Puppets, Training, and Change

Training and education using puppets is not a new concept. The ancients used puppets to explain nature's behavior to large audiences. When people went to Egyptian temples to present gifts to the gods, they were alarmed when the stone arms of the gods moved and asked for a larger offering. A priest, hidden from view, worked the stone arms by pulleys and watched through reeds located in the statue's eyes. The people believed the figures were talking to them and telling them what they must do (bring more offerings), and complied out of fear. The stone figure's movement and speech made it appear alive.