as we consider to be in accord with Christ’s teaching, and therefore regard as good and truthful.

Many people, especially children, when reading a story, fairy-tale, legend, or fable, ask first of all: “Is it true?” and if they see that what is described could not have happened, they often say: “Oh, this is mere fancy, it isn’t true.”

Those who judge so, judge amiss.

Truth will be known not by him who knows only what has been, is, and really happens, but by him who recognizes what should be, according to the will of God.

He does not write the truth who describes only what has happened, and what this or that man has done, but he who shows what people do that is right, that is, in accord with God’s will, and what people do wrong, that is, contrary to God’s will.

Truth is a path. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

And so he will not know the truth who looks down at his feet, but he who discerns by the sun which way to go.

All verbal compositions are good and necessary not when they describe what has happened, but when they show what ought to be; not when they tell what people have done, but when they set a value on what is good and evil--when they show men the narrow path of God’s will, which leads to life.

And in order to show that path one must not describe merely what happens in the world. The world abides in evil and is full of offence. If one is to describe the world as it is, one will describe much evil and the truth will be lacking. In order that there may be truth in what one describes, it is necessary to write not about what is, but about what should be; to write not the truth of what is, but of the kingdom of God which is drawing nigh unto us, but is not as yet. That is why there are mountains of books in which we are told what really has happened or might have happened, yet they are all false if those who write them do not themselves know what is good and what is evil, and do not know and do not show the one path which leads to the kingdom of God. And there are fairy-tales, parables, fables, legends in which marvellous things are described which never happened, or ever could happen, and these legends, fairy-tales and fables are true because they show wherein the will of God has always been, and is, and will be: they show the truth of the kingdom of God.

There may be a book, and there are indeed many novels and stories, that describe how a man lives for his passions, suffers, torments others, endures danger and want, schemes, struggles with others, escapes from his poverty, and at last is united with the object of his love and becomes distinguished, rich, and happy. Such a book, even if everything described in it really happened, and though there were in it nothing improbable, would nevertheless be false and untrue, because a man who lives for himself and his passions, however beautiful his wife may be and however distinguished and rich he becomes, cannot be happy.

And there may be a legend of how Christ and his apostles walked on earth and went to a rich man, and the rich man would not receive him, and they went to a poor widow, and she received him. And then he commanded a barrel full of gold to roll to the rich man and sent a wolf to the poor widow to eat up her last calf, and it might prove a blessing for the widow, and be bad for the rich man.

Such a story is totally improbable, because nothing of what is described ever happened or could happen; but it may all be true because in it is shown what always should be--what is good and what is evil, and what a man should strive after in order to do the will of God.

No matter what wonders are described, or what animals may talk in human language, what flying carpets may carry people from place to place, the legends, parables, or fairy-tales will be true if there is in them the truth of the kingdom of God. And if that truth is lacking, then everything described, however well attested, will be false, because it lacks the truth of the kingdom of God. Christ himself spoke in parables, and his parables have remained eternally true. He only added, “Take heed, how ye hear.”