THESTORYOFTHETHREEBEARS[1]
[1]AdaptedfromJosephJacobs’sEnglishFairyTales（DavidNutt，57—59LongAcre，W。C。6s。）
OnceuponatimetherewereThreeBears，wholivedtogetherinahouseoftheirown，inawood。OneofthemwasaLittleSmallWeeBear，andonewasaMiddle—sizedBear，andtheotherwasaGreatHugeBear。Theyhadeachapotfortheirporridge，——alittlepotfortheLittleSmallWeeBear，andamiddle—sizedpotfortheMiddle—sizedBear，andagreatpotfortheGreatHugeBear。Andtheyhadeachachairtositin，——alittlechairfortheLittleSmallWeeBear，andamiddle—sizedchairfortheMiddle—sizedBear，andagreatchairfortheGreatHugeBear。Andtheyhadeachabedtosleepin，——alittlebedfortheLittleSmallWeeBear，andamiddle—sizedbedfortheMiddle—sizedBear，andagreatbedfortheGreatHugeBear。
Oneday，aftertheyhadmadetheporridgefortheirbreakfast，andpoureditintotheirporridge—pots，theywalkedoutintothewoodwhiletheporridgewascooling，thattheymightnotburntheirmouths，bybeginningtoosoontoeatit。Andwhiletheywerewalking，alittlegirlnamedGoldilockscametothehouse。Shehadneverseenthelittlehousebefore，anditwassuchastrangelittlehousethatsheforgotallthethingshermotherhadtoldheraboutbeingpolite：firstshelookedinatthewindow，andthenshepeepedinatthekeyhole;andseeingnobodyinthehouse，sheliftedthelatch。
Thedoorwasnotfastened，becausetheBearsweregoodBears，whodidnobodyanyharm，andneversuspectedthatanybodywouldharmthem。SoGoldilocksopenedthedoor，andwentin;andwellpleasedshewaswhenshesawtheporridgeonthetable。IfGoldilockshadrememberedwhathermotherhadtoldher，shewouldhavewaitedtilltheBearscamehome，andthen，perhaps，theywouldhaveaskedhertobreakfast;fortheyweregoodBears——alittlerough，asthemannerofBearsis，butforallthatverygood—naturedandhospitable。ButGoldilocksforgot，andsetabouthelpingherself。
SofirstshetastedtheporridgeoftheGreatHugeBear，andthatwastoohot。AndthenshetastedtheporridgeoftheMiddle—sizedBear，andthatwastoocold。AndthenshewenttotheporridgeoftheLittleSmallWeeBear，andtastedthat：andthatwasneithertoohotnortoocold，butjustright;andshelikeditsowell，thatsheateitallup。
ThenGoldilockssatdowninthechairoftheGreatHugeBear，andthatwastoohardforher。AndthenshesatdowninthechairoftheMiddle—sizedBear，andthatwastoosoftforher。AndthenshesatdowninthechairoftheLittleSmallWeeBear，andthatwasneithertoohardnortoosoft，butjustright。Sosheseatedherselfinit，andthereshesattillthebottomofthechaircameout，anddownshecame，plumpupontheground。
ThenGoldilockswentupstairsintothebed—
chamberinwhichtheThreeBearsslept。AndfirstshelaydownuponthebedoftheGreatHugeBear;butthatwastoohighattheheadforher。AndnextshelaydownuponthebedoftheMiddle—sizedBear，andthatwastoohighatthefootforher。AndthenshelaydownuponthebedoftheLittleSmallWeeBear;andthatwasneithertoohighattheheadnoratthefoot，butjustright。Soshecoveredherselfupcomfortably，andlaytheretillshefellfastasleep。
BythistimetheThreeBearsthoughttheirporridgewouldbecoolenough;sotheycamehometobreakfast。NowGoldilockshadleftthespoonoftheGreatHugeBearstandinginhisporridge。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENATMY
PORRIDGE！\"saidtheGreatHugeBear，inhisgreat，rough，gruffvoice。AndwhentheMiddle—sizedBearlookedathis，hesawthatthespoonwasstandinginittoo。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENATMYPORRIDGE！\"
saidtheMiddle—sizedBear，inhismiddle—sizedvoice。
ThentheLittleSmallWeeBearlookedathis，andtherewasthespoonintheporridge—
pot，buttheporridgewasallgone。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENATMYPORRIDGE，AND
HASEATENITALLUP！\"saidtheLittleSmallWeeBear，inhislittle，small，weevoice。
Uponthis，theThreeBears，seeingthatsomeonehadenteredtheirhouse，andeatenuptheLittleSmallWeeBear’sbreakfast，begantolookaboutthem。NowGoldilockshadnotputthehardcushionstraightwhensherosefromthechairoftheGreatHugeBear。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENSITTINGIN
MYCHAIR！\"saidtheGreatHugeBear，inhisgreat，rough，gruffvoice。
AndGoldilockshadcrusheddownthesoftcushionoftheMiddle—sizedBear。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENSITTINGINMYCHAIR！\"
saidtheMiddle—sizedBear，inhismiddle—sizedvoice。
AndyouknowwhatGoldilockshaddonetothethirdchair。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENSITTINGINMYCHAIRAND
HASSATTHEBOTTOMOUTOFIT！\"saidtheLittleSmallWeeBear，inhislittle，small，weevoice。
ThentheThreeBearsthoughtitnecessarythattheyshouldmakefurthersearch;sotheywentupstairsintotheirbed—chamber。NowGoldilockshadpulledthepillowoftheGreatHugeBearoutofitsplace。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENLYINGIN
MYBED！\"saidtheGreatHugeBear，inhisgreat，rough，gruffvoice。
AndGoldilockshadpulledthebolsteroftheMiddle—sizedBearoutofitsplace。
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENLYINGINMYBED！\"
saidtheMiddle—sizedBear，inhismiddle—sizedvoice。
AndwhentheLittleSmallWeeBearcametolookathisbed，therewasthebolsterinitsplace;andthepillowinitsplaceuponthebolster;anduponthepillowwastheshining，yellowhairoflittleGoldilocks！
\"SOMEBODYHASBEENLYINGINMYBED，——
ANDHERESHEIS！\"saidtheLittleSmallWeeBear，inhislittle，small，weevoice。
Goldilockshadheardinhersleepthegreat，rough，gruffvoiceoftheGreatHugeBear;
butshewassofastasleepthatitwasnomoretoherthantheroaringofwindortherumblingofthunder。Andshehadheardthemiddle—sizedvoiceoftheMiddle—sizedBear，butitwasonlyasifshehadheardsomeonespeakinginadream。Butwhensheheardthelittle，small，weevoiceoftheLittleSmallWeeBear，itwassosharp，andsoshrill，thatitawakenedheratonce。Upshestarted，andwhenshesawtheThreeBearsononesideofthebed，shetumbledherselfoutattheother，andrantothewindow。Nowthewindowwasopen，becausetheBears，likegood，tidyBearsastheywere，alwaysopenedtheirbed—chamberwindowwhentheygotupinthemorning。
OutlittleGoldilocksjumped，andranawayhometohermother，asfastasevershecould。
THEOLDWOMANANDHERPIG[1]
[1]AdaptedfromJosephJacobs’sEnglishFairyTales（DavidNutt，57—59LongAcre，W。C。6s。）。
Ithappenedonedaythatasanoldwomanwassweepingherhouseshefoundalittlecrookedsixpence。\"What，\"saidshe，\"shallI
dowiththislittlesixpence？Iwillgotomarket，andbuyalittlepig。\"
Onthewayhomeshecametoastile;butthepiggywouldn’tgooverthestile。
Sosheleftthepiggyandwentonalittlefurther，tillshemetadog。Shesaidtohim，\"Dog，dog，bitepig;piggywon’tgooverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthedogwouldn’tbitepiggy。
Alittlefurtheronshemetastick。Soshesaid：\"Stick！stick！beatdog！dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgooverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthestickwouldn’tbeatthedog。
Alittlefurtheronshemetafire。Soshesaid：\"Fire！fire！burnstick！stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthefirewouldn’tburnthestick。
Alittlefurtheronshemetsomewater。Soshesaid：\"Water！water！quenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;
andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthewaterwouldn’tquenchthefire。
Alittlefurtheronshemetanox。Soshesaid：\"Ox！ox！drinkwater;waterwon’tquenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"
Buttheoxwouldn’tdrinkthewater。
Alittlefurtheronshemetabutcher。Soshesaid：\"Butcher！butcher！killox;oxwon’tdrinkwater;waterwon’tquenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;
andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthebutcherwouldn’tkilltheox。
Alittlefurtheronshemetarope。Soshesaid：\"Rope！rope！hangbutcher;butcherwon’tkillox;oxwon’tdrinkwater;waterwon’tquenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—
night。\"Buttheropewouldn’thangthebutcher。
Alittlefurtheronshemetarat。Soshesaid：\"Rat！rat！gnawrope;ropewon’thangbutcher;butcherwon’tkillox;oxwon’tdrinkwater;waterwon’tquenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;andI
sha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Buttheratwouldn’tgnawtherope。
Alittlefurtheronshemetacat。Soshesaid：\"Cat！cat！killrat;ratwon’tgnawrope;
ropewon’thangbutcher;butcherwon’tkillox;oxwon’tdrinkwater;waterwon’tquenchfire;firewon’tburnstick;stickwon’tbeatdog;dogwon’tbitepig;piggywon’tgetoverthestile;andIsha’n’tgethometo—night。\"Butthecatsaidtoher，\"Ifyouwillgotoyondercow，andfetchmeasaucerofmilk，Iwillkilltherat。\"Soawaywenttheoldwomantothecow。
Butthecowrefusedtogivethemilkunlesstheoldwomanfirstgaveherahandfulofhay。
Soawaywenttheoldwomantothehaystack;
andshebroughtthehaytothecow。
Whenthecowhadeatenthehay，shegavetheoldwomanthemilk;andawayshewentwithitinasaucertothecat。
Assoonasithadlappedupthemilk，thecatbegantokilltherat;theratbegantognawtherope;theropebegantohangthebutcher;thebutcherbegantokilltheox;theoxbegantodrinkthewater;thewaterbegantoquenchthefire;thefirebegantoburnthestick;thestickbegantobeatthedog;thedogbegantobitethepig;thelittlepiginafrightjumpedoverthestile;andsotheoldwomandidgethomethatnight。
Thebriefestexaminationofthesethreestoriesrevealsthefactthatoneattributebeyonddisputeineach。Somethinghappens，allthetime。Everystepineachstoryisanevent。Thereisnotimespentinexplanation，description，ortellinghowpeoplefelt;thestoriestellwhatpeopledid，andwhattheysaid。
Andtheeventsarethelinksofasequenceoftheclosestkind;inpointoftimeandofcausetheyfollowasimmediatelyasitispossibleforeventstofollow。Therearenogaps，andnocomplicationsofplotrequiringareturnontheroad。
Asecondcommoncharacteristicappearsonbriefestexamination。Asyourunoverthelittlestoriesyouwillseethateacheventpresentsadistinctpicturetotheimagination，andthatthesepicturesaremadeoutofverysimpleelements。Theelementsareeitherfamiliartothechildoranalogoustofamiliarones。Eachobjectandhappeningisverylikeeveryday，yettouchedwithasubtledifference，richinmystery。Forexample，thedetailsofthepicturesintheGoldilocksstoryarepartsofeverydaylife，——house，chairs，beds，andsoon;
buttheyarethehouse，chairs，andbedsofthreebears;thatisthetouchofmarvelwhichtransformsthescene。Theoldwomanwhoownedtheobstinatepigisthecentreofacircleinwhichstandonlyfamiliarimages，——stick，fire，water，cow，andtherest;butthewonderenterswiththefactthattheseusuallyinanimateordumbobjectsofnatureentersohumanlyintothecontestofwills。Soitis，also，withthedoingsofthethreelittlepigs。Everyimageisexplicabletotheyoungesthearer，whilenonesuggestsactualfamiliarity，becausetheactorsarenotchildren，butpigs。Simplicity，withmystery，isthekeynoteofallthepictures，andtheseareclearanddistinct。
Stillathirdcharacteristiccommontothestoriesquotedisacertainamountofrepetition。
Itismoredefinite，andofwhathasbeencalledthe\"cumulative\"kind，inthestoryoftheoldwoman;butinallitisadistinctivefeature。
Herewehave，then，threemarkedcharacteristicscommontothreestoriesalmostinvariablylovedbychildren，——action，inclosesequence;
familiarimages，tingedwithmystery;somedegreeofrepetition。
Itisnothardtoseewhythesequalitiesappealtoachild。Thefirstistheprimecharacteristicofallgoodstories，——\"storiesasisstories\";thechild’sdemandforitbutbearswitnesstothefactthathisinstinctivetasteisoftenbetterthanthetastehelaterdevelopsunderartificialculture。Thesecondisamatterofcommon—sense。Howcouldtheimaginationcreatenewworlds，saveoutofthematerialoftheold？Toofferstrangeimagesistoconfusethemindanddulltheinterest;toofferfamiliarones\"withadifference\"istopiquetheinterestandengagethemind。
Thecharmofrepetition，tochildren，isamorecomplexmatter;thereareundoubtedlyagoodmanyelementsenteringintoit，hardtotraceinanalysis。Butoneortwoofthemoreobviousmaybeseizedandbroughttoview。
Thefirstisthesubtleflatteryofanunexpectedsenseofmastery。Whenthechild—mind，followingwithtoilfulalertnessanewtrainofthought，comessuddenlyonafamiliarepithetorexpression，Ifancyitiswithmuchthesamesenseofsatisfactionthatweolderpeoplefeelwheninthemidstofalongprogrammeofnewmusictheorchestrastrikesintosomethingwehaveheardbefore，——Handel，maybe，oroneofthemorefamiliarBeethovensonatas。\"Iknowthat！Ihaveheardthatbefore！\"wethink，triumphant，andsettledowntoenjoymentwithouteffort。Soitis，probably，withthe\"middle—sized\"articlesofthebears’houseandthe\"andIsha’n’tgethometo—night\"oftheoldwoman。Eachrecurrencedeepensthenoteoffamiliarity，ticklestheprimitivesenseofhumour，andeasesthestrainofattention。
Whentherepetitioniscumulative，liketheextremeinstanceofTheHousethatJackBuilt，Ihaveanotionthatthejoyofthechildisthepleasureofintellectualgymnastics，nottoohardforfun，butnottooeasyforexcitement。Thereisadealoffuntobegotoutofpurelyintellectualprocesses，andchild—
hoodisnottoosoonfortherudimentsofsuchfuntoshow。Thedelightthehealthyadultmindtakesinworkingoutaneatproblemingeometry，thepleasureamusicianfindsinfollowingtheinvolutionsofafugue，areofthesametypeofsatisfactionasthelikingofchildrenforcumulativestories。Complexityandmass，arrivedatbystagesperfectlyintelligibleinthemselves，mountingsteadilyfromastarting—pointofsimplicity;thenthesamecomplexityandmassresolvingitselfasitweremiraculouslybackintosimplicity，thisisanintellectualjoy。Itdoesnotdiffermaterially，whetherfoundinthestudyofcounterpoint，atthirty，orinthestoryoftheoldwomanandherpig，atfive。Itisperfectlynaturalandwholesome，anditmayperhapsbeamorepowerfuldevelopingforceforthebuddingintellectthanweareaware。
Forthesereasonsletmeurgeyou，whenyouarelookingforstoriestotelllittlechildren，toapplythisthreefoldtestasakindoftouchstonetotheirqualityoffitness：Aretheyfullofaction，inclosenaturalsequence？Aretheirimagessimplewithoutbeinghumdrum？Aretheyrepetitive？Thelastqualityisnotanabsoluterequisite;butitisatleastveryoftenanattributeofagoodchild—story。
Havingthistouchstoneinmindforgeneralselection，wecannowpasstothematterofspecificchoicesfordifferentagesofchildren。
Noonecanspeakwithabsoluteconvictioninthismatter，sogreatlydothetasteandcapacityofchildrenofthesameagevary。Anyapproachtoanexactclassificationofjuvenilebooksaccordingtotheirsuitabilityfordifferentageswillbefoundimpossible。Thesamebookinthehandsofaskilfulnarratormaybemadetoafforddelighttochildrenbothoffiveandten。Thefollowingaremerelytheinferencesdrawnfrommyownexperience。Theymustbemodifiedbyeachteacheraccordingtotheconditionsofhersmallaudience。Ingeneral，Ibelieveittobewisetoplanthechoiceofstoriesmuchasindicatedinthetable。
Atalaterstage，varyingwiththestandardofcapacityofdifferentclasses，wefindthetemperofmindwhichaskscontinually，\"Isthattrue？\"Tomeetthisdemand，onedrawsonhistoricalandscientificanecdote，andonreminiscence。Butthedemandisneversoexclusivethatfictitiousnarrativeneedbecastaside。Allthatisnecessaryistostatefranklythatthestoryyouaretellingis\"justastory，\"
or——ifitbethecase——thatitis\"parttrueandpartstory。\"
AtallstagesIwouldurgethetellingofBiblestories，asfarasisallowedbythespecialcircumstancesoftheschool。Thesearestoriesfromasourceunsurpassedinourliteratureforpurityofstyleandloftinessofsubject。MoreespeciallyIurgethetellingoftheChrist—story，insuchpartsasseemlikelytobewithinthegraspoftheseveralclasses。InallBiblestoriesitiswelltokeepasnearaspossibletotheoriginalunimprovabletext。[1]Someamplificationcanbemade，butnoexcessivemodernisingorsimplifyingisexcusableinfaceoftheausteregraceandmajesticsimplicityoftheoriginal。Suchadaptationashelpstocutthelongnarrativeintoseparateunits，makingeachanintelligiblestory，Ihaveventuredtoillustrateaccordingtomyownpersonaltaste，intwostoriesgiveninChapterVI。Theobjectoftheusualmodernisingorenlargingofthetextmaybefarbetterattainedforthechildlistenerbyinfusingintothetextasitstandsastrongrealisingsenseofitsmeaningandvitality，lettingitgiveitsownmessagethroughafitmediumofexpression。
[1]StoriesfromtheOldTestament，byS。Platt，retellstheOldTestamentstoryasnearlyaspossibleintheactualwordsoftheAuthorisedVersion。
Thestoriesgivenaregroupedasillustrationsofthetypessuitablefordifferentstages。Theyare，however，veryofteninterchangeable;andmanystoriescanbetoldsuccessfullytoallclasses。Avitallygoodstoryislittlelimitedinitsappeal。Itis，nevertheless，ahelptohavecertainplainresultsofexperienceasabasisforchoice;thatwhichisgivenisintendedonlyforsuchabasis，notintheleastasafinallist。
CERTAINTYPESOFSTORYCLASSIFIED
FORKINDERGARTENANDCLASSI。：
LittleRhymedStories（includingthebestofthenurseryrhymesandthemorepoeticfragmentsofMotherGoose）
StorieswithRhymeinPartsNatureStories（inwhichtheelementofpersonificationisstrong）
NonsenseTalesWonderTalesFORCLASSESII。ANDIII。：
NonsenseTalesWonderTalesFairyandFolkTalesFablesLegendsNatureStories（especiallystoriesofanimals）
FORCLASSESIV。ANDV。：
FolkTalesFablesMythsandAllegoriesDevelopedAnimalStoriesLegends：HistoricandHeroicHistoricalStoriesHumorousAdventureStories\"TrueStories\"
ThewondertalesmostfamiliarandaccessibletotheteacherareprobablythoseincludedinthecollectionsofAndersenandtheBrothersGrimm。Soconstantisthedemandforthesethatthefollowinglistmaybefounduseful，asindicatingwhichofthestoriesaremoreeasilyandeffectivelyadaptedfortelling，andcommonlymostsuccessful。
Itmustberememberedthatmanyofthesestandardtalesneedsuchadaptingashasbeensuggested，cattingthemdown，andriddingthemofvulgarorsophisticateddetail。
FromtheBrothersGrimm：
TheStarDollarsTheCatandtheMouseTheNailTheHareandtheHedgehogSnow—WhiteandRose—RedMotherHolleThumblingThreeBrothersTheLittlePorridgePotLittleSnow—WhiteTheWolfandtheSevenLittleKidsTheSeaMouseFromAndersen：
LittleTinyTheLarkandtheDaisyTheUglyDucklingTheSevenStoriesoftheSnowQueenTheFlaxTheLittleMatchGirlTheFir—TreeTheRedShoesOleLukoieMondaySaturdaySundayTheElfoftheRoseFivePeasinaPodThePortugueseDuckTheLittleMermaid（muchshortened）
TheNightingale（shortened）
TheGirlwhotrodonaLoafTheEmperor’sNewClothesAnotherfamiliarandeasilyattainabletypeofstoryistheclassicmyth，asretoldinKupfer’sLegendsofGreeceandRome。[1]
Ofthese，again，certaintalesaremoresuccessfullyadaptedtochildrenthanothers。Amongthebestfortellingare：
ArachnePandoraMidasApolloandDaphneApolloandHyacinthusNarcissusLatonaandtheRusticsProserpine[1]Awell—nighindispensablebookforteachersisGuerber’sMythsofGreeceandRome，whichcontainsinbriefformacompletecollectionoftheclassicmyths。
CHAPTERIII
ADAPTATIONOFSTORIESFORTELLING
Itsoonbecomeseasytopickoutfromacollectionsuchstoriesascanbewelltold;butatnotimeisiteasytofindasufficientnumberofsuchstories。Storiessimple，direct，andsufficientlyfullofincidentfortelling，yethavingthebeautifulorvaluablemotivewedesireforchildren，donotliehiddenineverybook。Andevenmanyofthestorieswhicharemostcharmingtoreaddonotanswerthedoubledemand，fortheappealtotheeyediffersinmanyimportantrespectsfromthattotheear。Unlessoneisabletochangetheformofastorytosuittheneedsoforaldelivery，oneislikelytosufferfrompovertyofmaterial。Perhapsthecommonestneedofchangeisinthecaseofastorytoolongtotell，yetembodyingsomeonebeautifulincidentorlesson;oroneincludingaseriesofsuchincidents。ThestoryofTheNurnbergStove，byOuida，[1]isagoodexampleofthelatterkind;Ruskin’sKingoftheGoldenRiverwillserveasanillustrationoftheformer。
[1]SeeBimbi，byOuida。（Chatto。2s。）
Theprobleminonecaseischieflyoneofelimination;intheotheritisalsoinalargedegreeoneofrearrangement。InbothcasesI
havepurposelychosenextremeinstances，asfurnishingplainerillustration。Theusualstoryneedslessadaptationthanthese，butthesamekind，initsowndegree。Condensationandrearrangementarethecommonestformsofchangerequired。
Purecondensationisprobablytheeasierformostpersons。WithTheNurnbergStoveinmindforreference，letusseewhattheprocessincludes。Thisstorycanbereadilyfoundbyanyonewhoisinterestedinthefollowingexampleofadaptation，fornearlyeverylibraryincludesinitscataloguethejuvenileworksofMlle。delaRamee（Ouida）。Thesuggestionsgivenassumethatthestoryisbeforemyreaders。
Thestoryasitstandsistwothousandfourhundredwordslong，obviouslytoolongtotell。
Whatcanbeleftout？Letusseewhatmustbekeptin。
ThedramaticclimaxtowardwhichweareworkingistheoutcomeofAugust’sstrangeexploit，——hisdiscoverybythekingandtheopportunityforhimtobecomeanartist。Thejoyofthisclimaxistwofold：AugustmaystaywithhisbelovedHirschvogel，andhemaylearntomakebeautifulthingslikeit。Toarriveatthetwofoldconclusionwemuststartfromadoublepremise，——theloveofthestoveandtheyearningtobeanartist。Itwill，then，benecessarytoincludeinthebeginningofthestoryenoughdetailsofthefamilylifetoshowplainlyhowpreciousandnecessaryHirschvogelwastothechildren;andtostatedefinitelyhowAugusthadlearnedtoadmireandwishtoemulateHirschvogel’smaker。Weneednodetailbeyondwhatisnecessarytomakethisclear。
Thebeginningandtheendofastorydecidedupon，itsbodybecomesthebridgefromonetotheother;inthiscaseitisAugust’sstrangejourney，beginningwiththecatastropheandhisgrief—dazeddecisiontofollowthestove。Thejourneyislong，andeachstageofitistoldinfull。Asthisisimpossibleinoralreproduction，itbecomesnecessarytochoosetypicalincidents，whichwillgivethesamegeneraleffectasthewhole。Theincidentswhichanswerthispurposeare：thebeginningofthejourney，theexperienceontheluggagetrain，thejoltingwhilebeingcarriedonmen’sshoulders，thefinalfrightandsuspensebeforethekingopensthedoor。
Theepisodeofthenightinthebric—a—bracshopintroducesawhollynewandconfusingtrainofthought;therefore，charmingasitis，itmustbeomitted。Andthesecondarythreadofnarrativeinterest，thatofthepricesforwhichthestovewassold，andtheretributionvisitedonthecheatingdealers，isalso\"anotherstory，\"
andmustbeignored。Eachofthesedestroystheclearsequenceandthesimplicityofplotwhichmustbekeptfortelling。
Wearereduced，then，forthewhole，tothis：
abriefpreliminarystatementoftheplaceHirschvogelheldinthehouseholdaffections，andtheambitionarousedinAugust;thecatastropheofthesale;August’sdecision;hisexperiencesonthetrain，ontheshouldersofmen，andjustbeforethediscovery;hisdiscovery，andthedenouement。
Thisnotonlyreducesthestorytotellableform，butitalsoleavesasuggestiveinterestwhichheightenslaterenjoymentoftheoriginal。
IsuggesttheadaptationofKateDouglasWiggin，inTheStoryHour，sinceinviewoftheexistenceofasatisfactoryadaptationitseemsunappreciativetoofferasecond。TheoneI
madeformyownusesomeyearsagoisnotdissimilartothis，andIhavenoreasontosupposeitmoredesirable。
Ruskin’sKingoftheGoldenRiverissomewhatdifficulttoadapt。Notonlyisitlong，butitsstyleismature，highlydescriptive，andcloselyallegorical。Yetthetaleistoobeautifulandtoosuggestivetobelosttothestory—teller。
Anditis，also，sorecognisedapartofthestandardliteraryequipmentofyouththatteachersneedtobeabletointroducechildrentoitscharm。Tomakeitavailablefortelling，wemustchoosethemostessentialeventsoftheseriesleadinguptotheclimax，andpresentthesesosimplyastoappealtochildren’sears，andsobrieflyasnottotirethem。
Theprintedstoryiseightthousandwordsinlength。ThefirstthreethousandwordsdepictthebeautyandfertilityoftheTreasureValley，andthecruelhabitsofHansandSchwartz，itsowners，andgivetheculminatingincidentwhichleadstotheirbanishmentby\"WestWind。\"
Thisepisode，——theWestWind’sappearanceintheshapeofanagedtraveller，hiskindreceptionbytheyoungerbrother，littleGluck，andthesubsequentwrathofHansandSchwartz，withtheirresultingpunishment，——occupiesabouttwothousandwords。TherestofthestorydealswiththethreebrothersafterthedecreeofWestWindhasturnedTreasureValleyintoadesert。
Inthelittlehousewheretheyareplyingtheirtradeofgoldsmiths，theKingoftheGoldenRiverappearstoGluckandtellshimthemagicsecretofturningtheriver’swaterstogold。
HansandSchwartzinturnattemptthemiracle，andinturnincurthepenaltyattachedtofailure。Glucktries，andwinsthetreasurethroughself—sacrifice。TheformofthetreasureisarenewalofthefertilityofTreasureValley，andthemoralofthewholestoryissummedupinRuskin’swords，\"Sotheinheritancewhichwaslostbycrueltywasregainedbylove。\"
Itiseasytoseethatthedramaticpartofthestoryandthatwhichmostpointedlyillustratestheunderlyingidea，isthetripleattempttowinthetreasure，——thetwofailuresandtheonesuccess。ButthisisnecessarilyintroducedbytheepisodeoftheKingoftheGoldenRiver，whichis，also，anincidentsuretoappealtoachild’simagination。Andtheregainingoftheinheritanceismeaninglesswithoutthefactofitspreviousloss，andthereasonfortheloss，asacontrastwiththereasonforitsrecovery。Weneed，then，themainfactsrecordedinthefirstthreethousandwords。ButtheWestWindepisodemustbeavoided，notonlyforbrevity，butbecausetwosupernaturalappearances，sosimilar，yetofdifferentpersonalities，wouldhopelesslyconfuseatoldstory。
OuroralstoryisnowtobemadeoutofacondensedstatementofthecharacteroftheValleyandofitsowners，andthemannerofitsloss;theinterventionoftheKingoftheGoldenRiver;thethreeattemptstoturntherivertogold，andGluck’ssuccess。Gluckistobeourhero，andourunderlyingideaisthepowerofloveversuscruelty。Descriptionistobereducedtoitslowestterms，andthelanguagemadesimpleandconcrete。
Withthisoutlineinmind，itmaybeusefultocomparethefollowingadaptationwiththeoriginalstory。Theadaptationisnotintendedinanysenseasasubstitutefortheoriginal，butmerelyasthatformofitwhichcanbeTOLD，whiletheoriginalremainsforreading。
THEGOLDENRIVER[1]
[1]AdaptedfromRuskin’sKingoftheGoldenRiver。
Therewasonceabeautifullittlevalley，wherethesunwaswarm，andtherainsfellsoftly;itsapplesweresored，itscornsoyellow，itsgrapessoblue，thatitwascalledtheTreasureValley。Notariverranintoit，butonegreatriverfloweddownthemountainsontheotherside，andbecausethesettingsunalwaystingeditshighcataractwithgoldaftertherestoftheworldwasdark，itwascalledtheGoldenRiver。Thelovelyvalleybelongedtothreebrothers。Theyoungest，littleGluck，washappy—heartedandkind，buthehadahardlifewithhisbrothers，forHansandSchwartzweresocruelandsomeanthattheywereknowneverywherearoundasthe\"BlackBrothers。\"
Theywerehardtotheirfarmhands，hardtotheircustomers，hardtothepoor，andhardestofalltoGluck。
AtlasttheBlackBrothersbecamesobadthattheSpiritoftheWestWindtookvengeanceonthem;heforbadeanyofthegentlewinds，southandwest，tobringraintothevalley。Then，sincetherewerenoriversinit，itdriedup，andinsteadofatreasurevalleyitbecameadesertofdry，redsand。TheBlackBrotherscouldgetnothingoutofit，andtheywanderedoutintotheworldontheothersideofthemountain—peaks;andlittleGluckwentwiththem。
HansandSchwartzwentouteveryday，wastingtheirtimeinwickedness，buttheyleftGluckinthehousetowork。AndtheylivedonthegoldandsilvertheyhadsavedinTreasureValley，tillatlastitwasallgone。
TheonlypreciousthingleftwasGluck’sgoldmug。ThistheBlackBrothersdecidedtomeltintospoons，tosell;andinspiteofGluck’stears，theyputitinthemeltingpot，andwentout，leavinghimtowatchit。
PoorlittleGlucksatatthewindow，tryingnottocryforhisdeargoldenmug，andasthesunbegantogodown，hesawthebeautifulcataractoftheGoldenRiverturnred，andyellow，andthenpuregold。
\"Oh，dear！\"hesaidtohimself，\"howfineitwouldbeiftheriverwerereallygolden！
Ineedn’tbepoor，then。\"
\"Itwouldn’tbefineatall！\"saidathin，metalliclittlevoice，inhisear。
\"Mercy，what’sthat！\"saidGluck，lookingallabout。Butnobodywasthere。
Suddenlythesharplittlevoicecameagain。
\"Pourmeout，\"itsaid，\"Iamtoohot！\"
Itseemedtocomerightfromtheoven，andasGluckstood，staringinfright，itcameagain，\"Pourmeout;I’mtoohot！\"
Gluckwasverymuchfrightened，buthewentandlookedinthemeltingpot。Whenhetouchedit，thelittlevoicesaid，\"Pourmeout，Isay！\"AndGlucktookthehandleandbegantopourthegoldout。
Firstcameoutatinypairofyellowlegs;thenapairofyellowcoat—tails;thenastrangelittleyellowbody，and，last，aweeyellowface，withlongcurlsofgoldhair。Andthewholeputitselftogetherasitfell，andstooduponthefloor，——thestrangestlittleyellowdwarf，aboutafoothigh！
\"Dear，me！\"saidGluck。
Butthelittleyellowmansaid，\"Gluck，doyouknowwhoIam？IamtheKingoftheGoldenRiver。\"
Gluckdidnotknowwhattosay，sohesaidnothing;and，indeed，thelittlemangavehimnochance。Hesaid，\"Gluck，Ihavebeenwatchingyou，andwhatIhaveseenofyou，Ilike。Listen，andIwilltellyousomethingforyourgood。WhoevershallclimbtothetopofthemountainfromwhichtheGoldenRiverfalls，andshallcastintoitswatersthreedropsofholywater，forhimandhimonlyshallitswatersturntogold。Butnoonecansucceedexceptatthefirsttrial，andanyonewhocastsunholywaterintheriverwillbeturnedintoablackstone。\"
Andthen，beforeGluckcoulddrawhisbreath，theKingwalkedstraightintothehottestflameofthefire，andvanishedupthechimney！
WhenGluck’sbrotherscamehome，theybeathimblackandblue，becausethemugwasgone。
ButwhenhetoldthemabouttheKingoftheGoldenRivertheyquarrelledallnight，astowhichshouldgotogetthegold。Atlast，Hans，whowasthestronger，gotthebetterofSchwartz，andstartedoff。Thepriestwouldnotgivesuchabadmananyholywater，sohestoleabottleful。Thenhetookabasketofbreadandwine，andbegantoclimbthemountain。
Heclimbedfast，andsooncametotheendofthefirsthill。Buttherehefoundagreatglacier，ahillofice，whichhehadneverseenbefore。Itwashorribletocross，——theicewasslippery，greatgulfsyawnedbeforehim，andnoiseslikegroansandshriekscamefromunderhisfeet。Helosthisbasketofbreadandwine，andwasquitefaintwithfearandexhaustionwhenhisfeettouchedfirmgroundagain。
Nexthecametoahillofhot，redrock，withoutabitofgrasstoeasethefeet，oraparticleofshade。Afteranhour’sclimbhewassothirstythathefeltthathemustdrink。
Helookedattheflaskofwater。\"Threedropsareenough，\"hethought;\"Iwilljustcoolmylips。\"Hewasliftingtheflasktohislipswhenhesawsomethingbesidehiminthepath。Itwasasmalldog，anditseemedtobedyingofthirst。Itstonguewasout，itslegswerelifeless，andaswarmofblackantswerecrawlingaboutitslips。ItlookedpiteouslyatthebottlewhichHansheld。Hansraisedthebottle，drank，kickedattheanimal，andpassedon。
Astrangeblackshadowcameacrossthebluesky。
AnotherhourHansclimbed;therocksgrewhotterandthewaysteepereverymoment。Atlasthecouldbearitnolonger;hemustdrink。
Thebottlewashalfempty，buthedecidedtodrinkhalfofwhatwasleft。Asheliftedit，somethingmovedinthepathbesidehim。Itwasachild，lyingnearlydeadofthirstontherock，itseyesclosed，itslipsburning，itsbreathcomingingasps。Hanslookedatit，drank，andpassedon。
Adarkcloudcameoverthesun，andlongshadowscreptupthemountain—side。
Itgrewverysteepnow，andtheairweighedlikeleadonHans’sforehead，buttheGoldenRiverwasverynear。Hansstoppedamomenttobreathe，thenstartedtoclimbthelastheight。
Asheclamberedon，hesawanold，oldmanlyinginthepath。Hiseyesweresunken，andhisfacedeadlypale。
\"Water！\"hesaid;\"water！\"
\"Ihavenoneforyou，\"saidHans;\"youhavehadyourshareoflife。\"Hestrodeovertheoldman’sbodyandclimbedon。
Aflashofbluelightningdazzledhimforaninstant，andthentheheavensweredark。
AtlastHansstoodonthebrinkofthecataractoftheGoldenRiver。Thesoundofitsroaringfilledtheair。Hedrewtheflaskfromhissideandhurleditintothetorrent。Ashedidso，anicychillshotthroughhim;heshriekedandfell。AndtheriverroseandflowedoverTheBlackStoneWhenHansdidnotcomebackGluckgrieved，butSchwartzwasglad。Hedecidedtogoandgetthegoldforhimself。Hethoughtitmightnotdotostealtheholywater，asHanshaddone，sohetookthemoneylittleGluckhadearned，andboughtholywaterofabadpriest。Thenhetookabasketofbreadandwine，andstartedoff。
Hecametothegreathillofice，andwasassurprisedasHanshadbeen，andfounditashardtocross。Manytimesheslipped，andhewasmuchfrightenedatthenoises，andwasverygladtogetacross，althoughhehadlosthisbasketofbreadandwine。Thenhecametothesamehillofsharp，redstone，withoutgrassorshade，thatHanshadclimbed。AndlikeHanshebecameverythirsty。LikeHans，too，hedecidedtodrinkalittleofthewater。Asheraisedittohislips，hesuddenlysawthesamefairchildthatHanshadseen。
\"Water！\"saidthechild。\"Water！Iamdying。\"
\"Ihavenotenoughformyself，\"saidSchwartz，andpassedon。
Alowbankofblackcloudroseoutofthewest。
Whenhehadclimbedforanotherhour，thethirstovercamehimagain，andagainheliftedtheflasktohislips。Ashedidso，hesawanoldmanwhobeggedforwater。
\"Ihavenotenoughformyself，\"saidSchwartz，andpassedon。
Amist，ofthecolourofblood，cameoverthesun。
ThenSchwartzclimbedforanotherhour，andoncemorehehadtodrink。Thistime，asheliftedtheflask，hethoughthesawhisbrotherHansbeforehim。Thefigurestretcheditsarmstohim，andcriedoutforwater。
\"Ha，ha，\"laughedSchwartz，\"doyousupposeIbroughtthewateruphereforyou？\"Andhestrodeoverthefigure。Butwhenhehadgoneafewyardsfarther，helookedback，andthefigurewasnotthere。
ThenhestoodatthebrinkoftheGoldenRiver，anditswaveswereblack，andtheroaringofthewatersfilledalltheair。Hecasttheflaskintothestream。Andashedidsothelightningglaredinhiseyes，theearthgavewaybeneathhim，andtheriverflowedoverThetwoBlackStones。
WhenGluckfoundhimselfalone，heatlastdecidedtotryhisluckwiththeKingoftheGoldenRiver。Thepriestgavehimsomeholywaterassoonasheaskedforit，andwiththisandabasketofbreadhestartedoff。
ThehilloficewasmuchharderforGlucktoclimb，becausehewasnotsostrongashisbrothers。Helosthisbread，felloften，andwasexhaustedwhenhegotonfirmground。Hebegantoclimbthehillinthehottestpartoftheday。Whenhehadclimbedforanhourhewasverythirsty，andliftedthebottletodrinkalittlewater。Ashedidsohesawafeebleoldmancomingdownthepathtowardhim。
\"Iamfaintwiththirst，\"saidtheoldman;
\"willyougivemesomeofthatwater？\"
Glucksawthathewaspaleandtired，sohegavehimthewater，saying，\"Pleasedon’tdrinkitall。\"Buttheoldmandrankagreatdeal，andgavebackthebottletwo—thirdsemptied。ThenhebadeGluckgoodspeed，andGluckwentonmerrily。
Somegrassappearedonthepath，andthegrasshoppersbegantosing。
Attheendofanotherhour，Gluckfeltthathemustdrinkagain。But，asheraisedtheflask，hesawalittlechildlyingbytheroadside，anditcriedoutpitifullyforwater。AfterastrugglewithhimselfGluckdecidedtobearthethirstalittlelonger。Heputthebottletothechild’slips，anditdrankallbutafewdrops。Thenitgotupandrandownthehill。
Allkindsofsweetflowersbegantogrowontherocks，andcrimsonandpurplebutterfliesflittedaboutintheair。
Attheendofanotherhour，Gluck’sthirstwasalmostunbearable。Hesawthattherewereonlyfiveorsixdropsofwaterinthebottle，however，andhedidnotdaretodrink。
Sohewasputtingtheflaskawayagainwhenhesawalittledogontherocks，gaspingforbreath。
Helookedatit，andthenattheGoldenRiver，andherememberedthedwarf’swords，\"Noonecansucceedexceptatthefirsttrial\";andhetriedtopassthedog。Butitwhinedpiteously，andGluckstopped。Hecouldnotbeartopassit。\"ConfoundtheKingandhisgold，too！\"hesaid;andhepouredthefewdropsofwaterintothedog’smouth。
Thedogsprangup;itstaildisappeared，itsnosegrewred，anditseyestwinkled。Thenextminutethedogwasgone，andtheKingoftheGoldenRiverstoodthere。HestoopedandpluckedalilythatgrewbesideGluck’sfeet。
Threedropsofdewwereonitswhiteleaves。
ThesethedwarfshookintotheflaskwhichGluckheldinhishand。
\"Casttheseintotheriver，\"hesaid，\"andgodowntheothersideofthemountainsintotheTreasureValley。\"Thenhedisappeared。
GluckstoodonthebrinkoftheGoldenRiver，andcastthethreedropsofdewintothestream。
Wheretheyfell，alittlewhirlpoolopened;butthewaterdidnotturntogold。Indeed，thewaterseemedvanishingaltogether。Gluckwasdisappointednottoseegold，butheobeyedtheKingoftheGoldenRiver，andwentdowntheothersideofthemountains。
WhenhecameoutintotheTreasureValley，ariver，liketheGoldenRiver，wasspringingfromanewcleftintherocksabove，andflowingamongtheheapsofdrysand。Andthenfreshgrasssprangbesidetheriver，flowersopenedalongitssides，andvinesbegantocoverthewholevalley。TheTreasureValleywasbecomingagardenagain。
GlucklivedintheValley，andhisgrapeswereblue，andhisappleswerered，andhiscornwasyellow;andthepoorwereneverdrivenfromhisdoor。Forhim，astheKinghadpromised，theriverwasreallyaRiverofGold。
Itwillprobablybecleartoanyonewhohasfollowedtheseattempts，thatthefirststepinadaptationisanalysis，carefulanalysisofthestoryasitstands。Oneasksoneself，Whatisthestory？Whicheventsarenecessarylinksinthechain？Howmuchofthetextispuredescription？
Havingthisessentialbodyofthestoryinmind，onethendecideswhichofthestepstowardtheclimaxareneededforsafearrivalthere，andkeepsthese。Whentwoormorestepscanbecoveredinasinglestride，onemakesthestride。
Whenanecessaryexplanationisundulylong，oriswovenintothestoryintoomanystrands，onedisposesofitinanintroductorystatement，orperhapsinasideremark。Iftherearetwoormorethreadsofnarrative，onechoosesamongthem，andholdsstrictlytotheonechosen，eliminatingdetailswhichconcerntheothers。
Inordertoholdthesimplicityofplotsoattained，itisalsodesirabletohavebutfewpersonagesinthestory，andtonarratetheactionfromthepointofviewofoneofthem，——usuallythehero。Toshiftthepointofviewoftheactionisconfusingtothechild’smind。
Whentheanalysisandcondensationhavebeenaccomplished，thewholemustbecastinsimplelanguage，keepingifpossiblethesamekindofspeechasthatusedintheoriginal，butchangingdifficultortechnicaltermstoplain，andcompleximagestosimpleandfamiliarones。
Alltypesofadaptationshareinthisneedofsimplelanguage，——storieswhicharetooshort，aswellasthosewhicharetoolong，havethisfeatureintheirchangedform。Thechangeinashortstoryisappliedoftenestwhereitbecomesdesirabletoamplifyasingleanecdote，orperhapsafable，whichistoldinverycondensedform。Suchaninstanceisthefollowinganecdoteofheroism，whichintheoriginalisquotedinoneofF。W。Robertson’slecturesonPoetry。
Adetachmentoftroopswasmarchingalongavalley，thecliffsoverhangingwhichwerecrestedbytheenemy。A
sergeant，withelevenmen，chancedtobecomeseparatedfromtherestbytakingthewrongsideofaravine，whichtheyexpectedsoontoterminate，butwhichsuddenlydeepenedintoanimpassablechasm。Theofficerincommandsignalledtothepartyanordertoreturn。Theymistookthesignalforacommandtocharge;thebravefellowsansweredwithacheer，andcharged。Atthesummitofthesteepmountainwasatriangularplatform，defendedbyabreastwork，behindwhichwereseventyofthefoe。Ontheywent，charginguponeofthosefearfulpaths，elevenagainstseventy。Thecontestcouldnotlongbedoubtfulwithsuchodds。Oneafteranothertheyfell;sixuponthespot，theremainderhurledbackwards;butnotuntiltheyhadslainnearlytwicetheirownnumber。
Thereisacustom，wearetold，amongstthehillsmen，thatwhenagreatchieftainoftheirownfallsinbattle，hiswristisboundwithathreadeitherofredorgreen，thereddenotingthehighestrank。Accordingtocustom，theystrippedthedead，andthrewtheirbodiesovertheprecipice。Whentheircomradescame，theyfoundtheircorpsesstarkandgashed;
butroundbothwristsofeveryBritishherowastwinedtheredthread！
Thisanecdoteservesitspurposeofillustrationperfectlywell，butconsideredasaseparatestoryitissomewhattooexplanatoryindiction，andtoocondensedinform。Justasthelongstoryisanalysedforreductionofgivendetails，sothismustbeanalysed，——tofindthedetailsimplied。Wehavetoreadintoitagainallthathasbeenleftbetweenthelines。
Moreover，theordermustbeslightlychanged，ifwearetoendwiththeproper\"snap，\"thefinalstingofsurpriseandadmirationgivenbythepointofthestory;thepointmustbepreparedfor。Thepurposeoftheoriginalisequallywellservedbytheexplanationattheend，butwemustneverforgetthattheplacefortheclimax，oreffectivepointinastorytold，isthelastthingsaid。Thatiswhatmakesastory\"gooff\"well。
Imaginingvividlythesituationsuggested，andkeepingthelogicalsequenceoffactsinmind，shallwenotfindthestorytellingitselftoboysandgirlsinsomewhatthisform？
THEREDTHREADOFCOURAGE[1]
[1]SeealsoTheRedThreadofHonour，bySirFrancisDoyle，inLyraHeroica，ThisstorywhichIamgoingtotellyouisatrueone。IthappenedwhiletheEnglishtroopsinIndiawerefightingagainstsomeofthenativetribes。Thenativeswhoweremakingtroublewerepeoplefromthehill—country，calledHillsmen，andtheywerestrongenemies。TheEnglishknewverylittleaboutthem，excepttheircourage，buttheyhadnoticedonepeculiarcustom，aftercertainbattles，——theHillsmenhadawayofmarkingthebodiesoftheirgreatestchiefswhowerekilledinbattlebybindingaredthreadaboutthewrist;thiswasthehighesttributetheycouldpayahero。TheEnglish，however，foundthecommonmenofthemquiteenoughtohandle，fortheyhadprovedthemselvesgoodfightersandcleveratambushes。
Oneday，asmallbodyoftheEnglishhadmarchedalongwayintothehillcountry，aftertheenemy，andintheafternoontheyfoundthemselvesinapartofthecountrystrangeeventotheguides。Themenmovedforwardveryslowlyandcautiously，forfearofanambush。Thetrailledintoanarrowvalleywithverysteep，high，rockysides，toppedwithwoodsinwhichtheenemymighteasilyhide。
Herethesoldierswereorderedtoadvancemorequickly，thoughwithcaution，togetoutofthedangerousplace。
Afteralittletheycamesuddenlytoaplacewherethepassagewasdividedintwobyabigthree—corneredboulderwhichseemedtorisefromthemidstofthevalley。Themainlineofmenkepttotheright;tosavecrowdingthepath，asergeantandelevenmentooktheleft，meaningtogoroundtherockandmeettherestbeyondit。
Theyhadbeeninthepathonlyafewminuteswhentheysawthattherockwasnotasingleboulderatall，butanarmoftheleftwallofthevalley，andthattheyweremarchingintoadeepravinewithnooutletexceptthewaytheycame。
Bothsidesweresheerrock，almostperpendicular，withthicktreesatthetop;infrontofthemthegroundroseinasteephill，bareofwoods。Astheylookedup，theysawthatthetopwasbarricadedbythetrunksoftrees，andguardedbyastrongbodyofHillsmen。AstheEnglishhesitated，lookingatthis，ashowerofspearsfellfromthewood’sedge，aimedbyhiddenfoes。Theplacewasadeathtrap。
Atthismoment，theirdangerwasseenbytheofficerincommandofthemainbody，andhesignalledtothesergeanttoretreat。
Bysometerriblemischance，thesignalwasmisunderstood。Thementookitforthesignaltocharge。Withoutamoment’spause，straightuptheslope，theychargedontherun，cheeringastheyran。
Somewerekilledbythespearsthatwerethrownfromthecliffs，beforetheyhadgonehalfway;somewerestabbedastheyreachedthecrest，andhurledbackwardfromtheprecipice;
twoorthreegottothetop，andfoughthandtohandwiththeHillsmen。Theywereoutnumbered，seventoone;butwhenthelastoftheEnglishsoldierslaydead，twicetheirnumberofHillsmenlaydeadaroundthem！
Whenthereliefpartyreachedthespot，laterintheday，theyfoundthebodiesoftheircomrades，fullofwounds，huddledoverandinthebarricade，orcrushedontherocksbelow。
Theyweremutilatedandbattered，andboreeverysignoftheterriblestruggle。BUTROUND
BOTHWRISTSOFEVERYBRITISHSOLDIERWASBOUND
THEREDTHREAD！
TheHillsmenhadpaidgreaterhonourtotheirheroicfoesthantothebravestoftheirownbravedead。
Anotherinstanceistheshortpoem，which，whilebeingperfectlysimple，isrichinsuggestionofmorethantheyoungchildwillseeforhimself。Thefollowingexampleshowstheworkingoutofdetailsinordertoprovideasatisfactorilyroundedstory。
THEELFANDTHEDORMOUSE[1]
[1]AdaptedfromTheElfandtheDormouse，byOliverHerford，inATreasuryofVerseforLittleChildren。
（Harrap。1s。net。）
Onceuponatimeadormouselivedinthewoodwithhismother。Shehadmadeasnuglittlenest，butSleepy—head，asshecalledherlittlemousie，lovedtoroamaboutamongthegrassandfallenleaves，anditwasahardtasktokeephimathome。Onedaythemotherwentoffasusualtolookforfood，leavingSleepy—
headcurledupcomfortablyinacornerofthenest。\"HewilllietheresafelytillI
comeback，\"shethought。Presently，however，Sleepy—headopenedhiseyesandthoughthewouldliketotakeawalkoutinthefreshair。Sohecreptoutofthenestandthroughthelonggrassthatnoddedovertheholeinthebank。Heranhereandheranthere，stoppingagainanagaintocockhislittleearsforsoundofanycreepingthingthatmightbecloseathand。Hislittlefurcoatwassoftandsilkyasvelvet。Motherhadlickeditcleanbeforestartingherday’swork，youmaybesure。AsSleepy—headmovedfromplacetoplacehislongtailswayedfromsidetosideandtickledthedaisiessothattheycouldnotholdthemselvesstillforlaughing。
PresentlysomethingverycoldfellonSleepy—
head’snose。Whatcoulditbe？Heputuphislittlepawanddabbedattheplace。Thenthesamethinghappenedtohistail。Hewhiskeditquicklyroundtothefront。Ah，itwasraining！NowSleepy—headcouldn’tbearrain，andhehadgotalongwayfromhome。
Whatwouldmothersayifhisnicefurrycoatgotwetanddraggled？Hecreptunderabush，butsoontherainfoundhimout。Thenherantoatree，butthiswaspoorshelter。Hebegantothinkthathewasinforasoakingwhenwhatshouldhespy，alittledistanceoff，butafinetoadstoolwhichstoodboltuprightjustlikeanumbrella。ThenextmomentSleepy—
headwascrawlingunderneaththefriendlyshelter。Hefixedhimselfupassnuglyashecould，withhislittlenoseuponhispawsandhislittletailcurledroundall，andbeforeyoucouldcountsix，eight，ten，twenty，hewasfastasleep。