The Lake That Stole Children: A Fable

By Douglas Glenn Clark

The Lake That Stole Children blends the magic of Disney's Pinocchio with the magnificent quest of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. It begins with a boy's deep yearning and leads to a grown man's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1438243588
• ISBN13: 9781438243580
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 50 Pages
• Weight: 0.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I Liked This Story!

In this fable we meet a fisherman, his wife and two children, a boy and a girl. They live in a small village by the sea. The fisherman is a stern man, wanting complete obedience from his children, priding that above all. He is blinded to the emotional needs of his children.The sister tries very hard to please her father, but the son yearns to taste of life and take chances, something his father forbids. The village holds a dark mysterious secret that no one talks about, but one that causes deep sorrow in the land. In their mystical lake there is a stealer of the true treasure of life, the children. Now it has taken the fisherman's son away and causes him to come face to face with what love and life are all about as he sets out on a quest to not only free his son from the thrones of the lake, but other children as well. The question is, will he make it in time, or lose his life trying. Our author wrote quite a tale in this work, one that weaves around the mystic feel that a fable should have. The forest responding to the emotions of the people, the lake brimming with a life force that is mysterious and dangerous, capturing the essence of their hearts as they lose their most precious treasures to it, their children. The characters live in a world of enchantment and the reader is drawn into that world by the words and story of Douglas Clark. The descriptive power of his words in many instances was exceptional. I enjoyed this read. I liked the way the father came to the realization of what his children truly needed from him as a father, and how the son understood that there indeed were dangers in the world that he was not ready to battle. And a happy ending is always a good thing.

Literary Fiction Reminds Us of Treasured Nursery Rhymes!

What a delightful fable for children, young adults and adults! The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark is beautifully written with a literary flair that hearkens back to our memories of treasured nursery rhymes. In many ways, it reminded me of Hansel and Gretel who leaves home and encounters . . .The Witch! Only in this tale, it is the father that learns the most! You see, Cal was a fisherman who, though he loved his children very much, had grown stern and demanding of total obedience. So, when he took his two children, Tilly and Tyler, fishing, it was a time to learn, rather than to also enjoy the experience and fun they were having. So neither Tilly nor Tyler would catch any fish; however, one night Tyler decided that he knew how to use his father's big fishing pole and he left home to go fishing all by himself. After many failed attempts, Tyler was finally able to have the fishing line go way out into the lake. Soon, there was a tug on his line! But the pull was so strong that Tyler was pulled right into the lake! Morgan, Cal's wife, was so miserable and she blamed Cal for what happened, knowing that he was too stern with his children. Cal tried to get help from the neighbors; however, there had been other children who had disappeared and they thought that Tyler, too, had drowned. But one couple knew differently. They had been out near the lake looking for their lost child and they had heard children crying! Cal and Walter went out onto the lake, trying to find their children. Cal wondered why they couldn't hear the children crying and Walter said he had only heard them when he was crying himself. Cal felt so badly that he, too, cried and when he heard the children, he just knew he could hear Tyler above all the rest. He had no choice--he set out to find his son one night! Clark's heartwarming story is perfect for parents to read to their children. Reading stories such as The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark allows parents an opportunity to sit and talk with children about dangers that they may face in life. The story may be used to share caution within a guided discussion. There is sufficient mystery and adventure that will delight the young; there is much to be learned by parents as well! What more could be gained from a wonderful fable! This book would make a beautiful birthday or holiday gift! Highly recommended! G. A. Bixler

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Children are disappearing throughout the village near Flat Horn Lake, rich and poor alike. The stern Fisherman spends his days providing for and protecting his two children. One morning, he and his wife wake to find their son missing, lured to the river by a desire to escape his father's restrictive ways. Though the villagers publicly deny their childrens' absence and declare their son dead, the Fisherman refuses to agree. He has heard his son's voice and the voices of the other children crying out from the lake. To save them, the Fisherman will have to face his greatest fears. A fable is loosely defined as a short narrative with a strong central truth at its center; in essence, what we now know as fairy tales. Douglas Glenn Clark's THE LAKE THAT STOLE CHILDREN adheres to the traditional "moral of the story," but he adds an intriguing twist with the story's events rooted more in the mystical than the mundane. This is a sophisticated, ambiguous narrative which allows readers to draw their own conclusions rather than laying everything out for them. Reviewed by: Cat

It will keep your attention

This was the first "fable" for children I have ever read. At first, by the title, I felt it might be too scary for kids. Ater reading it, however, it flowed well, would not be scary for young kids, and I know the author (and he's a great guy)! Brian

compelling tale

This short story is a quick read, but the compelling tale will keep you thinking about the characters and the events of the story stay with you hours and days after.