Madonna’s children’s book, “Mr. Peabody’s Apples,” has stayed with me for many years. I used to read it to our children when they were little, and even then, I was struck by the quiet power of its message: Words, once scattered, cannot easily be gathered back. I have since learned that the story was inspired by an old Jewish teaching. In the tale, a person who has spread gossip is told to cut open a pillow and scatter the feathers in the wind.