ToMyMotherTHEFIRST，BESTSTORY—TELLER
THISLITTLEBOOKIS
DEDICATED
PREFACE
ThestorieswhicharegiveninthefollowingpagesareforthemostpartthosewhichIhavefoundtobebestlikedbythechildrentowhomIhavetoldtheseandothers。IhavetriedtoreproducetheforminwhichIactuallytellthem，——althoughthatinevitablyvarieswitheveryrepetition，——feelingthatitwouldbeofgreatervaluetoanotherstory—tellerthanamorecloselyliteraryform。
Forthesamereason，Ihaveconfinedmystatementsoftheoryastomethod，tothosewhichreflectmyownexperience;my\"rules\"
weredrawnfromintrospectionandretrospection，attheurgingofothers，longaftertheinstinctivemethodtheyexemplifyhadbecomehabitual。
Thesefactsarethebasisofmyhopethatthebookmaybeofusetothosewhohavemuchtodowithchildren。
Itwouldbeimpossible，inthespaceofanypardonablepreface，tonametheteachers，mothers，andlibrarianswhohavegivenmehintsandhelpsduringthepastfewyearsofstory—telling。ButIcannotletthesepagesgotopresswithoutrecordingmyespecialindebtednesstothefewpersonswithoutwhoseinterestedaidthelittlebookwouldscarcelyhavecometobe。Theyare：MrsElizabethYoungRutan，atwhosegenerousinstanceIfirstenlargedmyownfieldofentertainingstory—tellingtoincludehers，ofeducationalnarrative，andfromwhomIhadmanyvaluablesuggestionsatthattime;MissEllaL。Sweeney，assistantsuperintendentofschools，Providence，R。I。，towhomIoweexceptionalopportunitiesforinvestigationandexperiment;MrsRoot，children’slibrarianofProvidencePublicLibrary，andMissAliceM。Jordan，BostonPublicLibrary，children’sroom，towhomI
amindebtedformuchgraciousandefficientaid。
MythanksareduealsotoMrDavidNuttforpermissiontomakeuseofthreestoriesfromEnglishFairyTales，byMrJosephJacobs，andRaggylug，fromWildAnimalsIhaveKnown，byMrErnestThompsonSeton;toMessrsFrederickA。StokesCompanyforFiveLittleWhiteHeads，byWalterLearned，andforBirdThoughts;toMessrsKeganPaul，Trench，Trubner&Co。Ltd。forTheBurningoftheRicefields，fromGleaningsinBuddha—Fields，byMrLafcadioHearn;toMessrsH。R。AllensonLtd。forthreestoriesfromTheGoldenWindows，byMissLauraE。Richards;andtoMrSeumasMcManusforBillyBegandhisBull，fromInChimneyCorners。
S。C。B。
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
TheStory—teller’sArt——RecentRevival——TheDifferencebetweentellingaStoryandreadingitaloud——SomeReasonswhytheFormerismoreeffectiveCHAPTERI
THEPURPOSEOFSTORY—TELLINGINSCHOOL
ItsimmediateAdvantagestotheTeacher—ItsultimateGiftstotheChildCHAPTERII
SELECTIONOFSTORIESTOTELL
TheQualitiesChildrenlike，andwhy——QualitiesnecessaryforOralDelivery——Examples：TheThreeBears，TheThreeLittlePigs，TheOldWomanandherPig——SuggestionsastotheTypeofStoryespeciallyusefulintheseveralprimaryGrades——
SelectedListoffamiliarFairyTalesCHAPTERIII
ADAPTATIONOFSTORIESFORTELLING
HowtomakealongStoryshort——HowtofilloutashortStory——GeneralChangescommonlydesirable——
Examples：TheNurnbergStove，byOuida;TheKingoftheGoldenRiver，byRuskin;TheRedThreadofCourage，TheElfandtheDormouse——AnalysisofMethodCHAPTERIV
HOWTOTELLTHESTORY
EssentialNatureoftheStory——KindofAppreciationnecessary——SuggestionsforgainingMasteryofFacts——ArrangementofChildren——TheStory—teller’sMood——AfewPrinciplesofMethod，MannerandVoice，fromthePsychologicalPointofViewCHAPTERV
SOMESPECIFICSCHOOLROOMUSES
ExerciseinRetelling——IllustrationscutbytheChildrenasSeat—work——DramaticGames——InfluenceofGamesonReadingClassesSTORIESSELECTEDANDADAPTEDFORTELLING
ESPECIALLYFORKINDERGARTENANDCLASSI。
NurseryRhymesFiveLittleWhiteHeadsBirdThoughtsHowwecametohavePinkRosesRaggylugTheGoldenCobwebsWhytheMorning—GloryclimbsTheStoryofLittleTavwotsThePigBrotherTheCakeThePiedPiperofHamelinTownWhytheEvergreenTreeskeeptheirLeavesinWinterTheStarDollarsTheLionandtheGnatESPECIALLYFORCLASSESII。ANDIII。
TheCatandtheParrotTheRatPrincessTheFrogandtheOxTheFire—BringerTheBurningoftheRicefieldsTheStoryofWylieLittleDaylightTheSailorManTheStoryofJairus’sDaughterESPECIALLYFORCLASSESIV。ANDV。
ArthurandtheSwordTarpeiaTheBuckwheatTheJudgmentofMidasWhytheSeaissaltBillyBegandhisBallTheLittleHeroofHaarlemTheLastLessonTheStoryofChristmasTHECHILD—MIND;ANDHOWTOSATISFYIT
AshortListofBooksinwhichtheStory—tellerwillfindStoriesnottoofarfromtheForminwhichtheyareneeded。
INTRODUCTION
Notlongago，IchancedtoopenamagazineatastoryofItalianlifewhichdealtwithacuriouspopularcustom。Ittoldoftheloveofthepeoplefortheperformancesofastrangelyclad，periodicallyappearingoldmanwhowasaprofessionalstory—teller。Thisoldmanrepeatedwholecyclesofmythandserialsofpopularhistory，holdinghisaudience—chamberinwhatevercorneroftheopencourtorsquarehehappenedupon，andalwayssurroundedbyaneagercrowdoflisteners。Sogreatwastherespectinwhichthestory—tellerwasheld，thatanyinterruptionwaslikelytoberesentedwithviolence。
AsIreadoftheabsorbedsilenceandthechangingexpressionsofthecrowdabouttheoldman，IwassuddenlyremindedofacompanyofpeopleIhadrecentlyseen。Theyweregatheredinoneoftheparloursofawomen’scollege，andtheirseriousyoungfaceshad，habitually，noneofthechildlikeresponsivenessoftheItalianpopulace;theyweresuggestive，rather，ofadailyexperiencewhichprecludedover—muchsurpriseorcuriosityaboutanything。
Inthemidstofthegroupstoodafrail—lookingwomanwithbrighteyes。Shewastellingastory，achildren’sstory，aboutagoodandabadlittlemouse。
Shehadbeenaskedtodothatthing，forapurpose，andshedidit，therefore。Butitwaseasytoseefromtheexpressionsofthelistenershowtrivialathingitseemedtothem。
Thatwasatfirst。Butpresentlytheroomgrewquieter，andyetquieter。Thefacesrelaxedintoamusedsmiles，soberedinunconscioussympathy，finallybrokeinripplesofmirth。
Thestory—tellerhadcometoherown。
Thememoryofthecollegegirlslisteningtothemouse—storybroughtothermemorieswithit。Manyaswiftcompositeviewoffacespassedbeforemymentalvision，faceswiththechild’slookonthem，yetnotthefacesofchildren。
Andoftheoccasionstowhichthefacesbelonged，thoseweremostvividwhichwereearliestinmyexperience。Foritwasthoseearlyexperienceswhichfirstmademerealisethemodernpossibilitiesoftheold，oldartoftellingstories。
Ithadbecomeapartofmywork，someyearsago，togiveEnglishlecturesonGermanliterature。
ManyofthemembersofmyclasswereunabletoreadintheoriginaltheworkswithwhichIdealt，andastheseweremodernworks，itwasrarelypossibletoobtaintranslations。
Forthisreason，Igraduallyformedthehabitoftellingthestoryofthedramaornovelinquestionbeforepassingtoadetailedconsiderationofit。Ienjoyedthispartofthelessonexceedingly，butitwassometimebeforeI
realisedhowmuchthelargerpartofthelessonithadbecometotheclass。Theyused——andtheywerematurewomen——towaitforthestoryasifitwereasugarplumandthey，children;
andtogrieveopenlyifitwereomitted。
Substitutionofreadingfromatranslationwasgreetedwithpreciselythesameabatementofeagernessthatachildshowswhenhehasaskedyoutotellastory，andyouoffer，instead，to\"readonefromtheprettybook。\"Andsogeneralandconstantwerethetokensofenjoymentthattherecouldultimatelybenodoubtofthepowerwhichthemerestory—tellingexerted。
Theattitudeofthegrown—uplistenersdidbutillustratethegeneraldifferencebetweentheeffectoftellingastoryandofreadingone。
Everyonewhoknowschildrenwellhasfeltthedifference。Withfewexceptions，childrenlistentwiceaseagerlytoastorytoldastooneread，andevena\"recitation\"oraso—called\"reading\"hasnotthecharmforthemthatthepersonwieldswhocan\"tellastory。\"Andtherearesoundreasonsfortheirpreference。
Thegreatdifference，includinglesserones，betweentellingandreadingisthatthetellerisfree;thereaderisbound。Thebookinhand，orthewordingofitinmind，bindsthereader。
Thestory—tellerisboundbynothing;hestandsorsits，freetowatchhisaudience，freetofolloworleadeverychangingmood，freetousebody，eyes，voice，asaidsinexpression。Evenhismindisunbound，becauseheletsthestorycomeinthewordsofthemoment，beingsofullofwhathehastosay。Forthisreason，astorytoldismorespontaneousthanoneread，howeverwellread。And，consequently，theconnectionwiththeaudienceiscloser，moreelectric，thanispossiblewhenthebookoritswordingintervenes。
Beyondthisadvantage，istheaddedcharmofthepersonalelementinstory—telling。Whenyoumakeastoryyourownandtellit，thelistenergetsthestory，PLUSYOURAPPRECIATION
OFIT。Itcomestohimfilteredthroughyourownenjoyment。Thatiswhatmakesthefunnystorythricefunnieronthelipsofajollyraconteurthaninthepagesofamemoir。Itisthefilterofpersonality。Everybodyhassomethingofthecuriosityoftheprimitivemanconcerninghisneighbour;whatanotherhasinhisownpersonfeltanddonehasanespecialholdoneachoneofus。Themostculturedofaudienceswilllistentothepersonalreminiscencesofanexplorerwithadifferenttingleofinterestfromthatwhichitfeelsforascientificlectureontheresultsoftheexploration。
Thelongingforthepersonalinexperienceisaveryhumanlonging。Andthisinstinctorlongingisespeciallystronginchildren。Itfindsexpressionintheirdelightintalesofwhatfatherormotherdidwhentheywerelittle，ofwhathappenedtograndmotherwhenshewentonajourney，andsoon，butitalsoextendstostorieswhicharenotinthemselvespersonal：
whichtaketheirpersonalsavourmerelyfromthefactthattheyflowfromthelipsinspontaneous，homelyphrases，withanappreciativegustowhichsuggestsparticipation。
Thegreatereaseinholdingtheattentionofchildrenis，forteachers，asufficientpracticalreasonfortellingstoriesratherthanreadingthem。Itisincomparablyeasiertomakethenecessaryexertionof\"magnetism，\"orwhateveritmaybecalled，whennothingelsedistractstheattention。One’seyesmeetthechildren’sgazenaturallyandconstantly;one’sexpressionrespondstoandinitiatestheirswithouteffort;theconnectionisimmediate。Fortheeaseoftheteacher，then，nolessthanforthejoyofthechildren，maytheartofstory—
tellingbeurgedaspre—eminentovertheartofreading。
Itisaveryold，averybeautifulart。Merelytothinkofitcarriesone’simaginaryvisiontoscenesofgloriousandtouchingantiquity。
ThetellersofthestoriesofwhichHomer’sIliadwascompounded;thetransmittersofthelegendandhistorywhichmakeuptheGestaRomanorum;thetravellingraconteurswhosebriefheroictalesarewovenintoourownnationalepic;thegranniesofage—oldtraditionwhosestoriesarepartsofCelticfolk—lore，ofGermanicmyth，ofAsiatiowonder—tales，——
thesearebutyoungerbrothersandsisterstothegenerationsofstory—tellerswhoseinventionsarebutvaguelyoutlinedinresultantformsofancientliteratures，andthenamesofwhosetribesarenolongerevenguessed。
Therewasatimewhenstory—tellingwasthechiefestoftheartsofentertainment;kingsandwarriorscouldaskfornothingbetter;
serfsandchildrenweresatisfiedwithnothingless。Inalltimestherehavebeenoccasionalrevivalsofthispastime，andinnotimehastheartdiedoutinthesimplehumanrealmsofwhichmothersarequeens。Butperhapsnever，sincethereallyolddays，hasstory—tellingsonearlyreachedarecognisedlevelofdignityasalegitimateandgeneralartofentertainmentasnow。
ItspresentpopularityseemsinawaytobeanoutgrowthoftherecognitionofitseducationalvaluewhichwasgivenimpetusbytheGermanpedagoguesofFroebel’sschool。Thatrecognitionhas，atallevents，beenanoticeablefactorineducationalconferencesoflate。
Thefunctionofthestoryisnolongerconsideredsolelyinthelightofitsplaceinthekindergarten;itisbeingsoughtinthefirst，thesecond，andindeedineverystandardwherethechildrenarestillchildren。Sometimesthedemandforstoriesismadesolelyintheinterestsofliteraryculture，sometimesinfaramplerandvaguerrelations，rangingfrominculcationofscientificfacttoadmonitionofmoraltheory;butwhateverthereasongiven，theconclusionisthesame：tellthechildrenstories。
Theaverageteacherhasyieldedtothepressure，atleastintheory。Cheerfully，asshehasalreadyacceptedsomanymodificationsofoldmethodsby\"newthought，\"sheacceptstheideaofinstillingmentalandmoraldesiderataintothereceptivepupil，viathecharmingtale。But，confrontedwiththeconcreteproblemofwhatdesideratumbywhichtale，andhow，theaverageteachersometimesfindshercheerfulnessdisplacedbyasenseofinadequacytothesituation。
Peoplewhohavealwaystoldstoriestochildren，whodonotknowwhentheybeganorhowtheydoit;whoseheadsarestockedwiththeaccretionsofyearsoffairyland—
dwellingandnonsense—sharing，——thesecannotunderstandtheperplexityofonetowhomthegiftandtheopportunityhavenot\"comenatural。\"Buttherearemanywhocanunderstandit，personallyandalltoowell。Tothese，theteacherswhohavenotaknackforstory—
telling，whofeelasshyastheirownyoungestscholaratthethoughtofit，whodonotknowwherethegoodstoriesare，orwhichonesareeasytotell，itismyearnesthopethatthefollowingpageswillbringsomethingdefiniteandpracticalinthewayofsuggestionandreference。
HOWTOTELLSTORIESTOCHILDREN
CHAPTERI
THEPURPOSEOFSTORY—TELLINGINSCHOOL
LetusfirstconsidertogethertheprimarymatteroftheAIMineducationalstory—telling。
Onourconceptionofthismustdependverylargelyalldecisionsastochoiceandmethod;
andnothinginthewholefieldofdiscussionismorevitalthanajustandsensiblenotionofthisfirstpoint。Whatshallweattempttoaccomplishbystoriesintheschoolroom？
Whatcanwereasonablyexpecttoaccomplish？
Andwhat，ofthis，isbestaccomplishedbythismeansandnoother？
Thesearequestionswhichbecomethemoreinterestingandpracticalbecausetherecentaccessofenthusiasmforstoriesineducationhasledmanypeopletoclaimverywideandveryvaguelyoutlinedterritoryfortheirpossession，andoftentolayheavieststressontheirleastessentialfunctions。Themostimportantinstanceofthisisthefervourwithwhichmanycompilersofstoriesforschoolhavedirectedtheireffortssolelytowardtherationofnaturalphenomena。Geology，zoology，botany，andevenphysicsaretaughtbymeansofmoreorlesshappilyconstructednarrativesbasedonthesimplerfactsofthesesciences。Kindergartenteachersarefamiliarwithsuchnarratives：thelittlestoriesofchrysalis—breaking，flower—growth，andthelike。
Nowthisisaperfectlyproperandpracticableaim，butitisnotaprimaryone。Others，towhichatbestthisisbutsecondary，shouldhavefirstplaceandreceivegreatestattention。
Whatisastory，essentially？Isitatextbookofscience，anappendixtothegeography，anintroductiontotheprimerofhistory？Ofcourseitisnot。Astoryisessentiallyandprimarilyaworkofart，anditschieffunctionmustbesoughtinthelineoftheusesofart。
Justasthedramaiscapableofsecondaryuses，yetfailsabjectlytorealiseitspurposewhenthosearesubstitutedforitsrealsignificanceasaworkofart，sodoesthestorylenditselftosubsidiarypurposes，butclaimsfirstandmoststronglytoberecognisedinitsrealsignificanceasaworkofart。Sincethedramadealswithlifeinallitsparts，itcanexemplifysociologicaltheory，itcanillustrateeconomicprinciple，itcanevenpicturepolitics;butthedramawhichdoesthesethingsonly，hasnobreathofitsreallifeinitsbeing，anddieswhenthewindofpopulartendencyveersfromitsdirection。So，youcanteachachildinterestingfactsaboutbeesandbutterfliesbytellinghimcertainstories，andyoucanopenhiseyestocoloursandprocessesinnaturebytellingcertainothers;butunlessyoudosomethingmorethanthatandbeforethat，youareasonewhoshouldusetheVenusofMiloforademonstrationinanatomy。
Themessageofthestoryisthemessageofbeauty，aseffectiveasthatmessageinmarbleorpaint。ItspartintheeconomyoflifeisTO
GIVEJOY。Andthepurposeandworkingofthejoyisfoundinthatquickeningofthespiritwhichanswerseveryperceptionofthetrulybeautifulintheartsofman。Togivejoy;inandthroughthejoytostirandfeedthelifeofthespirit：isnotthisthelegitimatefunctionofthestoryineducation？
BecauseIbelieveittobesuch，notbecauseIignorethevalueofotheruses，Iventuretopushasideallaimswhichseemsecondarytothisforlatermentionunderspecificheads。
HereinthebeginningofourconsiderationI
wishtoemphasisethiselementalone。Astoryisaworkofart。Itsgreatestusetothechildisintheeverlastingappealofbeautybywhichthesoulofmanisconstantlyprickedtonewhungers，quickenedtonewperceptionsandsogivendesiretogrow。
Theobviouspracticalbearingofthisisthatstory—tellingisfirstofallanartofentertainment;
likethestage，itsimmediatepurposeisthepleasureofthehearer，——hispleasure，nothisinstruction，first。
Nowthestory—tellerwhohasgiventhelisteningchildrensuchpleasureasImeanmayormaynothaveaddedafacttothecontentoftheirminds，shehasinevitablyaddedsomethingtothevitalpowersoftheirsouls。Shehasgivenawholesomeexercisetotheemotionalmusclesofthespirit，hasopenedupnewwindowstotheimagination，andaddedsomelineorcolourtotheidealoflifeandartwhichisalwaystakingformintheheartofachild。
Shehas，inshort，accomplishedtheonegreatestaimofstory—telling，——toenlargeandenrichthechild’sspiritualexperience，andstimulatehealthyreactionuponit。
Ofcoursethisresultcannotbeseenandprovedaseasilyandearlyascantheapprehensionofafact。Themostonecanhopetorecogniseisitspromise，andthisisfoundinthetokensofthatgenuinepleasurewhichisitselfthemeansofaccomplishment。Itis，then，thesignsofrightpleasurewhichthestory—tellermustlooktoforherguide，andwhichitmustbeherimmediateaimtoevoke。
Asfortherecognitionofthesigns，——noonewhohaseverseenthedelightofarealchildoverarealstorycanfailtoknowthesignalswhengiven，orflatterhimselfintobeliefinthemwhenabsent。
Intimatelyconnectedwiththeenjoymentgivenaretwoverypracticallybeneficialresultswhichthestory—tellermayhopetoobtain，andatleastoneofwhichwillbeakindofrewardtoherself。Thefirstisarelaxationofthetenseschoolroomatmosphere，valuableforitsrefreshingrecreativepower。Thesecondresult，oraim，isnotsoobvious，butisevenmoredesirable;itisthis：story—tellingisatonceoneofthesimplestandquickestwaysofestablishingahappyrelationbetweenteacherandchildren，andoneofthemosteffectivemethodsofformingthehabitoffixedattentioninthelatter。
Ifyouhaveneverseenanindifferentchildarousedorahostileoneconqueredtoaffectionbyabeguilingtale，youcanhardlyappreciatethetruthofthefirststatement;butnothingismorefamiliarinthestory—teller’sexperience。
Anamusing，but——tome——touchingexperiencerecentlyreaffirmedinmymindthispowerofthestorytoestablishfriendlyrelations。
Mythree—year—oldniece，whohadnotseenmesinceherbabyhood，beingtoldthatAuntSarawascomingtovisither，somehowconfusedtheexpectedguestwithamorefamiliaraunt，mysister。Atsightofme，herrushofwelcomerelapsedintoapuzzledandhurtwithdrawal，whichyieldedtonoexplanationsorproffersofaffection。Allthefirstdayshefollowedmeaboutatawistfuldistance，watchingmeasifImightatanymomentturnintothewell—knownandbelovedrelativeIoughttohavebeen。
EvenbyundressingtimeIhadnotprogressedfarenoughtobeallowedintimateapproachtosmallsacrednightgownsanddiminutiveshirts。
Thenextmorning，whenIopenedthedoorofthenurserywherehermaidwasbrushingherhair，thesamedignityradiatedfromthelittleroundfigureperchedonitshighchair，thesamealmosthostileshynessgazedatmefromthegreatexpressiveeyes。Obviously，itwastimeforsomethingtobedone。
Disregardingmylackofinvitation，Idrewupastool，andseatingmyselfoppositethesmallunbendingperson，beganinaconversationalmurmur：\"M——m，Iguessthosearetingly—tangliesupthereinthatcurlLottie’scombing;didyoueverhearaboutthetingly—
tanglies？Theyliveinlittlegirls’hair，andtheyaren’tanybiggerthanTHAT，andwhenanybodytriestocombthehairtheycurlbothweenylegsround，SO，andholdontightwithbothweenyhands，SO，andwon’tletgo！\"AsIpaused，myniecemadeaqueerlittlesoundindicativeofquerybattlingwithreserve。I
pursuedthesubject：\"Theylikebesttoliverightoveralittlegirl’sear，ordowninherneck，becauseitiseasiertohangon，there;tingly—
tangliesareverysmart，indeed。\"
\"What’sti—ly—ta—lies？\"askedacurious，gutturallittlevoice。
Iexplainedthenatureandgenesisoftingly—
tanglies，asrevealedtomesomedecadesbeforebymyinventivemother，andproceededtodeveloptheirsimpleadventures。WhennextI
pausedthesmallgutturalvoicedemanded，\"Saymore，\"andIjoyouslyobeyed。
Whenthecurlswereallcurledandthelastlittlebuttonbuttoned，mybabyniececlimbedhastilydownfromherchair，anddeliberatelyupintomylap。Withacaressraretoherhabitshespokemyname，slowlyandtentatively，\"An—tySai—ry？\"Then，inanassuredtone，\"AntySairy，IloveyousomuchIdon’tknowwhattodo！\"
And，presently，tuckingaconfidinghandinminetoleadmetobreakfast，sheexplainedsweetly，\"Ididn’knowyouwhenyoucomedlas’night，butnowIknowyouallth’time！\"
\"Oh，blessedtale，\"thoughtI，\"soeasyapassporttoaconfidencesodesired，socomplete！\"
Neverhadthewitcheryofthestorytotheearofachildcomemorecloselyhometome。Butthefactofthewitcherywasnonewexperience。Thesurrenderofthenaturalchildtothestory—tellerisasabsoluteandinvariableasthatofadevoteetothepriestofhisownsect。
Thispowerisespeciallyvaluableinthecaseofchildrenwhosenaturalshynesshasbeenaugmentedbyroughenvironmentorbythestrangenessofforeignhabit。Andwithsuchchildrenevenmorethanwithothersitisalsotruethatthestoryisasimpleandeffectivemeansofformingthehabitofconcentration，offixedattention;anyteacherwhodealswiththisclassofchildrenknowsthedifficultyofdoingthisfundamentalandindispensablething，andthevalueofanypracticalaidindoingit。
Morethanoneinstanceofthepowerofstory—
tellingtodevelopattentivenesscomestomymind，butthemostprominentinmemoryisaratherrecentincident，inwhichtheactorswereboysandgirlsfarpastthechild—stageofdocility。
Ihadbeenaskedtotellstoriestoaboutsixtyboysandgirlsofaclub;thepresidentwarnedmeinherinvitationthatthechildrenwereexceptionallyundisciplined，butmypreviousexperienceswithsimilargatheringsledmetointerpretherwordswithamoderationwhichleftmetotallyunreadyforthereality。WhenIfacedmyaudience，Isawasquirmingjumbleoffaces，backsofheads，andthevariousmembersofmanysmallbodies，——notapersonintheroomwaspayingtheslightestattentiontome;thepresident’sintroductioncouldscarcelybesaidtosucceedininterruptingtheinterchangeofsocialamenitieswhichwasinprogress，andwhichlookeddelusivelylikeafreefight。Icameasnearstagefrightinthefirstminutesofthatoccasionasitiscomfortabletobe，andifithadnotbeenimpossibletorunawayIthinkIshouldnothaveremained。
ButIbegan，withasfunnyataleasIknew，followingthesafeplanofnotspeakingveryloudly，andaimingmyeffortatthenearestchildren。AsIwenton，averyfewfacesheldintelligentlytomine;themajorityansweredonlyfitfully;andnotafewofmyhearersconversedwiththeirneighboursasifIwerenon—
existent。Thesenseofbafflement，thefutileeffort，forcedtheperspirationtomyhandsandface——yetsomethinginthefacesbeforemetoldmethatitwasnoill—willthatfoughtagainstme;itwastheapathyofmindswithoutthepowerorhabitofconcentration，unabletofollowasequenceofideasanydistance，andrenderedmorerestlessbybodieswhichwereprobablyuncomfortable，certainlyundisciplined。
Thefirststorytooktenminutes。WhenI
beganasecond，averyshortone，theinitialworkhadtobedonealloveragain，fortheslightcomparativequietIhadwonhadbeentotallylostintheresultingmanifestationofapproval。
Attheendofthesecondstory，theroomwasreallyorderlytothesuperficialview，butwhereIstoodIcouldseethesmallboywhodeliberatelymadeahideousfaceatmeeachtimemyeyesmethis，thetwogirlswhotalkedwiththeirbacksturned，thesquirmsofafigurehereandthere。ItseemedsodishearteningarecordoffailurethatIhesitatedmuchtoyieldtotheuproariousrequestforathirdstory，butfinallyIdidbeginagain，onaverylongstorywhichforitsownsakeIwantedthemtohear。
Thistimethelittleaudiencesettledtoattentionalmostattheopeningwords。AfteraboutfiveminutesIwassuddenlyconsciousofasenseofeaseandrelief，afamiliarrestfulfeelingintheatmosphere;andthen，atlast，I
knewthatmyaudiencewas\"withme，\"thattheyandIwereinteractingwithoutobstruction。
Absolutelyquiet，entirelyunconsciousofthemselves，theboysandgirlswererespondingtoeveryturnofthenarrativeaseasilyandreadilyasanygroupofstory—bredkindergartenchildren。
Fromthenonwehadagoodtimetogether。
Theprocesswhichtookplaceinthatsmallaudiencewasacondensedexampleofwhatonemayexpectinhabitualstory—tellingtoagroupofchildren。Oncehavinghadtheattentionchainedbycrudeforceofinterest，thechildrenbegintoexpectsomethinginterestingfromtheteacher，andtowaitforit。Andhavingbeenledstepbystepfromonegradeofalogicalsequencetoanother，theirminds——
atfirstbeguiledbythefascinationofthesteps——glideintothehabitoffollowinganylogicalsequence。Myclubformeditshabit，asfarasIwasconcerned，allinonesession;theordinarydemandsofschoolprocedurelengthentheprocess，buttheresultisequallysure。Bytheendofaweekinwhichthechildrenhavelistenedhappilytoastoryeveryday，thehabitoflisteninganddeducinghasbeenformed，andtheexpectationofpleasantnessisconnectedwiththeopeningoftheteacher’slips。
Thesetwobenefitsarewellworththetroubletheycost，andforthesetwo，atleast，anyteacherwhotellsastorywellmayconfidentlylook——
thequickgainingofaconfidentialrelationwiththechildren，andthegradualdevelopmentofconcentrationandinterestedattentioninthem。
Thesearedirectandsomewhatclearlydiscernibleresults，comfortablyplacedinanearfuture。Thereareotheraims，reachingonintothefar，slowmodesofpsychologicalgrowth，whichmustequallydeterminethechoiceofthestory—teller’smaterialandinformthespiritofherwork。Theseother，lessimmediatelyattainableends，Iwishnowtoconsiderinrelationtothedifferenttypesofstorybywhichtheyareseverallybestserved。
First，unbiddenclaimantofattention，comesTHEFAIRYSTORY
Noonecanthinkofachildandastory，withoutthinkingofthefairytale。Isthis，assomewouldhaveusbelieve，abadhabitofanignorantoldworld？OrcantheFairyTalejustifyherpopularitywithtrulyedifyingandeducationalresults？Issheaproperpersontointroducehere，andwhatarehertitlestomerit？
Ohdear，yes！DameFairyTalecomesbearingamagicwandinherwrinkledoldfingers，withonewaveofwhichshesummonsupthatveryspiritofjoywhichitisourchiefefforttoinvoke。Sherapssmartlyonthedoor，andopensesamesechotoeveryimagination。Herred—
heeledshoestwinkledownanendlesslaneofadventures，andeveryrealchild’sfootstepsquickenafter。Sheisthenatural，owngreat—
grandmotherofeverychildintheworld，andherpocketfulsoftreasuresarehisbyrightofinheritance。Shutherout，andyoutrulyrobthechildrenofsomethingwhichistheirs;
somethingmarkingtheirconstantkinshipwiththerace—childrenofthepast，andadaptedtotheirneedsasitwastothoseofthegenerationoflongago！Iftherewerenoothercriterionatall，itwouldbeenoughthatthechildrenlovethefairytale;wegivethemfairystories，first，becausetheylikethem。Butthatbynomeanslessenstheimportanceofthefactthatfairytalesarealsogoodforthem。
Howgood？Invariousways。First，perhaps，intheirsupremepowerofpresentingtruththroughtheguiseofimages。Thisisthewaytherace—childtooktowardwisdom，anditisthewayeachchild’sindividualinstincttakes，afterhim。Elementaltruthsofmorallawandgeneraltypesofhumanexperiencearepresentedinthefairytale，inthepoetryoftheirimages，andalthoughthechildisawareonlyoftheimageatthetime，thetruthenterswithitandbecomesapartofhisindividualexperience，toberecognisedinitsrelationsatalaterstage。Everytruthandtypesogivenbroadensanddeepensthecapacityofthechild’sinnerlife，andaddsanelementtothestorefromwhichhedrawshismoralinferences。
Themostfamiliarinstanceofamoraltruthconveyedunderafairy—storyimageisprobablythestoryofthepure—heartedandlovinggirlwhoselipsweretouchedwiththewonderfulpowerofdroppingjewelswitheveryspokenword，whileherstepsister，whoseheartwasinfestedwithmaliceandevildesires，letuglytoadsfallfromhermouthwhenevershespoke。
Imentiontheoldtalebecausethereisprobablynooneofmyreaderswhohasnothearditinchildhood，andbecausethereareundoubtedlymanytowhosemindithasoftenrecurredinlaterlifeasasadlyperfectpresentmentofthefactthat\"outoftheabundanceoftheheartthemouthspeaketh。\"Thatstoryhasenteredintotheformingconsciousnessofmanyofus，withitsimplicationsoftheinevitableresultofvisibleevilfromevilintheheart，anditsrevelationoftheloathsomenessofevilitself。
Andnolesstrulythanthisstoryhasservedtomanyasanembodimentofmorallawhasanotherhouseholdtalestoodforatypeofcommonexperience。Howmuchthepoorershouldwebe，mentally，withoutourearlyprophecyofthe\"uglyducklings\"wearetomeetlaterinlife！——thoseawkwardoffspringofourlittlehumanduckyardwhoaremostlywellkickedandbuffetedabout，forthatverylengthoflimbandbreadthofbackwhichneedsmustbe，tosupportswan’swings。Thestoryoftheuglyducklingismuchtruerthanmanyabaldstatementoffact。TheEnglish—speakingworldbearswitnesstoitsverityinconstantuseofthetitleasanidentifyingphrase：\"Itistheoldstoryoftheuglyduckling，\"wesay，or\"Hehasturnedoutarealuglyduckling。\"Andweknowthatourhearersunderstandthewholesituation。
Theconsiderationofsuchfamiliartypesandexpressionsasthatoftheuglyducklingsuggestsimmediatelyanothergoodreasonforgivingthechildhisdueoffairylore。Thereasonisthattoomititistodeprivehimofoneimportantelementinthefullappreciationofmatureliterature。
Ifonethinksofit，oneseesthatnearlyalladultliteratureismadebypeoplewho，intheirbeginnings，werebredonthewondertale。Whetherhewillorno，thegrown—upauthormustincorporateintohisworkthetendencies，memories，kindsoffeelingwhichwerehisinchildhood。Theliteratureofmaturityis，naturally，permeatedbytheinfluenceoftheliteratureofchildhood。Sometimesitisapparentmerelyintheuseofaname，assuggestiveofcertainkindsofexperience;sucharetherecurrencesofreferencetotheCinderellastory。
Sometimesitisanallusionwhichhasitsstrengthinlongassociationofcertainqualitieswithcertaincharactersinfairydom——liketheslynessofBrotherFox，andthecrueltyofBrotherWolf。
Sometimestheassociationofideasliesbelowthesurface，drawingfromthehiddenwellsofpoeticillusionwhicharesunkinchildhood。
Themanorwomanwhoseinfancywasnourishedexclusivelyontalesadaptedfromscience—made—
easy，orfrombiographiesofgoodmenandgreat，mustremainblindtothesebeautiesofliterature。
Hemaylookuptheallusion，oridentifythereference，butwhenthatisdoneheisbutricherbyafactortwo;thereisnorememberedthrillinitforhim，nosavourinhismemory，nosuggestiontohisimagination;andthesearepreciselythethingswhichreallycount。LeavingoutthefairyelementisalosstoliteraryculturemuchaswouldbetheomissionoftheBibleorofShakespeare。Justasalladultliteratureispermeatedbytheinfluenceofthese，familiarinyouth，soinlessdegreeisittransfusedwiththesubtlereminiscencesofchildhood’scommercewiththewonderworld。
Toturnnowfromtheinnertotheouteraspectsoftheold—timetaleistomeetanothercauseofitsvaluetochildren。Thisisthevalueofitsstyle。Simplicity，directness，andvirilitycharacterisetheclassicfairytalesandthemostmemorablerelicsoffolklore。Andthesearethreeoftheveryqualitieswhicharemostseriouslylackinginmuchofthenewwritingforchildren，andwhicharealwaysnecessaryelementsinthecultureoftaste。Fairystoriesarenotallwelltold，butthebestfairystoriesaresupremelywelltold。Andmostfolk—taleshaveamovement，asweep，andanunaffectednesswhichmakethemsplendidfoundationsfortasteinstyle。
Forthis，andforpoeticpresentationoftruthsineasilyassimilatedform，andbecauseitgivesjoyousstimulustotheimagination，andisnecessarytofullappreciationofadultliterature，wemayfreelyusethewondertale。
Closelyrelatedto，sometimesidenticalwith，thefairytaleistheold，oldsourceofchildren’sloveandlaughter，THENONSENSETALE
UnderthisheadIwishtoincludeallthemerelyfunnytalesofchildhood，embracingthecumulativestorieslikethatoftheoldwomanandthepigwhichwouldnotgooverthestile。
Theyallhaveaspecificuseandbenefit，andareworththerepetitionchildrendemandforthem。
Theirvaluelies，ofcourse，inthetonicandrelaxingpropertiesofhumour。Nowhereisthatpropertymorewelcomeorneededthanintheschoolroom。Itdoesusallgoodtolaugh，ifthereisnosneernorsmirchinthelaugh;funsetsthebloodflowingmorefreelyintheveins，andloosensthestrainedcordsoffeelingandthought;thedeliciousshockofsurpriseatevery\"funnyspot\"isakindofelectrictreatmentforthenerves。Butitespeciallydoesusgoodtolaughwhenwearechildren。Everylittlebodyisreleasedfromtheconsciouscontrolschoolimposesonit，andhuddlesintorestfulcomfortorrespondsgailytothejoke。
Morethanthis，humourteacheschildren，asitdoestheirgrown—upbrethren，someofthefactsandproportionsoflife。Whatkeenerteacheristherethanthekindlysatire？Whatmorepenetratingandsuggestivethanthehumourofexaggeratedstatementoffamiliartendency？
Isthereoneofuswhohasnotlaughedhimselfoutofsomeabsurdcomplexityofover—anxietywithasuddenrecollectionof\"cleverAlice\"
andherfate？InourhouseholdcleverAliceisanoldhabituee，andhertimelyarrivalhassavedmanyasituationwhichwastwiningitselfaboutmore\"ifs\"thanitcouldcomfortablysupport。
Thewisdomwhichliesbehindtruehumourisfoundinthenonsensetaleofinfancyastrulyasinmaturehumour，butinitsownkindanddegree。\"Justforfun\"isthefirstreasonforthehumorousstory;thewisdominthefunisthesecond。
AndnowwecometoTHENATURESTORY
Noothertypeoffictionismorefamiliartotheteacher，andprobablynootherkindisthesourceofsomuchuncertaintyoffeeling。Thenaturestoryismuchused，asIhavenoticedabove，toillustrateortoteachthehabitsofanimalsandthelawsofplant—growth;tostimulatescientificinterestaswellastoincreasecultureinscientificfact。Thisisanentirelylegitimateobject。Inviewofitspresentpreponderance，itiscertainlyapity，however，thatsofewstoriesareavailable，theaccuracyofwhich，fromthispointofview，canbevouchedfor。Thecarefullypreparedbookofto—dayisrefutedandscoffedatto—morrow。Theteacherwhowishestousestory—tellingchieflyasanelementinnaturestudymustatleastlimitherselftoasmallamountofabsolutelyunquestionedmaterial，orelsesubjecteverynewstorytothejudgmentofanauthorityinthelinedealtwith。
Thisisnoteasyfortheteacheratadistancefromthegreatlibraries，andforthosewhohaveaccesstowell—equippedlibrariesitisamatteroftimeandthought。
Itdoesnotsogreatlytroubletheteacherwhousesthenaturestoryasastory，ratherthanasatest—book，forshewillnotbesokeenlyattractedtowardthebookspreparedwithadidacticpurpose。
ShewillfindagoodgiftforthechildinnaturestorieswhichAREstories，overandaboveanystimulustohiscuriosityaboutfact。Thatgoodgiftisacertainpossessionofallgoodfiction。
Oneofthebestthingsgoodfictiondoesforanyofusistobroadenourcomprehensionofotherlotsthanourown。Theaveragemanorwomanhaslittleopportunityactuallytolivemorethanonekindoflife。Thechancesofbirth，occupation，familyties，determineformostofusalineofexperiencenotveryinclusiveandbutlittlevaried;andthisisanaturalbarriertoourcompleteunderstandingofothers，whoselife—lineissetatadifferentangle。Itisnotpossiblewhollytosympathisewithemotionsengenderedbyexperiencewhichonehasneverhad。Yetwealllongtobebroadinsympathyandinclusiveinappreciation;welong，greatly，toknowtheexperienceofothers。Thisyearningisprobablyoneofthegoodbutmisconceivedappetitessoinjudiciouslyfedbythegossipofthedailypress。Thereisahope，inthereader，ofgettingforthemomentintothelivesofpeoplewhomoveinwhollydifferentsetsofcircumstances。
Buttherelationofdryfactsinnewspapers，howevertingedwithjournalisticcolour，helpsverylittletoentersuchotherlife。Theentrancehastobebythedooroftheimagination，andthejournalistisrarelyabletoopenitforus。Butthereisageniuswhocanopenit。
Theauthorwhocanwritefictionoftherightsortcandoit;hisisthegiftofseeinginnerrealities，andofshowingthemtothosewhocannotseethemforthemselves。Sharingtheimaginativevisionofthestory—writer，wecantrulyfollowoutmanyotherroadsoflifethanourown。Thegirlonalonecountryfarmismadetounderstandhowagirlinacitysweating—
denfeelsandlives;theLondonexquisiterealisesthelifeofaCalifornianranchman;royaltyandtenementdwellersbecomeacquainted，throughthepoweroftheimaginationworkingonexperienceshowninthelightofahumanbasiscommontoboth。Fictionsuppliesanelementofculture，——thatofthesympathies，whichisinvaluable。Andthebeginningsofthisculture，thiswideningandclearingoftheavenuesofhumansympathy，areespeciallyeasilymadewithchildreninthenaturestory。
Whenyoubegin，\"Therewasoncealittlefurryrabbit，\"[1]thechild’scuriosityisawakenedbytheveryfactthattherabbitisnotachild，butsomethingofadifferentspeciesaltogether。
\"Nowforsomethingnewandadventuresome，\"
sayshisexpectation，\"wearestartingoffintoaforeignworld。\"Helistenswide—eyed，whileyousay，\"andhelivedinawarm，cosynest，downunderthelonggrasswithhismother\"——
howdelightful，toliveinaplacelikethat;sodifferentfromlittleboys’homes！——\"hisnamewasRaggylug，andhismother’snamewasMollyCottontail。Andeverymorning，whenMollyCottontailwentouttogettheirfood，shesaidtoRaggylug，`Now，Raggylug，rememberyouareonlyababyrabbit，anddon’tmovefromthenest。Nomatterwhatyouhear，nomatterwhatyousee，don’tyoumove！’\"——allthisisdifferentstill，yetitisfamiliar，too;itappearsthatrabbitsareratherlikefolks。Sothetaleproceeds，andthelittlefurryrabbitpassesthroughexperiencesstrangetolittleboys，yetverylikelittleboys’
adventuresinsomerespects;heisfrightenedbyasnake，comfortedbyhismammy，andtakentoanewhouse，underthelonggrassalongwayoff。Theseareallsituationstowhichthechildhasakey。Thereisjustenoughofstrangenesstoentice，justenoughofthefamiliartorelieveanystrain。Whenthechildhaslivedthroughtheday’shappeningswithRaggylug，thelatterhasbeguntoseemveritablyalittlebrotherofthegrasstohim。Andbecausehehasenteredimaginativelyintothefeelingsandfateofacreaturedifferentfromhimself，hehastakenhisfirststepoutintothewideworldofthelivesofothers。
[1]SeeRaggylug。
Itmaybearecognitionofthisfactoranditsvaluewhichhasledsomanywritersofnaturestoriesintotheerrorofover—humanisingtheirfour—footedorfeatheredheroesandheroines。Theexaggerationisunnecessary，forthereisenoughcommunityoflotsuggestedinthesternestscientificrecordtoconstituteanaturalbasisforsympathyonthepartofthehumananimal。Withoutanyfalsityofpresentationwhatever，thenaturestorymaybecountedonasahelpinthebeginningsofcultureofthesympathies。Itisnot，ofcourse，ahelpconfinedtothepowersofthenaturestory;alltypesofstoryshareinsomedegreethepowersofeach。Buteachhassomeespecialvirtueindominantdegree，andthenaturestoryis，onthisground，identifiedwiththethoughtgiven。
ThenaturestorysharesitsinfluenceespeciallywithTHEHISTORICALSTORY
Astheonewidensthecircleofconnectionwithotherkindsoflife，theotherdeepensthesenseofrelationtopastlives;itgivesthesenseofbackground，ofthecloseandendlessconnectionofgenerationwithgeneration。Agoodhistoricalstoryvitalisestheconceptionofpasteventsandbringstheircharactersintorelationwiththepresent。Thisisespeciallytrueofstoriesofthingsandpersonsinthehistoryofourownrace。Theyfosterrace—consciousness，thefeelingofkinshipandcommunityofblood。
Itisthispropertywhichmakesthehistoricalstorysogoodanagentforfurtheringapropernationalprideinchildren。Genuinepatriotism，neitherarrogantnormelodramatic，issogenerallyrecognisedashavingitsrootsinearlytrainingthatIneednotdwellonthispossibility，furtherthantonoteitsconnectionwiththeinstinctofhero—worshipwhichisquickinthehealthychild。Letusfeedthathungerfortheheroicwhichgnawsattheimaginationofeveryboyandofmoregirlsthanisgenerallyadmitted。
Therehavebeenheroesinplentyintheworld’srecords，——heroesofaction，ofendurance，ofdecision，offaith。Biographicalhistoryisfullofthem。Andthedeedsoftheseheroesareeveryoneastory。Wetellthesestories，bothtobringthegreatpastintoitsduerelationwiththelivingpresent，andtoarousethatgenerousadmirationanddesireforemulationwhichisthesourceofsomuchinspirationinchildhood。
Whenthesestoriesaretalesofthedoingsandhappeningsofourownheroes，thestrongmenandwomenwhoselivesareapartofourowncountry’shistory，theyservethedoubledemandsofhero—worshipandpatriotism。
Storiesofwiseandhoneststatesmanship，ofstrugglewithprimitiveconditions，ofgenerousloveandsacrifice，and——insomemeasure——ofphysicalcourage，formasubtleandpowerfulinfluenceforprideinone’speople，theintimatesenseofkinshipwithone’sownnation，andthedesiretoserveitinone’sowntime。
Itisnotparticularlyusefultotellbatchesofunrelatedanecdote。Itismuchmoreprofitabletotakeupthestoryofaperiodandconnectitwithagroupofinterestingpersonswhoselivesaffecteditorwereaffectedbyit，tellingthestoriesoftheirlives，oroftheeventsinwhichtheywereconcerned，as\"truestories。\"Thesebiographicalstoriesmust，usually，beadaptedforuse。Butbesidesthesethereisacertainnumberofpurestories——worksofart——whichalreadyexistforus，andwhichilluminatefactsandepochsalmostwithoutneedofsidelights。
Suchmaystandbythemselves，orbeusedwithonlyenoughexplanationtogivebackground。
ProbablythebeststoryofthiskindknowntoloversofmodernliteratureisDaudet’sfamousLaDerniereClasse。[1]
[1]SeeTheLastLesson。
Thehistoricalstory，torecapitulate，givesasenseoftherealityandhumannessofpastevents，isavaluableaidinpatriotictraining，andstirsthedesireofemulatinggoodnessandwisdom。
CHAPTERII
SELECTIONOFSTORIESTOTELL
ThereisonepicturewhichIcanalwaysreview，inmyowncollectionofpastscenes，thoughmanyamorehighlycolouredonehasbeenirrevocablycurtainedbythefoldsofforgetfulness。
Itisthepictureofalittlegirl，standingbyanold—fashionedmarble—toppeddressingtableinapink，sunnyroom。Icanneverseethelittlegirl’sface，because，somehow，Iamalwayslookingdownathershortskirtsortwistingmyheadroundagainstthehandwhichpatientlycombsherstubborncurls。ButIcanseethebrushesandcombsonthemarbletablequiteplainly，andthepinkerstreaksofsunonthepinkwalls。AndIcanhear。Icanhearalow，wonder—workingvoicewhichgoessmoothlyonandon，asthefingersrunupthelittlegirl’slocksorstrokethehairintoplaceonherforehead。Thevoicesays，\"AndlittleGoldilockscametoalittlebitofahouse。Andsheopenedthedoorandwentin。ItwasthehousewherethreeBearslived;therewasagreatBear，alittleBear，andamiddle—sizedBear;andtheyhadgoneoutforawalk。Goldilockswentin，andshesaw\"——thelittlegirlisverystill;shewouldnotdisturbthatstorybysomuchasaloudbreath;butpresentlythecombcomestoatangle，pulls，——andthelittlegirlbeginstosquirm。Instantlythevoicebecomesimpressive，mysterious：\"shewentuptothetable，andtherewereTHREEPLATESOFPORRIDGE。Shetastedthefirstone\"——thelittlegirlswallowsthebreathshewasgoingtowhimperwith，andwaits——\"anditwastoohot！Shetastedthenextone，andTHATwastoohot。Thenshetastedthelittlebitofaplate，andthat——was——just——right！\"
HowIrememberthedelightfulsenseofachievementwhichstoleintothelittlegirl’sveinswhenthevoicebehindhersaid\"justright。\"Ithinkshealwayschuckledalittle，andhuggedherstomach。Sothestoryprogressed，andthelittlegirlgotthroughhertoiletwithoutcrying，owingtothewonder—workingvoiceanditsmarvellousadaptationofclimaxestoemergencies。Ninetimesoutoften，itwasthestoryofTheThreeBearsshedemandedwhen，withtheappearanceofbrushandcomb，thevoiceasked，\"Whichstoryshallmothertell？\"
Itwasamemoryofthelittlegirlinthepinkroomwhichmadeiteasyformetounderstandsomeotherchildren’spreferenceswhenIrecentlyhadoccasiontoinquireaboutthem。
Byaskingmanyindividualchildrenwhichstoryofalltheyhadheardtheylikedbest，bytakingvotesonthebeststoryofaseries，aftertellingit，andbygettingsomeobligingteacherstoputsimilarquestionstotheirpupils，Ifoundthreeprimefavouritescommontoagreatmanychildrenofaboutthekindergartenage。TheywereTheThreeBears，ThreeLittlePigs，andTheLittlePigthatwouldn’tgoovertheStile。
Someoftheteachersweregenuinelydisturbedbecausethefewstoriestheyhadintroducedmerelyforamusementhadtakensopre—
eminentaplaceinthechildren’saffectionoverthosewhichhadbeengivenseriously。Itwasofnouse，however，tosuggestsubstitutes。
Thechildrenknewdefinitelywhattheyliked，andthoughtheyacceptedtherecapitulationofscientificandmoralstorieswithpoliteapprobation，theyreturnedtotheoriginalansweratarepetitionofthequestion。
Inasmuchastheslightestofthethingswehopetodoforchildrenbymeansofstoriesisquiteimpossibleunlessthechildrenenjoythestories，itmaybeworthourwhiletoconsiderseriouslythesethreewhichtheysurelydoenjoy，toseewhatcommonqualitiesareinthem，explanatoryoftheirpopularity，bywhichwemaytesttheprobablesuccessofotherstorieswewishtotell。
Heretheyare，——threeprimefavouritesofprovedstanding。
THESTORYOFTHETHREELITTLEPIGS[1]
[1]AdaptedfromJosephJacobs’sEnglishFairyTales（DavidNutt，57—69LongAcre，W。C。6s。），Onceuponatimetherewerethreelittlepigs，whowentfromhometoseektheirfortune。
Thefirstthatwentoffmetamanwithabundleofstraw，andsaidtohim：——
\"Goodman，givemethatstrawtobuildmeahouse。\"
Themangavethestraw，andthelittlepigbuilthishousewithit。Presentlycamealongawolf，andknockedatthedoor，andsaid：——
\"Littlepig，littlepig，letmecomein。\"
Butthepiganswered：——
\"No，no，bythehairofmychiny—chin—chin。\"
Sothewolfsaid：——
\"ThenI’llhuff，andI’llpuff，andI’llblowyourhousein。\"
Sohehuffed，andhepuffed，andheblewhishousein，andateupthelittlepig。
Thesecondlittlepigmetamanwithabundleoffurze，andsaid：——
\"Goodman，givemethatfurzetobuildmeahouse。\"
Themangavethefurze，andthepigbuilthishouse。Thenoncemorecamethewolf，andsaid：
\"Littlepig，littlepig，letmecomein。\"
\"No，no，bythehairofmychiny—chin—chin。\"
\"ThenI’llpuff，andI’llhuff，andI’llblowyourhousein。\"
Sohehuffed，andhepuffed，andhepuffedandhehuffed，andatlastheblewthehousein，andateupthelittlepig。
Thethirdlittlepigmetamanwithaloadofbricks，andsaid：——
\"Goodman，givemethosebrickstobuildmeahousewith。\"
Themangavethebricks，andhebuilthishousewiththem。Againthewolfcame，andsaid：——
\"Littlepig，littlepig，letmecomein。\"
\"No，no，bythehairofmychiny—chin—chin。\"
\"ThenI’llhuff，andI’llpuff，andI’llblowyourhousein。\"
Sohehuffed，andhepuffed，andhehuffed，andhepuffed，andhepuffedandhuffed;buthecouldNOTgetthehousedown。Findingthathecouldnot，withallhishuffingandpuffing，blowthehousedown，hesaid：——
\"Littlepig，Iknowwherethereisanicefieldofturnips。\"
\"Where？\"saidthelittlepig。
\"Oh，inMrSmith’sfield，andifyouwillbereadyto—morrowmorningwewillgotogether，andgetsomefordinner。\"
\"Verywell，\"saidthelittlepig。\"Whattimedoyoumeantogo？\"
\"Oh，atsixo’clock。\"
Sothelittlepiggotupatfive，andgottheturnipsbeforethewolfcamecrying：——
\"Littlepig，areyouready？\"
Thelittlepigsaid：\"Ready！Ihavebeenandcomebackagain，andgotanicepotfulfordinner。\"
Thewolffeltveryangryatthis，butthoughtthathewouldbeamatchforthelittlepigsomehoworother，sohesaid：——
\"Littlepig，Iknowwherethereisaniceapple—tree。\"
\"Where？\"saidthepig。
\"DownatMerry—garden，\"repliedthewolf，\"andifyouwillnotdeceivemeIwillcomeforyou，atfiveo’clockto—morrow，andgetsomeapples。\"
Thelittlepiggotupnextmorningatfouro’clock，andwentofffortheapples，hopingtogetbackbeforethewolfcame;butittooklongtoclimbthetree，andjustashewascomingdownfromit，hesawthewolfcoming。Whenthewolfcameuphesaid：——
\"Littlepig，what！areyouherebeforeme？
Aretheyniceapples？\"
\"Yes，very，\"saidthelittlepig。\"Iwillthrowyoudownone。\"
Andhethrewitsofarthat，whilethewolfwasgonetopickitup，thelittlepigjumpeddownandranhome。Thenextdaythewolfcameagain，andsaidtothelittlepig：——
\"Littlepig，thereisafairintownthisafternoon;willyougo？’
\"Ohyes，\"saidthepig，\"Iwillgo;whattime？\"
\"Atthree，\"saidthewolf。Asusualthelittlepigwentoffbeforethetime，andgottothefair，andboughtabutter—churn，whichhewasrollinghomewhenhesawthewolfcoming。
Sohegotintothechurntohide，andinsodoingturneditround，anditrolleddownthehillwiththepiginit，whichfrightenedthewolfsomuchthatheranhomewithoutgoingtothefair。Hewenttothelittlepig’shouse，andtoldhimhowfrightenedhehadbeenbyagreatroundthingwhichcamepasthimdownthehill。
Thenthelittlepigsaid。——
\"Ha！ha！Ifrightenedyou，then！\"
Thenthewolfwasveryangryindeed，andtriedtogetdownthechimneyinordertoeatupthelittlepig。Whenthelittlepigsawwhathewasabout，heputapotfullofwaterontheblazingfire，and，justasthewolfwascomingdown，hetookoffthecover，andinfellthewolf。
Quicklythelittlepigclappedonthecover，andwhenthewolfwasboiledatehimforsupper。