Telling Lies and Telling Tales…what’s the difference?

March 30, 2009 suezaz26

In chapter 16, Grim shares some TALES from Christmases past. Grim asks him, “How can you tell such lies on Christmas Eve?”

In which Grim replies, “I’m telling tales, my dear, not lies. Lies are mean things, and tales are meant to entertain.”

Do you agree with Grim’s statement? Why or why not? In what ways can lies be mean? Tales be entertaining? Does it matter who is telling the lies or the tales?

Share your thoughts. Be sure to reply to the question and to at least one other classmate.

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102 Comments Add your own

1. Farha R | April 23, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Lina,

You are so right. Lies are fake, hurtful, and mean. But tales are exaggerations. People stretch the truth, and what comes out of it? You gain absolutely nothing nut someone being mad at you. For example, a girl tells someone that someone likes someone. It obviously isn’t true but the girl only said it because she was mad or something. Lies are hurtful.
2. Farha R | April 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Katie,
I totally agree with you. I hhave heard a lot of people say that white lies are ok. But think about it, are they?
I know a lot of people who try to comfort people when they’re feeling down and 9 out of the 10 things they say are lies! They are all false. In the end all lies hurt people and even white lies!
3. Farha R | April 23, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim, lies are mean things and
tales are meant to entertain. Maybe Grim did get coal when he was younger but it probably actual coal insted oa piece of paper with coal written on it! Lies are hurtful.
A lot of people think that some lies don’t hurt.
But that’s not true. Let’s say you tell everyone that you are rich but you actually aren’t. They go over your house and they ask your parents and they say,”What are you talking about?” Lies only hurt yourself and everyone who hears that lie. Tales are a different story, they are meant to entertain. But to be honest, i believe that some tales can hurt you.
4. Ryan M | April 8, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Alex
I like how you used Max’s father as an example. You were right about him only telling lies.
5. Ryan M | April 8, 2009 at 4:24

I think Grim’s statment is completly true. A tale is like a joke. It is not meant to hurt anybody, although they sometimes do. A lie usually hurts or does something bad to someone. A lie might be used to get someone that you don’t like in trouble. It could also be used as a cover up. Grim is right. Telling a tale is for fun and lies are “mean things”.
6. drew cappiccille {rawr} | April 3, 2009 at 4:24

Kola,
I completley agree with you about Grim! Its just for entertainment, not any bogus lie. Just like Grim says “lies are mean things, but tales are meant to entertain”
7. drew cappiccille {rawr} | April 3, 2009 at 4:24

I can definitly relate to what grim is trying to convey because lies you will use when your in trouble and stories are ment to be fun and just for pure entertainment
8. Chris D. | April 3, 2009 at 4:24

Rachel B,
Your comment was full of ideas and got me convinced that you are right. Come to think of it, tales hardly hurt anyone. Lies hurt someone else and overtime, they hurt you. You can get caught for lying, but not for telling tales. NO ONE can tell you what your imagination is like.
9. Chris D. | April 3, 2009 at 4:24

I do not agree with this statement because although they are meant for good, if you overdo it they can eventually turn into lies. For example, let’s say someone breaks into your house, and the police comes. The robber broke open the door to get in. But, you explain to the police that he came in through the window and broke it. That would be a lie but if you said and bragged how you made the burglar to leave, then that is a tale.
10. Hannah G. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Lies are normally hurtful, mean, rude, offensive, and not true. Tales however, are make-believe, exaggerated, funny, silly, and mostly fake. Big difference, right? I remember that when I was in preschool (I only remember it slightly), my teacher heard this one girl telling a rumor (a lie) about another girl in the class. After this, my teacher was obsessed with teaching us about truthfulness and all. This one girl asked the teacher something like, “But you tell us stories all the time! Aren’t they, like, the same thing?” My teacher then (of course) told us the difference. So now, I realize that that rude girl actually led the class on to learning about lies. So, there, is my story. Lies, tis, tis, tis, tis.
11. Hannah G. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Kola,

I definitely agree with everything you said! I love tales because they can be so exciting and make believe. Although some tales may be a bit unentertaining, they are still never the same as lies. I also agree that it matters who exactly is telling the tale/lie. If someone who lies a lot tells a tale, it may sound more like a lie, not a tale. Also, it’s true, as long as people enjoy telling tales, then why not?
12. Kola Shomade | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I absoutley agree with Grim! The difference between a story your telling and a lie is a lie your just using to cover yourself keyword there is yourself. But with a tale you can get everyone involved. And it’s a fun activity that you can use at any type of event that’s what makes it a interesting activity.Well in some cases it does and it doesn’t matter who tells the lies and the tales when it comes to tales it dosen’t matter as long as your having fun, like in Freak the Mighty during Christmas everyone was having fun listen to Grim’s TALES not LIES.But when people lie it can crash the whole mood so in my opion it matters who’s telling the lies . But it dosen’t matter who’s telling the tale as long as everyone is having fun telling the tales.
13. Kola Shomade | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Alexander,
I totally agree with you lieing and telling a tale are 2 different things great job! And good examples.
14. Kola Shomade | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I absoutley agree with Grim! The difference between a story your telling and a lie is a lie your just using to cover yourself keyword there is yourself. But with a tale you can get everyone involved. And it’s a fun activity that you can use at any type of event that’s what makes it a interesting activity.Well in some cases it does and it doesn’t matter who tells the lies and the tales when it comes to tales it dosen’t matter as long as your having fun, like in Freak the Mighty during Christmas everyone was having listen to Grim’s TALES not LIES.But when people lie it can crash the whole mood so in my opion it matters who’s telling the lies . But it dosen’t matter who’s telling the tale as long as everyone is having fun telling the tales.
15. John Q | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Conner,
I think that your comment was great, tales are more like exaggerations not lies. When you exaggerate on something no one really cares if it’s true or not, they enjoy the story they told even if it made no sense whatsoever. When you lie it’s usually pointed towards someone and it mostly hurts their feelings. If anything else it wouldn’t hurt their feelings at all because the “victims” don’t really care what the “bully” says because they know better then to not listen and feel good about themselves anyway.
16. connor s | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Jb,
I totally agree with you when you say that lies are true and tales are fun stories that are probably not true. However tales are definetly ment to entertain. Just like in my response when I shared the story about my dad, it is not true but it is ment to entertain. I also like telling and heaing tales from my grandparents around the holidays, except the funny ones can be annoying since my grandpa has what we call twenty minute laughs.
Nice job!! Connor
17. Erica W. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Ashish,
I agree with you because you are right. Lies just get others and you in troble. But tales are only fun stories used to make people laugh.
18. Erica W. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim he was telling a tale not lies. Lies are hurtful things that no one should use. Tales are funny stories to get a point across without hurting anyone. When Grim told the tale he could have been poor when he was growing up. Therefore he was telling a tale.
19. Alex Duke | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Quincy,
I partially agree with you. Tales can happen, lots of times they do. However, there are small twists and changes that are made to the story that make it more exciting. And Puss and Boots was a tale. Maybe more of a fairy tale, though. I guess tales can have many different meanings, depending on who you’re talking to! Your example of a lie is right, though. Sometimes people lie to make themselves sound bigger, but they’re not really doing that at all.
20. Jessica L | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Alex,
I completey agreed with you. I couldn’t have explained it any better! I exspecialy agree with you when you said, “a tale is like a story, you stretch some of the facts a bit.” I agree with this statement because a tale is like stretching facts out to sort of elaborate on the topic. Also, I agree with you when you said,”you lie to get your way.” I agree with this statement because why would you lie if your not getting anything out of it? Exactly. The only reason you lie is because you want to get your way or your getting something else out of it. Well, thanks for sharing your responce. I loved it!
(: *jessica*
21. Ethan Y. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Connor S.,
I agree with you. Tales are not lies, they’re just exaggerating. Maybe Grim did get coal, but not written on a piece of paper.
22. Elizabeth H. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Shannon B.,
I read your response and I think it was remarkable, and I totally agree. When you mentioned about how in tales you can talk about talking squirrels, I laughed uncontrollably! But I definitely can relate to you when you said explained about how people will lie straight to a principal’s face I make an excuse just to not get in trouble. I’ve saw that happen before. Anyway, you did an excellent job of giving examples and showing.
-Elizabeth H.
23. Rachel B. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Tyler,
I totally agree with you. Lies in tales are to entertain, and “white lies.” White lies nobody would notice, but lying if you murdered someone everyone would notice, because you can get put into jail!
24. Rachel B. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim’s statement. Lies are to hurt other people when you don’t tell the truth, and tales are to entertain people, like in Fantasy books. You know the author isn’t telling the truth, but you still like to read it. Lies can be mean when you blame another person for something, something you did. Tales can be entertaining by like I said, in fantasy books or almost any genre of books, besides non-fiction. Sometimes it does matter who is telling the lies or tales. If someone who lies is telling a tale, everyone will think it’s a lie, and that person will get in trouble for it. But if a very truthful person is telling a tale, everyone will most likely believe that it is a tale.
25. Amanda K | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Arianna,
I agree with you lies can hurt someone ro be mean if they are telling bad things about a person. Also, if the person that is telling the tale was talking about someone in a mean and untrue way can be a problem as well. You are right!
26. stephen Crawford | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Andrew
i agree with you on the part where you mention that nine out of ten times people lie for bad reasons. And I agree with you that tales are most of the time harmeless and instead of evil fun and entertaining.
27. Amanda K | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim. Telling a lie is to gain more for yourself. When you tell a tale you really want others to listen and enjoy what you said. Makeing up a lie might be hurtful to others around you. If you say that it was “there fault” to make sure it didnt seem like you did it. When you make up a tale people want to hear the story. It is usally creative or exciting. Telling a lie is mostly accusing someone or something. Also lies are not always fair. Tales dont really have a fairness to them.
When you watch a comercial about something that is suppost to work but really doesn’t then you are lying to the people that might buy your item. When you read a story it is not always true but it is fun to read that is what i think is a tale. Something you enjoy even if it is not ture.
28. Lauren Lockfeld | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Anita makes a great point! People usually think of tales as great things and not hurtful, and lies as rude, and unpleasent things, but really they could go either way. Tales can be really fun and entertaining, but on the other hand, maybe the person that was in the story is getting exagerated too much, and doesn’t like the idea of changing it up. Some stories are meant to be the way they are. Also, lies most people think as mean and rude things. But in some ways they can protect you. Like Anita said; What’s better? A lie that brings a smile, or the truth that draws a tear? Did you make that quote up yourself, or is it a well known quote? I love it! Many small words can make a strong impact.
29. Lauren Lockfeld | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim. I agree with him because lies and tales are completly different. Lies can be rude and sometimes hurt others feelings. But a tale, is the truth exagerated. The truth could be boring or dull, so people often like to exagerate the story and make it more interesting. Though one thing about exagerating, is that you never want to exagerate a lie. A lie already is a lie, so why take it even farther? In a way lies can be mean because it may be a hurtful lie or a generous lie. When you lie in a hurtful way, you’re lieing about a stor happening whn it really didn’t, usually ending up in someone being physically or emotionally hurt, but in most cases it ends up emotionally. Tales can be enteratining becasue the truth can be voring, but when you exagerate it, it makes it more entertainable, and more enjoyable to listen to without getting bored easily. I don’t believe it matters who’s telling the tales or the lies, it just mainly depends on what the tale or the lie is. Lie’s are hurtful, tales are entertaining.
30. Emily L. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Anita Mo,
Wow! Anita, I totally gree with nyou. You made some really good connections to real life. You seem like you really thought long and hard about your response.
P.S. Do you know how to change that little icon in the top right corner of your comment?
31. Shannon Burns | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Morgan B,
I agree with you. Lies are ment to hurt someone. They could make others around you not like you or feel weird standing next to you if someone tells a lie about them. Elders do tell a lot of tales. Mostly about their childhoods and what it was like then. Parents always tell tales to. They can make up really cool bedtime stories. I think every parent told us bedtime stories or read us a book so we would go to bed when we were little. They were either funny or exciting. They were very ammusing. Thats what tales are about to make someone else happy.
32. Emily L. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Yes, I certainly agree with Grim on his statement refering to tales and lies. Somtimes, I tend to tell “tales” to! Although, tales are safe,lies can hurt. Lies are NEVER safe.
Personaly, I think that if a conman is lieing,since it is their way to make money, they can be very convincing. It doesn’t matter who’s lieing, it’s just the fact that another lie is in existance on Earth. Some lies create masive chaos, some may only trigger one person to cry but, in the end, they all cout as LIES.
In conclusion, lies are very bad. So please, don’t lie or gossip.
33. Emily F. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Katie! I disagree with what you said.
Grim wasn’t lying. He was joking around, telling
a story. That’s all. Nothing more than that.
34. Amanda S. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Kayla,
I agree with you completely!Lies are a way of covering up or burring something bad you did. Also you where right when you said “A tale is something that comes from your imagination and to cheer someone up.” Oh my gosh! Kayla I too put that a tale starts with “the tale of…” I totally agree with you!!!
35. Emily F. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim. Lies are ment to hurt
people. But tales are ment to entertain. Lies
can and probably will hurt people. But tales
can make you laugh, cry, or feel any other
emotion. Tales are ment to entertain you.
36. Lina Z. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Anita,
I agree on what you said about protective lies, and hurtfull tales. I never thought of it that way. Another example of a protective lie that I read in a story, is saying that your friend is not with you, in front of a dangerous person so they don’t hurt your friend. An example of a hurtful tale is, telling an embarassing story about some one that may be funny to others, but may not be funny to the person that had the embarassing experience.
Lina
37. Amanda S. | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim’s statement. Lies are mean things that either benefit you in some way or a way of hurting someone else. But a tale is something you may tell pre-k children to get them to settle down. Also on books like Cinderella it may say something like “the tale of…” or “this is the tale of…” I prefer telling tales instead of lying to somebody. What do you prefer?
38. CAROLINE | April 2, 2009 at 4:24

Anita
you are so right lies don’t always hurt people and sometimes you do have to and a lie that makes you smile is alot better then hurting someone by telling the truth i really agree with you!
39. Bernard Harvin | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Andrew,
I agree with you the two thing are completely the oppisite. Lies are mostly seen in a bad way, but tales are to entertian.
40. Bernard Harvin | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement because lies are cruel and deceiving, lies were never met for good, it’s another way of going behind there back and breacking a promise. Lies can put the wrong thing in someone’s mind. They never done anyone any good. Tales, on the other hand are lies, yes there made up but there just met to entertain. Like telling a bed time story, it’s not lieing, it’s entertianment. Tales aren’t seen in a bad way, they are meant for fun.
41. Bernard H | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement because lies are cruel and deceiving, lies were never met for good, it’s another way of going behind there back and breacking a promise. Lies can put the wrong thing in someone’s mind. They never done anyone any good. Tales, on the other hand are lies, yes there made up but there just met to entertain. Like telling a bed time story, it’s not lieing, it’s entertianment. Tales aren’t seen in a bad way, they are meant for fun.
42. Sasha Lofton | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

i do agree with Grim’s statement because lies always turn out to be bad or they hurt someone and you make it up as you go along. But tales are like stories that have happened and you are remembering them.Lies are mean because you are not telling the truth and people that you are close to don’t accpect you to lie to them or they can’t trust you anymore. It does matter who is telling the lies or the tales cause like i said before lies always end up hurting someone or you end up losing someone.
43. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Brian,
You raise a great point! If everyone could be honest and tell the truth the world would probably be a much better place without those hurtful lies that let loose!
Thanks!
Mrs. Z
44. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Caroline,
You are so right! Grim was trying to be funny! I think he story got the point across, he grew up poor and was thankful for whatever he got. So it’s okay that he told a tale!
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
45. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

JB,
You are right, nobody likes a liar. My dad always told my sisters and I to tell the truth no matter what! If people find out you lie, they will lose respect for you and never trust you. It’s important to tell the truth.
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
46. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Todd,
Your grandpa sounds like a funny guy! A frog – that’s a new one! –
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
47. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Connor,
Parents always seem to tell those tales from “long ago” – they sure do give us something to laugh about! Don’t they? My mom grew up in Queens, NY and always said how she had to take the subway for TWO hours to get to school. NOT! — ; -) She was just trying to get the point that she did have a long commute to school and had to get up really early. (She did that whenever I complained about having to get up early and walk a mile to school.) Gotta love those tales our parents tell us!
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
48. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Quincy,
Do you think the story Puss in Boots was told to hurt people or just to entertain us? We would have a big issue on our hands if all the fiction out there was pulled from the shelves because it wasn’t exactly true…just something to think about!
Thanks for sharing! : -)
49. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Alex,
You are so right! There are many different ways to tell a story. Some people are so great at story telling, they can captivate a room full of people to listen to every word!
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z —
50. Alex Duke | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with this statement that Grim said. He made a great point, too. Lies and tales are two totally different things. A tale is like a story, you stretch some of the facts a bit. But you do it all in the purpose to entertain. A lie, however, is a bad thing. You do it to get your way out of something, or try to hurt someone else. I know there’s times where I’ve confessed to something, and I’ll be so afraid of the consequence. Sometimes, though, people respect that you told the truth and will not be so upset. It’s hard to tell the truth sometimes, but a lie is no excuse. In some cases, it does matter who’s telling the lies or tales. For instance, Max’s father. He cannot be trusted, at all! Perhaps he is telling a tale, nobody would ever believe him. They may not even find it too amusing. Max’s father hasn’t told tales. He’s told lies. He wants to gain Max’s respect, but he’s doing it the wrong way. Everyone has a story to tell, but there’s different ways to tell it!
51. Anita Mo | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Steven S.
I really liked your response. You did a great job expressing your feelings about how tales can be really fun and cool. My cousin used to tell me these crazy made-up tales, too so I can relate. It always got me laughing and thinking about other things that could only exist in your imagination.
Great Job!
52. John | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Stephen,
I agree. Lies are meant to hurt people. Or to escape punishment that you rightly deserve. Tales on the other hand are meant to entertain or to make someone laugh. A tale might be a lie but it is not meant to hurt anybody. By the way, nice story
53. Quincy S | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

No I do not agree with Grim’s statement. I don’t agree because a tale is something that never happened and so is a lie. For example the tale of Puss and Boots that never happened in real life. An example of a lie would be me saying that my Grandfather use to be the richest man in the world. That is why I don’t agree with Grim’s statement.
54. Anita Mo | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I partly agree with Grim’s quote. Of course, tales are almost never meant to be hurtful and mean. They might give your mind some imagination and amusement. Nice tales strech the truth a little to bring happiness and humor, not to be nasty. I don’t fully agree with the lie part though. Lies may hurt others, but sometimes lies are told to protect another and hide the painful truth. It’s like the question: What’s better? A lie that brings a smile or the truth that draws a tear? For example, some parents lie to their children about things that might include deaths, accidents, and other tragic things that litte kids might not be able to handle. During these times, a parent has the right to stretch the truth since its actually helping the child in some way even if its a little unfair for the child.
Lies may not always be mean, but most of the time, they are. As a sixth grader, you hear many rumors that are most of the time lies. Whether they were directly sent as a mean comment, you never know for sure. It’s really hard to decide whether what you hear is true or not.
Tales like Snow White and Santa Claus are told to create happiness and laughter, but the same thing goes for tales.
Even though a big majority of tales are meant to be entertaining, they can still be rude and unpleasant. For instance, during the Holocaust, I’m sure there were many fake stories about how Jews were evil and deserved to be mistreated. The really sad thing is that sometimes people believe them.
Does it matter whose lying? It depends on the situation. Like I said before, if you’re lying to protect someone from suffering, most of teh time it’s okay. Teachers shouldn’t lie to their students just to have an advantage like getting more free time to themselves. Students shouldn’t lie to teachers to have an unfair advantage like not doing homework either. The truth and the lies are all very complicated to decide what’s wrong and what’s right. The decision can be extremely easy, but most of the time it’s tough.
55. Andrew Ciccarino | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony P,
I have to agree with you about how Max is not a buthead… That part is totally true
56. Andrew Ciccarino | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I completley agree with Grim!! You may lie to hurt someone but you will tell a tale to entertain someone. As you can see those two things are completley opposite. When you tell a lie you are doing it on purpose probably to get revenge or get someone in trouble. There are a few cases where you may lie to be nice but nine times out of ten you are doing it becuse you need to get back at someone or in a bad way. Yes… Tales are entertaining the fact that they are made up as they go along make them interseting and unpredictable making them fun to hear and listen to.
57. Anthony P | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Jeff,
I do agree with you. Me too! I share tales on Christimas with my family on what happen to me last time I saw them. My Grandpa is just like Grim, he loves to tell tales! Sometimes I think he stretches it a lllllllllittle too far sometimes. But everyone is listening to what he is saying cause it if funny.Lieing is just to get you out of trouble. How come Max’s dad lied to Max and the bible. When his dad put his hand on the bible I think Max believed his dad, but then killer kane tried to choke Max when max said he saw his dad choke his mom. lieing to Max was just to get Max to believe him that he didn’t do it. so lying to your son is mean cause my dad always tells me he would never lie to me so that is why tales are to entertain and lies are mean.
58. Arianna C. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Grace,

I agree with what you said about how you can tell tales to younger children that aren’t true to entertain them. Also you are right how lies from certain people can have a big impact. Like how Max’s dad told a lie to trick the people into letting him out of jail and you telling a story to a younger child.They are both lies but yours is not going to put people in danger like letting Max’s dad out jail is going to put people in danger. For example, Loretta Lee.
59. connor s | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with the statement Grim said. Lies are telling something that never even happened in the first place. Grim may have gotten coal for Christmas but he probably never gotten coal written on a piece of paper thta said coal on it. Tales are telling something that happened but the story the person told may not be true, and that’s what Grim did.
My dad always tells me tales like Grim too. He says that he had to walk to get to the bus in the snow both ways barefoot. He probably didn’t walk there barefoot. This is just like what Grim said because what both of them said were not lies, they were just exaggerating a bit.
60. Arianna C. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Lies can be mean if you are spreading untrue rumors about someone and tales can be entertaining if it is a story such as “Jack and he bean stalk.” So I can agree with Grim’s statement. But I think it also depends on who is telling the story because if it isn’t true and someone is making up the story so that it might hurt the persons feelings that isn’t fair.
61. Kayla Allen | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Shannon B,

I definitly agree with you!! A tale is to make something more excited then it acually is… a lie is not the same thing! A lie is to cover something up that you don’t want anyone to know!
62. Kaitlyn Killeen | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

John Q,
I’m actually told it’s okay to tell white lies: that they make the person feel better. I never really thought white lies are okay though. I didn’t want to ever tell a white lie. Instead, I stay quiet. I never really thought about what might happen if they found out the truth. I just knew that all lies are wrong.
63. Todd Ryan | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement. That’s how people in the past got through time in the past, by telling
stories. Or they would just do work. But my
grandpa tells us all these crazy things. Like
when he farts he would say that the frog did it!
64. JB W. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Ethan, I agree with you because lies are meant to hurt people. But tales are meant to have a good laugh. Like you said if someone who lies all the time were telling a tale then I would assume it was a bunch of bologna right of the bat because they lie so much.
65. JB W. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with what Grim says because lies are either meant to be bad or to hurt someone. Tales are fun stories that may not be true. But they are usually meant to entertain or have a fun time telling. It is always good to have a few tales around the holidays. Nobody likes liers but most like a good tale or two I know I do whether it is true or not.
66. Grace Makowski | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Tyler,
I agree with every thing you said, just I think that tails could have happen. Maybe the idea of the tail from from a real life event. I agree with, there can be little harmless lies “white lies” that your parents tell you. I am totally fine with the lie that santa brings presents. But lies can be serous, like you said such as lying about a crime. When I lie I tend to feel guilty but if someone else lies I am hurt. Lies do no good.
Good Job:]
67. Tommy C. : ) | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with this statement. If a lie is small like what Grim was doing it won’t matter. It won’t effect anyone in anyway. If you made a big lie then it might effect many people. For example, once my Mom was making pasta. She mixed cheese in the sauce to make it thicker, but she knew my little brother hated cheese. As we were eating my brother asked “Is there cheese in this.” My mom said no and nothing happened. This relates to the tales Grim was telling.
68. Jeffrey Rodgers | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony I totally agree with you! Usually when someone is telling a tale people are intrigued, as you said. I also agree with you that lies are meant to make people feel bad. You make a great point on why they may have listened to Grim.(he was poor) Usually people listen to tales because they are interested in the tale where people are not interested in lies because they are not true and they are not entertaining. I love the connection you made about how Max’s peers made fun of him because they thought he was weird and how they were unfairly misjudging him because he was not weird, but different than what they are used to. Max should get out of the mind stage that he is a butthead because, like you said, he is NOT a butthead. Like you said lies are changed so they are never the truth. When lies become changed around they become even more mean, where tales may get changed around to become more interesting and entertaining. I wonder if these kids ever were eduacated about the golden rule.(treat others how you would like to be treated) If not they must be eduacated about it because that rule would prevent all of this teasing. Loved your response!
Jeff R.
69. Kayla Allen | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim’s statement. Lies are something you do or say to get yourself out of trouble or to cover something up. A tale is something that comes from your imagination and to cheer someone up. For example, if you read a book with a title that says “A tale of…” the book does not have lies, it has tales that someone makes up, to entertain. I totally agree!!!
70. Elizabeth H. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Words can tell us a big story in life. I agree with Grim’s statement. Entertainment is supposed to fasinate the audience. And if stories aren’t interesting, it doesn’t hurt to stretch the true a little. But that doesn’t mean that I think lies are mean because I do think they’re mean. Although words may not be big, lies can sometimes effect a person’s emotions. Which can also change a person’s attitude, or actions. I do think that tales are entertaining though. Tales don’t start a gossip conversation. They are just meant to have fun. There is a distinct difference between a lie and a tale. Lies are for hiding the truth, and tales are for amusement. Maybe not everybody has realized that differnce and maybe that’s why lies are happening.
71. CAROLINE | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this grim. lies are mean they can hurt people but when your telling tales your just doing it so people will laugh. If you are liying to someone it can really hurt their feeelings if you don’t tell them the truth. It dose not really matter who is telling the tales because their just joking around and trying to make people laugh. Sometimes it matters though when people tell lies because they could be lieing about something hurtful or mean to their best firend and then their firend might not ever belive them again. I think grim was just trying to be funny.
72. Lina Z. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim. Tales are stories, meant to make people laugh. I think tales are exagerations of the truth, which can be very entertaining. One example of a tale, is a fishing story, when you really catch a fourteen inch fish, But you say it was 20 inches, and you had to jump out of the boat to get it. Lies, on the other hand, can be mean. One example is blaming what you did on some one else. This is hurtful to them because they may get in trouble.I do not think it matters who tells the lies or tales. Lies are lies and tales are tales.
73. taylor brown | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Shannon,
I liked your response on Grim’s statement. I
said the same, that lies are to hurt someone
and tales are to entertain. Thanks for sharing
your wonderful response! See you in school!:):)
-TAYLOR BROWN
74. Ashish Patel | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Nikil I agree with you. A tale is a story and a lie is smoething that hurts someone.
75. I agree with you that a tale is a story for entertanment. Even though | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Tyler,
I agree with your statment that a tale is just like a fairy tale but even though it isn’t true it isn’t hurting anyone. lies are ment to hurt someone or something.
or to cover up what you got your self into. A tale is totally different.
76. Morgan B | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I deffenitly agree with Grim. Lies are ment to hurt someone/something. Tales are to amuse an audience. There are some tales that are true and some that aren’t. But lies are impossible to be true that is why they are called lies! Elders usually tell tales of when they were younger. And Mothers and Fathers tell made up bed time stories. Grims story was kinda in between those two examples!
77. Brian H. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Dear Ethan,I love how you gave the defention of tales and lies in your comment. What came to my attention was what the second defention of tales was. Lies. I now realize that tales are from the same “oragin” as lies. You could almost say they are relatives, but lies are the mean, deseaving relative and tales are the imaginative, creative, laughable relatives.
78. Brian H. | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim’s statement. Lies are ment to hide something or hurt someone. Tales aren’t made to hurt or hide something from someone, but to give someone the present of being enterttained. Usually, when someone streches the truth to far in a tale the listner would understand. As for lies it’s not the same. They hurt someone emmotionally, mentally, and physically, and our world would be much better without the cruel, meaningless lies.
79. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Ryan,
Can you provide us with some more about your thoughts? When or why would we tell lies to set someone up for trouble? What do you think the person lying gains from this?
Thanks,
Mrs. Z —
80. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Grace,
You make a great point about Max’s dad – having your parent tell you lies like that is really just wrong. I think his dad was trying to gain something from Max by lying to him – his trust. Not the way to do it! He was trying to convince Max he was a good guy and I’m sure Max was finding it hard to believe anything he was saying.
Great job! : -)
Mrs. Z
81. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Shannon,
You make some great points about tales and lies! I don’t think teachers would intentionally lie and tell students the wrong information, we just might not know the right answer or may have been misinformed. There is so much to know in the world…and not enough time to possibly learn it all– I know if I’ve found I was misinformed about something, I would let my students know immediately. I wouldn’t want them to have the wrong information about something. Thanks for bringing up such great insight…I love the way you think!
Mrs. Z
82. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony,
Lies are mean! You make a good point to remind us about Max and what his life has been like. Many lies/rumors circulated around him for years because of his dad. That must be so hard.
Thanks for sharing,
Mrs. Z
83. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Josh,
It seems unfair that people get to tell lies about others!! I think anyone who knows you knows that you wouldn’t get an F in Science. You are a hard worker and as my dad always told me – The truth will always be uncovered, sooner or later! A lie doesn’t last forever…but the truth does! Thanks for sharing your story with us!
Mrs. Z : ))
84. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Ethan,
Thanks for sharing the definitions for us. The idea that a lie is “…deliberate intent to deceive…” really says it all.
Great response…you give us something to think about!
Thanks!
Mrs. Z
85. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Steven,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. It’s nice to have someone who can tell a good story to help you unwind. I find myself doing the same thing with Dean, especially when he wakes up from a nightmare. I’ll tell him a funny or silly made-up tale about our family, or Scooby-Doo being on vacation. (He LOVES Scooby-Doo). Within a few minutes, he’s relaxed and falls back to sleep. I hope he will have fond memories of those moments, just like you! Great response!!! : )
Mrs. Z
86. Tyler H. | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim’s stament. Telling a tale is similar a fairy tail. It never happened and it never will happen but that is not considered a lie. It’s just a fun story to read and is ment to entertain. Anither example is “White lies”. the kind of lies your oarents tell you. Like the tooth fairy. It’s not real, but your parents told you that so loosing teeth would be more interesting and you’ll even get money for it! However, lies can be mean. Like, if someone where to lie to you about if they have commited a crime would be very serious and could possibly get that person in jail. That type of lie is usually used to hurt another person and to keep the guilty party out of trouble. So as you can see there are different types of lies.
87. Steven Skubish | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement completely. Lying is, to me something that is, one made up to hurt someone’s feelings like a a bully at a school setting. Or two making things up about a person behind their back to make you seem better. Where as tale are just fun stories that are written to make people happy and to brighten up a room. For example my Dad used to tell me stories before bed all the time and still does from now and then. These stories are just fun whimsical fun tales that calms me down before bedtime and gets me nice and comfortable before I go to sleep. It’s a great wrap-up to a good, or a bad day. That always makes my day end on a good note. So in my opinion tales are things that make you feel good and lies are things made up to hurt people.
88. John Q | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim completely. Lies might not hurt someone at first but no matter what, it will comeback to haunt you. Especially white lies, those are meant to make people feel bad. When you lie to someone’s face about they’re appearance and that person finds out about how they really look they will be really angry with you. When you tell a tale it is considered a lie because it isn’t true but, who could it possibly offend? they actually laugh and think it’s like a story. In my eyes that’s what I think is a fictional story is. A mere tale. When you lie it can hurt someone physically or emotionally. But when you tell a tale, the emotions that come out of you are mostly of joy, not of pain or sorrow.
89. Ryan M | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I completly agree withs Grim’s statment. I
think that a tale is meant to entertain. I
sometimes tell “tales” to have a laugh with my
friends. Normally when someone lies it is to
get out of trouble or set someone up for
trouble.
90. Jessica L | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

Yes, I totaly agree with Grim’s statement because lies are mean and tales are really to entertain people. They are both two different things.
Lies can be mean because your not telling the truth. When she/he finds out that you lied to them, they might not trust you anymore.
Tales are entertaining because they could be funny. For example,Cinderella is a tale. It has talking mice,pumpkins;etc. Usually tales have characters/items that do unrealistic things.
In my opinion, I don’t think it matters who is telling the lies or the tales. Lies are mean no matter who says it. Tales are entertaining (only if they are funny).
91. Jeffrey Rodgers | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim’s statement that “Lies are mean things, and tales are meant to entertain.” I agree with this statement because I do believe that lies are meant to mislead or hurt someone or something, but tales are meant to make people laugh. I ,too, share tales at the dinner table during Christmas. My dad is always saying how he was forced to eat foods he did not like, while my grandma disagrees. None the less it is a tale that was told to make my family laugh not to mislead or hurt us like lies would have. I was not there when this happened, so I think that my dad may have been “stretching” the truth a little bit. But even if he did stretch the truth he did not hurt anyone and he made us all laugh. He, also, always tells us how he was forced to take piano lessons, while his friends had fun playing kickball in the nice warm sun. He said he would be peering out the screen door watching them playing and not even paying attention to the piano teacher. Do you think my dad was trying to mislead my family? Where on the other hand lies are meant to mislead people or to cover something they did up.For example, you may have pushed someone or done something to hurt them, but once the principle asks if you hurt this girl/boy you say “no.” That is lieing! You said that you did not hurt the girl/boy to cover the situation up or so that you would not get into trouble. Another example of lieing is when Max’s father explains that he crys at sad parts in a movie even though there is “no cry in his voice.” His dad was trying to mislead Max into thinking he is a inocent man, even though he has been found guilty of killing Max’s mother. There is a distinct difference, in my mind, of the two and those are the reasons why. That is why I agree with Grim that “Lies are mean things, and tales are meant to entertain.”
92. Kaitlyn Killeen | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I disagree with this statement. I think it’s good to tell the truth and you should never lie. As long as you tell them that it’s untrue, it’s okay. If Grim tells them it’s untrue, it’s different. Lies can lead to alot of problems if someone finds out you were lying. Sometimes people “stretch” the truth to make stories and tales more interesting. If someone finds out it’s make-believe,they might be very disappointed. Lies in tales and lies in general are not different.
93. Nikhil | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

Yes I agree with Grim because lies are mean things like Grim said. Sometimes someone could get hurt when someone else is lieing. It could also change their life. Tales are not true but their used for entertainment. They don`t hurt anyone and their just stories that has a lesson.
94. Shannon Burns | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

Yes, I do agree with this statement. When you tell a lie you are usually saying something mean about something or someone else. Also when you are tring to cover something up. A tale is meant to entertain, to make something exciting or funny and for a good reason. When you tell a lie it isn’t.
Lies are mean because they can affect others in awful ways. People could start teasing them maybe even bulling them because of one little lie.
Tales can be entertaining because you can add something funny or exciting to a story and make it really interesting. You can be left in suspense and be dieing to know what happens next or you can be laughing uncontrolably. These kinds of stories are fun because you can put anything in them even if it is totaly random. Like if there was a story about a kid and his/her dog you can include a talking squirrel if you want to.
I think it definiatly matters who tells lies and tales. It would be Ok if a teacher was telling a tale to his/her class because she may want to entertain them but it won’t be good for a teacher to tell a lie. A teacher is a role-madel. Students believe him/her because they trust them. So if a teacher told a lie about a fact students will think it is true.They would be convinced thats true and not know the real truth.
95. stephen Crawford | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim because I know tales can be lying but they are not meant to hurt anyone. Like Grim mentioned they are ment to entertain and most tales are so unrealistic that the person knows that it is a silly lie. Lies can be mean because if Joe lied to Bob that Kayla likes Bob and Bob like kayla ,so Bob asks Kayla out and Kayla doesnt like Bob and declines Bob’s feelings might get hurt and evryone will start teasing him.
96. Anthony P | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I do agree with Grim’s statement because lies make people feel bad, tales do entertain. for examaple everyone was paying attention when Grim talked about getting cardboard with a picture of coal cause he was so poor. They felt bad so they listened. Lies are mean. First your making somethingup just to ack cool that you did something cool, or maybe you made a rumor up about a kid at school. Just like Max went through. Kids where calling him no brain and throwing paper at him. That probably made him feel really bad like he is a butthead, and fe isn’t a butthead. He is just different. So it does matter who is telling the tale or rumor cause people can change what really happened
97. John | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement. Lies are usually told to hurt someone or to keep the truth away. While tales are mean’t to make people laugh. It doesn’t matter if a tale has a few lies in it as long as it isn’t mean’t to hurt someone.
98. Grace Makowski | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement. I can admit that I lie, but within those lies are tales I have told. Sometimes they never happened but, sometimes I am streching the truth. I agree with Grim because you can lie like blaming something or your lies can entertain. I find myself telling tails to younger kids who know no better or to get someone to laugh when there sad. I think it does in a way matter who is the one telling tales or lies. For example Maxs dad lied about being nice.
99. Josh M | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

I think this statement is true. Lies can be mean things like once my friend said i was getting an F in science just because he was mad at me. Everyone thought i was stupid. Tales are like lies but they arent, like the legend of The Lock Ness Moster . A tale is more like a story then a lie. It dosent matter who tells the lie or the tale beacause a lie is a lie and a tale is a tale.
100. Aiden wehrle | March 30, 2009 at 4:24

I disagree, both tales and lies are made up
story’s from the top of your head.But tales
are made to entertain.lies are made to cover
up something.
101. Ashish Patel | March 30, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Grim because you tell lies to get yourself out of trouble or to get someone else in trouble. And a tale is a story. It is a fantasy story that can be about anything. You can make something up or something that happend in your life and change it turning it into something make-belief.
102. Ethan Y. | March 30, 2009 at 4:24

“Lies are mean things, and tales are meant to entertain.” I agree with Grims statement because with lies, you are hurting others and it is not nice to lie. I also disagree with Grim’s statement because tales can be lies. It doesn’t matter who is telling the lies because even if you are one of the nicest people in the world, if you lie you are hurting people. It matters who is telling telling the tale because if it is someone who always lies, then the tale could be a lie. The definition of tale is “a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.” Another definition was “a falsehood; lie.” The definition of lie is “a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.”