stories to tell to children-第4章

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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　as　all　adult　literature　is

permeated　by　the　influence　of　these；　familiar　in

youth；　so　in　less　degree　is　it　transfused　with　the

subtle　reminiscences　of　childhood's　commerce

with　the　wonder　world。



To　turn　now　from　the　inner　to　the　outer　aspects

of　the　old…time　tale　is　to　meet　another　cause　of

its　value　to　children。　　This　is　the　value　of　its

style。　　Simplicity；　directness；　and　virility

characterise　the　classic　fairy　tales　and　the　most

memorable　relics　of　folklore。　　And　these　are

three　of　the　very　qualities　which　are　most　seriously

lacking　in　much　of　the　new　writing　for

children；　and　which　are　always　necessary　elements

in　the　culture　of　taste。　　Fairy　stories

are　not　all　well　told；　but　the　best　fairy　stories

are　supremely　well　told。　　And　most　folk…tales

have　a　movement；　a　sweep；　and　an　unaffectedness

which　make　them　splendid　foundations　for

taste　in　style。



For　this；　and　for　poetic　presentation　of　truths

in　easily　assimilated　form；　and　because　it　gives

joyous　stimulus　to　the　imagination；　and　is　necessary

to　full　appreciation　of　adult　literature；　we

may　freely　use　the　wonder　tale。



Closely　related　to；　sometimes　identical　with；

the　fairy　tale　is　the　old；　old　source　of　children's

love　and　laughter；



THE　NONSENSE　TALE





Under　this　head　I　wish　to　include　all　the

merely　funny　tales　of　childhood；　embracing　the

cumulative　stories　like　that　of　the　old　woman

and　the　pig　which　would　not　go　over　the　stile。

They　all　have　a　specific　use　and　benefit；　and　are

worth　the　repetition　children　demand　for　them。

Their　value　lies；　of　course；　in　the　tonic　and

relaxing　properties　of　humour。　　Nowhere　is　that

property　more　welcome　or　needed　than　in　the

schoolroom。　　It　does　us　all　good　to　laugh；　if

there　is　no　sneer　nor　smirch　in　the　laugh；　fun

sets　the　blood　flowing　more　freely　in　the　veins；

and　loosens　the　strained　cords　of　feeling　and

thought；　the　delicious　shock　of　surprise　at　every

〃funny　spot〃　is　a　kind　of　electric　treatment　for

the　nerves。　　But　it　especially　does　us　good　to

laugh　when　we　are　children。　　Every　little　body

is　released　from　the　conscious　control　school

imposes　on　it；　and　huddles　into　restful　comfort

or　responds　gaily　to　the　joke。



More　than　this；　humour　teaches　children；　as

it　does　their　grown…up　brethren；　some　of　the

facts　and　proportions　of　life。　　What　keener

teacher　is　there　than　the　kindly　satire？　　What

more　penetrating　and　suggestive　than　the　humour

of　exaggerated　statement　of　familiar　tendency？

Is　there　one　of　us　who　has　not　laughed　himself

out　of　some　absurd　complexity　of　over…anxiety

with　a　sudden　recollection　of　〃clever　Alice〃

and　her　fate？　　In　our　household　clever　Alice　is

an　old　habituee；　and　her　timely　arrival　has　saved

many　a　situation　which　was　twining　itself　about

more　〃ifs〃　than　it　could　comfortably　support。

The　wisdom　which　lies　behind　true　humour　is

found　in　the　nonsense　tale　of　infancy　as　truly　as

in　mature　humour；　but　in　its　own　kind　and

degree。　　〃Just　for　fun〃　is　the　first　reason　for　the

humorous　story；　the　wisdom　in　the　fun　is　the

second。



And　now　we　come　to



THE　NATURE　STORY





No　other　type　of　fiction　is　more　familiar　to

the　teacher；　and　probably　no　other　kind　is　the

source　of　so　much　uncertainty　of　feeling。　　The

nature　story　is　much　used；　as　I　have　noticed

above；　to　illustrate　or　to　teach　the　habits　of

animals　and　the　laws　of　plant…growth；　to　stimulate

scientific　interest　as　well　as　to　increase

culture　in　scientific　fact。　　This　is　an　entirely

legitimate　object。　　In　view　of　its　present

preponderance；　it　is　certainly　a　pity；　however；　that

so　few　stories　are　available；　the　accuracy　of

which；　from　this　point　of　view；　can　be　vouched

for。　　The　carefully　prepared　book　of　to…day　is

refuted　and　scoffed　at　to…morrow。　　The　teacher

who　wishes　to　use　story…telling　chiefly　as　an

element　in　nature　study　must　at　least　limit　herself

to　a　small　amount　of　absolutely　unquestioned

material；　or　else　subject　every　new　story　to　the

judgment　of　an　authority　in　the　line　dealt　with。

This　is　not　easy　for　the　teacher　at　a　distance

from　the　great　libraries；　and　for　those　who　have

access　to　well…equipped　libraries　it　is　a　matter

of　time　and　thought。



It　does　not　so　greatly　trouble　the　teacher　who

uses　the　nature　story　as　a　story；　rather　than　as

a　test…book；　for　she　will　not　be　so　keenly　attracted

toward　the　books　prepared　with　a　didactic　purpose。

She　will　find　a　good　gift　for　the　child　in

nature　stories　which　ARE　stories；　over　and　above

any　stimulus　to　his　curiosity　about　fact。　　That

good　gift　is　a　certain　possession　of　all　good　fiction。



One　of　the　best　things　good　fiction　does　for

any　of　us　is　to　broaden　our　comprehension　of

other　lots　than　our　own。　　The　average　man　or

woman　has　little　opportunity　actually　to　live

more　than　one　kind　of　life。　　The　chances　of

birth；　occupation；　family　ties；　determine　for

most　of　us　a　line　of　experience　not　very

inclusive　and　but　little　varied；　and　this　is　a　natural

barrier　to　our　complete　understanding　of　others；

whose　life…line　is　set　at　a　different　angle。　　It　is

not　possible　wholly　to　sympathise　with　emotions

engendered　by　experience　which　one　has　never

had。　　Yet　we　all　long　to　be　broad　in　sympathy

and　inclusive　in　appreciation；　we　long；　greatly；

to　know　the　experience　of　others。　　This　yearning

is　probably　one　of　the　good　but　misconceived

appetites　so　injudiciously　fed　by　the　gossip　of

the　daily　press。　　There　is　a　hope；　in　the　reader；

of　getting　for　the　moment　into　the　lives　of　people

who　move　in　wholly　different　sets　of　circumstances。

But　the　relation　of　dry　facts　in　newspapers；

however　tinged　with　journalistic　colour；

helps　very　little　to　enter　such　other　life。　　The

entrance　has　to　be　by　the　door　of　the　imagination；

and　the　journalist　is　rarely　able　to　open　it

for　us。　　But　there　is　a　genius　who　can　open　it。

The　author　who　can　write　fiction　of　the　right

sort　can　do　it；　his　is　the　gift　of　seeing　inner

realities；　and　of　showing　them　to　those　who

cannot　see　them　for　themselves。　　Sharing　the

imaginative　vision　of　the　story…writer；　we　can

truly　follow　out　many　other　roads　of　life　than

our　own。　　The　girl　on　a　lone　country　farm　is

made　to　understand　how　a　girl　in　a　city　sweating…

den　feels　and　lives；　the　London　exquisite　realises

the　life　of　a　Californian　ranchman；　royalty　and

tenement　dwellers　become　acquainted；　through

the　power　of　the　imagination　working　on

experience　shown　in　the　light　of　a　human　basis

common　to　both。　　Fiction　supplies　an　element

of　culture；that　of　the　sympathies；　which　is

invaluable。　　And　the　beginnings　of　this　culture；

this　widening　and　clearing　of　the　avenues　of

human　sympathy；　are　especially　easily　made

with　children　in　the　nature　story。



When　you　begin；　〃There　was　once　a　little

furry　rabbit；〃＇1＇　the　child's　curiosity　is　awakened

by　the　very　fact　that　the　rabbit　is　not　a　child；

but　something　of　a　different　species　altogether。

〃Now　for　something　new　and　adventuresome；〃

says　his　expectation；　〃we　are　starting　off　into　a

foreign　world。〃　　He　listens　wide…eyed；　while

you　say；　〃and　he　lived　in　a　warm；　cosy　nest；

down　under　the　long　grass　with　his　mother〃

how　delightful；　to　live　in　a　place　like　that；　so

different　from　little　boys'　homes！〃his　name

was　Raggylug；　and　his　mother's　name　was　Molly

Cottontail。　　And　every　morning；　when　Molly

Cottontail　went　out　to　get　their　food；　she　said

to　Raggylug；　‘Now；　Raggylug；　remember　you

are　only　a　baby　rabbit；　and　don't　move　from　the

nest。　　No　matter　what　you　hear；　no　matter　what

you　see；　don't　you　move！'〃all　this　is　different

still；　yet　it　is　familiar；　too；　it　appears　that　rabbits

are　rather　like　folks。　　So　the　tale　proceeds；　and

the　little　furry　rabbit　passes　through　experiences

strange　to　little　boys；　yet　very　like　little　boys'

adventures　in　some　re