stories to tell to children-第16章

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But　I　had　not　FELT　it。　　I　did　not　really　〃see　the

joke。〃　　And　that　was　why　I　could　not　tell　the

story。　　I　undoubtedly　impressed　my　own　sense

of　its　fatuity　on　every　audience　to　which　I　gave

it。　　The　case　is　very　clear。



Equally　clear　have　been　some　happy　instances

where　I　have　found　audiences　responding　to　a

story　I　myself　greatly　liked；　but　which　common

appreciation　usually　ignored。　　This　is　an

experience　even　more　persuasive　than　the　other；

certainly　more　to　be　desired。



Every　story…teller　has　lines　of　limitation；

certain　types　of　story　will　always　remain　his　or

her　best　effort。　　There　is　no　reason　why　any

type　of　story　should　be　told　really　ill；　and　of

course　the　number　of　kinds　one　tells　well

increases　with　the　growth　of　the　appreciative

capacity。　　But　none　the　less；　it　is　wise　to

recognise　the　limits　at　each　stage；　and　not　try　to

tell　any　story　to　which　the　honest　inner

consciousness　says；　〃I　do　not　like　you。〃



Let　us　then　set　down　as　a　prerequisite　for

good　story…telling；　A　GENUINE　APPRECIATION　OF　THE

STORY。



Now；　we　may　suppose　this　genuine　appreciation

to　be　your　portion。　　You　have　chosen　a

story；　have　felt　its　charm；　and　identified　the

quality　of　its　appeal。



You　are　now　to　tell　it　in　such　wise　that　your

hearers　will　get　the　same　kind　of　impression

you　yourself　received　from　it。　　How？



I　believe　the　inner　secret　of　success　is　the

measure　of　force　with　which　the　teller　wills　the

conveyance　of　his　impression　to　the　hearer。



Anyone　who　has　watched；　or　has　himself

been；　the　teller　of　a　story　which　held　an　audience；

knows　that　there　is　something　approaching

hypnotic　suggestion　in　the　close　connection　of

effort　and　effect；　and　in　the　elimination　of　self…

consciousness　from　speaker　and　listeners　alike。



I　would　not　for　a　moment　lend　the　atmosphere

of　charlatanry；　or　of　the　ultra…psychic；　to　the

wholesome　and　vivid　art　of　story…telling。　　But

I　would；　if　possible；　help　the　teacher　to　realise

how　largely　success　in　that　art　is　a　subjective

and　psychological　matter；　dependent　on　her

control　of　her　own　mood　and　her　sense　of　direct；

intimate　communion　with　the　minds　attending

her。　　The　〃feel〃　of　an　audience；that

indescribable　sense　of　the　composite　human　soul

waiting　on　the　initiative　of　your　own；　the

emotional　currents　interplaying　along　a　medium

so　delicate　that　it　takes　the　baffling　torture　of

an　obstruction　to　reveal　its　existence；cannot

be　taught。　　But　it　can　and　does　develop　with

use。　　And　a　realisation　of　the　immense　latent

power　of　strong　desire　and　resolution　vitalises

and　disembarrasses　the　beginner。



That　is；　undoubtedly；　rather　an　intangible

beginning；　it　sets　the　root　of　the　matter　somewhat

in　the　realm　of　〃spirits　and　influences。〃

There　are；　however；　outward　and　visible　means

of　arriving　at　results。　　Every　art　has　its

technique。　　The　art　of　story…telling；　intensely

personal　and　subjective　as　it　is；　yet　comes　under

the　law　sufficiently　not　to　be　a　matter　of　sheer

〃knack。〃　　It　has　its　technique。　　The　following

suggestions　are　an　attempt　to　state　what　seem

the　foundation　principles　of　that　technique。

The　general　statements　are　deduced　from　many

consecutive　experiences；　partly；　too；　they　are

the　results　of　introspective　analysis；　confirmed

by　observation。　　They　do　not　make　up　an

exclusive　body　of　rules；　wholly　adequate　to

produce　good　work；　of　themselves；　they　do

include；　so　far　as　my　observation　and　experience

allow；　the　fundamental　requisites　of　good　work；

being　the　qualities　uniformly　present　in

successful　work　of　many　story…tellers。



First　of　all；　most　fundamental　of　all；　is　a　rule

without　which　any　other　would　be　but　folly：

KNOW　YOUR　STORY。



One　would　think　so　obvious　a　preliminary

might　be　taken　for　granted。　　But　alas；　even

slight　acquaintance　with　the　average　story…teller

proves　the　dire　necessity　of　the　admonition。

The　halting　tongue；　the　slip　in　name　or　incident；

the　turning　back　to　forge　an　omitted　link　in　the

chain；　the　repetition；　the　general　weakness　of

statement　consequent　on　imperfect　grasp：　these

are　common　features　of　the　stories　one　hears

told。　　And　they　are　features　which　will　deface

the　best　story　ever　told。



One　must　know　the　story　absolutely；　it

must　have　been　so　assimilated　that　it　partakes

of　the　nature　of　personal　experience；　its　essence

must　be　so　clearly　in　mind　that　the　teller　does

not　have　to　think　of　it　at　all　in　the　act　of　telling；

but　rather　lets　it　flow　from　his　lips　with　the

unconscious　freedom　of　a　vivid　reminiscence。



Such　knowledge　does　not　mean　memorising。

Memorising　utterly　destroys　the　freedom　of

reminiscence；　takes　away　the　spontaneity；　and

substitutes　a　mastery　of　form　for　a　mastery　of

essence。　　It　means；　rather；　a　perfect　grasp　of

the　gist　of　the　story；　with　sufficient　familiarity

with　its　form　to　determine　the　manner　of　its

telling。　　The　easiest　way　to　obtain　this　mastery

is；　I　think；　to　analyse　the　story　into　its　simplest

elements　of　plot。　　Strip　it　bare　of　style；　description；

interpolation；　and　find　out　simply　WHAT

HAPPENED。　　Personally；　I　find　that　I　get　first

an　especially　vivid　conception　of　the　climax；

this　then　has　to　be　rounded　out　by　a　clear

perception　of　the　successive　steps　which　lead

up　to　the　climax。　　One　has；　so；　the　framework

of　the　story。　　The　next　process　is　the　filling　in。



There　must　be　many　ways　of　going　about

this　filling　in。　　Doubtless　many　of　my　readers；

in　the　days　when　it　was　their　pet　ambition

to　make　a　good　recitation　in　school；　evolved

personally　effective　ways　of　doing　it；　for　it　is；

after　all；　the　same　thing　as　preparing　a　bit　of

history　or　a　recitation　in　literature。　　But　for

the　consideration　of　those　who　find　it　hard　to

gain　mastery　of　fact　without　mastery　of　its

stated　form；　I　give　my　own　way。　　I　have　always

used　the　childlike　plan　of　talking　it　out。　　Sometimes

inaudibly；　sometimes　in　loud　and　penetrating

tones　which　arouse　the　sympathetic　curiosity

of　my　family；　I　tell　it　over　and　over；　to　an

imaginary　hearer。　　That　hearer　is　as　present

to　me；　always　has　been；　as　Stevenson's　〃friend

of　the　children〃　who　takes　the　part　of　the

enemy　in　their　solitary　games　of　war。　　His

criticism　（though　he　is　a　most　composite　double…

sexed　creature　who　should　not　have　a　designating

personal　pronoun）　is　all…revealing。　　For

talking　it　out　instantly　brings　to　light　the

weak　spots　in　one's　recollection。　　〃What　was

it　the　little　crocodile　said？〃　　〃Just　how　did

the　little　pig　get　into　his　house？〃　　〃What

was　that　link　in　the　chain　of　circumstances

which　brought　the　wily　fox　to　confusion？〃

The　slightest　cloud　of　uncertainty　becomes

obvious　in　a　moment。　　And　as　obvious　becomes

one's　paucity　of　expression；　one's　week…kneed

imagination；　one's　imperfect　assimilation　of

the　spirit　of　the　story。　　It　is　not　a　flattering

process。



But　when　these　faults　have　been　corrected

by　several　attempts；　the　method　gives　a

confidence；　a　sense　of　sureness；　which　makes　the

real　telling　to　a　real　audience　ready　and

spontaneously　smooth。　　Scarcely　an　epithet　or　a

sentence　comes　out　as　it　was　in　the　preliminary

telling；　but　epithets　and　sentences　in　sufficiency

do　come；　the　beauty　of　this　method　is　that　it

brings　freedom　instead　of　bondage。



A　valuable　exception　to　the　rule　against

memorising　must　be　noted　here。　　Especially

beautiful　and　indicative　phrases　of　the　original

should　be　retained；　and　even　whole　passages；

where　they　are　identified　with　the　beauty　of

the　tale。　　And　in　stories　like　The　Three

Bears　or　Red　Riding　Hood　the　exact　phraseology

of　the　conversation　as　given　in　familiar

versions　should　be　preserved；　it　is　in　a　way

sacred；　a　classic；　and　not　to　be　altered。　　But

beyond　this　the　language　should　be　the　teller's

own；　and　probably　never　twice　the　same。　　Sureness；

ease；　freedom；　and　the　effect　of　personal

reminiscence　come　only　from　comp