The Old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle (review by Paola Vellere)

“The old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle” is a short story about an old woman who always complains about her living situation till a fairy hears her laments and decides to help the woman.

The author, Margaret Read MacDonald, uses repetitive and funny sentences to narrate the story that makes it easier for children to follow. The old woman thinks that she would be happy living in a cottage, but when the fairy makes the woman’s dream come true, the old woman complains again and again.

“What a pity, what a pity, pity, pity

That a woman like me should live in this…”

The woman’s greed increases every time the fairy grants her desires of living in different places. But the fairy decides to teach her a moral. The old woman is an ungrateful and unhappy person who thinks that happiness is a matter of material things.

The book has got colorful illustrations with many tiny details that call young children’s attention. This Book is highly recommended for children and for every person who is able to listen to a simple children’s story and reflect upon how people sometimes relate material things to happiness.