Concerningthefundamentalpointsofmethodintellingastory，IhavelittletoaddtotheprincipleswhichIhavealreadystatedasnecessary，inmyopinion，inthebookofwhichthisis，inaway，thecontinuation。Butinthetwoyearswhichhavepassedsincethatbookwaswritten，I
havehadthehappinessofworkingonstoriesandthetellingofthem，amongteachersandstudentsalloverthiscountry，andinthatexperiencecertainsecondarypointsofmethodhavecometoseemmoreimportant，oratleastmoreinneedofemphasis，thantheydidbefore。Assooftenhappens，Ihadassumedthat\"thosethingsaretakenforgranted;\"whereas，tothebeginnerortheteachernotnaturallyastory—teller，thesecondaryorimpliedtechniqueisoftenofgreaterdifficultythanthemasteryofunderlyingprinciples。Thefewsuggestionswhichfollowareofthispractical，obviouskind。
Takeyourstoryseriously。Nomatterhowriotouslyabsurditis，orhowfullofinanerepetition，remember，ifitisgoodenoughtotell，itisarealstory，andmustbetreatedwithrespect。Ifyoucannotfeelsotowardit，donottellit。Havefaithinthestory，andintheattitudeofthechildrentowarditandyou。Ifyoufailinthis，theimmediateresultwillbeatouchofshame—
facedness，affectingyourmannerunfavorably，and，probably，influencingyouraccuracyandimaginativevividness。
PerhapsIcanmakethepointclearerbytellingyouaboutoneofthegirlsinaclasswhichwasstudyingstorieslastwinter;Ifeelsureifsheoranyofherfellowstudentsrecognizestheincident，shewillnotresentbeingmadetoservethegoodcause，evenintheunattractiveguiseofawarningexample。
Afewmembersoftheclasshadpreparedthestoryof\"TheFishermanandhisWife。\"Thefirstgirlcalledonwasevidentlyinclinedtofeelthatitwasratherafoolishstory。Shetriedtotellitwell，buttherewerepartsofitwhichproducedinherthetouchofshamefacednesstowhichIhavereferred。
Whenshecametotherhyme，——
\"Omanofthesea，come，listentome，ForAlice，mywife，theplagueofmylife，Hassentmetobegaboonofthee，\"
shesaiditratherrapidly。Atthefirstrepetitionshesaiditstillmorerapidly;thenexttimeshecametothejingleshesaiditsofastandsolowthatitwasunintelligible;
andthenextrecurrencewastoomuchforher。Withablushandahesitatingsmileshesaid，\"Andhesaidthatsamething，youknow！\"Ofcourseeverybodylaughed，andofcoursethethreadofinterestandillusionwashopelesslybrokenforeverybody。
Now，anyonewhochancedtohearMissShedlocktellthatsamestorywillrememberthattheabsurdrhymegavegreatopportunityforexpression，initsveryrepetition;
eachtimethatthefishermancametothewater’sedgehischagrinandunwillingnesswasgreater，andhissummonstothemagicfishmirroredhisfeeling。ThejingleIS
foolish;thatisapartofthecharm。ButifthepersonwhotellsitFEELSfoolish，thereisnocharmatall！Itisthesameprinciplewhichappliestoanyaddresstoanyassemblage：ifthespeakerhastheairoffindingwhathehastosayabsurdorunworthyofeffort，theaudiencenaturallytendstofollowhislead，andfinditnotworthlisteningto。
Letmeurge，then，takeyourstoryseriously。
Next，\"takeyourtime。\"Thissuggestionneedsexplaining，perhaps。Itdoesnotmeanlicensetodawdle。Nothingismuchmoreannoyinginaspeakerthantoogreatdeliberateness，orthanhesitationofspeech。Butitmeansaquietrealizationofthefactthatthefloorisyours，everybodywantstohearyou，thereistimeenoughforeverypointandshadeofmeaningandnoonewillthinkthestorytoolong。Thismentalattitudemustunderliepropercontrolofspeed。Neverhurry。Abusiness—likeleisureisthetrueattitudeofthestoryteller。
Andtheresultisbestattainedbyconcentratingone’sattentionontheepisodesofthestory。Passlightly，andcomparativelyswiftly，overtheportionsbetweenactualepisodes，buttakeallthetimeyouneedfortheelaborationofthose。Andaboveall，donotFEELhurried。
Thenextsuggestioniseminentlyplainandpractical，ifnotanalltooobviousone。
Itisthis：ifallyourpreparationandconfidencefailsyouatthecrucialmoment，andmemoryplaysthepartoftraitorinsomeparticular，if，inshort，youblunderonadetailofthestory，NEVERADMITIT。Ifitwasanunimportantdetailwhichyoumisstated，passrighton，acceptingwhateveryousaid，andcontinuingwithit;ifyouhavebeensounfortunateastoomitafactwhichwasanecessarylinkinthechain，putitin，later，asskillfullyasyoucan，andwithasdeceptiveanappearanceofitsbeingintheintendedorder;butnevertakethechildrenbehindthescenes，andletthemhearthecreakingofyourmentalmachinery。
Youmustbeinfallible。Youmustbeinthesecretofthemystery，andadmityouraudienceonsomewhatunequalterms;
theyshouldhavenocreepingdoubtsastoyourcompleteinitiationintothesecretsofthehappeningsyourelate。
Plainly，therecanbelapsesofmemorysocomplete，soall—embracing，thatfrankfailureistheonlyoutcome，butthesearesofewasnottoneedconsideration，whendealingwithsosimplematerialasthatofchildren’sstories。Therearetimes，too，beforeanadultaudience，whenaspeakercanaffordtolethishearersbeamusedwithhimoverachancemistake。Butwithchildrenitismostunwisetobreakthespelloftheentertainmentinthatway。Consider，inthematterofadetailofactionordescription，howabsolutelyunimportantthemereaccuracyis，comparedwiththeeffectofsmoothnessandtheenjoymentofthehearers。Theywillnotrememberthedetail，forgoodorevil，halfsolongastheywillrememberthefactthatyoudidnotknowit。So，fortheirsakes，aswellasforthesuccessofyourstory，coveryourslipsofmemory，andletthembeasiftheywerenot。
AndnowIcometotwopointsinmethodwhichhavetodoespeciallywithhumorousstories。Thefirstisthepowerofinitiatingtheappreciationofthejoke。Everynaturalhumoristdoesthisbyinstinctandthevalueofthepowertostory—tellercanhardlybeoverestimated。Toinitiateappreciationdoesnotmeanthatonenecessarilygiveswaytomirth，thougheventhatissometimesnaturalandeffective;onemerelyfeelstheapproachofthehumorousclimax，andsubtlysuggeststothehearersthatitwillsoonbe\"timetolaugh。\"Thesuggestionusuallycomesintheformoffacialexpression，andinthetone。Andchildrenaresomuchsimpler，andsomuchmoreaccustomedtofollowinganother’sleadthantheirelders，thattheexpressioncanbemuchmoreoutrightandunguardedthanwouldbepermissiblewithamatureaudience。
Childrenliketofeelthejokecoming，inthisway;theylovetheanticipationofalaugh，andtheywillbegintodimple，often，atyourfirstunconscioussuggestionofhumor。Ifitislacking，theyaresometimesafraidtofollowtheirowninstincts。
Especiallywhenyouarefacinganaudienceofgrownpeopleandchildrentogether，youwillfindthatthelatterareveryhesitantaboutinitiatingtheirownexpressionofhumor。Itismoredifficulttomakethemforgettheirsurroundingsthen，andmoredesirabletogivethemahappylead。Oftenatthefunniestpointyouwillseesomesmalllistenerinanagonyofendeavortocloakthemirthwhichhe——poormite——
fearstobeindecorous。Lethimseethatitis\"thething\"tolaugh，andthateverybodyisgoingto。
Havingsostimulatedtheappreciationofthehumorousclimax，itisimportanttogiveyourhearerstimeforthefullsavorofthejesttopermeatetheirconsciousness。
Itisreallyrobbinganaudienceofitsrights，topasssoquicklyfromonepointtoanotherthatthemindmustloseanewoneifitlingerstotakeintheold。Everyvitalpointinatalemustbegivenacertainamountoftime：byananticipatorypause，bysomeformofvocalorrepetitiveemphasis，andbyactualtime。Butevenmorethanothertalesdoesthefunnystorydemandthis。Itcannotbefunnywithoutit。
Everyonewhoisfamiliarwiththetheatremusthavenoticedhowcarefulallcomediansaretogivethispauseforappreciationandlaughter。Oftentheopportunityiscrudelygiven，ortooliberallyoffered;
andthatoffends。Butinareasonabledegreethepracticeisundoubtedlynecessarytoanyformofhumorousexpression。
Aremarkablygoodexampleofthetypeofhumorousstorytowhichtheseprinciplesofmethodapply，isthestoryof\"Epaminondas。\"
Itwillbeplaintoanyreaderthatalltheseveralfunnycrisesareoftheperfectlyunmistakablesortchildrenlike，andthat，moreover，thesefunnyspotsarenotonlyeasytosee;theyareeasytoforesee。Thetellercanhardlyhelpsharingthejokeinadvance，andthetaleisanexcellentonewithwhichtopracticeforpowerinthepointsmentioned。
Epaminondasisavaluablelittlerascalfromotherpointsofview，andImeantoreturntohim，topointamoral。ButjusthereIwantspaceforawordortwoaboutthematterofvarietyofsubjectandstyleinschoolstories。
Therearetwowhollydifferentkindsofstorywhichareequallynecessaryforchildren，Ibelieve，andwhichoughttobegiveninabouttheproportionofonetothree，infavorofthesecondkind;Imaketheratiounevenbecausethefirstkindismoredominatinginitseffect。
Thefirstkindisrepresentedbysuchstoriesasthe\"PigBrother，\"whichhasnowgrownsofamiliartoteachersthatitwillserveforillustrationwithoutrepetitionhere。
Itisthetypeofstorywhichspecificallyteachesacertainethicalorconductlesson，intheformofafableoranallegory，——itpassesontothechildtheconclusionsastoconductandcharacter，towhichtheracehas，ingeneral，attainedthroughcenturiesofexperienceandmoralizing。Thestorybecomesapartoftheoutfitofreceivedideasonmannersandmoralswhichisaninescapableandnecessarypossessionoftheheirofcivilization。
Childrendonotobjecttothesestoriesintheleast，ifthestoriesaregoodones。
Theyacceptthemwiththerelishwhichnatureseemstomaintainforalltrulynourishingmaterial。Andthelittletalesareoneofthemediathroughwhichweeldersmaytransmitsomeveryslightshareofthebenefitreceivedbyus，inturn，fromactualortransmittedexperience。
Thesecondkindhasnopreconceivedmoraltooffer，makesnoattempttoaffectjudgmentortopassonastandard。Itsimplypresentsapictureoflife，usuallyinfableorpoeticimage，andsaystothehearer，\"Thesethingsare。\"Thehearer，then，consciouslyorotherwise，passesjudgmentonthefacts。Hismindsays，\"Thesethingsaregood;\"or，\"Thiswasgood，andthat，bad;\"or，\"Thisthingisdesirable，\"
orthecontrary。
Thestoryof\"TheLittleJackalandtheAlligator\"isagoodillustrationofthistype。Itisacharacter—story。Inthenaiveformofafolktale，itdoubtlessembodiestheobservationsofaseeingeye，inacountryandtimewhenthelittlejackalandthegreatalligatorwereevenmorevividimagesofcertainhumancharactersthantheynoware。Againandagain，surely，theauthororauthorsofthetalesmusthaveseentheweak，small，cleverbeingtriumphoverthebulky，well—accoutred，stupidadversary。Againandagaintheyhadlaughedatthediscomfitureofthelatter，perhapsrejoicinginitthemorebecauseitremovedfearfromtheirownhouses。Andprobablyneverhadtheyconcernedthemselvesparticularlywiththebasicethicsofthestruggle。
Itwassimplyoneofthethingstheysaw。Itwaslife。Sotheymadeapictureofit。
Thefolktalesomade，andofsuchcharacter，comestothechildsomewhatasanunprejudicednewspaperaccountofto—
day’shappeningscomestous。Itpleadsnocause，exceptthroughitscontents;itexercisesnointentionedinfluenceonourmoraljudgment;itisthere，aslifeisthere，tobeseenandjudged。Andonlythroughsuchseeingandjudgingcantheindividualperceptionattaintoanythingofpowerororiginality。Justasacertainamountofreceivedideasisnecessarytosanedevelopment，soisadefiniteopportunityforfirst—handjudgmentsessentialtopower。
Inthisepochofwell—trainedmindswerunsomeriskofaninundationofacceptedethics。Themindwhichcanmakeindependentjudgments，canlookatnewfactswithfreshvision，andreachconclusionswithsimplicity，istheperennialpowerintheworld。Andthisisthemindwearenotnoticeablysuccessfulindeveloping，inoursystemofschooling。Letusatleasthaveitsneedsbeforeourconsciousness，inourattemptstosupplementtheregularstudiesofschoolbysuchside—activitiesasstory—telling。Letusgivethechildrenafairproportionofstorieswhichstimulateindependentmoralandpracticaldecisions。
Andnowforabriefreturntoourlittleblackfriend。\"Epaminondas\"belongstoaverylarge，veryancienttypeoffunnystory：thetaleinwhichthejestdependswhollyonanabnormaldegreeofstupidityonthepartofthehero。Everyracewhichproducesstoriesseemstohavefoundthisthemeanaturaloutletforitschildlikelaughter。ThestupidityofLazyJack，ofBigClaus，oftheGoodMan，ofCleverAlice，allhavetheircounterpartsinthefollyofthesmallEpaminondas。
Evidently，suchstorieshaveservedapurposeintheeducationoftherace。Whiletheexaggerationoffamiliarattributeseasilyawakensmirthinasimplemind，itdoesmore：itteachespracticallessonsofwisdomanddiscretion。Andpossiblythelessonwastheoriginalcauseofthestory。
Notlongago，Ihappeneduponaninstanceoftheteachingpowerofthesenonsensetales，soamusingandconvincingthatIcannotforbeartoshareit。A
primaryteacherwhoheardmetell\"Epaminondas\"
oneevening，toldittoherpupilsthenextmorning，withgreateffect。A
youngteacherwhowasobservingintheroomatthetimetoldmewhatbefell。
Shesaidthechildrenlaughedveryheartilyoverthestory，andevidentlylikeditmuch。Aboutanhourlater，oneofthemwassenttotheboardtodoalittleproblem。
Ithappenedthatthechildmadeanexcessivelyfoolishmistake，anddidnotnoticeit。Asheglancedattheteacherforthefamiliarsmileofencouragement，shesimplyraisedherhands，andejaculated\"`Forthelaw’ssake！’\"
Itwassufficient。Thechildtookthecueinstantly。Helookedhastilyathiswork，brokeintoanirrepressiblegiggle，rubbedthefiguresout，withoutaword，andbeganagain。Andthewholeclassenteredintothejokewiththegustooffellow—fools，foroncewise。
Itissafetoassumethatthechildinquestionwillmakefewerneedlessmistakesforalongtimebecauseofthewholesomereminderofhislikenesswithonewho\"ain’tgotthesensehewasbornwith。\"
Andwhatoccurredsovisiblyinhiscasegoesonquietlyinthehiddenrecessesofthemindinmanycases。One\"Epaminondas\"
isworththreelectures。
Iwishthereweremoreofsuchfunnylittletalesintheworld’sliterature，allready，asthisoneis，fortellingtotheyoungestofourlisteners。Butmasterpiecesarefewinanyline，andstoriesfortellingarenoexception;ittookgenerations，probably，tomakethisone。Thedemandfornewsourcesofsupplycomessteadilyfromteachersandmothers，andisthemoreinsistentbecausesooftenmetbythedisappointingrecommendationsofbookswhichprovetobeforreadingonly，ratherthanfortelling。Itwouldbeadelighttoprintalistoffifty，twenty—five，eventenbookswhichwouldbefoundfullofstoriestotellwithoutmuchadapting。
ButIamgratefultohavefoundevenfewerthantheten，towhichIamsuretheteachercanturnwithrealprofit。Thefollowingnamesare，ofcourse，additionaltothelistcontainedin\"HowtoTellStoriestoChildren。\"
ALLABOUTJOHNNIEJONES。ByCarolynVerhoeff。
MiltonBradleyCo。，Springfield，Mass。Valuableforkindergartnersasasupplyofrealisticstorieswithpracticallessonsinsimplestform。
OLDDECCANDAYS。ByMaryFrere。JosephMcDonough，Albany，NewYork。AsplendidcollectionofHindufolktales，adaptableforallages。
THESILVERCROWN。ByLauraE。Richards。
Little，Brown&Co。，Boston。Poeticfableswithbeautifulsuggestionsofethicaltruths。
THECHILDREN’SHOUR。BYEvaMarchTappan。
Houghton，Mifflin&Co。，Boston，NewYork，andChicago。Aclassifiedcollection，intenvolumes，offairy，folktales，fables，realistic，historical，andpoeticalstories。
FORTHECHILDREN’SHOUR。BYCarolynBaileyandClaraLewis。MiltonBradleyCo。，Springfield。
Ageneralcollectionofpopularstories，welltold。
THESONSOFCORMAC。ByAldisDunbar。Longmans，Green&Co。，London。RathermaturebutveryfineIrishstories。
Forthebenefitofsuggestiontoteachersinschoolswherestory—tellingisnewlyornotyetintroducedinsystematicform，Iamgladtoappendthefollowinglistofstorieswhichhavebeenfound，onseveralyears’trial，tobeespeciallytellableandlikable，incertaingradesoftheProvidenceschools，inRhodeIsland。Thelistisnotmine，althoughitembodiessomeofmysuggestions。Iofferitmerelyasapracticalresultoftheefforttoequalizeandextendthestory—hourthroughouttheschools。Itsmakerswouldbethelasttoclaimidealmeritforit，andtheyareconstantlyimprovinganddevelopingit。IamindebtedfortheprivilegeofusingittotheprimaryteachersofProvidence，andtotheirsupervisor，MissEllaL。Sweeney。
STORIESFORREPRODUCTION
FIRSTGRADE
ChickenLittleTheDogandhisShadowBarnyardTalkTheHareandtheHoundLittleRedHenFiveLittleRabbitsLittleGingerbreadBoyTheThreeBearsTheLionandtheMouseTheRed—headedWood—
TheHungryLionpeckerTheWindandtheSunLittleRedRiding—HoodTheFoxandtheCrowLittleHalf—ChickTheDuckandtheHenTheRabbitandtheTurtleTheHareandtheTortoiseTheShoemakerandtheTheThreeLittleRobinsFairiesTheWolfandtheKidTheWolfandtheCraneTheCrowandthePitcherTheCatandtheMouseTheFoxandtheGrapesSnow—WhiteandRose—RedSECONDGRADE
TheNorthWindTheLarkandherLittleTheMousePieOnesTheWonderfulTravelerTheWolfandtheGoslingsTheWolfandtheFoxTheUglyDucklingTheStarDollarsTheCountryMouseandtheTheWater—LilCityMouseTheThreeGoatsTheThreeLittlePigsTheBoyandtheNutsDiamondsandToadsTheHonestWoodmanTheThriftySquirrelThePiedPiperHowtheRobin’sBreastKingMidasbecameRedTheTownMusiciansTheOldWomanandherRaggylugPigPeterRabbitTheSleepingAppleTheBoywhocried\"Wolf\"TheCatandtheParrotTHIRDGRADE
TheCraneExpressHowtheMolebecameLittleBlackSamboBlindTheLanternandtheFanHowFirewasbroughttoWhytheBearhasaShorttheIndiansTailEchoWhytheFoxhasaWhitePiccolaTiptohisTailTheStoryoftheMorning—
WhytheWrenflieslowGlorySeedJackandtheBeanstalkTheDiscontentedPineTheTalkativeTortoiseTreeFleetWingandSweetVoiceTheBagofWindsTheGoldenFleeceTheFoolishWeather—VaneTheLittleBoywhowantedTheShut—upPosytheMoonPandora’sBoxBenjyinBeastlandTheLittleMatchGirlTomtit’sPeepattheWorldFOURTHGRADE
ArachneTheFirstSnowdropThePorcelainStoveTheThreeGoldenApplesMoufflouAndroclusandtheLionClytieTheOldManandhisTheLegendoftheTrailingDonkeyArbutusTheLeakintheDikeLatonaandtheFrogsKingTawnyManeDickWhittingtonandhisTheLittleLamePrinceCatAppleseedJohnDora，theLittleGirloftheNarcissusLighthouseWhytheSeaisSaltProserpineTheLittleHeroofHaarlemTheMiraculousPitcherTheBellofJusticeSTORY—TELLINGINTEACHINGENGLISH
Ihavetospeaknowofaphaseofelementaryeducationwhichliesveryclosetomywarmestinterest，which，indeed，couldeasilybecomeanactivehobbyifotherinterestsdidnotbeneficentlytugatmyskirtswhenIammindedtomountandridetoowildly。Itisthehobbyofmanyofyouwhoareteachers，also，andIknowyouwanttohearitdiscussed。ImeanthegrowingefforttoteachEnglishandEnglishliteraturetochildreninthenaturalway：byspeakingandhearing，——orally。
Wearecomingtoarealizationofthefactthatourability，asapeople，touseEnglishispitifullyinadequateandperverted。ThoseAmericanswhoarenotblindedbyalimitedhorizonofculturedacquaintance，andwhohavegiventhemselvesopportunitytohearthenaturalspeechoftheyoungergenerationinvaryingsectionsoftheUnitedStates，mustadmitthatitisnoexaggerationtosaythatthiscountryatlargehasnostandardofEnglishspeech。Thereisnogeneralsenseofresponsibilitytoourmothertongue（indeed，itisinanoverwhelmingdegreenotourmothertongue）andnogeneralappreciationofitsbeautyormeaning。Theaverageyoungpersonineverydistrictsaveahalf—dozenjealouslyguardedlittleprecinctsofgoodtaste，usesinexpressive，ill—
bredwords，spokenwithoutregardtotheirjustsound—effects，andinavoicewhichisaninjurytotheearofthemind，aswellasatormenttothephysicalear。
ThestructureofthelanguageandthechoiceofwordsaredarkmatterstomostofouryoungAmericans;thishaslongbeenacknowledgedandstruggledagainst。Butevendarker，andquiteequallydestructivetoEnglishexpression，istheirstateofmindregardingpronunciation，enunciation，andvoice。ItistheessentialconnectionoftheseelementswithEnglishspeechthatwehavebeensoslowtorealize。Wehavefeltthattheywereexternals，desirablebutnotnecessaryadjuncts，——prettytagsofanexceptionalgiftorculture。Manyanintelligentschooldirectorto—daywillsay，\"Idon’tcaremuchaboutHOWyousayathing;itisWHAT
yousaythatcounts。\"Hecannotseethatvoiceandenunciationandpronunciationareessentials。Buttheyare。Youcannomorehelpaffectingthemeaningofyourwordsbythewayyousaythemthanyoucanpreventtheexpressionsofyourfacefromcarryingamessage;themessagemaybepervertedbyanuncouthhabit，butitwillnolesssurelyinsistonrecognition。
Thefactisthatspeechisamethodofcarryingideasfromonehumansoultoanother，bywayoftheear。Andtheseideasareverycomplex。Theyarenotunmixedemanationsofpureintellect，transmittedtopureintellect：theyarecompoundedofemotions，thoughts，fancies，andareenhancedorimpededintransmissionbytheuseofword—symbolswhichhaveacquired，byassociation，infinitecomplexitiesinthemselves。Themoodofthemoment，theespecialweightofaturnofthought，thedesireofthespeakertosharehisexactsoul—conceptwithyou，——theseseekfarmoresubtlemeansthanthemererenderingofcertainvocalsigns;theydemandsuchvariationsanddelicateadjustmentsofsoundaswillinevitablyaffectthelisteningmindwiththeresponsedesired。
Thereisno\"what\"withoutthe\"how\"
inspeech。Thesamewrittensentencebecomestwodiametricallyoppositeideas，givenopposinginflectionandaccompanyingvoice—effect。\"Hestoodinthefrontrankofthebattle\"canbemadepraisefulaffirmation，scornfulskepticism，orsimplequestion，byasimplevaryingofvoiceandinflection。Thisisthemoreunmistakablewayinwhichthe\"how\"affectsthe\"what。\"
Justastrueisthelessobviousfact。Thesamewrittensentiment，spokenbyWendellPhillipsandbyamanfromtheBoweryoranuneducatedranchman，isnotthesametothelistener。Inonecasethesentimentcomestothemind’searwithcertaincompletingandenhancingqualitiesofsoundwhichgiveitaccuracyandpoignancy。
Thewordsthemselvesretainalltheirpossiblesuggestivenessinthespeaker’sjustandclearenunciation，andhaveaborrowedbeauty，besides，fromtheassociationsoffinehabitbetrayedinthevoiceandmannerofspeech。And，further，theimmensepersonalequationshowsitselfinthebeautyandpowerofthevocalexpressiveness，whichcarriesshadesofmeaning，unguesseddelicaciesofemotion，intimationsofbeauty，toeveryear。Intheothercase，thethoughtiscloudedbyunavoidablesuggestionsofignoranceandugliness，broughtbythepronunciationandvoice，eventoanunanalyticalear;themeaningisobscuredbyinaccurateinflectionanduncertainorcorruptenunciation;but，worstofall，thepersonalatmosphere，thearoma，oftheideahasbeenlostintransmissionthroughaclumsy，ill—fittedmedium。
Thethingsaidmaylookthesameonaprintedpage，butitisnotthesamewhenspoken。Anditisthespokensentencewhichistheoriginalandtheusualmodeofcommunication。
ThewidespreadpovertyofexpressioninEnglish，whichisthusamatterof\"how，\"
andtowhichweareawakening，mustbecorrectedchiefly，atleastatfirst，bythecommonschools。Thehomeistheidealplaceforit，buttheaveragehomeoftheUnitedStatesisnolongerapossibleplaceforit。Thechildofforeignparents，thechildofparentslittleeducatedandbredinlimitedcircumstances，thechildofpowerfulprovincialinfluences，mustalldependontheschoolforstandardsofEnglish。
Anditistheelementaryschoolwhichmustmeettheneed，ifitistobemetatall。
FortheconceptionofEnglishexpressionwhichIamtalkingofcanfindnomodeofinstructionadequatetoitsmeaning，saveinconstantappealtotheear，atanagesoearlythatunconscioushabitisformed。Norules，noanalyticalinstructioninlaterdevelopment，canaccomplishwhatisneeded。
Hearingandspeaking;imitating，unwittinglyandwittingly，agoodmodel;itistothismethodwemustlookforredemptionfrompresentconditions。
IbelieveweareontheeveofarealrevolutioninEnglishteaching，——onlyitisarevolutionwhichwillnotbreakthepeace。
Thenewwaywillleaveanoverwhelmingpreponderanceoforalmethodsinuseuptothefifthorsixthgrade，andwillintroducealargerproportionoforalworkthanhaseverbeencontemplatedingrammarandhighschoolwork。ItwillrecognizethefactthatEnglishisprimarilysomethingspokenwiththemouthandheardwiththeear。
Andthisrecognitionwillhavegreatestweightinthesystemsofelementaryteaching。
ItisasanaidinoralteachingofEnglishthatstory—tellinginschoolfindsitssecondvalue;ethicsisthefirstgroundofitsusefulness，Englishthesecond，——andafterthese，theothers。Itis，too，fortheoralusesthatthesecondaryformsofstory—tellingaresoavailable。BysecondaryImeanthosedeviceswhichIhavetriedtoindicate，asusedbymanyAmericanteachers，inthechapteron\"SpecificSchoolroomUses，\"
inmyearlierbook。Theyarere—telling，dramatization，andformsofseat—work。
Alloftheseareagreatpowerinthehandsofawiseteacher。Ifcombinedwithmuchattentiontovoiceandenunciationintherecitalofpoetry，andwithmuchgoodreadingaloudBYTHETEACHER，theywillgofartowardsettingastandardanddevelopinggoodhabit。
Buttheirprovincesmustnotbeconfusedoroverestimated。ItrustImaybepardonedforofferingacautionortwototheenthusiasticadvocateofthesemethods，——cautionstheneedofwhichhasbeenforceduponme，inexperiencewithschools。
AteacherwhousestheoralstoryasanEnglishfeaturewithlittlechildrenmustneverlosesightofthefactthatitisanaidinunconsciousdevelopment;notafactorinstudied，consciousimprovement。Thistruthcannotbetoostronglyrealized。
Otherexercises，insufficiency，givetheopportunityforregulatedeffortfordefiniteresults，butthestoryisoneoftheplay—
forces。ItsuseinEnglishteachingismostvaluablewhentheteacherhasakeenappreciationofthenaturalorderofgrowthintheartofexpression：thatartrequires，astheoldrhetoricsusedoftentoputit，\"anaturalfacility，succeededbyanacquireddifficulty。\"Inotherwords，thepowerofexpressiondepends，first，onsomethingmorefundamentalthantheart—element;
thebasisofitissomethingtosay，ACCOMPANIEDBYANURGENTDESIRETOSAYIT，andYIELDEDTOWITHFREEDOM;onlyafterthisstageisreachedcantheart—phasebeofanyuse。The\"why\"and\"how，\"theanalyticalandconstructivephases，havenonaturalplaceinthisfirstvitalepoch。
Preciselyhere，however，doesthedramatizingofstoriesandthepaper—cutting，etc。，becomeuseful。Afineandthoughtfulprincipalofagreatschoolaskedme，recently，withrealconcern，aboutthegrowinguseofsuchdevices。Hesaid，\"Paper—cuttingisgood，butwhathasittodowithEnglish？\"
Andthenheadded：\"Thechildrenuseabominablelanguagewhentheyplaythestories;canthatdirectlyaidthemtospeakgoodEnglish？\"Hisobservationwascloseandcorrect，andhisconservatismmorevaluablethantheenthusiasmofsomeofhiscolleagueswhohaveadvocatedsweepinguseofthesupplementarywork。Buthispointofviewignoredthebasisofexpression，whichistomymindsoimportant。
Paper—cuttingisexternaltoEnglish，ofcourse。Itsonlyconnectionisinitspowertocorrelatedifferentformsofexpression，andtoreactonspeech—expressionthroughsense—stimulus。ButplayingthestoryisacloserrelativetoEnglishthanthis。Ithelps，amazingly，ingivingthe\"somethingtosay，theurgentdesiretosayit，\"andthefreedomintrying。Nevermindthecrudities，——atleast，atthetime;workonlyforjoyousfreedom，inventiveness，andnaturalformsofreproductionoftheideasgiven。Lookforverygradualchangesinspeech，throughthepermeatingpowerofimitation，butdonotforgetthatthisisthestageofexpressionwhichinevitablyprecedesart。
Allthiswillmeanthatnocorrectionsaremade，exceptinflagrantcasesofslangorgrammar，thoughallbadslipsarementallynoted，forintroductionatamorefavorabletime。Itwillmeanthattheteacherwillrespectthecontinuityofthoughtandinterestascompletelyasshewouldwishanaudiencetorespectheroccasionalprosyperiodsifshewerereadingareport。Shewillremember，ofcoursethatsheisnottrainingactorsforamateurtheatricals，howevertemptinghershow—materialmaybe;
sheissimplylettingthechildrenplaywithexpression，justasagymnasiumteacherintroducesmuscularplay，——forpowerthroughrelaxation。
Whenthetimecomesthattheactorslosetheirunconsciousnessitistheendofthestory—play。Drilledwork，thebeginningoftheart，isthenthenecessity。
Ihaveindicatedthatthechildrenmaybeleftundisturbedintheircruditiesandoccasionalabsurdities。Theteacher，ontheotherhand，mustavoid，withgreatjudgment，certainabsurditieswhichcaneasilybeinitiatedbyher。Thefirstdirefulpossibilityisinthechoiceofmaterial。Itisverydesirablethatchildrenshouldnotbeallowedtodramatizestoriesofakindsopoetic，sodelicate，orsopotentiallyvaluablethatthematerialisindangeroflosingfuturebeautytothepupilsthroughitspresentcrudehandling。MotherGooseisahardyoldlady，andwillnotsufferfromthegraspoftheseven—year—old;andthefamiliarfablesandtalesofthe\"Goldilocks\"
varietyhaveafirmnessofsurfacewhichdoesnotlettheglamourruboff;butstoriesinwhichthereisahintofthebeautyjustbeyondthepalpable——orofadignitysuggestiveofdevelopedliterature——aresorelyhurtintheirmetamorphosis，andshouldbeprotectedfromit。Theyarefortellingonly。
Anotherpointonwhichitisnecessarytoexercisereserveisinthedegreetowhichanystorycanbeacted。Inthejustifiabledesiretobringalargenumberofchildrenintotheactiononemustnotlosesightofthesanityandproprietyofthepresentation。
Forexample，onemustnotmakearidiculouscaricature，whereapicture，howevercrude，istheintention。Personallyrepresentonlysuchthingsasaredefinitelyanddramaticallypersonifiedinthestory。Ifanaturalforce，thewind，forexample，isrepresentedastalkingandactinglikeahumanbeinginthestory，itcanbeimagedbyapersonintheplay;butifitremainsapartofthepictureinthestory，performingonlyitsnaturalmotions，itisacaricaturetoenactitasarole。ThemostpowerfulinstanceofamistakeofthiskindwhichIhaveeverseenwilldoubtlessmakemymeaningclear。Inplayingaprettystoryaboutanimalsandchildren，somechildreninaprimaryschoolweremadebytheteachertotakethepartofthesea。Inthestory，theseawassaidto\"beatupontheshore，\"asaseawould，withoutdoubt。Intheplay，thechildrenwereallowedtothumpthefloorlustily，asapresentationoftheirwateryfunctions！Itwasunconscionablyfunny。Fancypresentingeventhecrudestimageofthemightysea，surgingupontheshore，byarowofinfantssquattedonthefloorandpoundingwiththeirfists！Suchpitfallscanbeavoidedbythesimpleruleofpersonifyingonlycharactersthatactuallybehavelikehumanbeings。
Acautionwhichdirectlyconcernstheartofstorytellingitself，mustbeaddedhere。Thereisadefinitedistinctionbetweentheartsofnarrationanddramatizationwhichmustneverbeoverlooked。Donot，yourself，halftellandhalfactthestory;anddonotletthechildrendoit。Itisdoneinverygoodschools，sometimes，becauseanenthusiasmforrealisticandlivelypresentationmomentarilyobscuresthefacultyofdiscrimination。AmuchlovedandrespectedteacherwhomI
recentlylistenedto，andwhowilllaughifsherecognizesherblunderhere，offersagood\"badexample\"inthisparticular。Shesaidtoanattentiveaudienceofstudentsthatshehadatlast，withmuchdifficulty，broughtherselftothepointwhereshecouldforgetherselfinherstory：whereshecould，forinstance，hop，likethefox，whenshetoldthestoryofthe\"sourgrapes。\"Shesaid，\"Itwashardatfirst，butnowitisamatterofcourse;ANDTHECHILDRENDOITTOO，WHENTHEYTELLTHESTORY。\"Thatwasthepity！
Isawtheillustrationmyselfalittlelater。
Thechildwhoplayedfoxbeganwithastory：hesaid，\"Oncetherewasanoldfox，andhesawsomegrapes;\"thenthechildwalkedtotheothersideoftheroom，andlookedupatanimaginaryvine，andsaid，\"Hewantedsome;hethoughttheywouldtastegood，sohejumpedforthem;\"atthispointthechilddidjump，likehisrole;
thenhecontinuedwithhisstory，\"buthecouldn’tgetthem。\"Andsoheproceeded，withaconstantalternationofnarrativeanddramatizationwhichwasenoughtomakeonedizzy。
Thetroubleinsuchworkis，plainly，alackofdiscriminatinganalysis。Tellingastorynecessarilyimpliesnon—identificationofthetellerwiththeevent;herelateswhatoccursoroccurred，outsideofhiscircleofconciousness。Actingaplaynecessarilyimpliesidentificationoftheactorwiththeevent;hepresentstoyouapictureofthething，inhimself。Itisadifferencewideandclear，andtheleastfailuretorecognizeitconfusestheaudienceandinjuresbotharts。
Intheprecedinginstancesofsecondaryusesofstory—tellingIhavecomesomedistancefromthegreatpoint，thefundamentalpoint，ofthepowerofimitationinbreedinggoodhabit。Thispowerislessnoticeablyactiveinthedramatizingthaninsimplere—telling;inthelisteningandthere—
telling，itisdominantforgood。Thechildimitateswhathehearsyousayandseesyoudo，andthewayyousayanddoit，farmorecloselyinthestory—hourthaninanylesson—period。Heisinamoreabsorbentstate，asitwere，becausethereisnopreoccupationofeffort。Hereisthegreatopportunityoftheculturedteacher;hereistheappallingopportunityofthecarelessorignorantteacher。FortheimplicationsoftheoraltheoryofteachingEnglishareevident，concerningtheimmenseimportanceoftheteacher’shabit。Thisiswhatitallcomestoultimately;theteacherofyoungchildrenmustbeapersonwhocanspeakEnglishasitshouldbespoken，——purely，clearly，pleasantly，andwithforce。
Itisahardidealtoliveupto，butitisavaluableidealtotrytoliveupto。Andoneofthebestchancestoworktowardattainmentisintellingstories，forthereyouhavedefinitematerial，whichyoucanworkintoshapeandpracticeoninprivate。
Thatpracticeoughttoincludeconsciousthoughtastoone’sgeneralmannerintheschoolroom，andintelligentefforttounderstandandimproveone’sownvoice。IhopeIshallnotseemtoassumethedignityofanauthoritywhichnopersonaltastecanclaim，ifIbegahearingforthefollowingelementsofmannerandvoice，whichappealtomeasessential。Theywill，probably，appearself—evidenttomyreaders，yettheyareoftenfoundwantinginthepublicschool—teacher;itissomucheasiertosay\"whatweregoodtodo\"thantodoit！
Threeelementsofmannerseemtomeanessentialadjuncttothepersonalityofateacheroflittlechildren：courtesy，reposevitality。Reposeandvitalityexplainthemselves;
bycourtesyIspecificallydoNOT
meanthehabitofmindwhichcontentsitselfwithdrillingchildrenin\"Good—
mornings\"andinhat—liftings。Imeantheattitudeofmindwhichrecognizesintheyoungest，commonestchild，thepotentialdignity，majesty，andmysteryofthedevelopedhumansoul。Genuinereverenceforthehumanityofthe\"otherfellow\"
marksadefinitedegreeofcourtesyintheintercourseofadults，doesitnot？Andthesamequalityofrespect，temperedbythedemandsofawisecontrol，isexactlywhatisneededamongchildren。Againandagain，indealingwithyoungminds，theteacherwhorespectspersonalityassacred，nomatterhowembryonicitbe，winsthevictorieswhichcountfortrueeducation。Yet，alltoooften，weforgettheclaimsofthisreverence，inthepresenceoftheannoyancesandtheneededcorrections。
Asforvoice：workinschoolroomsbringstwoopposingmistakesconstantlybeforeme：oneistherepressedvoice，andtheother，theforced。Thebestwaytoavoideitherextreme，istokeepinmindthattheidealisdevelopmentofone’sownnaturalvoice，alongitsownnaturallines。
A\"quiet，gentlevoice\"isconscientiouslyaimedatbymanyyoungteachers，withsogreatzealthatthetonebecomespainfullyrepressed，\"breathy，\"andtimid。Thisisquiteasunpleasantasaloudvoice，whichis，inturn，afrequentresultofearlyadmonitionsto\"speakup。\"Neitherisnatural。
Itiswisetodeterminethenaturalvolumeandpitchofone’sspeakingvoicebyanumberoftests，madewhenoneisthoroughlyrested，atease，andalone。Findoutwhereyourvoicelieswhenitislefttoitself，underfavorableconditions，byreadingsomethingaloudorbylisteningtoyourselfasyoutalktoanintimatefriend。Thenpractisekeepingitinthatgeneralrange，unlessitprovetohaveadistinctfault，suchasanervoussharpness，orhoarseness。A
quietvoiceisgood;ahushedvoiceisabnormal。Acleartoneisrestful，butaloudoneiswearying。
Perhapsthecommon—sensewayofsettingastandardforone’sownvoiceistorememberthatthe，purposeofaspeakingvoiceistocommunicatewithothers;theirearsandmindsarethereceiversofourtones。Forthispurpose，evidently，avoiceshouldbe，firstofall，easytohear;next，pleasanttohear;next，susceptibleofsufficientvariationtoexpressawiderangeofmeaning;andfinally，indicativeofpersonality。
Isittooquixotictourgeteacherswhotellstoriestolittlechildrentobearthesethoughts，andbetteronesoftheirown，inmind？Not，Ithink，ifitbefullyacceptedthatthestoryhour，asaplayhour，isatimepeculiarlyopentoinfluencesaffectingtheimitativefaculty;thatthisfacultyisespeciallyvaluableinformingfinehabitsofspeech;andthatanincreasinglyhighandgeneralstandardofEnglishspeechisoneofourgreatestneedsandourmostinstantopportunitiesintheAmericanschoolsofto—day。
Andnowwecometothestories！
STORIESTOTELLTOCHILDREN
TWOLITTLERIDDLESINRHYME[1]
[1]TheseriddlesweretakenfromtheGaelic，andarecharmingexamplesofthenaivebeautyoftheoldIrish，andofDr。
Hyde’saccurateandsympatheticmodernrendering。From\"BesidetheFire\"（DavidNutt，London）。
There’sagardenthatIken，Fulloflittlegentlemen;
Littlecapsofbluetheywear，Andgreenribbons，veryfair。
（Flax。）
Fromhousetohousehegoes，Amessengersmallandslight，Andwhetheritrainsorsnows，Hesleepsoutsideinthenight。
（Thepath。）
THELITTLEPINKROSE
OncetherewasalittlepinkRosebud，andsheliveddowninalittledarkhouseundertheground。Onedayshewassittingthere，allbyherself，anditwasverystill。Suddenly，sheheardalittleTAP，TAP，TAP，atthedoor。
\"Whoisthat？\"shesaid。
\"It’stheRain，andIwanttocomein;\"
saidasoft，sad，littlevoice。
\"No，youcan’tcomein，\"thelittleRosebudsaid。
ByandbysheheardanotherlittleTAP，TAP，TAPonthewindowpane。
\"Whoisthere？\"shesaid。
Thesamesoftlittlevoiceanswered，\"It’stheRain，andIwanttocomein！\"
\"No，youcan’tcomein，\"saidthelittleRosebud。
Thenitwasverystillforalongtime。Atlast，therecamealittlerustling，whisperingsound，allroundthewindow：RUSTLE，WHISPER，WHISPER。
\"Whoisthere？\"saidthelittleRosebud。
\"It’stheSunshine，\"saidalittle，soft，cheeryvoice，\"andIwanttocomein！\"
\"N——no，\"saidthelittlepinkrose，\"youcan’tcomein。\"Andshesatstillagain。
Prettysoonsheheardthesweetlittlerustlingnoiseatthekey—hole。
\"Whoisthere？\"shesaid。
\"It’stheSunshine，\"saidthecheerylittlevoice，\"andIwanttocomein，I
wanttocomein！\"
\"No，no，\"saidthelittlepinkrose，\"youcannotcomein。\"
Byandby，asshesatsostill，sheheardTAP，TAP，TAP，andRUSTLE，WHISPER，RUSTLE，allupanddownthewindowpane，andonthedoor，andatthekey—hole。
\"WHOISTHERE？\"shesaid。
\"It’stheRainandtheSun，theRainandtheSun，\"saidtwolittlevoices，together，\"andwewanttocomein！Wewanttocomein！Wewanttocomein！\"
\"Dear，dear！\"saidthelittleRosebud，\"iftherearetwoofyou，Is’poseIshallhavetoletyouin。\"
Sosheopenedthedooralittleweecrack，andintheycame。Andonetookoneofherlittlehands，andtheothertookherotherlittlehand，andtheyran，ran，ranwithher，rightuptothetopoftheground。Thentheysaid，——
\"Pokeyourheadthrough！\"
Soshepokedherheadthrough;andshewasinthemidstofabeautifulgarden。
Itwasspringtime，andalltheotherflowershadtheirheadspokedthrough;andshewastheprettiestlittlepinkroseinthewholegarden！
THECOCK—A—DOO—DLE—DOO[1]
[1]From\"TheIgnominyofbeingGrownUp，\"byDr。SamuelM。Crothers，intheAtlanticMonthlyforJuly，1906。
Averylittleboymadethisstoryup\"outofhishead，\"andtoldittohispapaIthinkyoulittlestoneswilllikeit;Ido。
Onceuponatimetherewasalittleboy，andhewantedtobeacock—a—doo—dle—dooSohewasacock—a—doo—dle—doo。Andhewantedtoflyupintothesky。Sohedidflyupintothesky。Andhewantedtogetwingsandatail。Sohedidgetsomewingsandatail。
THECLOUD[2]
[2]AdaptedfromtheGermanofRobertReinick’sMaarchen，Lieder—undGeschichtenbuch（VelhagenundKlasing，BielefeldandLeipsic）。
OnehotsummermorningalittleCloudroseoutoftheseaandfloatedlightlyandhappilyacrossthebluesky。Farbelowlaytheearth，brown，dry，anddesolate，fromdrouth。ThelittleCloudcouldseethepoorpeopleoftheearthworkingandsufferinginthehotfields，whilesheherselffloatedonthemorningbreeze，hitherandthither，withoutacare。
\"Oh，ifIcouldonlyhelpthepoorpeopledownthere！\"shethought。\"IfIcouldbutmaketheirworkeasier，orgivethehungryonesfood，orthethirstyadrink！\"
Andasthedaypassed，andtheCloudbecamelarger，thiswishtodosomethingforthepeopleofearthwasevergreaterinherheart。
Onearthitgrewhotterandhotter;thesunburneddownsofiercelythatthepeoplewerefaintinginitsrays;itseemedasiftheymustdieofheat，andyettheywereobligedtogoonwiththeirwork，fortheywereverypoor。SometimestheystoodandlookedupattheCloud，asiftheywerepraying，andsaying，\"Ah，ifyoucouldhelpus！\"
\"Iwillhelpyou;Iwill！\"saidtheCloud。
Andshebegantosinksoftlydowntowardtheearth。
Butsuddenly，asshefloateddown，sherememberedsomethingwhichhadbeentoldherwhenshewasatinyCloud—child，inthelapofMotherOcean：ithadbeenwhisperedthatiftheCloudsgotooneartheearththeydie。Whensherememberedthissheheldherselffromsinking，andswayedhereandthereonthebreeze，thinking，——thinking。Butatlastshestoodquitestill，andspokeboldlyandproudly。
Shesaid，\"Menofearth，Iwillhelpyou，comewhatmay！\"
Thethoughtmadehersuddenlymarvelouslybigandstrongandpowerful。Neverhadshedreamedthatshecouldbesobig。
Likeamightyangelofblessingshestoodabovetheearth，andliftedherheadandspreadherwingsfaroverthefieldsandwoods。Shewassogreat，somajestic，thatmenandanimalswereawe—struckatthesight;thetreesandthegrassesbowedbeforeher;yetalltheearth—creaturesfeltthatshemeantthemwell。
\"Yes，Iwillhelpyou，\"criedtheCloudoncemore。\"Takemetoyourselves;Iwillgivemylifeforyou！\"
Asshesaidthewordsawonderfullightglowedfromherheart，thesoundofthunderrolledthroughthesky，andalovegreaterthanwordscantellfilledtheCloud;down，down，closetotheearthsheswept，andgaveupherlifeinablessed，healingshowerofrain。
ThatrainwastheCloud’sgreatdeed;
itwasherdeath，too;butitwasalsoherglory。Overthewholecountry—side，asfarastherainfell，alovelyrainbowsprangitsarch，andallthebrightestraysofheavenmadeitscolors;itwasthelastgreetingofalovesogreatthatitsacrificeditself。
Soonthat，too，wasgone，butlong，longafterwardthemenandanimalswhoweresavedbytheCloudkeptherblessingintheirhearts。
THELITTLEREDHEN
ThelittleRedHenwasinthefarmyardwithherchickens，whenshefoundagrainofwheat。
\"Whowillplantthiswheat？\"shesaid。
\"NotI，\"saidtheGoose。
\"NotI，\"saidtheDuck。
\"Iwill，then，\"saidthelittleRedHen，andsheplantedthegrainofwheat。
Whenthewheatwasripeshesaid，\"Whowilltakethiswheattothemill？\"
\"NotI，\"saidtheGoose。
\"NotI，\"saidtheDuck。
\"Iwill，then，\"saidthelittleRedHen，andshetookthewheattothemill。
Whenshebroughttheflourhomeshesaid，\"Whowillmakesomebreadwiththisflour？\"
\"NotI，\"saidtheGoose。
\"NotI，\"saidtheDuck。
\"Iwill，then，\"saidthelittleRedHen。
Whenthebreadwasbaked，shesaid，\"Whowilleatthisbread？\"
\"Iwill，\"saidtheGoose\"Iwill，\"saidtheDuck\"No，youwon’t，\"saidthelittleRedHen。
\"Ishalleatitmyself。Cluck！cluck！\"Andshecalledherchickenstohelpher。
THEGINGERBREADMAN[1]
[1]Ihavetriedtogivethisstoryinthemostfamiliarform;itvariesagooddealinthehandsofdifferentstory—tellers，butthisissubstantiallytheversionIwas\"broughtupon。\"TheformoftheendingwassuggestedtomebythestoryinCarolynBailey’sFortheChildren’sHour（MiltonBradleyCo。）。
Onceuponatimetherewasalittleoldwomanandalittleoldman，andtheylivedallaloneinalittleoldhouse。Theyhadn’tanylittlegirlsoranylittleboys，atall。Sooneday，thelittleoldwomanmadeaboyoutofgingerbread;shemadehimachocolatejacket，andputcinnamonseedsinitforbuttons;hiseyesweremadeoffine，fatcurrants;hismouthwasmadeofrose—coloredsugar;andhehadagaylittlecapoforangesugar—candy。Whenthelittleoldwomanhadrolledhimout，anddressedhimup，andpinchedhisgingerbreadshoesintoshape，sheputhiminapan;thensheputthepanintheovenandshutthedoor;andshethought，\"NowIshallhavealittleboyofmyown。\"
WhenitwastimefortheGingerbreadBoytobedonesheopenedtheovendoorandpulledoutthepan。OutjumpedthelittleGingerbreadBoyontothefloor，andawayheran，outofthedooranddownthestreet！Thelittleoldwomanandthelittleoldmanranafterhimasfastastheycould，buthejustlaughed，andshouted，——
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
Andtheycouldn’tcatchhim。
ThelittleGingerbreadBoyranonandon，untilhecametoacow，bytheroadside。
\"Stop，littleGingerbreadBoy，\"saidthecow;\"Iwanttoeatyou。\"ThelittleGingerbreadBoylaughed，andsaid，——
\"Ihaverunawayfromalittleoldwoman，\"Andalittleoldman，\"AndIcanrunawayfromyou，Ican！\"
And，asthecowchasedhim，helookedoverhisshoulderandcried，——
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
Andthecowcouldn’tcatchhim。
ThelittleGingerbreadBoyranon，andon，andon，tillhecametoahorse，inthepasture。\"Pleasestop，littleGingerbreadBoy，\"saidthehorse，\"youlookverygoodtoeat。\"ButthelittleGingerbreadBoylaughedoutloud。\"Oho！oho！\"hesaid，——
\"Ihaverunawayfromalittleoldwoman，\"Alittleoldman，\"Acow，\"AndIcanrunawayfromyou，Ican！\"
And，asthehorsechasedhim，helookedoverhisshoulderandcried，——
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
Andthehorsecouldn’tcatchhim。
ByandbythelittleGingerbreadBoycametoabarnfullofthreshers。WhenthethresherssmelledtheGingerbreadBoy，theytriedtopickhimup，andsaid，\"Don’trunsofast，littleGingerbreadBoy;youlookverygoodtoeat。\"ButthelittleGingerbreadBoyranharderthanever，andasheranhecriedout，——
\"Ihaverunawayfromalittleoldwoman，\"Alittleoldman，\"Acow，\"Ahorse，\"AndIcanrunawayfromyou，Ican！\"
Andwhenhefoundthathewasaheadofthethreshers，heturnedandshoutedbacktothem，——
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
Andthethresherscouldn’tcatchhim。
ThenthelittleGingerbreadBoyranfasterthanever。Heranandranuntilhecametoafieldfullofmowers。Whenthemowerssawhowfinehelooked，theyranafterhim，callingout，\"Waitabit！waitabit，littleGingerbreadBoy，wewishtoeatyou！\"ButthelittleGingerbreadBoylaughedharderthanever，andranlikethewind。\"Oho！oho！\"hesaid，——
\"Ihaverunawayfromalittleoldwoman，\"Alittleoldman，\"Acow，\"Ahorse，\"Abarnfullofthreshers，\"AndIcanrunawayfromyou，Ican！\"
Andwhenhefoundthathewasaheadofthemowers，heturnedandshoutedbacktothem，——
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
Andthemowerscouldn’tcatchhim。
BythistimethelittleGingerbreadBoywassoproudthathedidn’tthinkanybodycouldcatchhim。Prettysoonhesawafoxcomingacrossafield。Thefoxlookedathimandbegantorun。ButthelittleGingerbreadBoyshoutedacrosstohim，\"Youcan’tcatchme！\"Thefoxbegantorunfaster，andthelittleGingerbreadBoyranfaster，andasheranhechuckled，——
\"Ihaverunawayfromalittleoldwoman，\"Alittleoldman，\"Acow，\"Ahorse，\"Abarnfullofthreshers，\"Afieldfullofmowers，\"AndIcanrunawayfromyou，Ican！
\"Run！run！asfastasyoucan！
\"Youcan’tcatchme，I’mtheGingerbreadMan！\"
\"Why，\"saidthefox，\"IwouldnotcatchyouifIcould。Iwouldnotthinkofdisturbingyou。\"
Justthen，thelittleGingerbreadBoycametoariver。Hecouldnotswimacross，andhewantedtokeeprunningawayfromthecowandthehorseandthepeople。
\"Jumponmytail，andIwilltakeyouacross，\"saidthefox。
SothelittleGingerbreadBoyjumpedonthefox’stail，andthefoxswamintotheriver。Whenhewasalittlewayfromshoreheturnedhishead，andsaid，\"Youaretooheavyonmytail，littleGingerbreadBoy，IfearIshallletyougetwet;jumponmyback。\"
ThelittleGingerbreadBoyjumpedonhisback。
Alittlefartherout，thefoxsaid，\"Iamafraidthewaterwillcoveryou，there;jumponmyshoulder。\"
ThelittleGingerbreadBoyjumpedonhisshoulder。
Inthemiddleofthestreamthefoxsaid，\"Oh，dear！littleGingerbreadBoy，myshoulderissinking;jumponmynose，andIcanholdyououtofwater。\"
SothelittleGingerbreadBoyjumpedonhisnose。
Theminutethefoxgotonshorehethrewbackhishead，andgaveasnap！
\"Dearme！\"saidthelittleGingerbreadBoy，\"Iamaquartergone！\"Thenextminutehesaid，\"Why，Iamhalfgone！\"
Thenextminutehesaid，\"Mygoodnessgracious，Iamthreequartersgone！\"
Andafterthat，thelittleGingerbreadBoyneversaidanythingmoreatall。
THELITTLEJACKALSANDTHELION[1]
[1]ThefourstoriesofthelittleJackal，inthisbook，areadaptedfromstoriesinOldDeccanDays，acollectionoforallytransmittedHindufolktales，whicheveryteacherwouldgainbyknowing。IntheHinduanimallegendstheJackalseemstoplaytheroleassignedinGermanicloretoReynardtheFox，andto\"Bre’rRabbit\"inthestoriesofourSouthernnegroes：
heisthecleverandhumoroustricksterwhocomesoutofeveryencounterwithawholeskin，andturnsthelaughoneveryenemy，howevermighty。
Oncetherewasagreatbigjungle;andinthejungletherewasagreatbigLion;andtheLionwaskingofthejungle。Wheneverhewantedanythingtoeat，allhehadtodowastocomeupoutofhiscaveinthestonesandearthandROAR。Whenhehadroaredafewtimesallthelittlepeopleofthejungleweresofrightenedthattheycameoutoftheirholesandhiding—placesandran，thiswayandthat，togetaway。
Then，ofcourse，theLioncouldseewheretheywere。Andhepouncedonthem，killedthem，andgobbledthemup。
HedidthissooftenthatatlasttherewasnotasinglethingleftaliveinthejunglebesidestheLion，excepttwolittleJackals，——alittlefatherJackalandalittlemotherJackal。
Theyhadrunawaysomanytimesthattheywerequitethinandverytired，andtheycouldnotrunsofastanymore。AndonedaytheLionwassonearthatthelittlemotherJackalgrewfrightened;shesaid，——
\"Oh，FatherJackal，FatherJackal！I
b’lieveourtimehascome！theLionwillsurelycatchusthistime！\"
\"Pooh！nonsense，mother！\"saidthelittlefatherJackal。\"Come，we’llrunonabit！\"
Andtheyran，ran，ranveryfast，andtheLiondidnotcatchthemthattime。
ButatlastadaycamewhentheLionwasnearerstillandthelittlemotherJackalwasfrightenedabouttodeath。
\"Oh，FatherJackal，FatherJackal！\"
shecried;\"I’msureourtimehascome！
TheLion’sgoingtoeatusthistime！\"
\"Now，mother，don’tyoufret，\"saidthelittlefatherJackal;\"youdojustasItellyou，anditwillbeallright。\"
ThenwhatdidthosecunninglittleJackalsdobuttakeholdofhandsandrunuptowardstheLion，asiftheyhadmeanttocomeallthetime。Whenhesawthemcominghestoodup，androaredinaterriblevoice，——
\"Youmiserablelittlewretches，comehereandbeeaten，atonce！Whydidn’tyoucomebefore？\"
ThefatherJackalbowedverylow。
\"Indeed，FatherLion，\"hesaid，\"wemeanttocomebefore;weknewweoughttocomebefore;andwewantedtocomebefore;buteverytimewestartedtocome，adreadfulgreatlioncameoutofthewoodsandroaredatus，andfrightenedussothatweranaway。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"roaredtheLion。
\"There’snootherlioninthisjungle，andyouknowit！\"
\"Indeed，indeed，FatherLion，\"saidthelittleJackal，\"Iknowthatiswhateverybodythinks;butindeedandindeedthereisanotherlion！AndheisasmuchbiggerthanyouasyouarebiggerthanI！Hisfaceismuchmoreterrible，andhisroarfar，farmoredreadful。Oh，heisfarmorefearfulthanyou！\"
AtthattheLionstoodupandroaredsothatthejungleshook。
\"Takemetothislion，\"hesaid;\"I’lleathimupandthenI’lleatyouup。\"
ThelittleJackalsdancedonahead，andtheLionstalkedbehind。Theyledhimtoaplacewheretherewasaround，deepwellofclearwater。Theywentroundononesideofit，andtheLionstalkeduptotheother。
\"Helivesdownthere，FatherLion！\"
saidthelittleJackal。\"Helivesdownthere！\"
TheLioncamecloseandlookeddownintothewater，——andalion’sfacelookedbackathimoutofthewater！
Whenhesawthat，theLionroaredandshookhismaneandshowedhisteeth。Andthelioninthewatershookhismaneandshowedhisteeth。TheLionaboveshookhismaneagainandgrowledagain，andmadeaterribleface。Butthelioninthewatermadejustasterribleaone，back。
TheLionabovecouldn’tstandthat。Heleapeddownintothewellaftertheotherlion。
But，ofcourse，asyouknowverywell，therewasn’tanyotherlion！Itwasonlythereflectioninthewater！
SothepooroldLionflounderedaboutandflounderedabout，andashecouldn’tgetupthesteepsidesofthewell，hewasdrowneddead。AndwhenhewasdrownedthelittleJackalstookholdofhandsanddancedroundthewell，andsang，——
\"TheLionisdead！TheLionisdead！
\"WehavekilledthegreatLionwhowouldhavekilledus！
\"TheLionisdead！TheLionisdead！
\"Ao！Ao！Ao！\"
THECOUNTRYMOUSEANDTHECITYMOUSE[1]
[1]Thefollowingstoryofthetwomice，withthesimilarfablesofTheBoywhocriedWolf，TheFrogKing，andTheSunandtheWind，aregivenherewiththehopethattheymaybeofusetothemanyteacherswhofindtheover—familiarmaterialofthefablesdifficulttoadapt，andwhoareyetawareofthegreatusefulnessofthestoriestoyoungminds。Acertaindegreeofvividnessandamplitudemustbeaddedtothecompactstatementofthefamouscollections，andyetitisnotwisetochangethestyle—effectofafable，wholly。Iventuretogivetheseversions，notasperfectmodels，surely，butasrenderingswhichhavebeenacceptabletochildren，andwhichIbelieveretaintheoriginalpointsimplyandstrongly。
OncealittlemousewholivedinthecountryinvitedalittleMousefromthecitytovisithim。WhenthelittleCityMousesatdowntodinnerhewassurprisedtofindthattheCountryMousehadnothingtoeatexceptbarleyandgrain。
\"Really，\"hesaid，\"youdonotlivewellatall;youshouldseehowIlive！Ihaveallsortsoffinethingstoeateveryday。Youmustcometovisitmeandseehowniceitistoliveinthecity。\"
ThelittleCountryMousewasgladtodothis，andafterawhilehewenttothecitytovisithisfriend。
TheveryfirstplacethattheCityMousetooktheCountryMousetoseewasthekitchencupboardofthehousewherehelived。There，onthelowestshelf，behindsomestonejars，stoodabigpaperbagofbrownsugar。ThelittleCityMousegnawedaholeinthebagandinvitedhisfriendtonibbleforhimself。
Thetwolittlemicenibbledandnibbled，andtheCountryMousethoughthehadnevertastedanythingsodeliciousinhislife。HewasjustthinkinghowluckytheCityMousewas，whensuddenlythedooropenedwithabang，andincamethecooktogetsomeflour。
\"Run！\"whisperedtheCityMouse。
Andtheyranasfastastheycouldtothelittleholewheretheyhadcomein。ThelittleCountryMousewasshakingalloverwhentheygotsafelyaway，butthelittleCityMousesaid，\"Thatisnothing;shewillsoongoawayandthenwecangoback。\"
Afterthecookhadgoneawayandshutthedoortheystolesoftlyback，andthistimetheCityMousehadsomethingnewtoshow：hetookthelittleCountryMouseintoacorneronthetopshelf，whereabigjarofdriedprunesstoodopen。Aftermuchtuggingandpullingtheygotalargedriedpruneoutofthejarontotheshelfandbegantonibbleatit。Thiswasevenbetterthanthebrownsugar。ThelittleCountryMouselikedthetastesomuchthathecouldhardlynibblefastenough。
Butallatonce，inthemidstoftheireating，therecameascratchingatthedoorandasharp，loudMIAOUW！
\"Whatisthat？\"saidtheCountryMouse。TheCityMousejustwhispered，\"Sh！\"andranasfastashecouldtothehole。TheCountryMouseranafter，youmaybesure，asfastasHEcould。AssoonastheywereoutofdangertheCityMousesaid，\"ThatwastheoldCat;sheisthebestmouserintown，——ifsheoncegetsyou，youarelost。\"
\"Thisisveryterrible，\"saidthelittleCountryMouse;\"letusnotgobacktothecupboardagain。\"
\"No，\"saidtheCityMouse，\"Iwilltakeyoutothecellar;thereissomethingespecialthere。\"
SotheCityMousetookhislittlefrienddownthecellarstairsandintoabigcupboardwherethereweremanyshelves。Ontheshelveswerejarsofbutter，andcheesesinbagsandoutofbags。Overheadhungbunchesofsausages，andtherewerespicyapplesinbarrelsstandingabout。ItsmelledsogoodthatitwenttothelittleCountryMouse’shead。Heranalongtheshelfandnibbledatacheesehere，andabitofbutterthere，untilhesawanespeciallyrich，verydelicious—smellingpieceofcheeseonaqueerlittlestandinacorner。
HewasjustonthepointofputtinghisteethintothecheesewhentheCityMousesawhim。
\"Stop！stop！\"criedtheCityMouse。
\"Thatisatrap！\"
ThelittleCountryMousestoppedandsaid，\"Whatisatrap？\"
\"Thatthingisatrap，\"saidthelittleCityMouse。\"Theminuteyoutouchthecheesewithyourteethsomethingcomesdownonyourheadhard，andyou’redead。\"
ThelittleCountryMouselookedatthetrap，andhelookedatthecheese，andhelookedatthelittleCityMouse。\"Ifyou’llexcuseme，\"hesaid，\"IthinkIwillgohome。I’dratherhavebarleyandgraintoeatandeatitinpeaceandcomfort，thanhavebrownsugaranddriedprunesandcheese，——andbefrightenedtodeathallthetime！\"
SothelittleCountryMousewentbacktohishome，andtherehestayedalltherestofhislife。
LITTLEJACKROLLAROUND[1]
[1]BasedonTheodorStorm’sstoryofDerKleineHawelmanu（GeorgeWestermann，Braunschweig）。VeryfreelyadaptedfromtheGermanstory。
Onceuponatimetherewasaweelittleboywhosleptinatinytrundle—bednearhismother’sgreatbed。Thetrundle—bedhadcastorsonitsothatitcouldberolledabout，andtherewasnothingintheworldthelittleboylikedsomuchastohaveitrolled。Whenhismothercametobedhewouldcry，\"Rollmearound！rollmearound！\"Andhismotherwouldputoutherhandfromthebigbedandpushthelittlebedbackandforthtillshewastired。