stories to tell to children-第9章

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other；　and　ran　to　the　window。　　Now　the　window

was　open；　because　the　Bears；　like　good；

tidy　Bears　as　they　were；　always　opened　their

bed…chamber　window　when　they　got　up　in　the

morning。



Out　little　Goldilocks　jumped；　and　ran　away

home　to　her　mother；　as　fast　as　ever　she

could。





THE　OLD　WOMAN　AND　HER　PIG＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Joseph　Jacobs's　English　Fairy　Tales　（David

Nutt；　57…59　Long　Acre；　W。C。　6s。）。





It　happened　one　day　that　as　an　old　woman

was　sweeping　her　house　she　found　a　little

crooked　sixpence。　　〃What；〃　said　she；　〃shall　I

do　with　this　little　sixpence？　　I　will　go　to

market；　and　buy　a　little　pig。〃



On　the　way　home　she　came　to　a　stile；　but

the　piggy　wouldn't　go　over　the　stile。



So　she　left　the　piggy　and　went　on　a　little

further；　till　she　met　a　dog。　　She　said　to　him；

〃Dog；　dog；　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　go　over　the

stile；　and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃　　But　the

dog　wouldn't　bite　piggy。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　stick。　　So　she

said：　　〃Stick！　stick！　beat　dog！　dog　won't　bite

pig；　piggy　won't　go　over　the　stile；　and　I　sha'n't

get　home　to…night。〃　　But　the　stick　wouldn't

beat　the　dog。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　fire。　　So　she

said：　　〃Fire！　fire！　burn　stick！　stick　won't　beat

dog；　dog　won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get　over

the　stile；　and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃　　But

the　fire　wouldn't　burn　the　stick。



A　little　further　on　she　met　some　water。　　So

she　said：　　〃Water！　water！　quench　fire；　fire

won't　burn　stick；　stick　won't　beat　dog；　dog

won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get　over　the　stile；

and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃　　But　the　water

wouldn't　quench　the　fire。



A　little　further　on　she　met　an　ox。　　So　she

said：　　〃Ox！　ox！　drink　water；　water　won't

quench　fire；　fire　won't　burn　stick；　stick　won't

beat　dog；　dog　won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get

over　the　stile；　and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃

But　the　ox　wouldn't　drink　the　water。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　butcher。　　So

she　said：　　〃Butcher！　butcher！　kill　ox；　ox　won't

drink　water；　water　won't　quench　fire；　fire

won't　burn　stick；　stick　won't　beat　dog；　dog

won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get　over　the　stile；

and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃　　But　the

butcher　wouldn't　kill　the　ox。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　rope。　　So　she

said：　　〃Rope！　rope！　hang　butcher；　butcher

won't　kill　ox；　ox　won't　drink　water；　water

won't　quench　fire；　fire　won't　burn　stick；　stick

won't　beat　dog；　dog　won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't

get　over　the　stile；　and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…

night。〃　　But　the　rope　wouldn't　hang　the　butcher。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　rat。　　So　she

said：　　〃Rat！　rat！　gnaw　rope；　rope　won't　hang

butcher；　butcher　won't　kill　ox；　ox　won't　drink

water；　water　won't　quench　fire；　fire　won't

burn　stick；　stick　won't　beat　dog；　dog　won't

bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get　over　the　stile；　and　I

sha'n't　get　home　to…　night。〃　　But　the　rat　wouldn't

gnaw　the　rope。



A　little　further　on　she　met　a　cat。　　So　she

said：　　〃Cat！　cat！　kill　rat；　rat　won't　gnaw　rope；

rope　won't　hang　butcher；　butcher　won't　kill

ox；　ox　won't　drink　water；　water　won't　quench

fire；　fire　won't　burn　stick；　stick　won't　beat

dog；　dog　won't　bite　pig；　piggy　won't　get　over

the　stile；　and　I　sha'n't　get　home　to…night。〃　　But

the　cat　said　to　her；　〃If　you　will　go　to　yonder

cow；　and　fetch　me　a　saucer　of　milk；　I　will　kill　the

rat。〃　　So　away　went　the　old　woman　to　the　cow。



But　the　cow　refused　to　give　the　milk　unless

the　old　woman　first　gave　her　a　handful　of　hay。

So　away　went　the　old　woman　to　the　haystack；

and　she　brought　the　hay　to　the　cow。



When　the　cow　had　eaten　the　hay；　she　gave

the　old　woman　the　milk；　and　away　she　went

with　it　in　a　saucer　to　the　cat。



As　soon　as　it　had　lapped　up　the　milk；　the　cat

began　to　kill　the　rat；　the　rat　began　to　gnaw　the

rope；　the　rope　began　to　hang　the　butcher；　the

butcher　began　to　kill　the　ox；　the　ox　began　to

drink　the　water；　the　water　began　to　quench

the　fire；　the　fire　began　to　burn　the　stick；　the

stick　began　to　beat　the　dog；　the　dog　began　to

bite　the　pig；　the　little　pig　in　a　fright　jumped

over　the　stile；　and　so　the　old　woman　did　get

home　that　night。





The　briefest　examination　of　these　three

stories　reveals　the　fact　that　one　attribute　

beyond　dispute　in　each。　　Something　happens；

all　the　time。　　Every　step　in　each　story　is　an

event。　　There　is　no　time　spent　in　explanation；

description；　or　telling　how　people　felt；　the

stories　tell　what　people　did；　and　what　they　said。

And　the　events　are　the　links　of　a　sequence　of

the　closest　kind；　in　point　of　time　and　of　cause

they　follow　as　immediately　as　it　is　possible　for

events　to　follow。　　There　are　no　gaps；　and　no

complications　of　plot　requiring　a　return　on　the　road。



A　second　common　characteristic　appears　on

briefest　examination。　　As　you　run　over　the

little　stories　you　will　see　that　each　event

presents　a　distinct　picture　to　the　imagination；　and

that　these　pictures　are　made　out　of　very　simple

elements。　　The　elements　are　either　familiar　to

the　child　or　analogous　to　familiar　ones。　　Each

object　and　happening　is　very　like　everyday；

yet　touched　with　a　subtle　difference；　rich　in

mystery。　　For　example；　the　details　of　the

pictures　in　the　Goldilocks　story　are　parts　of

everyday　life；house；　chairs；　beds；　and　so　on；

but　they　are　the　house；　chairs；　and　beds　of　three

bears；　that　is　the　touch　of　marvel　which　transforms

the　scene。　　The　old　woman　who　owned

the　obstinate　pig　is　the　centre　of　a　circle　in

which　stand　only　familiar　images；stick；　fire；

water；　cow；　and　the　rest；　but　the　wonder　enters

with　the　fact　that　these　usually　inanimate　or

dumb　objects　of　nature　enter　so　humanly　into

the　contest　of　wills。　　So　it　is；　also；　with　the

doings　of　the　three　little　pigs。　　Every　image

is　explicable　to　the　youngest　hearer；　while　none

suggests　actual　familiarity；　because　the　actors

are　not　children；　but　pigs。　　Simplicity；　with

mystery；　is　the　keynote　of　all　the　pictures；　and

these　are　clear　and　distinct。



Still　a　third　characteristic　common　to　the

stories　quoted　is　a　certain　amount　of　repetition。

It　is　more　definite；　and　of　what　has　been　called

the　〃cumulative〃　kind；　in　the　story　of　the　old

woman；　but　in　all　it　is　a　distinctive　feature。



Here　we　have；　then；　three　marked　characteristics

common　to　three　stories　almost　invariably

loved　by　children；action；　in　close　sequence；

familiar　images；　tinged　with　mystery；　some

degree　of　repetition。



It　is　not　hard　to　see　why　these　qualities

appeal　to　a　child。　　The　first　is　the　prime

characteristic　of　all　good　stories；〃stories　as

is　stories〃；　the　child's　demand　for　it　but　bears

witness　to　the　fact　that　his　instinctive　taste　is

often　better　than　the　taste　he　later　develops

under　artificial　culture。　　The　second　is　a　matter

of　common…sense。　　How　could　the　imagination

create　new　worlds；　save　out　of　the　material　of

the　old？　　To　offer　strange　images　is　to　confuse

the　mind　and　dull　the　interest；　to　offer　familiar

ones　〃with　a　difference〃　is　to　pique　the　interest

and　engage　the　mind。



The　charm　of　repetition；　to　children；　is　a

more　complex　matter；　there　are　undoubtedly

a　good　many　elements　entering　into　it；　hard　to

trace　in　analysis。　　But　one　or　two　of　the　more

obvious　may　be　seized　and　brought　to　view。

The　first　is　the　subtle　flattery　of　an　unexpected

sense　of　mastery。　　When　the　child…mind；　following

with　toilful　alertness　a　new　train　of　thought；

comes　suddenly　on　a　familiar　epithet　or　expression；

I　fancy　it　is　with　much　the　same　sense　of

satisfaction　that　we　older　people　feel　when　in

the　midst　of　a　long　programme　of　new　music

the　orchestra　strikes　into　something　we　have

heard　before；Handel；　maybe；　or　one　of　the

more　familiar　Beethoven　sonatas。　　〃I　know

that！　　I　have　heard　that　before！〃　we　think；

triumphant；　and　settle　down　to　enjoyment

without　effort。　　So　it　is；　probably；　with　the

〃middle…sized〃　articles　of　the　bears'　house　and

the　〃an