Once Upon a Time

"Someone has written to ask me to contribute to an anthology of stories for children. I reply that I don't write children's stories... And then last night I woke up- or rather was awakened without knowing what had roused me."

The entire story is ironic, from the characters' actions to the story itself. The author was told to write a story for children, a request she did not want to oblige. She comes up with a story that is definitely not meant for children. The story was prompted by sounds she heard in the night, and she considers the possibility of burglars. When she tells the story, she includes a string of burglaries that gives the neighborhood motivation to protect the homes. What prompted their protection crusade was the wise witch, the grandmother of the little boy, warning them to not let anyone in. Even though they kept building their defenses, all of the fences and alarms couldn't protect their son. The people were warned, but they took they witch's advice too far. The theme is that the best may not always be the best; the greatest protection equipment caused the death of the little boy. The family worked to keep harm out, but that defense system harmed the boy. The author introduces her point that defenses can't always protect us in the beginning of her story, saying that a woman was murdered in broad daylight and fierce dogs did not save a widower.