In “A Very Old Man with Huge Wings: A Children's Tale,” Gabriel Garcia Marquez tells the story of a supernatural winged creature discovered for the first time trapped in a mud puddle during a heavy rainstorm. Marquez initially describes him as “a very old man”. . . hampered by its enormous wings” (Marquez 380). Throughout the story, however, the characters use the term "angel" to refer to the creature, as "a neighbor who knew everything about life and death" in a mansion resembling an authoritarian clairvoyant proclaims: "It is an angel. » . . [it] was supposed to come for the child, but the poor boy is so old that the rain knocked him down” (Marquez 381). Despite the neighbor's confidence in her claims, Marquez never definitively reveals the creature's true nature. While Marquez vividly describes various characteristics and actions of "the angel", the true meaning and depth of the story lies in Marquez's often satirical exploration of the various other characters' perception and interaction with the creature. Marquez may call the story "A Children's Tale", but it is actually far from being a children's tale, as it is a complex story that deals satirically with mature human behaviors and themes, from its very first line: the title. Although subtitled "A Children's Tale", Marquez's story lacks many of the features often found in children's stories. Children's stories are often action-oriented; Marquez focuses on the characters and their interactions. Although there is some action in the arrival, treatment and departure of the "angel", much more focus is placed on how the various characters act and react to the "angel" . Children's stories often talk about childhood or express a child's point of view; except...... in the middle of paper......" is not a children's story. Works Cited Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. "Little Snow White." Trans. DL Ashliman. 2005 . Tales for children and households. 1812. The mouse, the bird and the sausage. February 9, 2014.---. “The six swans”. Trans. DL Ashliman. Tales for children and households. Trans. DL Ashliman. 2003. Tales for children and households. February 9, 2014. Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Trans. Gregory Rabassa. Compositional Literature: Essays, Poems, and Plays. 9th ed. Sylvan Barnet, William E. Cain and William Burto, 2011. Print. “Satire.” LiteraryDevices.net, nd February 9. 2014.