贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > stories to tell to children >

第39章

stories to tell to children-第39章

小说: stories to tell to children 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




language into their heads in that one hour。

It seemed as if he wanted to teach them all he

knew; before he went;to give them all he had;

in this last lesson。



From the grammar he went on to the writing

lesson。  And for this; quite new copies had

been prepared。  They were written on clean;

new slips of paper; and they were:



France: Alsace。

France: Alsace。



All up and down the aisles they hung out from

the desks like little banners; waving



France: Alsace。

France: Alsace。





And everybody worked with all his might;

not a sound could you hear but the scratching

of pens on the 〃France: Alsace。〃



Even the little ones bent over their up and

down strokes with their tongues stuck out to

help them work。



After the writing came the reading lesson;

and the little ones sang their ba; be; bi; bo; bu。



Right in the midst of it; Franz heard a curious

sound; a big deep voice mingling with the

children's voices。  He turned round; and there;

on the bench in the back of the room; the old

blacksmith sat with a big A B C book open on

his knees。  It was his voice Franz had heard。

He was saying the sounds with the little

children;ba; be; bi; bo; bu。  His voice sounded

so odd; with the little voices;so very odd;it

made little Franz feel queer。  It seemed so

funny that he thought he would laugh; then he

thought he wouldn't laugh; he felthe felt

very queer。



So it went on with the lessons; they had

them all。  And then; suddenly; the town clock

struck noon。  And at the same time they heard

the tramp of the Prussians' feet; coming back

from drill。



It was time to close school。



The master stood up。  He was very pale。

Little Franz had never seen him look so tall。

He said:  〃My childrenmy children〃but something

choked him; he could not go on。  Instead he

turned and went to the blackboard and took up

a piece of chalk。  And then he wrote; high up;

in big white letters; 〃Vive la France!〃



And he made a little sign to them with his

head; 〃That is all; go away。〃







THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS





There was once a nation which was very

powerful; very fortunate; and very proud。  Its

lands were fruitful; its armies were victorious

in battle; and it had strong kings; wise lawgivers;

and great poets。  But after a great many

years; everything changed。  The nation had no

more strong kings; no more wise lawgivers; its

armies were beaten in battle; and neighbouring

tribes conquered the country and took the

fruitful lands; there were no more poets except

a few who made songs of lamentation。  The

people had become a captive and humiliated

people; and the bitterest part of all its sadness

was the memory of past greatness。



But in all the years of failure and humiliation;

there was one thing which kept this people from

despair; one hope lived in their hearts and kept

them from utter misery。  It was a hope which

came from something one of the great poets of

the past had said; in prophecy。  This prophecy

was whispered in the homes of the poor; taught

in the churches; repeated from father to son

among the rich; it was like a deep; hidden well

of comfort in a desert of suffering。  The prophecy

said that some time a deliverer should be born

for the nation; a new king even stronger than

the old ones; mighty enough to conquer its

enemies; set it free; and bring back the splendid

days of old。  This was the hope and expectation

all the people looked for; they waited through

the years for the prophecy to come true。



In this nation; in a little country town; lived

a man and a woman whose names were Joseph

and Mary。  And it happened; one year; that

they had to take a little journey up to the town

which was the nearest tax…centre; to have their

names put on the census list; because that was

the custom in that country。



But when they got to the town; so many

others were there for the same thing; and it was

such a small town; that every place was crowded。

There was no room for them at the inn。  Finally

the innkeeper said they might sleep in the stable

on the straw。  So they went there for the night。



And while they were there; in the stable; their

first child was born to them; a little son。  And

because there was no cradle to put Him in; the

mother made a little warm nest of the hay in

the big wooden manger where the oxen had

eaten; and wrapped the baby in swaddling

clothes; and laid Him in the manger; for a bed!



That same night; on the hills outside the

town; there were shepherds; keeping their

flocks through the darkness。  They were tired

with watching over the sheep; and they stood or

sat about; drowsily; talking and watching the

stars。  And as they watched; behold; an angel

of the Lord appeared unto them!  And the

glory of the Lord shone round about them!

And they were sore afraid。  But the angel said

unto them; 〃Fear not; for behold I bring you

good tidings of great joy; which shall be to all

people。  For unto you is born; this day; in the city

of David; a saviour;which is Christ the Lord。

And this shall be a sign unto you: ye shall find

the babe; wrapped in swaddling clothes; lying

in a manger。〃



And suddenly there was with the angel a

multitude of the heavenly host; praising God;

and saying; 〃Glory to God in the highest; and

on earth peace; good will toward men。〃



When the angels were gone up from them into

heaven; the shepherds said to one another; 〃Let

us now go even unto Bethlehem; and see this

thing which is come to pass; which the Lord

hath made known unto us。〃  And they came;

with haste; and they found Mary; and Joseph;

and the babe lying in a manger。  And when

they saw Him in the manger; they knew that

the wonderful thing the angel said had really

happened; and that the great deliverer was born

at last。







THE CHILD…MIND; AND HOW TO SATISFY IT





〃It is the grown people who make the nursery

stories;〃 wrote Stevenson; 〃all the children

do is jealously to preserve the text。〃  And the

grown person; whether he makes his stories

with pen or with tongue; should bring two

qualities at least to the worksimplicity of

language and a serious sincerity。  The reason

for the simplicity is obvious; for no one; child or

otherwise; can thoroughly enjoy a story clouded

by words which convey no meaning to him。



The second quality is less obvious but equally

necessary。  No absence of fun is intended by

the words 〃serious sincerity;〃 but they mean

that the story…teller should bring to the child an

equal interest in what is about to be told; an

honest acceptance; for the time being; of the

fairies; or the heroes; or the children; or the

animals who talk; with which the tale is

concerned。  The child deserves this equality of

standpoint; and without it there can be no entire

success。



As for the stories themselves; the difficulty

lies with the material; not with the CHILD。  Styles

may be varied generously; but the matter must

be quarried for。  Out of a hundred children's

books it is more than likely that ninety…nine will

be useless; yet perhaps out of one autobiography

may be gleaned an anecdote; or a reminiscence

which can be amplified into an absorbing tale。

Almost every story…teller will find that the open

eye and ear will serve him better than much

arduous searching。  No one book will yield him

the increase to his repertoire which will come to

him by listening; by browsing in chance volumes

and magazines; and even newspapers; by observing

everyday life; and in all remembering his own

youth; and his youthful; waiting audience。



And that youthful audience?  A rather too

common mistake is made in allowing overmuch

for the creative imagination of the normal child。

It is not creative imagination which the normal

child possesses so much as an enormous credulity

and no limitations。  If we consider f

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的