It Could Always Be Worse
By Margot Zemach
The Story
A poor, overwhelmed man crowded into a one-room hut with his mother, wife, and six children begs his Rabbi for help — and gets the strange advice to bring his farm animals inside too.
Why It's Special
For the kid who loves watching grown-up problems get hilariously, chaotically worse before they get better, this folktale delivers chaos with a purpose.
- Big idea: Perspective changes everything — sometimes you have to lose the little you have before you can see how much you actually had.
- Vibes: Old-world folktale energy, gently absurd, warmly comic.
Perfect For Kids Who
- enjoy stories that build to gleeful chaos
- like to predict what silly thing happens next
- are working on seeing problems from a new angle
- respond well to folktales with a satisfying twist
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & problem-solving: Why do you think the Rabbi told the man to bring his farm animals into the hut instead of just fixing the crowding?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think the man felt when his tiny hut got even more crowded with animals?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever felt like your room or house was too crowded or noisy? What did you do?
- Imagination: If a wise person gave you strange advice like the Rabbi did, would you try it? Why or why not?
- Big idea: Why do you think things sometimes have to get worse before they can feel better?
