stories to tell to children-第18节

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The　Little　Red　Hen；　The　Three　Bears；　The　Red…

Headed　Woodpecker；　The　Fox　and　the　Grapes；

and　many　other　simple　stories；　and　in　every

instance　there　was　a　noticeable　degree　of

spontaneity　and　command　of　expression。



When　the　reading　classes　were　held；　the

influence　of　this　work　was　very　visible。　　It　had

crept　into　the　teachers'　method；　as　well　as　the

children's　attitude。　　The　story　interest　was　still

paramount。　　In　the　discussion；　in　the　teachers'

remarks；　and　in　the　actual　reading；　there　was

a　joyousness　and　an　interest　in　the　subject…

matter　which　totally　precluded　that　preoccupation

with　sounds　and　syllables　so　deadly　to　any

real　progress　in　reading。　　There　was　less　of　the

mechanical　in　the　reading　than　in　any　I　had

heard　in　my　visits　to　schools；　but　it　was

exceptionally　accurate。



The　second　form　of　giving　back　which　has

proved　a　keen　pleasure　and　a　stimulus　to　growth

is　a　kind　of　〃seat…work。〃　　The　children　are

allowed　to　make　original　illustrations　of　the

stories　by　cutting　silhouette　pictures。



It　will　be　readily　seen　that　no　child　can　do

this　without　visualising　each　image　very

perfectly。　　In　the　simplest　and　most　unconscious

way　possible；　the　small　artists　are　developing

the　power　of　conceiving　and　holding　the　concrete

image　of　an　idea　given；　the　power　which

is　at　the　bottom　of　all　arts　of　expression。



Through　the　kindness　of　Miss　Sweeney；　I

am　able　to　insert　several　of　these　illustrations。

They　are　entirely　original；　and　were　made　without

any　thought　of　such　a　use　as　this。



The　pictures　and　the　retelling　are　both

popular　with　children；　but　neither　is　as　dear

to　them　as　the　third　form　of　reproduction　of

which　I　wish　to　speak。　　This　third　kind　is

taken　entirely　on　the　ground　of　play；　and　no

visibly　didactic　element　enters　into　it。　　It

consists　simply　of　PLAYING　THE　STORY。



When　a　good　story　with　a　simple　sequence

has　been　told；　and　while　the　children　are　still

athrill　with　the　delight　of　it；　they　are　told　they

may　play　it。



〃Who　would　like　to　be　Red　Riding　Hood？〃

says　the　teacher；　up　go　the　little　girls'　hands；

and　Mary　or　Hannah　or　Gertrude　is　chosen。



〃Who　will　be　the　wolf？〃　Johnny　or　Marcus

becomes　the　wolf。　　The　kind　woodchopper　and

the　mother　are　also　happily　distributed；　for　in

these　little　dramatic　companies　it　is　an　all…star

cast；　and　no　one　realises　any　indignity　in　a

subordinate　role。



〃Now；　where　shall　we　have　little　Red　Riding

Hood's　house？　　‘Over　in　that　corner；'　Katie？

Very　well；　Riding　Hood　shall　live　over　there。

And　where　shall　the　grandmother's　cottage　be？〃



The　children　decide　that　it　must　be　a　long

distance　through　the　wood；half…way　round

the　schoolroom；　in　fact。　　The　wolf　selects　the

spot　where　he　will　meet　Red　Riding　Hood；　and

the　woodchopper　chooses　a　position　from　which

he　can　rush　in　at　the　critical　moment；　to　save

Red　Riding　Hood's　life。



Then；　with　gusto　good　to　see；　they　play　the

game。　　The　teacher　makes　no　suggestions；

each　actor　creates　his　part。　　Some　children

prove　extremely　expressive　and　facile；　while

others　are　limited　by　nature。　　But　each　is　left

to　his　spontaneous　action。



In　the　course　of　several　days　several　sets　of

children　have　been　allowed　to　try；　then　if　any

of　them　are　notably　good　in　the　several　roles；

they　are　given　an　especial　privilege　in　that

story；　as　was　done　with　the　retelling。　　When

a　child　expresses　a　part　badly；　the　teacher

sometimes　asks　if　anyone　thinks　of　another

way　to　do　it；　from　different　examples　offered；

the　children　then　choose　the　one　they　prefer；

this　is　adopted。　　At　no　point　is　the　teacher

apparently　teaching。　　She　lets　the　audience

teach　itself　and　its　actors。



The　children　played　a　good　many　stories

for　me　during　my　visit　in　Providence。　　Of

them　all；　Red　Riding　Hood；　The　Fox　and　the

Grapes；　and　The　Lion　and　the　Mouse　were　most

vividly　done。



It　will　be　long　before　the　chief　of　the　Little

Red　Riding　Hoods　fades　from　my　memory。

She　had　a　dark；　foreign　little　face；　with　a

good　deal　of　darker　hair　tied　back　from　it；

and　brown；　expressive　hands。　　Her　eyes　were

so　full　of　dancing　lights　that　when　they　met

mine　unexpectedly　it　was　as　if　a　chance

reflection　had　dazzled　me。　　When　she　was　told

that　she　might　play；　she　came　up　for　her　riding

hood　like　an　embodied　delight；　almost　dancing

as　she　moved。　　（Her　teacher　used　a　few　simple

elements　of　stage…setting　for　her　stories；　such

as　bowls　for　the　Bears；　a　cape　for　Riding

Hood；　and　so　on。）



The　game　began　at　once。　　Riding　Hood

started　from　the　rear　corner　of　the　room；

basket　on　arm；　her　mother　gave　her　strict

injunctions　as　to　lingering　on　the　way；　and　she

returned　a　respectful　〃Yes；　mother。〃　　Then

she　trotted　round　the　aisle；　greeting　the　wood…

chopper　on　the　way；　to　the　deep　wood　which

lay　close　by　the　teacher's　desk。　　There　master

wolf　was　waiting；　and　there　the　two　held

converse；master　wolf　very　crafty　indeed；　Red

Riding　Hood　extremely　polite。　　The　wolf　then

darted　on　ahead　and　crouched　down　in　the

corner　which　represented　grandmother's　bed。

Riding　Hood　tripped　sedately　to　the　imaginary

door；　and　knocked。　　The　familiar　dialogue

followed；　and　with　the　words　〃the　better　to　eat

you　with；　my　dear！〃　the　wolf　clutched　Red

Riding　Hood；　to　eat　her　up。　　But　we　were

not　forced　to　undergo　the　threatened　scene　of

horrid　carnage；　as　the　woodchopper　opportunely

arrived；　and　stated　calmly；　〃I　will　not

let　you　kill　Little　Red　Riding　Hood。〃



All　was　now　happily　culminated；　and　with

the　chopper's　grave　injunction　as　to　future

conduct　in　her　ears；　the　rescued　heroine　tip…

toed　out　of　the　woods；　to　her　seat。



I　wanted　to　applaud；　but　I　realised　in　the

nick　of　time　that　we　were　all　playing；　and

held　my　peace。



The　Fox　and　the　Grapes　was　more　dramatically

done；　but　was　given　by　a　single　child。

He　was　the　chosen　〃fox〃　of　another　primary

room；　and　had　the　fair　colouring　and　sturdy

frame　which　matched　his　Swedish　name。　　He

was　naturally　dramatic。　　It　was　easy　to　see

that　he　instinctively　visualised　everything；　and

this　he　did　so　strongly　that　he　suggested　to

the　onlooker　every　detail　of　the　scene。



He　chose　for　his　grape…trellis　the　rear　wall

of　the　room。



Standing　there；　he　looked　longingly　up　at

the　invisible　bunch　of　grapes。　　〃My　gracious；〃

he　said；　〃what　fine　grapes！　I　will　have

some。〃



Then　he　jumped　for　them。



〃Didn't　get　them；〃　he　muttered；　〃I'll　try

again；〃　and　he　jumped　higher。



〃Didn't　get　them　this　time；〃　he　said

disgustedly；　and　hopped　up　once　more。　　Then　he

stood　still；　looked　up；　shrugged　his　shoulders；

and　remarked　in　an　absurdly　worldly…wise　tone；

〃Those　grapes　are　sour！〃　　After　which　he

walked　away。



Of　course　the　whole　thing　was　infantile；　and

without　a　touch　of　grace；　but　it　is　no

exaggeration　to　say　that　the　child　did　what　many

grown…up　actors　fail　to　do；he　preserved　the

illusion。



It　was　in　still　another　room　that　I　saw　the

lion　and　mouse　fable　played。



The　lion　lay　flat　on　the　floor　for　his　nap；

but　started　up　when　he　found　his　paw　laid　on

the　little　mouse；　who　crouched　as　small　as　she

could　beside　him。　　（The　mouse　was　by　nature

rather　larger　than　the　lion；　but　she　called

what　art　she　might　to　her　assistance）　The

mouse　persuaded　the　lion　to　lift　his　paw；　and

ran　away。



Presently　a　most　horrific　groaning　emanated

from　the　lion。　　The　mouse　ran　up；　looked　him

over；　and　soliloquised　in　precise　language；

evidently　remembered；　〃What　is　the　matter

with　the　lion？　Oh；　I　see；　he　is　caught　in　a

trap。〃　　And　then　she　gnawed　with　her　teeth

at　the　imaginary　rope　which　bound　him。



〃What　makes　you　so　kind　to　me；　little　Mouse？〃

said　the　rescued　lion。



〃You　let　me　go；　when　I　asked　you；〃　said　the

mouse　demurely。



〃Thank　you；　little　Mouse；〃　answered　the

lion；　and　therewith；　finis。



It　is　not　impossible　that　all　this　play

atmosphere　may　seem　incongruous　and　unnecessary

to　teachers　used　to　more　conventional　methods；

but　I　feel　sure　that　an　actual　experience　of　it

would　modify　that　point　of　view　conclusively。

The　children　of　the　schools　where　story…telling

and　〃dramatising〃　were　practised　were　startlingly

better　in　reading；　in　attentiveness；　and

in　general　power　of　expression；　than　the　pupils

of　like　social　conditions　in　the　same　grades　of

other　cities　which　I　visited　soon　after；　and　in

which　the　more　conventional　methods　were

exclusively　used。　　The　teachers；　also；　were

stronger　in　power　of　expression。



But　the　most　noticeable；　though　the　least

tangible；　difference　was　in　the　moral　atmosphere

of　the　schoolroom。　　There　had　been　a　great

gain　in　vitality　in　all　the　rooms　where　stories

were　a　part　of　the　work。　　It　had　acted　and

reacted　on　pupils　and　teachers　alike。　　The　telling

of　a　story　well　so　depends　on　being　thoroughly

vitalised　that；　naturally；　habitual　t