stories to tell to children-第1章

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How　To　Tell　Stories　To　Children　And　Some　Stories　To　Tell


by　Sara　Cone　Bryant









To　My　Mother

THE　FIRST；　BEST　STORY…TELLER

THIS　LITTLE　BOOK　IS

DEDICATED







PREFACE



The　stories　which　are　given　in　the　following

pages　are　for　the　most　part　those　which　I　have

found　to　be　best　liked　by　the　children　to　whom

I　have　told　these　and　others。　　I　have　tried　to

reproduce　the　form　in　which　I　actually　tell

them；although　that　inevitably　varies　with

every　repetition；feeling　that　it　would　be　of

greater　value　to　another　story…teller　than　a

more　closely　literary　form。



For　the　same　reason；　I　have　confined　my

statements　of　theory　as　to　method；　to　those

which　reflect　my　own　experience；　my　〃rules〃

were　drawn　from　introspection　and　retrospection；

at　the　urging　of　others；　long　after　the　instinctive

method　they　exemplify　had　become　habitual。



These　facts　are　the　basis　of　my　hope　that

the　book　may　be　of　use　to　those　who　have　much

to　do　with　children。



It　would　be　impossible；　in　the　space　of　any

pardonable　preface；　to　name　the　teachers；

mothers；　and　librarians　who　have　given　me

hints　and　helps　during　the　past　few　years　of

story…telling。　　But　I　cannot　let　these　pages　go

to　press　without　recording　my　especial　

indebtedness　to　the　few　persons　without　whose　interested

aid　the　little　book　would　scarcely　have

come　to　be。　　They　are：　Mrs　Elizabeth　Young

Rutan；　at　whose　generous　instance　I　first

enlarged　my　own　field　of　entertaining　story…telling

to　include　hers；　of　educational　narrative；　and

from　whom　I　had　many　valuable　suggestions

at　that　time；　Miss　Ella　L。　Sweeney；　assistant

superintendent　of　schools；　Providence；　R。I。；

to　whom　I　owe　exceptional　opportunities　for

investigation　and　experiment；　Mrs　Root；

children's　librarian　of　Providence　Public

Library；　and　Miss　Alice　M。　Jordan；　Boston

Public　Library；　children's　room；　to　whom　I

am　indebted　for　much　gracious　and　efficient　aid。



My　thanks　are　due　also　to　Mr　David　Nutt

for　permission　to　make　use　of　three　stories　from

English　Fairy　Tales；　by　Mr　Joseph　Jacobs；　and

Raggylug；　from　Wild　Animals　I　have　Known；

by　Mr　Ernest　Thompson　Seton；　to　Messrs

Frederick　A。　Stokes　Company　for　Five　Little

White　Heads；　by　Walter　Learned；　and　for　Bird

Thoughts；　to　Messrs　Kegan　Paul；　Trench；

Trubner　&　Co。　Ltd。　for　The　Burning　of　the

Ricefields；　from　Gleanings　in　Buddha…Fields；

by　Mr　Lafcadio　Hearn；　to　Messrs　H。　R。　Allenson

Ltd。　for　three　stories　from　The　Golden

Windows；　by　Miss　Laura　E。　Richards；　and　to

Mr　Seumas　McManus　for　Billy　Beg　and　his　Bull；

from　In　Chimney　Corners。

S。　C。　B。







CONTENTS



INTRODUCTION　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The　Story…teller's　ArtRecent　RevivalThe　Difference

between　telling　a　Story　and　reading　it　aloudSome

Reasons　why　the　Former　is　more　effective



CHAPTER　I

THE　PURPOSE　OF　STORY…TELLING　IN　SCHOOL

Its　immediate　Advantages　to　the　Teacher…Its　ultimate

Gifts　to　the　Child



CHAPTER　II

SELECTION　OF　STORIES　TO　TELL



The　Qualities　Children　like；　and　whyQualities

necessary　for　Oral　DeliveryExamples：　The　Three

Bears；　The　Three　Little　Pigs；　The　Old　Woman　and

her　PigSuggestions　as　to　the　Type　of　Story

especially　useful　in　the　several　primary　Grades

Selected　List　of　familiar　Fairy　Tales



CHAPTER　III

ADAPTATION　OF　STORIES　FOR　TELLING



How　to　make　a　long　Story　shortHow　to　fill　out　a

short　StoryGeneral　Changes　commonly　desirable

Examples：　　The　Nurnberg　Stove；　by　Ouida；　The

King　of　the　Golden　River；　by　Ruskin；　The　Red　Thread

of　Courage；　The　Elf　and　the　DormouseAnalysis

of　Method



CHAPTER　IV

HOW　TO　TELL　THE　STORY



Essential　Nature　of　the　StoryKind　of　Appreciation

necessarySuggestions　for　gaining　Mastery　of　Facts

Arrangement　of　ChildrenThe　Story…teller's

MoodA　few　Principles　of　Method；　Manner　and

Voice；　from　the　Psychological　Point　of　View



CHAPTER　V

SOME　SPECIFIC　SCHOOLROOM　USES



Exercise　in　RetellingIllustrations　cut　by　the

Children　as　Seat…workDramatic　GamesInfluence

of　Games　on　Reading　Classes



STORIES　SELECTED　AND　ADAPTED　FOR　TELLING



ESPECIALLY　FOR　KINDERGARTEN　AND　CLASS　I。



Nursery　Rhymes　　

Five　Little　White　Heads　

Bird　Thoughts　

How　we　came　to　have　Pink　Roses　

Raggylug　

The　Golden　Cobwebs　　

Why　the　Morning…Glory　climbs　

The　Story　of　Little　Tavwots　

The　Pig　Brother　

The　Cake　　

The　Pied　Piper　of　Hamelin　Town　　

Why　the　Evergreen　Trees　keep　their　Leaves　in　Winter　

The　Star　Dollars　　

The　Lion　and　the　Gnat　



ESPECIALLY　FOR　CLASSES　　II。　AND　III。



The　Cat　and　the　Parrot　

The　Rat　Princess　　

The　Frog　and　the　Ox　

The　Fire…Bringer　　

The　Burning　of　the　Ricefields　

The　Story　of　Wylie　　

Little　Daylight　

The　Sailor　Man　　

The　Story　of　Jairus's　Daughter　　





ESPECIALLY　FOR　CLASSES　IV。　AND　V。



Arthur　and　the　Sword　

Tarpeia　

The　Buckwheat　

The　Judgment　of　Midas　

Why　the　Sea　is　salt　

Billy　Beg　and　his　Ball　

The　Little　Hero　of　Haarlem　

The　Last　Lesson　

The　Story　of　Christmas　



THE　CHILD…MIND；　AND　HOW　TO　SATISFY　IT



A　short　List　of　Books　in　which　the　Story…teller　will　find

Stories　not　too　far　from　the　Form　in　which　they　are　needed。

　　







INTRODUCTION



Not　long　ago；　I　chanced　to　open　a　magazine

at　a　story　of　Italian　life　which　dealt　with　a

curious　popular　custom。　　It　told　of　the　love　of

the　people　for　the　performances　of　a　strangely

clad；　periodically　appearing　old　man　who　was

a　professional　story…teller。　　This　old　man

repeated　whole　cycles　of　myth　and　serials　of

popular　history；　holding　his　audience…chamber

in　whatever　corner　of　the　open　court　or　square

he　happened　upon；　and　always　surrounded　by

an　eager　crowd　of　listeners。　　So　great　was　the

respect　in　which　the　story…teller　was　held；　that

any　interruption　was　likely　to　be　resented　with

violence。



As　I　read　of　the　absorbed　silence　and　the

changing　expressions　of　the　crowd　about　the

old　man；　I　was　suddenly　reminded　of　a　company

of　people　I　had　recently　seen。　　They　were

gathered　in　one　of　the　parlours　of　a　women's

college；　and　their　serious　young　faces　had；

habitually；　none　of　the　childlike　responsiveness

of　the　Italian　populace；　they　were　suggestive；

rather；　of　a　daily　experience　which　precluded

over…much　surprise　or　curiosity　about　anything。



In　the　midst　of　the　group　stood　a　frail…looking

woman　with　bright　eyes。　　She　was　telling　a

story；　a　children's　story；　about　a　good　and　a

bad　little　mouse。



She　had　been　asked　to　do　that　thing；　for　a

purpose；　and　she　did　it；　therefore。　　But　it　was

easy　to　see　from　the　expressions　of　the　listeners

how　trivial　a　thing　it　seemed　to　them。



That　was　at　first。　　But　presently　the　room

grew　quieter；　and　yet　quieter。　　The　faces　relaxed

into　amused　smiles；　sobered　in　unconscious

sympathy；　finally　broke　in　ripples　of　mirth。

The　story…teller　had　come　to　her　own。



The　memory　of　the　college　girls　listening　to

the　mouse…story　brought　other　memories　with

it。　　Many　a　swift　composite　view　of　faces　passed

before　my　mental　vision；　faces　with　the　child's

look　on　them；　yet　not　the　faces　of　children。

And　of　the　occasions　to　which　the　faces

belonged；　those　were　most　vivid　which　were

earliest　in　my　experience。　　For　it　was　those　early

experiences　which　first　made　me　realise　the

modern　possibilities　of　the　old；　old　art　of　telling

stories。



It　had　become　a　part　of　my　work；　some　years

ago；　to　give　English　lectures　on　German　literature。

Many　of　the　members　of　my　class　were

unable　to　read　in　the　original　the　works　with

which　I　dealt；　and　as　these　were　modern　works；

it　was　rarely　possible　to　obtain　translations。



For　this　reason；　I　gradually　formed　the　habit

of　telling　the　story　of　the　drama　or　novel　in

question　before　passing　to　a　detailed　consideration

of　it。　　I　enjoyed　this　part　of　the　lesson

exceedingly；　but　it　was　some　time　before　I

reali