stories to tell to children-第2节

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read；　and　even　a　〃recitation〃　or　a　so…called

〃reading〃　has　not　the　charm　for　them　that

the　person　wields　who　can　〃tell　a　story。〃　　And

there　are　sound　reasons　for　their　preference。



The　great　difference；　including　lesser　ones；

between　telling　and　reading　is　that　the　teller

is　free；　the　reader　is　bound。　　The　book　in　hand；

or　the　wording　of　it　in　mind；　binds　the　reader。

The　story…teller　is　bound　by　nothing；　he　stands

or　sits；　free　to　watch　his　audience；　free　to　follow

or　lead　every　changing　mood；　free　to　use　body；

eyes；　voice；　as　aids　in　expression。　　Even　his

mind　is　unbound；　because　he　lets　the　story

come　in　the　words　of　the　moment；　being　so　full

of　what　he　has　to　say。　　For　this　reason；　a　story

told　is　more　spontaneous　than　one　read；　however

well　read。　　And；　consequently；　the　connection

with　the　audience　is　closer；　more　electric；　than　is

possible　when　the　book　or　its　wording　intervenes。



Beyond　this　advantage；　is　the　added　charm

of　the　personal　element　in　story…telling。　　When

you　make　a　story　your　own　and　tell　it；　the　listener

gets　the　story；　PLUS　YOUR　APPRECIATION

OF　IT。　　It　comes　to　him　filtered　through　your

own　enjoyment。　　That　is　what　makes　the　funny

story　thrice　funnier　on　the　lips　of　a　jolly

raconteur　than　in　the　pages　of　a　memoir。　　It　is

the　filter　of　personality。　　Everybody　has　something

of　the　curiosity　of　the　primitive　man

concerning　his　neighbour；　what　another　has　in

his　own　person　felt　and　done　has　an　especial

hold　on　each　one　of　us。　　The　most　cultured　of

audiences　will　listen　to　the　personal　reminiscences

of　an　explorer　with　a　different　tingle

of　interest　from　that　which　it　feels　for　a　

scientific　lecture　on　the　results　of　the　exploration。

The　longing　for　the　personal　in　experience　is

a　very　human　longing。　　And　this　instinct　or

longing　is　especially　strong　in　children。　　It

finds　expression　in　their　delight　in　tales　of　what

father　or　mother　did　when　they　were　little；　of

what　happened　to　grandmother　when　she　went

on　a　journey；　and　so　on；　but　it　also　extends　to

stories　which　are　not　in　themselves　personal：

which　take　their　personal　savour　merely　from

the　fact　that　they　flow　from　the　lips　in

spontaneous；　homely　phrases；　with　an　appreciative

gusto　which　suggests　participation。



The　greater　ease　in　holding　the　attention　of

children　is；　for　teachers；　a　sufficient　practical

reason　for　telling　stories　rather　than　reading

them。　　It　is　incomparably　easier　to　make　the

necessary　exertion　of　〃magnetism；〃　or　whatever

it　may　be　called；　when　nothing　else　distracts

the　attention。　　One's　eyes　meet　the

children's　gaze　naturally　and　constantly；　one's

expression　responds　to　and　initiates　theirs　without

effort；　the　connection　is　immediate。　　For

the　ease　of　the　teacher；　then；　no　less　than　for

the　joy　of　the　children；　may　the　art　of　story…

telling　be　urged　as　pre…eminent　over　the　art　of

reading。



It　is　a　very　old；　a　very　beautiful　art。　　Merely

to　think　of　it　carries　one's　imaginary　vision

to　scenes　of　glorious　and　touching　antiquity。

The　tellers　of　the　stories　of　which　Homer's

Iliad　was　compounded；　the　transmitters　of

the　legend　and　history　which　make　up　the

Gesta　Romanorum；　the　travelling　raconteurs

whose　brief　heroic　tales　are　woven　into　our

own　national　epic；　the　grannies　of　age…old

tradition　whose　stories　are　parts　of　Celtic　folk…lore；

of　Germanic　myth；　of　Asiatio　wonder…tales；

these　are　but　younger　brothers　and　sisters

to　the　generations　of　story…tellers　whose

inventions　are　but　vaguely　outlined　in　resultant

forms　of　ancient　literatures；　and　the　names　of

whose　tribes　are　no　longer　even　guessed。

There　was　a　time　when　story…telling　was　the

chiefest　of　the　arts　of　entertainment；　kings

and　warriors　could　ask　for　nothing　better；

serfs　and　children　were　satisfied　with　nothing

less。　　In　all　times　there　have　been　occasional

revivals　of　this　pastime；　and　in　no　time　has　the

art　died　out　in　the　simple　human　realms　of　which

mothers　are　queens。　　But　perhaps　never；　since

the　really　old　days；　has　story…telling　so　nearly

reached　a　recognised　level　of　dignity　as　a　legitimate

and　general　art　of　entertainment　as　now。



Its　present　popularity　seems　in　a　way　to　be

an　outgrowth　of　the　recognition　of　its　educational

value　which　was　given　impetus　by　the

German　pedagogues　of　Froebel's　school。　　That

recognition　has；　at　all　events；　been　a　noticeable

factor　in　educational　conferences　of　late。

The　function　of　the　story　is　no　longer

considered　solely　in　the　light　of　its　place　in　the

kindergarten；　it　is　being　sought　in　the　first；

the　second；　and　indeed　in　every　standard　where

the　children　are　still　children。　　Sometimes　the

demand　for　stories　is　made　solely　in　the

interests　of　literary　culture；　sometimes　in　far

ampler　and　vaguer　relations；　ranging　from

inculcation　of　scientific　fact　to　admonition　of

moral　theory；　but　whatever　the　reason　given；

the　conclusion　is　the　same：　tell　the　children

stories。



The　average　teacher　has　yielded　to　the

pressure；　at　least　in　theory。　　Cheerfully；　as　she

has　already　accepted　so　many　modifications　of

old　methods　by　〃new　thought；〃　she　accepts

the　idea　of　instilling　mental　and　moral　desiderata

into　the　receptive　pupil；　via　the　charming

tale。　　But；　confronted　with　the　concrete

problem　of　what　desideratum　by　which　tale；

and　how；　the　average　teacher　sometimes　finds

her　cheerfulness　displaced　by　a　sense　of　inadequacy

to　the　situation。



People　who　have　always　told　stories　to

children；　who　do　not　know　when　they　began

or　how　they　do　it；　whose　heads　are　stocked

with　the　accretions　of　years　of　fairyland…

dwelling　and　nonsense…sharing；these　cannot

understand　the　perplexity　of　one　to　whom

the　gift　and　the　opportunity　have　not　〃come　

natural。〃　　But　there　are　many　who　can　understand

it；　personally　and　all　too　well。　　To　these；

the　teachers　who　have　not　a　knack　for　story…

telling；　who　feel　as　shy　as　their　own　youngest

scholar　at　the　thought　of　it；　who　do　not　know

where　the　good　stories　are；　or　which　ones　are

easy　to　tell；　it　is　my　earnest　hope　that　the

following　pages　will　bring　something　definite

and　practical　in　the　way　of　suggestion　and

reference。







HOW　TO　TELL　STORIES　TO　CHILDREN



CHAPTER　I



THE　PURPOSE　OF　STORY…TELLING　IN　SCHOOL



Let　us　first　consider　together　the　primary

matter　of　the　AIM　in　educational　story…telling。

On　our　conception　of　this　must　depend　very

largely　all　decisions　as　to　choice　and　method；

and　nothing　in　the　whole　field　of　discussion

is　more　vital　than　a　just　and　sensible　notion

of　this　first　point。　　What　shall　we　attempt

to　accomplish　by　stories　in　the　schoolroom？

What　can　we　reasonably　expect　to　accomplish？

And　what；　of　this；　is　best　accomplished　by　this

means　and　no　other？



These　are　questions　which　become　the　more

interesting　and　practical　because　the　recent

access　of　enthusiasm　for　stories　in　education

has　led　many　people　to　claim　very　wide　and

very　vaguely　outlined　territory　for　their

possession；　and　often　to　lay　heaviest　stress　on

their　least　essential　functions。　　The　most

important　instance　of　this　is　the　fervour　with

which　many　compilers　of　stories　for　school

have　directed　their　efforts　solely　toward

the　ration　of　natural　phenomena。　　Geology；

zoology；　botany；　and　even　physics　are　taught

by　means　of　more　or　less　happily　constructed

narratives　based　on　the　simpler　facts　of　these

sciences。　　Kindergarten　teachers　are　familiar

with　such　narratives：　the　little　stories　of

chrysalis…breaking；　flower…growth；　and　the　like。

Now　this　is　a　perfectly　proper　and　practicable

aim；　but　it　is　not　a　primary　one。　　Others；　to

which　at　best　this　is　but　secondary；　should

have　first　place　and　receive　greatest　attention。



What　is　a　story；　essentially？　　Is　it　a　textbook

of　science；　an　appendix　to　the　geography；

an　introduction　to　the　primer　of　history？　　Of

course　it　is　not。　　A　story　is　essentially　and

primarily　a　work　of　art；　and　its　chief　function

must　be　sought　in　the　line　of　the　uses　of　art。

Just　as　the　drama　is　capable　of　secondary　uses；

yet　fails　abjectly　to　realise　its　purpose　when

those　are　substituted　for　its　real　significance

as　a　work　of　art；　so　does　the　story　lend　itself

to　subsidiary　purposes；　but　claims　first　and

most　strongly　to　be　recognised　in　its　real

significance　as　a　work　of　art。　　Since　the　drama

deals　with　life　in　all　its　parts；　it　can　exemplify

sociological　theory；　it　can　illustrate　economic

principle；　it　can　even　picture　politics；　but　the

drama　which　does　these　things　only；　has　no

breath　of　its　real　life　in　its　being；　and　dies　

when　the　wind　of　popular　tendency　veers　from

its　direction。　　So；　you　can　teach　a　child

interesting　facts　about　bees　and　butterflies　by　telling

him　certain　stories；　and　you　can　open　his　eyes

to　colours　and　processes　in　nature　by　telling

certain　others；　but　unless　you　do　something

more　than　that　and