stories to tell to children-第17章

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ease；　freedom；　and　the　effect　of　personal

reminiscence　come　only　from　complete　mastery。　　

I　repeat；　with　emphasis：　　Know　your　story。



The　next　suggestion　is　a　purely　practical　one

concerning　the　preparation　of　physical　conditions。

See　that　the　children　are　seated　in　close　and　

direct　range　of　your　eye；　the　familiar　half…circle　

is　the　best　arrangement　for　small　groups　of　

children；　but　the　teacher　should　be　at　a　point　

OPPOSITE　the　centre　of　the　arc；　NOT　in　its　centre：　

it　is　important　also　not　to　have　the　ends　too　far

at　the　side；　and　to　have　no　child　directly　behind

another；　or　in　such　a　position　that　he　has　not

an　easy　view　of　the　teacher's　full　face。　　Little

children　have　to　be　physically　close　in　order　to

be　mentally　close。　　It　is；　of　course；　desirable

to　obtain　a　hushed　quiet　before　beginning；　but

it　is　not　so　important　as　to　preserve　your　own

mood　of　holiday；　and　theirs。　　If　the　fates　and

the　atmosphere　of　the　day　are　against　you；　it

is　wiser　to　trust　to　the　drawing　power　of　the

tale　itself；　and　abate　the　irritation　of　didactic

methods。　　And　never　break　into　that　magic

tale；　once　begun；　with　an　admonition　to　Ethel

or　Tommy　to　stop　squirming；　or　a　rebuke　to

〃that　little　girl　over　there　who　is　not　listening。〃

Make　her　listen！　　It　is　probably　your　fault　if

she　is　not。　　If　you　are　telling　a　good　story；　and

telling　it　well；　she　can't　help　listening；unless

she　is　an　abnormal　child；　and　if　she　is　abnormal

you　ought　not　to　spoil　the　mood　of　the　others

to　attend　to　her。



I　say　〃never〃　interrupt　your　story；　perhaps

it　is　only　fair　to　amend　that；　after　the　fashion　of

dear　little　Marjorie　Fleming；　and　say　〃neverif

you　can　help　it。〃　　For；　of　course；　there　are　exceptional

occasions；　and　exceptional　children；　some

latitude　must　be　left　for　the　decisions　of　good

common　sense　acting　on　the　issue　of　the　moment。



The　children　ready；　your　own　mood　must　be

ready。　　It　is　desirable　that　the　spirit　of　the

story　should　be　imposed　upon　the　room　from　the

beginning；　and　this　result　hangs　on　the　clearness

and　intensity　of　the　teller's　initiatory　mood。　　An

act　of　memory　and　of　will　is　the　requisite。　　The

story…teller　must　call　upit　comes　with　the

swiftness　of　thoughtthe　essential　emotion　of

the　story　as　he　felt　it　first。　　A　single　volition

puts　him　in　touch　with　the　characters　and　the

movement　of　the　tale。　　This　is　scarcely　more

than　a　brief　and　condensed　reminiscence；　it　is

the　stepping　back　into　a　mood　once　experienced。



Let　us　say；　for　example；　that　the　story　to　be

told　is　the　immortal　fable　of　The　Ugly　Duckling。

Before　you　open　your　lips　the　whole

pathetic　series　of　the　little　swan's　mishaps　should

flash　across　your　mind；not　accurately　and　in

detail；　but　blended　to　a　composite　of　undeserved

ignominy；　of　baffled　innocent　wonderment；　and

of　delicious　underlying　satire　on　average　views。

With　this　is　mingled　the　feeling　of　Andersen's

delicate　whimsicality　of　style。　　The　dear　little

Ugly　Duckling　waddles；　bodily；　into　your　consciousness；

and　you　pity　his　sorrows　and　anticipate

his　triumph；　before　you　begin。



This　preliminary　recognition　of　mood　is　what

brings　the　delicious　quizzical　twitch　to　the　mouth

of　a　good　raconteur　who　begins　an　anecdote　the

hearers　know　will　be　side…splitting。　　It　is　what

makes　grandmother　sigh　gently　and　look　far　over

your　heads；　when　her　soft　voice　commences　the

story　of　〃the　little　girl　who　lived　long；　long

ago。〃　　It　is　a　natural　and　instinctive　thing　with

the　born　story…teller；　a　necessary　thing　for　anyone

who　will　become　a　story…teller。



From　the　very　start；　the　mood　of　the　tale

should　be　definite　and　authoritative；　beginning

with　the　mood　of　the　teller　and　emanating　therefrom

in　proportion　as　the　physique　of　the　teller

is　a　responsive　medium。



Now　we　are　off。　　Knowing　your　story；　having

your　hearers　well　arranged；　and　being　as

thoroughly　as　you　are　able　in　the　right　mood；

you　begin　to　tell　it。　　Tell　it；　then；　simply；

directly；　dramatically；　with　zest。



SIMPLY　applies　both　to　manner　and　matter。

As　to　manner；　I　mean　without　affectation；

without　any　form　of　pretence；　in　short；　without

posing。　　It　is　a　pity　to　〃talk　down〃　to　the

children；　to　assume　a　honeyed　voice；　to　think

of　the　edifying　or　educational　value　of　the　work

one　is　doing。　　Naturalness；　being　oneself；　is　the

desideratum。　　I　wonder　why　we　so　often　use　a

preposterous　voice；a　super…sweetened　whine；

in　talking　to　children？　　Is　it　that　the　effort　to

realise　an　ideal　of　gentleness　and　affectionateness

overreaches　itself　in　this　form　of　the　grotesque？

Some　good　intention　must　be　the　root　of　it

But　the　thing　is　none　the　less　pernicious。　　A

〃cant〃　voice　is　as　abominable　as　a　cant　phraseology。

Both　are　of　the　very　substance　of　evil。



〃But　it　is　easier　to　SAY；　‘Be　natural'　than　to

BE　it；〃　said　one　teacher　to　me　desperately。



Beyond　dispute。　　To　those　of　us　who　are

cursed　with　an　over…abundant　measure　of　self…

consciousness；　nothing　is　harder　than　simple

naturalness。　　The　remedy　is　to　lose　oneself　in

one's　art。　　Think　of　the　story　so　absorbingly

and　vividly　that　you　have　no　room　to　think　of

yourself。　　Live　it。　　Sink　yourself　in　that　mood

you　have　summoned　up；　and　let　it　carry　you。



If　you　do　this；　simplicity　of　matter　will　come

easily。　　Your　choice　of　words　and　images　will

naturally　become　simple。



It　is；　I　think；　a　familiar　precept　to　educators；

that　children　should　not　have　their　literature

too　much　simplified　for　them。　　We　are　told　that

they　like　something　beyond　them；　and　that　it

is　good　for　them　to　have　a　sense　of　mystery　and

power　beyond　the　sense　they　grasp。　　That　may

be　true；　but　if　so　it　does　not　apply　to　story…

telling　as　it　does　to　reading。　　We　have

constantly　to　remember　that　the　movement　of　a

story　told　is　very　swift。　　A　concept　not　grasped

in　passing　is　irrevocably　lost；　there　is　no

possibility　of　turning　back；　or　lingering　over　the

page。　　Also；　since　the　art　of　story…telling　is　

primarily　an　art　of　entertainment；　its　very　object

is　sacrificed　if　the　ideas　and　images　do　not　slip

into　the　child's　consciousness　smoothly　enough

to　avoid　the　sense　of　strain。　　For　this　reason

short；　familiar；　vivid　words　are　best。



Simplicity　of　manner　and　of　matter　are　both

essential　to　the　right　appeal　to　children。



DIRECTNESS　in　telling　is　a　most　important

quality。　　The　story；　listened　to；　is　like　the

drama；　beheld。　　Its　movement　must　be　unimpeded；

increasingly　swift；　winding　up　〃with　a

snap。〃　　Long…windedness；　or　talking　round　the

story；　utterly　destroys　this　movement。　　The

incidents　should　be　told；　one　after　another；

without　explanation　or　description　beyond　what

is　absolutely　necessary；　and　THEY　SHOULD　BE　TOLD

IN　LOGICAL　SEQUENCE。　　Nothing　is　more　distressing

than　the　cart…before…the…horse　method；nothing

more　quickly　destroys　interest　than　the　failure

to　get　a　clue　in　the　right　place。



Sometimes；　to　be　sure；　a　side　remark　adds

piquancy　and　a　personal　savour。　　But　the

general　rule　is；　great　discretion　in　this　respect。



Every　epithet　or　adjective　beyond　what　is

needed　to　give　the　image；　is　a　five…barred　gate

in　the　path　of　the　eager　mind　travelling　to　a

climax。



Explanations　and　moralising　are　usually　sheer

clatter。　　Some　few　stories　necessarily　include

a　little　explanation；　and　stories　of　the　fable

order　may　quaintly　end　with　an　obvious　moral。

But　here　again；　the　rule　isgreat　discretion。



It　is　well　to　remember　that　you　have　one

great　advantage　over　the　writer　of　stories。　　The

writer　must　present　a　clear　image　and　make　a

vivid　impression；all　with　words。　　The　teller

has　face；　and　voice；　and　body　to　do　it　with。

The　teller　needs；　consequently；　but　one　swiftly

incisive　verb　to　the　writer's　two；　but　one

expressive　adjective　to　his　three。　　Often；　indeed；

a　pause　and　an　expressive　gesture　do　the　whole

thing。



It　may　be　said　here　that　i