stories to tell to children-第11章

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children；　do　not　lie　hidden　in　every　book。　　And

even　many　of　the　stories　which　are　most　charming

to　read　do　not　answer　the　double　demand；

for　the　appeal　to　the　eye　differs　in　many

important　respects　from　that　to　the　ear。　　Unless　one

is　able　to　change　the　form　of　a　story　to　suit　the

needs　of　oral　delivery；　one　is　likely　to　suffer

from　poverty　of　material。　　Perhaps　the　commonest

need　of　change　is　in　the　case　of　a　story

too　long　to　tell；　yet　embodying　some　one　beautiful

incident　or　lesson；　or　one　including　a　series

of　such　incidents。　　The　story　of　The　Nurnberg

Stove；　by　Ouida；＇1＇　is　a　good　example　of　the　latter

kind；　Ruskin's　King　of　the　Golden　River　will

serve　as　an　illustration　of　the　former。



＇1＇　See　Bimbi；　by　Ouida。　（Chatto。　2s。）





The　problem　in　one　case　is　chiefly　one　of

elimination；　in　the　other　it　is　also　in　a　large

degree　one　of　rearrangement。　　In　both　cases　I

have　purposely　chosen　extreme　instances；　as

furnishing　plainer　illustration。　　The　usual　story

needs　less　adaptation　than　these；　but　the　same

kind；　in　its　own　degree。　　Condensation　and

rearrangement　are　the　commonest　forms　of　change

required。



Pure　condensation　is　probably　the　easier　for

most　persons。　　With　The　Nurnberg　Stove　in

mind　for　reference；　let　us　see　what　the　process

includes。　　This　story　can　be　readily　found

by　anyone　who　is　interested　in　the　following

example　of　adaptation；　for　nearly　every　library

includes　in　its　catalogue　the　juvenile　works　of

Mlle。　de　la　Ramee　（Ouida）。　　The　suggestions

given　assume　that　the　story　is　before　my

readers。



The　story　as　it　stands　is　two　thousand　four

hundred　words　long；　obviously　too　long　to　tell。

What　can　be　left　out？　　Let　us　see　what　must

be　kept　in。



The　dramatic　climax　toward　which　we　are

working　is　the　outcome　of　August's　strange

exploit；his　discovery　by　the　king　and　the

opportunity　for　him　to　become　an　artist。　　The

joy　of　this　climax　is　twofold：　　August　may　stay

with　his　beloved　Hirschvogel；　and　he　may　learn

to　make　beautiful　things　like　it。　　To　arrive　at

the　twofold　conclusion　we　must　start　from　a

double　premise；the　love　of　the　stove　and　the

yearning　to　be　an　artist。　　It　will；　then；　be

necessary　to　include　in　the　beginning　of　the

story　enough　details　of　the　family　life　to　show

plainly　how　precious　and　necessary　Hirschvogel

was　to　the　children；　and　to　state　definitely

how　August　had　learned　to　admire　and　wish　to

emulate　Hirschvogel's　maker。　　We　need　no

detail　beyond　what　is　necessary　to　make　this

clear。



The　beginning　and　the　end　of　a　story　decided

upon；　its　body　becomes　the　bridge　from　one　to

the　other；　in　this　case　it　is　August's　strange

journey；　beginning　with　the　catastrophe　and　his

grief…dazed　decision　to　follow　the　stove。　　The

journey　is　long；　and　each　stage　of　it　is　told　in

full。　　As　this　is　impossible　in　oral　reproduction；

it　becomes　necessary　to　choose　typical　incidents；

which　will　give　the　same　general　effect　as　the

whole。　　The　incidents　which　answer　this　purpose

are：　the　beginning　of　the　journey；　the

experience　on　the　luggage　train；　the　jolting

while　being　carried　on　men's　shoulders；　the　final

fright　and　suspense　before　the　king　opens　the

door。



The　episode　of　the　night　in　the　bric…a…brac

shop　introduces　a　wholly　new　and　confusing

train　of　thought；　therefore；　charming　as　it　is；　it

must　be　omitted。　　And　the　secondary　thread　of

narrative　interest；　that　of　the　prices　for　which

the　stove　was　sold；　and　the　retribution　visited

on　the　cheating　dealers；　is　also　〃another　story；〃

and　must　be　ignored。　　Each　of　these　destroys

the　clear　sequence　and　the　simplicity　of　plot

which　must　be　kept　for　telling。



We　are　reduced；　then；　for　the　whole；　to　this：

a　brief　preliminary　statement　of　the　place

Hirschvogel　held　in　the　household　affections；　and

the　ambition　aroused　in　August；　the　catastrophe

of　the　sale；　August's　decision；　his　experiences

on　the　train；　on　the　shoulders　of　men；　and　just

before　the　discovery；　his　discovery；　and　the

denouement。



This　not　only　reduces　the　story　to　tellable

form；　but　it　also　leaves　a　suggestive　interest

which　heightens　later　enjoyment　of　the　original。

I　suggest　the　adaptation　of　Kate　Douglas

Wiggin；　in　The　Story　Hour；　since　in　view　of　the

existence　of　a　satisfactory　adaptation　it　seems

unappreciative　to　offer　a　second。　　The　one　I

made　for　my　own　use　some　years　ago　is　not

dissimilar　to　this；　and　I　have　no　reason　to

suppose　it　more　desirable。



Ruskin's　King　of　the　Golden　River　is　somewhat

difficult　to　adapt。　　Not　only　is　it　long；　but　its

style　is　mature；　highly　descriptive；　and　closely

allegorical。　　Yet　the　tale　is　too　beautiful　and

too　suggestive　to　be　lost　to　the　story…teller。

And　it　is；　also；　so　recognised　a　part　of　the

standard　literary　equipment　of　youth　that

teachers　need　to　be　able　to　introduce　children

to　its　charm。　　To　make　it　available　for　telling；

we　must　choose　the　most　essential　events　of　the

series　leading　up　to　the　climax；　and　present

these　so　simply　as　to　appeal　to　children's　ears；

and　so　briefly　as　not　to　tire　them。



The　printed　story　is　eight　thousand　words　in

length。　　The　first　three　thousand　words　depict

the　beauty　and　fertility　of　the　Treasure　Valley；

and　the　cruel　habits　of　Hans　and　Schwartz；　its

owners；　and　give　the　culminating　incident　which

leads　to　their　banishment　by　〃West　Wind。〃

This　episode；the　West　Wind's　appearance　in

the　shape　of　an　aged　traveller；　his　kind　reception

by　the　younger　brother；　little　Gluck；　and　the

subsequent　wrath　of　Hans　and　Schwartz；　with

their　resulting　punishment；occupies　about　two

thousand　words。　　The　rest　of　the　story　deals

with　the　three　brothers　after　the　decree　of　West

Wind　has　turned　Treasure　Valley　into　a　desert。

In　the　little　house　where　they　are　plying　their

trade　of　goldsmiths；　the　King　of　the　Golden

River　appears　to　Gluck　and　tells　him　the　magic

secret　of　turning　the　river's　waters　to　gold。

Hans　and　Schwartz　in　turn　attempt　the　miracle；

and　in　turn　incur　the　penalty　attached　to

failure。　　Gluck　tries；　and　wins　the　treasure　through

self…sacrifice。　　The　form　of　the　treasure　is　a

renewal　of　the　fertility　of　Treasure　Valley；　and

the　moral　of　the　whole　story　is　summed　up　in

Ruskin's　words；　〃So　the　inheritance　which　was

lost　by　cruelty　was　regained　by　love。〃



It　is　easy　to　see　that　the　dramatic　part　of　the

story　and　that　which　most　pointedly　illustrates

the　underlying　idea；　is　the　triple　attempt　to　win

the　treasure；the　two　failures　and　the　one

success。　　But　this　is　necessarily　introduced　by

the　episode　of　the　King　of　the　Golden　River；

which　is；　also；　an　incident　sure　to　appeal　to　a

child's　imagination。　　And　the　regaining　of　the

inheritance　is　meaningless　without　the　fact　of

its　previous　loss；　and　the　reason　for　the　loss；　as

a　contrast　with　the　reason　for　its　recovery。　　We

need；　then；　the　main　facts　recorded　in　the　first

three　thousand　words。　　But　the　West　Wind

episode　must　be　avoided；　not　only　for　brevity；

but　because　two　supernatural　appearances；　so

similar；　yet　of　different　personalities；　would

hopelessly　confuse　a　told　story。



Our　oral　story　is　now　to　be　made　out　of　a

condensed　statement　of　the　character　of　the

Valley　and　of　its　owners；　and　the　manner　of

its　loss；　the　intervention　of　the　King　of　the

Golden　River；　the　three　attempts　to　turn　the

river　to　gold；　and　Gluck's　success。　　Gluck　is

to　be　our　hero；　and　our　underlying　idea　is　the

power　of　love　versus　cruelty。　　Description　is　to

be　reduced　to　its　lowest　terms；　and　the　language

made　simple　and　concrete。



With　this　outline　in　mind；　it　may　be　useful　

to　compare　the　following　adaptation　with　the

original　story。　　The　adaptation　is　not　intended

in　any　sense　as　a　substitute　for　the　original；　but

merely　as　that　form　of　it　which　can　be　TOLD；

while　the　original　remains　for　reading。







THE　GOLDEN　RIVER＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Ruskin's　King　o