stories to tell to children-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



power　or　habit　of　concentration；　unable　to　follow

a　sequence　of　ideas　any　distance；　and　rendered

more　restless　by　bodies　which　were　probably

uncomfortable；　certainly　undisciplined。



The　first　story　took　ten　minutes。　　When　I

began　a　second；　a　very　short　one；　the　initial　work

had　to　be　done　all　over　again；　for　the　slight

comparative　quiet　I　had　won　had　been　totally

lost　in　the　resulting　manifestation　of　approval。



At　the　end　of　the　second　story；　the　room

was　really　orderly　to　the　superficial　view；　but

where　I　stood　I　could　see　the　small　boy　who

deliberately　made　a　hideous　face　at　me　each

time　my　eyes　met　his；　the　two　girls　who　talked

with　their　backs　turned；　the　squirms　of　a　figure

here　and　there。　　It　seemed　so　disheartening

a　record　of　failure　that　I　hesitated　much　to

yield　to　the　uproarious　request　for　a　third　story；

but　finally　I　did　begin　again；　on　a　very　long　story

which　for　its　own　sake　I　wanted　them　to　hear。



This　time　the　little　audience　settled　to　attention

almost　at　the　opening　words。　　After　about

five　minutes　I　was　suddenly　conscious　of　a

sense　of　ease　and　relief；　a　familiar　restful　feeling

in　the　atmosphere；　and　then；　at　last；　I

knew　that　my　audience　was　〃with　me；〃　that

they　and　I　were　interacting　without　obstruction。

Absolutely　quiet；　entirely　unconscious　of

themselves；　the　boys　and　girls　were　responding　to

every　turn　of　the　narrative　as　easily　and　readily

as　any　group　of　story…bred　kindergarten　children。

From　then　on　we　had　a　good　time　together。



The　process　which　took　place　in　that　small

audience　was　a　condensed　example　of　what

one　may　expect　in　habitual　story…telling　to　a

group　of　children。　　Once　having　had　the　attention

chained　by　crude　force　of　interest；　the

children　begin　to　expect　something　interesting

from　the　teacher；　and　to　wait　for　it。　　And

having　been　led　step　by　step　from　one　grade

of　a　logical　sequence　to　another；　their　minds

at　first　beguiled　by　the　fascination　of　the　steps

glide　into　the　habit　of　following　any　logical

sequence。　　My　club　formed　its　habit；　as　far　as

I　was　concerned；　all　in　one　session；　the　ordinary

demands　of　school　procedure　lengthen　the

process；　but　the　result　is　equally　sure。　　By　the

end　of　a　week　in　which　the　children　have

listened　happily　to　a　story　every　day；　the　habit

of　listening　and　deducing　has　been　formed；　and

the　expectation　of　pleasantness　is　connected

with　the　opening　of　the　teacher's　lips。



These　two　benefits　are　well　worth　the　trouble

they　cost；　and　for　these　two；　at　least；　any　teacher

who　tells　a　story　well　may　confidently　look

the　quick　gaining　of　a　confidential　relation　with

the　children；　and　the　gradual　development　of

concentration　and　interested　attention　in　them。



These　are　direct　and　somewhat　clearly

discernible　results；　comfortably　placed　in　a　near

future。　　There　are　other　aims；　reaching　on　into

the　far；　slow　modes　of　psychological　growth；

which　must　equally　determine　the　choice　of　the

story…teller's　material　and　inform　the　spirit　of　her

work。　　These　other；　less　immediately　attainable

ends；　I　wish　now　to　consider　in　relation　to　the

different　types　of　story　by　which　they　are　severally

best　served。



First；　unbidden　claimant　of　attention；　comes



THE　FAIRY　STORY





No　one　can　think　of　a　child　and　a　story；

without　thinking　of　the　fairy　tale。　　Is　this；　as

some　would　have　us　believe；　a　bad　habit　of　an

ignorant　old　world？　　Or　can　the　Fairy　Tale

justify　her　popularity　with　truly　edifying　and

educational　results？　　Is　she　a　proper　person　to

introduce　here；　and　what　are　her　titles　to　merit？



Oh　dear；　yes！　　Dame　Fairy　Tale　comes　bearing

a　magic　wand　in　her　wrinkled　old　fingers；

with　one　wave　of　which　she　summons　up　that

very　spirit　of　joy　which　it　is　our　chief　effort　to

invoke。　　She　raps　smartly　on　the　door；　and　open

sesames　echo　to　every　imagination。　　Her　red…

heeled　shoes　twinkle　down　an　endless　lane　of

adventures；　and　every　real　child's　footsteps

quicken　after。　　She　is　the　natural；　own　great…

grandmother　of　every　child　in　the　world；　and

her　pocketfuls　of　treasures　are　his　by　right　of

inheritance。　　Shut　her　out；　and　you　truly　rob

the　children　of　something　which　is　theirs；

something　marking　their　constant　kinship　with　the

race…children　of　the　past；　and　adapted　to　their

needs　as　it　was　to　those　of　the　generation　of　long

ago！　　If　there　were　no　other　criterion　at　all；　it

would　be　enough　that　the　children　love　the　fairy

tale；　we　give　them　fairy　stories；　first；　because　they

like　them。　　But　that　by　no　means　lessens　the

importance　of　the　fact　that　fairy　tales　are　also

good　for　them。



How　good？　　In　various　ways。　　First；　perhaps；

in　their　supreme　power　of　presenting　truth

through　the　guise　of　images。　　This　is　the　way

the　race…child　took　toward　wisdom；　and　it　is　the

way　each　child's　individual　instinct　takes；　after

him。　　Elemental　truths　of　moral　law　and　general

types　of　human　experience　are　presented　in　the

fairy　tale；　in　the　poetry　of　their　images；　and

although　the　child　is　aware　only　of　the　image

at　the　time；　the　truth　enters　with　it　and　becomes

a　part　of　his　individual　experience；　to　be　recognised

in　its　relations　at　a　later　stage。　　Every

truth　and　type　so　given　broadens　and　deepens

the　capacity　of　the　child's　inner　life；　and　adds

an　element　to　the　store　from　which　he　draws

his　moral　inferences。



The　most　familiar　instance　of　a　moral　truth

conveyed　under　a　fairy…story　image　is　probably

the　story　of　the　pure…hearted　and　loving　girl

whose　lips　were　touched　with　the　wonderful

power　of　dropping　jewels　with　every　spoken

word；　while　her　stepsister；　whose　heart　was

infested　with　malice　and　evil　desires；　let　ugly

toads　fall　from　her　mouth　whenever　she　spoke。

I　mention　the　old　tale　because　there　is　probably

no　one　of　my　readers　who　has　not　heard　it　in

childhood；　and　because　there　are　undoubtedly

many　to　whose　mind　it　has　often　recurred　in

later　life　as　a　sadly　perfect　presentment　of　the

fact　that　〃out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart　the

mouth　speaketh。〃　　That　story　has　entered　into

the　forming　consciousness　of　many　of　us；　with

its　implications　of　the　inevitable　result　of　visible

evil　from　evil　in　the　heart；　and　its　revelation　of

the　loathsomeness　of　evil　itself。



And　no　less　truly　than　this　story　has　served

to　many　as　an　embodiment　of　moral　law　has

another　household　tale　stood　for　a　type　of

common　experience。　　How　much　the　poorer

should　we　be；　mentally；　without　our　early

prophecy　of　the　〃ugly　ducklings〃　we　are　to　meet

later　in　life！those　awkward　offspring　of　our

little　human　duckyard　who　are　mostly　well

kicked　and　buffeted　about；　for　that　very　length

of　limb　and　breadth　of　back　which　needs　must

be；　to　support　swan's　wings。　　The　story　of　the

ugly　duckling　is　much　truer　than　many　a　bald

statement　of　fact。　　The　English…speaking　world

bears　witness　to　its　verity　in　constant　use　of　the

title　as　an　identifying　phrase：　　〃It　is　the　old

story　of　the　ugly　duckling；〃　we　say；　or　〃He　has

turned　out　a　real　ugly　duckling。〃　　And　we　know

that　our　hearers　understand　the　whole　situation。



The　consideration　of　such　familiar　types　and

expressions　as　that　of　the　ugly　duckling　suggests

immediately　another　good　reason　for　giving　the

child　his　due　of　fairy　lore。　　The　reason　is　that

to　omit　it　is　to　deprive　him　of　one　important

element　in　the　full　appreciation　of　mature　literature。

If　one　thinks　of　it；　one　sees　that　nearly

all　adult　literature　is　made　by　people　who；　in

their　beginnings；　were　bred　on　the　wonder

tale。　　Whether　he　will　or　no；　the　grown…up

author　must　incorporate　into　his　work　the

tendencies；　memories；　kinds　of　feeling　which　were

his　in　childhood。　　The　literature　of　maturity

is；　naturally；　permeated　by　the　influence　of　the

literature　of　childhood。　　Sometimes　it　is　apparent

merely　in　the　use　of　a　name；　as　suggestive　of

certain　kinds　of　experience；　such　are　the

recurrences　of　reference　to　the　Cinderella　story。

Sometimes　it　is　an　allusion　which　has　its　strength

in　long　association　of　certain　qualities　with

certain　characters　in　fairydomlike　the　slyness　of

Brother　Fox；　and　the　cruelty　of　Brother　Wolf。

Sometimes　the　association　of　ideas　lies　below

the　surface；　drawing　from　the　hidden　wells　of

poetic　illusion　which　are　sunk　in　childhood。

The　man　or　woman　whose　infancy　was　nourished

exclusively　on　tales　adapted　from　science…made…

easy；　or　from　biographies　of　good　men　and　great；

must　remain　blind　to　these　beauties　of　literature。

He　may　look　up　the　allusion；　or　identify　the

reference；　but　when　that　is　done　he　is　but　richer

by　a　fact　or　two；　there　is　no　remembered　thrill

in　it　for　him；　no　savour　in　his　memory；　no

suggestion　to　his　imagination；　and　these　are

precisely　the　things　which　really　count。　　Leaving

out　the　fairy　element　is　a　loss　to　literary　culture

much　as　would　be　the　omission　of　the　Bible　or

of　Shakespeare。　　Just