Jonathan’s Tales, Volume 1

Jonathan’s Tales, Volume 1, is a compilation of 11 magical bedtime stories told verbally tomy 6-year-old son recorded on my Android phone. They are enhanced written transpositionsfrom the unedited audio version numbering nearly 100 recorded stories. The Tales, purely aproduct of my imagination, came to life after my son’s bedtime toilette, and he, snuggled in bed,arbitrarily drew from his head a binary subject and allowed me several minutes to ponder a story.The stories gave me much pleasure to bequeath to my son who often interacted withthe stories; sometimes vociferously protesting at the outrageous actions of the occasionalvillainous characters therein; sometimes being so enthralled with the storyline he remainedquiet until the end, and, not infrequently as I came to the story’s dénouement, I heard agentle buzzing sound as my son had fallen into deep slumber. I could not love my son morethan I did at such times.Of the 100 or so Tales located firmly in the magical realism genre I have chosen 11 topublish initially. They span a broad range of subjects. Within these subjects a degree ofpoetic license has been inevitably exercised in respect to real world facts, requiring the morediscerning reader to temporarily suspend their belief.I told the stories to my son with three main aims: entertainment, of whichhe, by his reactions recorded seemingly derived much pleasure; erudition, to increase hisknowledge on specific items of facts, or to whet his appetite to seek out more information (thenotations referenced at the end of the book for each Tale act as a starting aid); finally, didactic,a way of subtly introducing a broader morality into my son’s world on an array of subjectsfrom the power of love and friendship, of kindness and honesty, and also the importanceof inclusivity recognising we are all different. There was however, one other thing I deemedessential to convey to my son. In Jonathan’s Tales across a number of stories told, I tried togift my son an understanding that in each and every one of us there are by differing degreeswhat I might call human weakness. Acknowledging such weakness, an acknowledgment thatsometimes can originate from within, but in many instances through the love and kindness ofothers, individuals may find a power and strength to transform their lives for the better, if youwill, becoming better versions of themselves, versions of themselves that were always meant tobe. It is this final aspiration I wish and hope all my readers will see in my stories to my son.One final note, Volume1 might be nominally seen as a Middle Grade children’sliterary work, and yet it admits an eclectic age range. Not onlychildren, but teenagers and adults have reported back on Volume 1 their absolutedelight. I seek the reader’s forgiveness in final close to this foreword, by copying agenuine comment from one reader, which I trust, gives due credence to the assertionthat Jonathan’s Tales has a broader relevance in all our lives and to be enjoyed as such:'You are never too old to enjoy a good story.'