stories to tell to children-第6章

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element　in　nature　study　must　at　least　limit　herself

to　a　small　amount　of　absolutely　unquestioned

material；　or　else　subject　every　new　story　to　the

judgment　of　an　authority　in　the　line　dealt　with。

This　is　not　easy　for　the　teacher　at　a　distance

from　the　great　libraries；　and　for　those　who　have

access　to　well…equipped　libraries　it　is　a　matter

of　time　and　thought。



It　does　not　so　greatly　trouble　the　teacher　who

uses　the　nature　story　as　a　story；　rather　than　as

a　test…book；　for　she　will　not　be　so　keenly　attracted

toward　the　books　prepared　with　a　didactic　purpose。

She　will　find　a　good　gift　for　the　child　in

nature　stories　which　ARE　stories；　over　and　above

any　stimulus　to　his　curiosity　about　fact。　　That

good　gift　is　a　certain　possession　of　all　good　fiction。



One　of　the　best　things　good　fiction　does　for

any　of　us　is　to　broaden　our　comprehension　of

other　lots　than　our　own。　　The　average　man　or

woman　has　little　opportunity　actually　to　live

more　than　one　kind　of　life。　　The　chances　of

birth；　occupation；　family　ties；　determine　for

most　of　us　a　line　of　experience　not　very

inclusive　and　but　little　varied；　and　this　is　a　natural

barrier　to　our　complete　understanding　of　others；

whose　life…line　is　set　at　a　different　angle。　　It　is

not　possible　wholly　to　sympathise　with　emotions

engendered　by　experience　which　one　has　never

had。　　Yet　we　all　long　to　be　broad　in　sympathy

and　inclusive　in　appreciation；　we　long；　greatly；

to　know　the　experience　of　others。　　This　yearning

is　probably　one　of　the　good　but　misconceived

appetites　so　injudiciously　fed　by　the　gossip　of

the　daily　press。　　There　is　a　hope；　in　the　reader；

of　getting　for　the　moment　into　the　lives　of　people

who　move　in　wholly　different　sets　of　circumstances。

But　the　relation　of　dry　facts　in　newspapers；

however　tinged　with　journalistic　colour；

helps　very　little　to　enter　such　other　life。　　The

entrance　has　to　be　by　the　door　of　the　imagination；

and　the　journalist　is　rarely　able　to　open　it

for　us。　　But　there　is　a　genius　who　can　open　it。

The　author　who　can　write　fiction　of　the　right

sort　can　do　it；　his　is　the　gift　of　seeing　inner

realities；　and　of　showing　them　to　those　who

cannot　see　them　for　themselves。　　Sharing　the

imaginative　vision　of　the　story…writer；　we　can

truly　follow　out　many　other　roads　of　life　than

our　own。　　The　girl　on　a　lone　country　farm　is

made　to　understand　how　a　girl　in　a　city　sweating…

den　feels　and　lives；　the　London　exquisite　realises

the　life　of　a　Californian　ranchman；　royalty　and

tenement　dwellers　become　acquainted；　through

the　power　of　the　imagination　working　on

experience　shown　in　the　light　of　a　human　basis

common　to　both。　　Fiction　supplies　an　element

of　culture；that　of　the　sympathies；　which　is

invaluable。　　And　the　beginnings　of　this　culture；

this　widening　and　clearing　of　the　avenues　of

human　sympathy；　are　especially　easily　made

with　children　in　the　nature　story。



When　you　begin；　〃There　was　once　a　little

furry　rabbit；〃＇1＇　the　child's　curiosity　is　awakened

by　the　very　fact　that　the　rabbit　is　not　a　child；

but　something　of　a　different　species　altogether。

〃Now　for　something　new　and　adventuresome；〃

says　his　expectation；　〃we　are　starting　off　into　a

foreign　world。〃　　He　listens　wide…eyed；　while

you　say；　〃and　he　lived　in　a　warm；　cosy　nest；

down　under　the　long　grass　with　his　mother〃

how　delightful；　to　live　in　a　place　like　that；　so

different　from　little　boys'　homes！〃his　name

was　Raggylug；　and　his　mother's　name　was　Molly

Cottontail。　　And　every　morning；　when　Molly

Cottontail　went　out　to　get　their　food；　she　said

to　Raggylug；　‘Now；　Raggylug；　remember　you

are　only　a　baby　rabbit；　and　don't　move　from　the

nest。　　No　matter　what　you　hear；　no　matter　what

you　see；　don't　you　move！'〃all　this　is　different

still；　yet　it　is　familiar；　too；　it　appears　that　rabbits

are　rather　like　folks。　　So　the　tale　proceeds；　and

the　little　furry　rabbit　passes　through　experiences

strange　to　little　boys；　yet　very　like　little　boys'

adventures　in　some　respects；　he　is　frightened

by　a　snake；　comforted　by　his　mammy；　and　taken

to　a　new　house；　under　the　long　grass　a　long　way

off。　　These　are　all　situations　to　which　the　child

has　a　key。　　There　is　just　enough　of　strangeness

to　entice；　just　enough　of　the　familiar　to　relieve

any　strain。　　When　the　child　has　lived　through

the　day's　happenings　with　Raggylug；　the　latter

has　begun　to　seem　veritably　a　little　brother　of

the　grass　to　him。　　And　because　he　has　entered

imaginatively　into　the　feelings　and　fate　of　a

creature　different　from　himself；　he　has　taken　his

first　step　out　into　the　wide　world　of　the　lives　of

others。





＇1＇　See　Raggylug。





It　may　be　a　recognition　of　this　factor　and

its　value　which　has　led　so　many　writers　of

nature　stories　into　the　error　of　over…humanising

their　four…footed　or　feathered　heroes　and

heroines。　　The　exaggeration　is　unnecessary；　for

there　is　enough　community　of　lot　suggested　in

the　sternest　scientific　record　to　constitute　a

natural　basis　for　sympathy　on　the　part　of　the

human　animal。　　Without　any　falsity　of

presentation　whatever；　the　nature　story　may　be

counted　on　as　a　help　in　the　beginnings　of　culture

of　the　sympathies。　　It　is　not；　of　course；　a　help

confined　to　the　powers　of　the　nature　story；　all

types　of　story　share　in　some　degree　the　powers

of　each。　　But　each　has　some　especial　virtue　in

dominant　degree；　and　the　nature　story　is；　on　this

ground；　identified　with　the　thought　given。



The　nature　story　shares　its　influence　especially

with



THE　HISTORICAL　STORY





As　the　one　widens　the　circle　of　connection

with　other　kinds　of　life；　the　other　deepens　the

sense　of　relation　to　past　lives；　it　gives　the　sense

of　background；　of　the　close　and　endless　connection

of　generation　with　generation。　　A　good

historical　story　vitalises　the　conception　of　past

events　and　brings　their　characters　into　relation

with　the　present。　　This　is　especially　true　of

stories　of　things　and　persons　in　the　history　of

our　own　race。　　They　foster　race…consciousness；

the　feeling　of　kinship　and　community　of　blood。

It　is　this　property　which　makes　the　historical

story　so　good　an　agent　for　furthering　a　proper

national　pride　in　children。　　Genuine　patriotism；

neither　arrogant　nor　melodramatic；　is　so　generally

recognised　as　having　its　roots　in　early

training　that　I　need　not　dwell　on　this　possibility；

further　than　to　note　its　connection　with　the

instinct　of　hero…worship　which　is　quick　in　the

healthy　child。　　Let　us　feed　that　hunger　for　the

heroic　which　gnaws　at　the　imagination　of　every

boy　and　of　more　girls　than　is　generally　admitted。

There　have　been　heroes　in　plenty　in　the　world's

records；heroes　of　action；　of　endurance；　of

decision；　of　faith。　　Biographical　history　is　full

of　them。　　And　the　deeds　of　these　heroes　are

every　one　a　story。　　We　tell　these　stories；　both

to　bring　the　great　past　into　its　due　relation　with

the　living　present；　and　to　arouse　that　generous

admiration　and　desire　for　emulation　which　is

the　source　of　so　much　inspiration　in　childhood。

When　these　stories　are　tales　of　the　doings　and

happenings　of　our　own　heroes；　the　strong　men

and　women　whose　lives　are　a　part　of　our

own　country's　history；　they　serve　the　double

demands　of　hero…worship　and　patriotism。

Stories　of　wise　and　honest　statesmanship；　of

struggle　with　primitive　conditions；　of　generous

love　and　sacrifice；　andin　some　measureof

physical　courage；　form　a　subtle　and　powerful

influence　for　pride　in　one's　people；　the　intimate

sense　of　kinship　with　one's　own　nation；　and　the

desire　to　serve　it　in　one's　own　time。



It　is　not　particularly　useful　to　tell　batches　of

unrelated　anecdote。　　It　is　much　more　profitable

to　take　up　the　story　of　a　period　and　connect　it

with　a　group　of　interesting　persons　whose　lives

affected　it　or　were　affected　by　it；　telling　the

stories　of　their　lives；　or　of　the　events　in　which

they　were　concerned；　as　〃true　stories。〃　　These

biog