Sybrina Durant
I started writing Learn To Tie A Tie With The Rabbit and the Fox in 1989! My children and I were shopping for a tie for my husband to wear to a very important "white collar" job interview. He was always a "blue collar" worker thus having very little opportunity to wear a tie. Consequently, at the age of 32, he was unsure as to how to go about tying the "dang thing" properly.
Laughingly, I mentioned to the salesman that my husband was going to have to call his father to get instructions over the telephone. At that point, the very pleasant young man whisked the tie, which he had helped select, off the counter and draped it around his neck. The kids and I couldn't help giggling as the effect was rather humorous considering he was already wearing a suit and tie.
"Let me tell you a little story that is so simple even a child can remember it," he exclaimed and proceeded to tell us about a little rabbit who was being chased by a fox. The whole while he moved the tie through the sequence of events as they occurred.
The story went like this, all inclusive, "There once was a little rabbit being chased by a fox. The fox chased him around a tree once. Then, they ran around it again. Then, the rabbit ran under a bush. Next, he jumped over a log. Then, he jumped into a hole and was safe."
By the time the rabbit was safely away from the fox, the tie was completely tied with a beautiful knot. My children and I were delighted and couldn't wait to get home to show their dad what we had learned.
Sure enough, we remembered the steps of the rabbit's flight from the fox and related them to him. Within moments, he had tied a knot in his new tie that looked like it had been accomplished by an expert.
To make a long story short, he went on the interview looking like a true professional and got the job!
I've always wanted to share this story with the world and originally created an animated instructional song video, which is also available on Youtube. But what I really wanted to create was a family activity picture book where all participants could practice the steps of tying the tie with the rabbit and the fox as they read the book together.
And so, this little picture book was finally born and is now available in three languages in print and ebook formats and in English as an Android Phone app. Listen to instructional song for free at Sybrina.com.
website: Sybrina.com