stories to tell to children-第4章

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spoke　my　name；　slowly　and　tentatively；　〃An…ty

Sai…ry？〃　　Then；　in　an　assured　tone；　〃Anty　Sairy；

I　love　you　so　much　I　don't　know　what　to　do！〃

And；　presently；　tucking　a　confiding　hand　in

mine　to　lead　me　to　breakfast；　she　explained

sweetly；　〃I　didn'　know　you　when　you　comed

las'　night；　but　now　I　know　you　all　th'　time！〃



〃Oh；　blessed　tale；〃　thought　I；　〃so　easy　a

passport　to　a　confidence　so　desired；　so　complete！〃

Never　had　the　witchery　of　the　story　to

the　ear　of　a　child　come　more　closely　home　to

me。　　But　the　fact　of　the　witchery　was　no　new

experience。　　The　surrender　of　the　natural　child

to　the　story…teller　is　as　absolute　and　invariable

as　that　of　a　devotee　to　the　priest　of　his　own　sect。



This　power　is　especially　valuable　in　the　case

of　children　whose　natural　shyness　has　been

augmented　by　rough　environment　or　by　the

strangeness　of　foreign　habit。　　And　with　such

children　even　more　than　with　others　it　is　also

true　that　the　story　is　a　simple　and　effective

means　of　forming　the　habit　of　concentration；

of　fixed　attention；　any　teacher　who　deals　with

this　class　of　children　knows　the　difficulty　of

doing　this　fundamental　and　indispensable　thing；

and　the　value　of　any　practical　aid　in　doing　it。



More　than　one　instance　of　the　power　of　story…

telling　to　develop　attentiveness　comes　to　my

mind；　but　the　most　prominent　in　memory　is　a

rather　recent　incident；　in　which　the　actors　were

boys　and　girls　far　past　the　child…stage　of　docility。



I　had　been　asked　to　tell　stories　to　about

sixty　boys　and　girls　of　a　club；　the　president

warned　me　in　her　invitation　that　the　children

were　exceptionally　undisciplined；　but　my　previous

experiences　with　similar　gatherings　led　me　to

interpret　her　words　with　a　moderation　which

left　me　totally　unready　for　the　reality。　　When

I　faced　my　audience；　I　saw　a　squirming　jumble

of　faces；　backs　of　heads；　and　the　various

members　of　many　small　bodies；not　a　person

in　the　room　was　paying　the　slightest　attention

to　me；　the　president's　introduction　could

scarcely　be　said　to　succeed　in　interrupting　the

interchange　of　social　amenities　which　was　in

progress；　and　which　looked　delusively　like　a

free　fight。　　I　came　as　near　stage　fright　in　the

first　minutes　of　that　occasion　as　it　is　comfortable

to　be；　and　if　it　had　not　been　impossible　to

run　away　I　think　I　should　not　have　remained。

But　I　began；　with　as　funny　a　tale　as　I　knew；

following　the　safe　plan　of　not　speaking　very

loudly；　and　aiming　my　effort　at　the　nearest

children。　　As　I　went　on；　a　very　few　faces　held

intelligently　to　mine；　the　majority　answered

only　fitfully；　and　not　a　few　of　my　hearers

conversed　with　their　neighbours　as　if　I　were　non…

existent。　　The　sense　of　bafflement；　the　futile

effort；　forced　the　perspiration　to　my　hands　and

faceyet　something　in　the　faces　before　me　told

me　that　it　was　no　ill…will　that　fought　against

me；　it　was　the　apathy　of　minds　without　the

power　or　habit　of　concentration；　unable　to　follow

a　sequence　of　ideas　any　distance；　and　rendered

more　restless　by　bodies　which　were　probably

uncomfortable；　certainly　undisciplined。



The　first　story　took　ten　minutes。　　When　I

began　a　second；　a　very　short　one；　the　initial　work

had　to　be　done　all　over　again；　for　the　slight

comparative　quiet　I　had　won　had　been　totally

lost　in　the　resulting　manifestation　of　approval。



At　the　end　of　the　second　story；　the　room

was　really　orderly　to　the　superficial　view；　but

where　I　stood　I　could　see　the　small　boy　who

deliberately　made　a　hideous　face　at　me　each

time　my　eyes　met　his；　the　two　girls　who　talked

with　their　backs　turned；　the　squirms　of　a　figure

here　and　there。　　It　seemed　so　disheartening

a　record　of　failure　that　I　hesitated　much　to

yield　to　the　uproarious　request　for　a　third　story；

but　finally　I　did　begin　again；　on　a　very　long　story

which　for　its　own　sake　I　wanted　them　to　hear。



This　time　the　little　audience　settled　to　attention

almost　at　the　opening　words。　　After　about

five　minutes　I　was　suddenly　conscious　of　a

sense　of　ease　and　relief；　a　familiar　restful　feeling

in　the　atmosphere；　and　then；　at　last；　I

knew　that　my　audience　was　〃with　me；〃　that

they　and　I　were　interacting　without　obstruction。

Absolutely　quiet；　entirely　unconscious　of

themselves；　the　boys　and　girls　were　responding　to

every　turn　of　the　narrative　as　easily　and　readily

as　any　group　of　story…bred　kindergarten　children。

From　then　on　we　had　a　good　time　together。



The　process　which　took　place　in　that　small

audience　was　a　condensed　example　of　what

one　may　expect　in　habitual　story…telling　to　a

group　of　children。　　Once　having　had　the　attention

chained　by　crude　force　of　interest；　the

children　begin　to　expect　something　interesting

from　the　teacher；　and　to　wait　for　it。　　And

having　been　led　step　by　step　from　one　grade

of　a　logical　sequence　to　another；　their　minds

at　first　beguiled　by　the　fascination　of　the　steps

glide　into　the　habit　of　following　any　logical

sequence。　　My　club　formed　its　habit；　as　far　as

I　was　concerned；　all　in　one　session；　the　ordinary

demands　of　school　procedure　lengthen　the

process；　but　the　result　is　equally　sure。　　By　the

end　of　a　week　in　which　the　children　have

listened　happily　to　a　story　every　day；　the　habit

of　listening　and　deducing　has　been　formed；　and

the　expectation　of　pleasantness　is　connected

with　the　opening　of　the　teacher's　lips。



These　two　benefits　are　well　worth　the　trouble

they　cost；　and　for　these　two；　at　least；　any　teacher

who　tells　a　story　well　may　confidently　look

the　quick　gaining　of　a　confidential　relation　with

the　children；　and　the　gradual　development　of

concentration　and　interested　attention　in　them。



These　are　direct　and　somewhat　clearly

discernible　results；　comfortably　placed　in　a　near

future。　　There　are　other　aims；　reaching　on　into

the　far；　slow　modes　of　psychological　growth；

which　must　equally　determine　the　choice　of　the

story…teller's　material　and　inform　the　spirit　of　her

work。　　These　other；　less　immediately　attainable

ends；　I　wish　now　to　consider　in　relation　to　the

different　types　of　story　by　which　they　are　severally

best　served。



First；　unbidden　claimant　of　attention；　comes



THE　FAIRY　STORY





No　one　can　think　of　a　child　and　a　story；

without　thinking　of　the　fairy　tale。　　Is　this；　as

some　would　have　us　believe；　a　bad　habit　of　an

ignorant　old　world？　　Or　can　the　Fairy　Tale

justify　her　popularity　with　truly　edifying　and

educational　results？　　Is　she　a　proper　person　to

introduce　here；　and　what　are　her　titles　to　merit？



Oh　dear；　yes！　　Dame　Fairy　Tale　comes　bearing

a　magic　wand　in　her　wrinkled　old　fingers；

with　one　wave　of　which　she　summons　up　that

very　spirit　of　joy　which　it　is　our　chief　effort　to

invoke。　　She　raps　smartly　on　the　door；　and　open

sesames　echo　to　every　imagination。　　Her　red…

heeled　shoes　twinkle　down　an　endless　lane　of

adventures；　and　every　real　child's　footsteps

quicken　after。　　She　is　the　natural；　own　great…

grandmother　of　every　child　in　the　world；　and

her　pocketfuls　of　treasures　are　his　by　right　of

inheritance。　　Shut　her　out；　and　you　truly　rob

the　children　of　something　which　is　theirs；

something　marking　their　constant　kinship　with　the

race…children　of　the　past；　and　adapted　to　their

needs　as　it　was　to　those　of　the　generation　of　long

ago！　　If　there　were　no　other　criterion　at　all；　it

would　be　enough　that　the　children　love　the　fairy

tale；　we　give　them　fairy　stories；　first；　because　they

like　them。　　But　that　by　no　means　lessens　the

importance　of　the　fact　that　fairy　tales　are　also

good　for　them。



How　good？　　In　various　ways。　　First；　perhaps；

in　their　supreme　power　of　presenting　truth

through　the　guise　of　images。　　This　is　the　way

the　race…child　took　toward　wisdom；　and　it　is　the

way　each　child's　individual　instinct　takes；　after

him。　　Elemental　truths　of　moral　law　and　general

types　of　human　experience　are　presented　in　the

fairy　tale；　in　the　poetry　of　their　images；　and