Grimm

The saying “the eyes are the window to the soul” is not more evident than in the German fairytale, Der Sandmann. When thinking of the Sandman, most associate him with dreams, and when connected with the German word for “death,” the Sandman suddenly takes on a negative connotation. The legend states that if children don’t go to bed on time, then the Sandman will come and kidnap the children, take them to the moon, and let their young feed on the children’s eyes. “It is a basic, involuntary animal instinct to protect one’s eyes” (Bridges 96) because, again, “the eyes are the window to the soul.” If one feels that they lose their eyes, then the “window” is broken, and their soul is something that anybody, especially the ravenous young, can peck at.