stories to tell to children-第5章

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！



types　of　human　experience　are　presented　in　the

fairy　tale；　in　the　poetry　of　their　images；　and

although　the　child　is　aware　only　of　the　image

at　the　time；　the　truth　enters　with　it　and　becomes

a　part　of　his　individual　experience；　to　be　recognised

in　its　relations　at　a　later　stage。　　Every

truth　and　type　so　given　broadens　and　deepens

the　capacity　of　the　child's　inner　life；　and　adds

an　element　to　the　store　from　which　he　draws

his　moral　inferences。



The　most　familiar　instance　of　a　moral　truth

conveyed　under　a　fairy…story　image　is　probably

the　story　of　the　pure…hearted　and　loving　girl

whose　lips　were　touched　with　the　wonderful

power　of　dropping　jewels　with　every　spoken

word；　while　her　stepsister；　whose　heart　was

infested　with　malice　and　evil　desires；　let　ugly

toads　fall　from　her　mouth　whenever　she　spoke。

I　mention　the　old　tale　because　there　is　probably

no　one　of　my　readers　who　has　not　heard　it　in

childhood；　and　because　there　are　undoubtedly

many　to　whose　mind　it　has　often　recurred　in

later　life　as　a　sadly　perfect　presentment　of　the

fact　that　〃out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart　the

mouth　speaketh。〃　　That　story　has　entered　into

the　forming　consciousness　of　many　of　us；　with

its　implications　of　the　inevitable　result　of　visible

evil　from　evil　in　the　heart；　and　its　revelation　of

the　loathsomeness　of　evil　itself。



And　no　less　truly　than　this　story　has　served

to　many　as　an　embodiment　of　moral　law　has

another　household　tale　stood　for　a　type　of

common　experience。　　How　much　the　poorer

should　we　be；　mentally；　without　our　early

prophecy　of　the　〃ugly　ducklings〃　we　are　to　meet

later　in　life！those　awkward　offspring　of　our

little　human　duckyard　who　are　mostly　well

kicked　and　buffeted　about；　for　that　very　length

of　limb　and　breadth　of　back　which　needs　must

be；　to　support　swan's　wings。　　The　story　of　the

ugly　duckling　is　much　truer　than　many　a　bald

statement　of　fact。　　The　English…speaking　world

bears　witness　to　its　verity　in　constant　use　of　the

title　as　an　identifying　phrase：　　〃It　is　the　old

story　of　the　ugly　duckling；〃　we　say；　or　〃He　has

turned　out　a　real　ugly　duckling。〃　　And　we　know

that　our　hearers　understand　the　whole　situation。



The　consideration　of　such　familiar　types　and

expressions　as　that　of　the　ugly　duckling　suggests

immediately　another　good　reason　for　giving　the

child　his　due　of　fairy　lore。　　The　reason　is　that

to　omit　it　is　to　deprive　him　of　one　important

element　in　the　full　appreciation　of　mature　literature。

If　one　thinks　of　it；　one　sees　that　nearly

all　adult　literature　is　made　by　people　who；　in

their　beginnings；　were　bred　on　the　wonder

tale。　　Whether　he　will　or　no；　the　grown…up

author　must　incorporate　into　his　work　the

tendencies；　memories；　kinds　of　feeling　which　were

his　in　childhood。　　The　literature　of　maturity

is；　naturally；　permeated　by　the　influence　of　the

literature　of　childhood。　　Sometimes　it　is　apparent

merely　in　the　use　of　a　name；　as　suggestive　of

certain　kinds　of　experience；　such　are　the

recurrences　of　reference　to　the　Cinderella　story。

Sometimes　it　is　an　allusion　which　has　its　strength

in　long　association　of　certain　qualities　with

certain　characters　in　fairydomlike　the　slyness　of

Brother　Fox；　and　the　cruelty　of　Brother　Wolf。

Sometimes　the　association　of　ideas　lies　below

the　surface；　drawing　from　the　hidden　wells　of

poetic　illusion　which　are　sunk　in　childhood。

The　man　or　woman　whose　infancy　was　nourished

exclusively　on　tales　adapted　from　science…made…

easy；　or　from　biographies　of　good　men　and　great；

must　remain　blind　to　these　beauties　of　literature。

He　may　look　up　the　allusion；　or　identify　the

reference；　but　when　that　is　done　he　is　but　richer

by　a　fact　or　two；　there　is　no　remembered　thrill

in　it　for　him；　no　savour　in　his　memory；　no

suggestion　to　his　imagination；　and　these　are

precisely　the　things　which　really　count。　　Leaving

out　the　fairy　element　is　a　loss　to　literary　culture

much　as　would　be　the　omission　of　the　Bible　or

of　Shakespeare。　　Just　as　all　adult　literature　is

permeated　by　the　influence　of　these；　familiar　in

youth；　so　in　less　degree　is　it　transfused　with　the

subtle　reminiscences　of　childhood's　commerce

with　the　wonder　world。



To　turn　now　from　the　inner　to　the　outer　aspects

of　the　old…time　tale　is　to　meet　another　cause　of

its　value　to　children。　　This　is　the　value　of　its

style。　　Simplicity；　directness；　and　virility

characterise　the　classic　fairy　tales　and　the　most

memorable　relics　of　folklore。　　And　these　are

three　of　the　very　qualities　which　are　most　seriously

lacking　in　much　of　the　new　writing　for

children；　and　which　are　always　necessary　elements

in　the　culture　of　taste。　　Fairy　stories

are　not　all　well　told；　but　the　best　fairy　stories

are　supremely　well　told。　　And　most　folk…tales

have　a　movement；　a　sweep；　and　an　unaffectedness

which　make　them　splendid　foundations　for

taste　in　style。



For　this；　and　for　poetic　presentation　of　truths

in　easily　assimilated　form；　and　because　it　gives

joyous　stimulus　to　the　imagination；　and　is　necessary

to　full　appreciation　of　adult　literature；　we

may　freely　use　the　wonder　tale。



Closely　related　to；　sometimes　identical　with；

the　fairy　tale　is　the　old；　old　source　of　children's

love　and　laughter；



THE　NONSENSE　TALE





Under　this　head　I　wish　to　include　all　the

merely　funny　tales　of　childhood；　embracing　the

cumulative　stories　like　that　of　the　old　woman

and　the　pig　which　would　not　go　over　the　stile。

They　all　have　a　specific　use　and　benefit；　and　are

worth　the　repetition　children　demand　for　them。

Their　value　lies；　of　course；　in　the　tonic　and

relaxing　properties　of　humour。　　Nowhere　is　that

property　more　welcome　or　needed　than　in　the

schoolroom。　　It　does　us　all　good　to　laugh；　if

there　is　no　sneer　nor　smirch　in　the　laugh；　fun

sets　the　blood　flowing　more　freely　in　the　veins；

and　loosens　the　strained　cords　of　feeling　and

thought；　the　delicious　shock　of　surprise　at　every

〃funny　spot〃　is　a　kind　of　electric　treatment　for

the　nerves。　　But　it　especially　does　us　good　to

laugh　when　we　are　children。　　Every　little　body

is　released　from　the　conscious　control　school

imposes　on　it；　and　huddles　into　restful　comfort

or　responds　gaily　to　the　joke。



More　than　this；　humour　teaches　children；　as

it　does　their　grown…up　brethren；　some　of　the

facts　and　proportions　of　life。　　What　keener

teacher　is　there　than　the　kindly　satire？　　What

more　penetrating　and　suggestive　than　the　humour

of　exaggerated　statement　of　familiar　tendency？

Is　there　one　of　us　who　has　not　laughed　himself

out　of　some　absurd　complexity　of　over…anxiety

with　a　sudden　recollection　of　〃clever　Alice〃

and　her　fate？　　In　our　household　clever　Alice　is

an　old　habituee；　and　her　timely　arrival　has　saved

many　a　situation　which　was　twining　itself　about

more　〃ifs〃　than　it　could　comfortably　support。

The　wisdom　which　lies　behind　true　humour　is

found　in　the　nonsense　tale　of　infancy　as　truly　as

in　mature　humour；　but　in　its　own　kind　and

degree。　　〃Just　for　fun〃　is　the　first　reason　for　the

humorous　story；　the　wisdom　in　the　fun　is　the

second。



And　now　we　come　to



THE　NATURE　STORY





No　other　type　of　fiction　is　more　familiar　to

the　teacher；　and　probably　no　other　kind　is　the

source　of　so　much　uncertainty　of　feeling。　　The

nature　story　is　much　used；　as　I　have　noticed

above；　to　illustrate　or　to　teach　the　habits　of

animals　and　the　laws　of　plant…growth；　to　stimulate

scientific　interest　as　well　as　to　increase

culture　in　scientific　fact。　　This　is　an　entirely

legitimate　object。　　In　view　of　its　present

preponderance；　it　is　certainly　a　pity；　however；　that

so　few　stories　are　available；　the　accuracy　of

which；　from　this　point　of　view；　can　be　vouched

for。　　The　carefully　prepared　book　of　to…day　is

refuted　and　scoffed　at　to…morrow。　　The　teacher

who　wishes　to　use　story…telling　chiefly　as　an

element　in　nature　study　must　at　least　limit　herself

to　a　small　amount　of　absolutely