stories to tell to children-第9节
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without effort。 So it is； probably； with the
〃middle…sized〃 articles of the bears' house and
the 〃and I sha'n't get home to…night〃 of the
old woman。 Each recurrence deepens the note
of familiarity； tickles the primitive sense of
humour； and eases the strain of attention。
When the repetition is cumulative； like the
extreme instance of The House that Jack
Built； I have a notion that the joy of the
child is the pleasure of intellectual gymnastics；
not too hard for fun； but not too easy for
excitement。 There is a deal of fun to be got
out of purely intellectual processes； and child…
hood is not too soon for the rudiments of such
fun to show。 The delight the healthy adult
mind takes in working out a neat problem in
geometry； the pleasure a musician finds in
following the involutions of a fugue； are of
the same type of satisfaction as the liking of
children for cumulative stories。 Complexity
and mass； arrived at by stages perfectly
intelligible in themselves； mounting steadily from
a starting…point of simplicity； then the same
complexity and mass resolving itself as it were
miraculously back into simplicity； this is an
intellectual joy。 It does not differ materially；
whether found in the study of counterpoint；
at thirty； or in the story of the old woman and
her pig； at five。 It is perfectly natural and
wholesome； and it may perhaps be a more
powerful developing force for the budding
intellect than we are aware。
For these reasons let me urge you； when you
are looking for stories to tell little children； to
apply this threefold test as a kind of touchstone
to their quality of fitness： Are they full of
action； in close natural sequence？ Are their
images simple without being humdrum？ Are
they repetitive？ The last quality is not an
absolute requisite； but it is at least very often
an attribute of a good child…story。
Having this touchstone in mind for general
selection； we can now pass to the matter of
specific choices for different ages of children。
No one can speak with absolute conviction in
this matter； so greatly do the taste and capacity
of children of the same age vary。 Any approach
to an exact classification of juvenile books
according to their suitability for different ages
will be found impossible。 The same book in
the hands of a skilful narrator may be made
to afford delight to children both of five and
ten。 The following are merely the inferences
drawn from my own experience。 They must
be modified by each teacher according to the
conditions of her small audience。 In general；
I believe it to be wise to plan the choice of
stories much as indicated in the table。
At a later stage； varying with the standard
of capacity of different classes； we find the
temper of mind which asks continually； 〃Is
that true？〃 To meet this demand； one draws
on historical and scientific anecdote； and on
reminiscence。 But the demand is never so
exclusive that fictitious narrative need be cast
aside。 All that is necessary is to state frankly
that the story you are telling is 〃just a story；〃
orif it be the casethat it is 〃part true and
part story。〃
At all stages I would urge the telling of
Bible stories； as far as is allowed by the special
circumstances of the school。 These are stories
from a source unsurpassed in our literature for
purity of style and loftiness of subject。 More
especially I urge the telling of the Christ…story；
in such parts as seem likely to be within the
grasp of the several classes。 In all Bible
stories it is well to keep as near as possible
to the original unimprovable text。＇1＇ Some
amplification can be made； but no excessive
modernising or simplifying is excusable in face
of the austere grace and majestic simplicity of
the original。 Such adaptation as helps to cut
the long narrative into separate units； making
each an intelligible story； I have ventured to
illustrate according to my own personal taste；
in two stories given in Chapter VI。 The object
of the usual modernising or enlarging of the
text may be far better attained for the child
listener by infusing into the text as it stands
a strong realising sense of its meaning and
vitality； letting it give its own message through
a fit medium of expression。
＇1＇ Stories from the Old Testament； by S。 Platt； retells the Old
Testament story as nearly as possible in the actual words of
the Authorised Version。
The stories given are grouped as illustrations of
the types suitable for different stages。 They are；
however； very often interchangeable； and many stories
can be told successfully to all classes。 A vitally
good story is little limited in its appeal。 It is；
nevertheless； a help to have certain plain results
of experience as a basis for choice； that which
is given is intended only for such a basis； not
in the least as a final list。
CERTAIN TYPES OF STORY CLASSIFIED
FOR KINDERGARTEN AND CLASS I。：
Little Rhymed Stories
（including the best of the nursery rhymes and the
more poetic fragments of Mother Goose）
Stories with Rhyme in Parts
Nature Stories
（in which the element of personification is strong）
Nonsense Tales
Wonder Tales
FOR CLASSES II。 AND III。：
Nonsense Tales
Wonder Tales
Fairy and Folk Tales
Fables
Legends
Nature Stories
（especially stories of animals）
FOR CLASSES IV。 AND V。：
Folk Tales
Fables
Myths and Allegories
Developed Animal Stories
Legends： Historic and Heroic
Historical Stories
Humorous Adventure Stories
〃True Stories 〃
The wonder tales most familiar and accessible to the
teacher are probably those included in the collections of
Andersen and the Brothers Grimm。 So constant is the
demand for these that the following list may be found
useful； as indicating which of the stories are more easily and
effectively adapted for telling； and commonly most successful。
It must be remembered that many of these standard tales
need such adapting as has been suggested； catting them
down； and ridding them of vulgar or sophisticated detail。
From the Brothers Grimm：
The Star Dollars
The Cat and the Mouse
The Nail
The Hare and the Hedgehog
Snow…White and Rose…Red
Mother Holle
Thumbling
Three Brothers
The Little Porridge Pot
Little Snow…White
The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids
The Sea Mouse
From Andersen：
Little Tiny
The Lark and the Daisy
The Ugly Duckling
The Seven Stories of the Snow Queen
The Flax
The Little Match Girl
The Fir…Tree
The Red Shoes
Ole Lukoie
Monday
Saturday
Sunday
The Elf of the Rose
Five Peas in a Pod
The Portuguese Duck
The Little Mermaid （much shortened）
The Nightingale （shortened）
The Girl who trod on a Loaf
The Emperor's New Clothes
Another familiar and easily attainable type of story is the
classic myth； as retold in Kupfer's Legends of Greece and
Rome。＇1＇
Of these； again； certain tales are more successfully adapted to
children than others。 Among the best for telling are：
Arachne
Pandora
Midas
Apollo and Daphne
Apollo and Hyacinthus
Narcissus
Latona and the Rustics
Proserpine
＇1＇ A well…nigh indispensable book for teachers is Guerber's
Myths of Greece and Rome； which contains in brief form a
complete collection of the classic myths。
CHAPTER III
ADAPTATION OF STORIES FOR TELLING
It soon becomes easy to pick out from a
collection such stories as can be well told； but
at no time is it easy to find a sufficient number
of such stories。 Stories simple； direct； and
sufficiently full of incident for telling； yet having
the beautiful or valuable motive we desire for
children； do not lie hidden in every book。 And
even many of the stories which are most charming
to read do not answer the double demand；
for the appeal to the eye differs in many
important respects from that to the ear。 Unless one
is able to change the form of a story to suit the
needs of oral delivery； one is likely to suffer
from poverty of material。 Perhaps the commonest
need of change is in the case of a story
too long to tell； yet embodying some one beautiful
incident or lesson； or one including a series
of such incidents。 The story of The Nurnberg
Stove； by Ouida；＇1＇ is a good example of the latter
kind； Ruskin's King of the Golden River will
serve as an illustration of the former。
＇1＇ See Bimbi； by Ouida。 （Chatto。 2s。）
The problem in one case is chiefly one of
elimination； in the other it is also in a large
degree one of rearrangement。 In both cases I
have purposely chosen extreme instances； as
furnishing plainer illustration。 The usual story
needs less adaptation than these； but the same
kind； in its
