▁Even ings ▁at ▁Home ▁( 1 7 9 3 ). ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁mis cell any ▁of ▁stories , ▁f ables , ▁dram as , ▁po ems , ▁and ▁dialog ues . ▁In ▁many ▁ways ▁this ▁series ▁enc aps ul ates ▁the ▁ide als ▁of ▁an ▁En light en ment ▁education : ▁" cur ios ity , ▁observation , ▁and ▁reasoning ." ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁stories ▁encou rage ▁the ▁learning ▁of ▁science ▁through ▁hands - on ▁activities : ▁in ▁" A ▁Te a ▁L ect ure " ▁the ▁child ▁lear ns ▁that ▁tea - making ▁is ▁" pro per ly ▁an ▁operation ▁of ▁chem istry " ▁and ▁less ons ▁on ▁ev ap oration , ▁and ▁cond ens ation ▁follow . ▁The ▁text ▁also ▁emphas ises ▁rational ity : ▁in ▁" Th ings ▁by ▁Their ▁Right ▁Names ," ▁a ▁child ▁dem ands ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁tell ▁him ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁" a ▁blo ody ▁murder ." ▁The ▁father ▁does ▁so , ▁using ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁fict ional ▁trop es ▁of ▁fair y ▁tales ▁such ▁as ▁" once ▁upon ▁a ▁time ", ▁but ▁conf ounding ▁his ▁son ▁with ▁details , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁murder ers ▁all ▁" had ▁steel ▁caps ▁on ." ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁the ▁child ▁real ises ▁his ▁father ▁has ▁told ▁him ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁battle , ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁comments ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁know ▁of ▁any ▁mur ders ▁half ▁so ▁blo ody ." ▁Both ▁the ▁t actic ▁of ▁def amil iar ising ▁the ▁world ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁reader ▁to