stories to tell to children-第10章

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without　effort。　　So　it　is；　probably；　with　the

〃middle…sized〃　articles　of　the　bears'　house　and

the　〃and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night〃　of　the

old　woman。　　Each　recurrence　deepens　the　note

of　familiarity；　tickles　the　primitive　sense　of

humour；　and　eases　the　strain　of　attention。



When　the　repetition　is　cumulative；　like　the

extreme　instance　of　The　House　that　Jack

Built；　I　have　a　notion　that　the　joy　of　the

child　is　the　pleasure　of　intellectual　gymnastics；

not　too　hard　for　fun；　but　not　too　easy　for

excitement。　　There　is　a　deal　of　fun　to　be　got

out　of　purely　intellectual　processes；　and　child…

hood　is　not　too　soon　for　the　rudiments　of　such

fun　to　show。　　The　delight　the　healthy　adult

mind　takes　in　working　out　a　neat　problem　in

geometry；　the　pleasure　a　musician　finds　in

following　the　involutions　of　a　fugue；　are　of

the　same　type　of　satisfaction　as　the　liking　of

children　for　cumulative　stories。　　Complexity

and　mass；　arrived　at　by　stages　perfectly

intelligible　in　themselves；　mounting　steadily　from

a　starting…point　of　simplicity；　then　the　same

complexity　and　mass　resolving　itself　as　it　were

miraculously　back　into　simplicity；　this　is　an

intellectual　joy。　　It　does　not　differ　materially；

whether　found　in　the　study　of　counterpoint；

at　thirty；　or　in　the　story　of　the　old　woman　and

her　pig；　at　five。　　It　is　perfectly　natural　and

wholesome；　and　it　may　perhaps　be　a　more

powerful　developing　force　for　the　budding

intellect　than　we　are　aware。



For　these　reasons　let　me　urge　you；　when　you

are　looking　for　stories　to　tell　little　children；　to

apply　this　threefold　test　as　a　kind　of　touchstone

to　their　quality　of　fitness：　　Are　they　full　of

action；　in　close　natural　sequence？　　Are　their

images　simple　without　being　humdrum？　　Are

they　repetitive？　　The　last　quality　is　not　an

absolute　requisite；　but　it　is　at　least　very　often

an　attribute　of　a　good　child…story。



Having　this　touchstone　in　mind　for　general

selection；　we　can　now　pass　to　the　matter　of

specific　choices　for　different　ages　of　children。

No　one　can　speak　with　absolute　conviction　in

this　matter；　so　greatly　do　the　taste　and　capacity

of　children　of　the　same　age　vary。　　Any　approach

to　an　exact　classification　of　juvenile　books

according　to　their　suitability　for　different　ages

will　be　found　impossible。　　The　same　book　in

the　hands　of　a　skilful　narrator　may　be　made

to　afford　delight　to　children　both　of　five　and

ten。　　The　following　are　merely　the　inferences

drawn　from　my　own　experience。　　They　must

be　modified　by　each　teacher　according　to　the

conditions　of　her　small　audience。　　In　general；

I　believe　it　to　be　wise　to　plan　the　choice　of

stories　much　as　indicated　in　the　table。



At　a　later　stage；　varying　with　the　standard

of　capacity　of　different　classes；　we　find　the

temper　of　mind　which　asks　continually；　〃Is

that　true？〃　　To　meet　this　demand；　one　draws

on　historical　and　scientific　anecdote；　and　on

reminiscence。　　But　the　demand　is　never　so

exclusive　that　fictitious　narrative　need　be　cast

aside。　　All　that　is　necessary　is　to　state　frankly

that　the　story　you　are　telling　is　〃just　a　story；〃

orif　it　be　the　casethat　it　is　〃part　true　and

part　story。〃



At　all　stages　I　would　urge　the　telling　of

Bible　stories；　as　far　as　is　allowed　by　the　special

circumstances　of　the　school。　　These　are　stories

from　a　source　unsurpassed　in　our　literature　for

purity　of　style　and　loftiness　of　subject。　　More

especially　I　urge　the　telling　of　the　Christ…story；

in　such　parts　as　seem　likely　to　be　within　the

grasp　of　the　several　classes。　　In　all　Bible

stories　it　is　well　to　keep　as　near　as　possible

to　the　original　unimprovable　text。＇1＇　　Some

amplification　can　be　made；　but　no　excessive

modernising　or　simplifying　is　excusable　in　face

of　the　austere　grace　and　majestic　simplicity　of

the　original。　　Such　adaptation　as　helps　to　cut

the　long　narrative　into　separate　units；　making

each　an　intelligible　story；　I　have　ventured　to

illustrate　according　to　my　own　personal　taste；

in　two　stories　given　in　Chapter　VI。　　The　object

of　the　usual　modernising　or　enlarging　of　the

text　may　be　far　better　attained　for　the　child

listener　by　infusing　into　the　text　as　it　stands

a　strong　realising　sense　of　its　meaning　and

vitality；　letting　it　give　its　own　message　through

a　fit　medium　of　expression。



＇1＇　Stories　from　the　Old　Testament；　by　S。　Platt；　retells　the　Old

Testament　story　as　nearly　as　possible　in　the　actual　words　of

the　Authorised　Version。





The　stories　given　are　grouped　as　illustrations　of　

the　types　suitable　for　different　stages。　　They　are；　

however；　very　often　interchangeable；　and　many　stories　

can　be　told　successfully　to　all　classes。　　A　vitally

good　story　is　little　limited　in　its　appeal。　　It　is；

nevertheless；　a　help　to　have　certain　plain　results

of　experience　as　a　basis　for　choice；　that　which

is　given　is　intended　only　for　such　a　basis；　not

in　the　least　as　a　final　list。





CERTAIN　TYPES　OF　STORY　CLASSIFIED



FOR　KINDERGARTEN　AND　CLASS　I。：



　Little　Rhymed　Stories

　　　　　　（including　the　best　of　the　nursery　rhymes　and　the

　　　　　　more　poetic　fragments　of　Mother　Goose）

　Stories　with　Rhyme　in　Parts

　Nature　Stories

　　　　　　（in　which　the　element　of　personification　is　strong）

　Nonsense　Tales

　Wonder　Tales



FOR　CLASSES　II。　AND　III。：



　Nonsense　Tales

　Wonder　Tales

　Fairy　and　Folk　Tales

　Fables

　Legends

　Nature　Stories

　　　　　　（especially　stories　of　animals）



FOR　CLASSES　IV。　AND　V。：



　Folk　Tales

　Fables

　Myths　and　Allegories

　Developed　Animal　Stories

　Legends：　　Historic　and　Heroic

　Historical　Stories

　　Humorous　Adventure　Stories

　〃True　Stories　〃

　



The　wonder　tales　most　familiar　and　accessible　to　the

teacher　are　probably　those　included　in　the　collections　of

Andersen　and　the　Brothers　Grimm。　　So　constant　is　the

demand　for　these　that　the　following　list　may　be　found

useful；　as　indicating　which　of　the　stories　are　more　easily　and

effectively　adapted　for　telling；　and　commonly　most　successful。



It　must　be　remembered　that　many　of　these　standard　tales

need　such　adapting　as　has　been　suggested；　catting　them

down；　and　ridding　them　of　vulgar　or　sophisticated　detail。



From　the　Brothers　Grimm：



　The　Star　Dollars

　The　Cat　and　the　Mouse

　The　Nail

　The　Hare　and　the　Hedgehog

　Snow…White　and　Rose…Red

　Mother　Holle

　Thumbling

　Three　Brothers

　The　Little　Porridge　Pot

　Little　Snow…White

　The　Wolf　and　the　Seven　Little　Kids

　The　Sea　Mouse



From　Andersen：



　Little　Tiny

　The　Lark　and　the　Daisy

　The　Ugly　Duckling

　The　Seven　Stories　of　the　Snow　Queen

　The　Flax

　The　Little　Match　Girl

　The　Fir…Tree

　The　Red　Shoes

　Ole　Lukoie

　　　　　　Monday

　　　　　　Saturday

　　　　　　Sunday

　The　Elf　of　the　Rose

　Five　Peas　in　a　Pod

　The　Portuguese　Duck

　The　Little　Mermaid　（much　shortened）

　The　Nightingale　（shortened）

　The　Girl　who　trod　on　a　Loaf

　The　Emperor's　New　Clothes



　Another　familiar　and　easily　attainable　type　of　story　is　the

classic　myth；　as　retold　in　Kupfer's　Legends　of　Greece　and

Rome。＇1＇

Of　these；　again；　certain　tales　are　more　successfully　adapted　to

children　than　others。　　Among　the　best　for　telling　are：



　Arachne

　Pandora

　Midas

　Apollo　and　Daphne

　Apollo　and　Hyacinthus

　Narcissus

　Latona　and　the　Rustics

　Proserpine



＇1＇　A　well…nigh　indispensable　book　for　teachers　is　Guerber's

Myths　of　Greece　and　Rome；　which　contains　in　brief　form　a

complete　collection　of　the　classic　myths。







CHAPTER　III



ADAPTATION　OF　STORIES　FOR　TELLING



It　soon　becomes　easy　to　pick　out　from　a

collection　such　stories　as　can　be　well　told；　but

at　no　time　is　it　easy　to　find　a　sufficient　number

of　such　stories。　　Stories　simple；　direct；　and

sufficiently　full　of　incident　for　telling；　yet　having

the　beautiful　or　valuable　motive　we　desire　for

children；　do　not　lie　hidden　in　every　book。　　And

even　many　of　the　stories　which　ar