The Carnivore

In this little book I attempt a symbolic interpretation of fearless little John’s sister. who, savage carnivore though she secretly is, nevertheless gives him the key to self-reliance. A tale that has been passed down from mouth to mouth through untold years, it tells us of cannibalism within the family, a familiar theme both in folk tales and mythology (where, for example, Chronos swallows each of his children the moment they are born) and it offers us a guide to growing into true maturity. The story’s hero, born and bred in a regal environment, is expelled from the palace when he discovers that the baby tucked up in her cradle, the longed-for little princess who is her parents’ final child and only daughter, leaves her bed at night and eats the royal horses.