how to tell stories to children-第2节

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e　for　a　word　or　two　about　the　matter　of　variety　of　subject　and　style　in　school　stories。

There　are　two　wholly　different　kinds　of　story　which　are　equally　necessary　for　children；　I　believe；　and　which　ought　to　be　given　in　about　the　proportion　of　one　to　three；　in　favor　of　the　second　kind；　I　make　　the　ratio　uneven　because　the　first　kind　is　more　dominating　in　its　effect。

The　first　kind　is　represented　by　such　stories　as　the　〃Pig　Brother；〃　which　has　now　grown　so　familiar　to　teachers　that　it　will　serve　for　illustration　without　repetition　here。　It　is　the　type　of　story　which　specifically　teaches　a　certain　ethical　or　conduct　lesson；　in　the　form　of　a　fable　or　an　allegory；it　passes　on　to　the　child　the　conclusions　as　to　conduct　and　character；　to　which　the　race　has；　in　general；　attained　through　centuries　of　experience　and　moralizing。　　The　story　becomes　a　part　of　the　outfit　of　received　ideas　on　manners　and　morals　which　is　an　inescapable　and　necessary　possession　of　the　heir　of　civilization。

Children　do　not　object　to　these　stories　in　the　least；　if　the　stories　are　good　ones。　They　accept　them　with　the　relish　which　nature　seems　to　maintain　for　all　truly　nourishing　material。　　And　the　little　tales　are　one　of　the　media　through　which　we　elders　may　transmit　some　very　slight　share　of　the　benefit　received　by　us；　in　turn；　from　actual　or　transmitted　experience。

The　second　kind　has　no　preconceived　　moral　to　offer；　makes　no　attempt　to　affect　judgment　or　to　pass　on　a　standard。　　It　simply　presents　a　picture　of　life；　usually　in　fable　or　poetic　image；　and　says　to　the　hearer；　〃These　things　are。〃　　The　hearer；　then；　consciously　or　otherwise；　passes　judgment　on　the　facts。　　His　mind　says；　〃These　things　are　good；〃　or；　〃This　was　good；　and　that；　bad；〃　or；　〃This　thing　is　desirable；〃　or　the　contrary。

The　story　of　〃The　Little　Jackal　and　the　Alligator〃　is　a　good　illustration　of　this　type。　　It　is　a　character…story。　　In　the　naive　form　of　a　folk　tale；　it　doubtless　embodies　the　observations　of　a　seeing　eye；　in　a　country　and　time　when　the　little　jackal　and　the　great　alligator　were　even　more　vivid　images　of　certain　human　characters　than　they　now　are。　　Again　and　again；　surely；　the　author　or　authors　of　the　tales　must　have　seen　the　weak；　small；　clever　being　triumph　over　the　bulky；　well…accoutred；　stupid　adversary。　　Again　and　again　they　had　laughed　at　the　discomfiture　of　the　latter；　perhaps　rejoicing　in　it　the　more　because　it　removed　fear　from　their　own　houses。　　And　probably　never　had　they　concerned　themselves　particularly　　with　the　basic　ethics　of　the　struggle。　It　was　simply　one　of　the　things　they　saw。　　It　was　life。　　So　they　made　a　picture　of　it。

The　folk　tale　so　made；　and　of　such　character；　comes　to　the　child　somewhat　as　an　unprejudiced　newspaper　account　of　to…　day's　happenings　comes　to　us。　　It　pleads　no　cause；　except　through　its　contents；　it　exercises　no　intentioned　influence　on　our　moral　judgment；　it　is　there；　as　life　is　there；　to　be　seen　and　judged。　　And　only　through　such　seeing　and　judging　can　the　individual　perception　attain　to　anything　of　power　or　originality。　　Just　as　a　certain　amount　of　received　ideas　is　necessary　to　sane　development；　so　is　a　definite　opportunity　for　first…hand　judgments　essential　to　power。

In　this　epoch　of　well…trained　minds　we　run　some　risk　of　an　inundation　of　accepted　ethics。　　The　mind　which　can　make　independent　judgments；　can　look　at　new　facts　with　fresh　vision；　and　reach　conclusions　with　simplicity；　is　the　perennial　power　in　the　world。　　And　this　is　the　mind　we　are　not　noticeably　successful　in　developing；　in　our　system　of　schooling。　　Let　us　at　least　　have　its　needs　before　our　consciousness；　in　our　attempts　to　supplement　the　regular　studies　of　school　by　such　side…activities　as　story…telling。　　Let　us　give　the　children　a　fair　proportion　of　stories　which　stimulate　independent　moral　and　practical　decisions。

And　now　for　a　brief　return　to　our　little　black　friend。　　〃Epaminondas〃　belongs　to　a　very　large；　very　ancient　type　of　funny　story：　the　tale　in　which　the　jest　depends　wholly　on　an　abnormal　degree　of　stupidity　on　the　part　of　the　hero。　　Every　race　which　produces　stories　seems　to　have　found　this　theme　a　natural　outlet　for　its　childlike　laughter。　　The　stupidity　of　Lazy　Jack；　of　Big　Claus；　of　the　Good　Man；　of　Clever　Alice；　all　have　their　counterparts　in　the　folly　of　the　small　Epaminondas。

Evidently；　such　stories　have　served　a　purpose　in　the　education　of　the　race。　　While　the　exaggeration　of　familiar　attributes　easily　awakens　mirth　in　a　simple　mind；　it　does　more：　it　teaches　practical　lessons　of　wisdom　and　discretion。　　And　possibly　the　lesson　was　the　original　cause　of　the　story。

Not　long　ago；　I　happened　upon　an　　instance　of　the　teaching　power　of　these　nonsense　tales；　so　amusing　and　convincing　that　I　cannot　forbear　to　share　it。　　A　primary　teacher　who　heard　me　tell　〃Epaminondas〃　one　evening；　told　it　to　her　pupils　the　next　morning；　with　great　effect。　　A　young　teacher　who　was　observing　in　the　room　at　the　time　told　me　what　befell。　She　said　the　children　laughed　very　heartily　over　the　story；　and　evidently　liked　it　much。　　About　an　hour　later；　one　of　them　was　sent　to　the　board　to　do　a　little　problem。　It　happened　that　the　child　made　an　excessively　foolish　mistake；　and　did　not　notice　it。　　As　he　glanced　at　the　teacher　for　the　familiar　smile　of　encouragement；　she　simply　raised　her　hands；　and　ejaculated　〃‘For　the　law's　sake！'〃

It　was　sufficient。　　The　child　took　the　cue　instantly。　　He　looked　hastily　at　his　work；　broke　into　an　irrepressible　giggle；　rubbed　the　figures　out；　without　a　word；　and　began　again。　　And　the　whole　class　entered　into　the　joke　with　the　gusto　of　fellow…fools；　for　once　wise。

It　is　safe　to　assume　that　the　child　in　question　will　make　fewer　needless　　mistakes　for　a　long　time　because　of　the　wholesome　reminder　of　his　likeness　with　one　who　〃ain't　got　the　sense　he　was　born　with。〃　And　what　occurred　so　visibly　in　his　case　goes　on　quietly　in　the　hidden　recesses　of　the　mind　in　many　cases。　　One　〃Epaminondas〃　is　worth　three　lectures。

I　wish　there　were　more　of　such　funny　little　tales　in　the　world's　literature；　all　ready；　as　this　one　is；　for　telling　to　the　youngest　of　our　listeners。　　But　masterpieces　are　few　in　any　line；　and　stories　for　telling　are　no　exception；　it　took　generations；　probably；　to　make　this　one。　　The　demand　for　new　sources　of　supply　comes　steadily　from　teachers　and　mothers；　and　is　the　more　insistent　because　so　often　met　by　the　disappointing　recommendations　of　books　which　prove　to　be　for　reading　only；　rather　than　for　telling。　　It　would　be　a　delight　to　print　a　list　of　fifty；　twenty…five；　even　ten　books　which　would　be　found　full　of　stories　to　tell　without　much　adapting。　But　I　am　grateful　to　have　found　even　fewer　than　the　ten；　to　which　I　am　sure　the　teacher　can　turn　with　real　profit。　　The　following　names　are；　of　course；　additional　　to　the　list　contained　in　〃How　to　Tell　Stories　to　Children。〃

ALL　ABOUT　JOHNNIE　JONES。　　By　Carolyn　Verhoeff。　Milton　Bradley　Co。；　Springfield；　Mass。　　Valuable　for　kindergartners　as　a　supply　of　realistic　stories　with　practical　lessons　in　simplest　form。

OLD　DECCAN　DAYS。　　By　Mary　Frere。　　Joseph　McDonough；　Albany；　New　York。　　A　splendid　collection　of　Hindu　folk　tales；　adaptable　for　all　ages。

THE　SILVER　CROWN。　　By　Laura　E。　Richards。　Little；　Brown　&　Co。；　Boston。　　Poetic　fables　with　beautiful　suggestions　of　ethical　truths。

THE　CHILDREN'S　HOUR。　　BY　Eva　March　Tappan。　Houghton；　Mifflin　&　Co。；　Boston；　New　York；　and　Chicago。　　A　classified　collection；　in　ten　volumes；　of　fairy；　folk　tales；　fables；　realistic；　historical；　and　poetical　stories。

FOR　THE　CHILDREN'S　HOUR。　　BY　Carolyn　Bailey　and　Clara　Lewis。　　Milton　Bradley　Co。；　Springfield。　A　general　collection　of　popular　stories；　well　told。

THE　SONS　OF　CORMAC。　　By　Aldis　Dunbar。　　Longmans；　Green　&　Co。；　London。　　Rather　mature　but　very　fine　Irish　stories。


For　the　benefit　of　suggestion　to　teachers　in　schools　where　story…telling　is　newly　or　not　yet　introduced　in　systematic　form；　I　am　glad　to　append　the　following　list　of　　stories　which　have　been　found；　on　several　years'　trial；　to　be　especially　tellable　and　likable；　in　certain　grades　of　the　Providence　schools；　in　Rhode　Island。　　The　list　is　not　mine；　although　it　embodies　some　of　my　suggestions。　　I　offer　it　merely　as　a　practical　result　of　the　effort　to　equalize　and　extend　the　story…hour　throughout　the　schools。　　Its　makers　would　be　the　last　to　claim　ideal　merit　for　it；　and　they　are　constantly　improving　and　developing　it。　　I　am　indebted　for　the　privilege　of　using　it　to　the　primary　teachers　of　Providence；　and　to　their　supervisor；　Miss　Ella　L。　Sweeney。

STORIES　FOR　REPRODUCTION

FIRST　GRADE　Chicken　Little　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Dog　and　his　Shadow　Barnyard　Talk　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Hare　and　the　Hound　Little　Red　Hen　　　　　　　　　　　　　Five　Little　Rabbits　Little　Gingerbread　Boy　　　　　The　Three　Bears　The　Lion　and　the　Mouse　　　　　The　Red…headed　Wood…　The　Hungry　Lion　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　pecker　The　Wind　and　the　Sun　　　　　　　Little　Red　Riding…Hood　The　Fox　and　the　Crow　　　　　　　Little　Half…Chick　The　Duck　and　the　Hen　　　　　　　The　Rabbit　and　the　Turtle　The　Hare　and　the　Tortoise　　The　Shoemaker　and　the　The　Three　Little　Robins　　　　　　　Fairies　The　Wolf　and　the　Kid　　　　　　　The　Wolf　and　the　Crane　The　Crow　and　the　Pitcher　　　The　Cat　and　the　Mouse　The　Fox　and　the　Grapes　　　　　Snow…White