,original ,etext produced by ,charles ,keller4 ,merged with new transcription by ,michael ,ciesielski1 ,melissa ,er-,raqabi and the ,online ,distributed ,proofreading ,team4 ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,stories ,,to ,,children ,,and ,,some ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,,by ,,sara ,,cone ,,bryant ,illustration ,,london ,,george ,g4 ,,harrap ,,co4 ,,ltd4 #b #c ,,portsmouth ,,street ,,kingsway ,w4,c4 #aiah ,books for ,story-,tellers ,,uniform ,,with ,,this ,,volume ,how to ,tell ,stories to ,children ,and ,some ,stories to ,tell4 ,by ,,sara ,,cone ,,bryant4 ,tenth ,impression4 ,stories to ,tell to ,children ,with ,fifty-,three ,stories to ,tell4 ,by ,,sara ,,cone ,,bryant4 ,seventh ,impression4 ,the ,book of ,stories for the ,story-,teller ,by ,,fanny ,,coe4 ,fourth ,impression4 ,songs and ,stories for the ,little ,ones ,by ,e4 ,,gordon ,,browne1 ,m4,a4 ,with ,melodies chosen and arranged by ,,eva ,,browne4 ,new and ,enlarged ,edition4 ,character ,training ,a ,graded ,series of ,lessons in ,ethics1 largely through ,story-telling4 ,by ,e4,l4 ,,cabot and ,e4 ,,eyles4 ,third ,impression4 #chd pages4 ,stories for the ,story ,hour ,from ,january to ,december4 ,by ,,ada ,m4 ,,marzials4 ,second ,impression4 ,stories for the ,history ,hour ,from ,augustus to ,rolf4 ,by ,,nannie ,,niemeyer4 ,second ,impression4 ,stories for the ,bible ,hour ,by ,r4 ,,brimley ,,johnson1 ,b4,a4 ,nature ,stories to ,tell to ,children ,by ,h4 ,,waddingham ,,seers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miss ,,maud ,,lindsay',s ,,popular ,,books ,mother ,stories ,with #af ,line ,illustrations4 ,more ,mother ,stories ,with #bj ,line ,illustrations4 ,,the ,,riverside ,,press ,,limited1 ,,edinburgh ,,great ,,britain ,to ,my ,mother ,,the ,,first1 ,,best ,,story-,,teller ,,this ,,little ,,book ,,is ,,dedicated ,,preface ,the stories which are given in the following pages are for the most part those which ,i have found to be best liked by the children to whom ,i have told these and others4 ,i have tried to reproduce the form in which ,i actually tell them1--although that inevitably varies with every repetition1--feeling that it would be of greater value to another story-teller than a more closely literary form4 ,for the same reason1 ,i have confined my statements of theory as to method1 to those which reflect my own experience2 my rules were drawn from introspection and retrospection1 at the urging of others1 long after the instinctive method they exemplify had become habitual4 ,these facts are the basis of my hope that the book may be of use to those who have much to do with children4 ,it would be impossible1 in the space of any pardonable preface1 to name the teachers1 mothers1 and librarians who have given me hints and helps during the past few years of story-telling4 ,but ,i cannot let these pages go to press without recording my especial indebtedness to the few persons without whose interested aid the little book would scarcely have come to be4 ,they are3 ,mrs ,elizabeth ,young ,rutan1 at whose generous instance ,i first enlarged my own field of entertaining story-telling to include hers1 of educational narrative1 and from whom ,i had many valuable suggestions at that time2 ,miss ,ella ,l4 ,sweeney1 assistant superintendent of schools1 ,providence1 ,r4,i41 to whom ,i owe exceptional opportunities for investigation and experiment2 ,mrs ,root1 children's librarian of ,providence ,public ,library1 and ,miss ,alice ,m4 ,jordan1 ,boston ,public ,library1 children's room1 to whom ,i am indebted for much gracious and efficient aid4 ,my thanks are due also to ,mr ,david ,nutt for permission to make use of three stories from ,english ,fairy ,tales1 by ,mr ,joseph ,jacobs1 and ,raggylug1 from ,wild ,animals ,i have ,known1 by ,mr ,ernest ,thompson ,seton2 to ,messrs ,frederick ,a4 ,stokes ,company for ,five ,little ,white ,heads1 by ,walter ,learned1 and for ,bird ,thoughts2 to ,messrs ,kegan ,paul1 ,trench1 ,trbner ,co4 ,ltd4 for ,the ,burning of the ,ricefields1 from ,gleanings in ,buddha-,fields1 by ,mr ,lafcadio ,hearn2 to ,messrs ,h4,r4 ,allenson ,ltd4 for three stories from ,the ,golden ,windows1 by ,miss ,laura ,e4 ,richards2 and to ,mr ,seumas ,mc,manus for ,billy ,beg and his ,bull1 from ,in ,chimney ,corners4 ,s4,c4,b4 ,,contents ,,introduction ,,page ,the ,story-teller's ,art ,recent ,revival ,the ,difference between telling a ,story and reading it aloud ,some ,reasons why the ,former is more effective #aa ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,,in ,,school ,its immediate ,advantages to the ,teacher ,its ultimate ,gifts to the ,child #ai ,,chapter ,,ii ,,selection ,,of ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,the ,qualities ,children like1 and why ,qualities necessary for ,oral ,delivery ,examples3 ,the ,three ,bears1 ,the ,three ,little ,pigs1 ,the ,old ,woman and her ,pig ,suggestions as to the ,type of ,story especially useful in the several primary ,grades ,selected ,list of familiar ,fairy ,tales #dc ,,chapter ,,iii ,,adaptation ,,of ,,stories ,,for ,,telling ,how to make a long ,story short ,how to fill out a short ,story ,general ,changes commonly desirable ,examples3 ,the ,nrnberg ,stove1 by ,ouida2 ,the ,king of the ,golden ,river1 by ,ruskin2 ,the ,red ,thread of ,courage1 ,the ,elf and the ,dormouse ,analysis of ,method #fg ,,chapter ,,iv ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,the ,,story ,essential ,nature of the ,story ,kind of ,appreciation necessary ,suggestions for gaining ,mastery of ,facts ,arrangement of ,children ,the ,story-teller's ,mood ,a few ,principles of ,method1 ,manner and ,voice1 from the psychological ,point of ,view #ic ,,chapter ,v ,,some ,,specific ,,schoolroom ,,uses ,exercise in ,retelling ,illustrations cut by the ,children as ,seat-work ,dramatic ,games ,influence of ,games on ,reading ,classes #aag ,,stories ,,selected ,,and ,,adapted ,,for ,,telling ,,especially ,,for ,,kindergarten ,,and ,,class ,i4 ,nursery ,rhymes #acc ,five ,little ,white ,heads #acd ,bird ,thoughts #acd ,how we came to have ,pink ,roses #ace ,raggylug #ace ,the ,golden ,cobwebs #ach ,why the ,morning-,glory climbs #adb ,the ,story of ,little ,tavwots #adc ,the ,pig ,brother #ade ,the ,cake #adh ,the ,pied ,piper of ,hamelin ,town #adi ,why the ,evergreen ,trees keep their ,leaves in ,winter #aef ,the ,star ,dollars #aei ,the ,lion and the ,gnat #afa ,,especially ,,for ,,classes ,,ii4 ,,and ,,iii4 ,the ,cat and the ,parrot #afh ,the ,rat ,princess #agb ,the ,frog and the ,ox #age ,the ,fire-,bringer #agf ,the ,burning of the ,ricefields #agi ,the ,story of ,wylie #ahb ,little ,daylight #ahf ,the ,sailor ,man #aii ,the ,story of ,jairus's ,daughter #bja ,,especially ,,for ,,classes ,,iv4 ,,and ,v4 ,arthur and the ,sword #bjd ,tarpeia #bjh ,the ,buckwheat #baj ,the ,judgment of ,midas #baa ,why the ,sea is salt #bac ,billy ,beg and his ,bull #bba ,the ,little ,hero of ,haarlem #bcc ,the ,last ,lesson #bch ,the ,story of ,christmas #bdc ,,the ,,child-,,mind2 ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,satisfy ,,it ,a short ,list of ,books in which the ,story-teller will find ,stories not too far from the ,form in which they are needed #bdg ,,introduction ,not long ago1 ,i chanced to open a magazine at a story of ,italian life which dealt with a curious popular custom4 ,it told of the love of the people for the performances of a strangely clad1 periodically appearing old man who was a professional story-teller4 ,this old man repeated whole cycles of myth and serials of popular history1 holding his audience-chamber in whatever corner of the open court or square he happened upon1 and always surrounded by an eager crowd of listeners4 ,so great was the respect in which the story-teller was held1 that any interruption was likely to be resented with violence4 ,as ,i read of the absorbed silence and the changing expressions of the crowd about the old man1 ,i was suddenly reminded of a company of people ,i had recently seen4 ,they were gathered in one of the parlours of a women's college1 and their serious young faces had1 habitually1 none of the childlike responsiveness of the ,italian populace2 they were suggestive1 rather1 of a daily experience which precluded over-much surprise or curiosity about anything4 ,in the midst of the group stood a frail-looking woman with bright eyes4 ,she was telling a story1 a children's story1 about a good and a bad little mouse4 ,she had been asked to do that thing1 for a purpose1 and she did it1 therefore4 ,but it was easy to see from the expressions of the listeners how trivial a thing it seemed to them4 ,that was at first4 ,but presently the room grew quieter2 and yet quieter4 ,the faces relaxed into amused smiles1 sobered in unconscious sympathy1 finally broke in ripples of mirth4 ,the story-teller had come to her own4 ,the memory of the college girls listening to the mouse-story brought other memories with it4 ,many a swift composite view of faces passed before my mental vision1 faces with the child's look on them1 yet not the faces of children4 ,and of the occasions to which the faces belonged1 those were most vivid which were earliest in my experience4 ,for it was those early experiences which first made me realise the modern possibilities of the old1 old art of telling stories4 ,it had become a part of my work1 some years ago1 to give ,english lectures on ,german literature4 ,many of the members of my class were unable to read in the original the works with which ,i dealt1 and as these were modern works it was rarely possible to obtain translations4 ,for this reason1 ,i gradually formed the habit of telling the story of the drama or novel in question before passing to a detailed consideration of it4 ,i enjoyed this part of the lesson exceedingly1 but it was some time before ,i realised how much the larger part of the lesson it had become to the class4 ,they used--and they were mature women--to wait for the story as if it were a sugarplum and they1 children2 and to grieve openly if it were omitted4 ,substitution of reading from a translation was greeted with precisely the same abatement of eagerness that a child shows when he has asked you to tell a story1 and you offer1 instead1 to read one from the pretty book4 ,and so general and constant were the tokens of enjoyment that there could ultimately be no doubt of the power which the mere story-telling exerted4 ,the attitude of the grown-up listeners did but illustrate the general difference between the effect of telling a story and of reading one4 ,everyone who knows children well has felt the difference4 ,with few exceptions1 children listen twice as eagerly to a story told as to one read1 and even a recitation or a so-called reading has not the charm for them that the person wields who can tell a story4 ,and there are sound reasons for their preference4 ,the great difference1 including lesser ones1 between telling and reading is that the teller is free2 the reader is bound4 ,the book in hand1 or the wording of it in mind1 binds the reader4 ,the story-teller is bound by nothing2 he stands or sits1 free to watch his audience1 free to follow or lead every changing mood1 free to use body1 eyes1 voice1 as aids in expression4 ,even his mind is unbound1 because he lets the story come in the words of the moment1 being so full of what he has to say4 ,for this reason1 a story told is more spontaneous than one read1 however well read4 ,and1 consequently1 the connection with the audience is closer1 more electric1 than is possible when the book or its wording intervenes4 ,beyond this advantage1 is the added charm of the personal element in story-telling4 ,when you make a story your own and tell it1 the listener gets the story1 plus your appreciation of it4 ,it comes to him filtered through your own enjoyment4 ,that is what makes the funny story thrice funnier on the lips of a jolly raconteur than in the pages of a memoir4 ,it is the filter of personality4 ,everybody has something of the curiosity of the primitive man concerning his neighbour2 what another has in his own person felt and done has an especial hold on each one of us4 ,the most cultured of audiences will listen to the personal reminiscences of an explorer with a different tingle of interest from that which it feels for a scientific lecture on the results of the exploration4 ,the longing for the personal in experience is a very human longing4 ,and this instinct or longing is especially strong in children4 ,it finds expression in their delight in tales of what father or mother did when they were little1 of what happened to grandmother when she went on a journey1 and so on1 but it also extends to stories which are not in themselves personal3 which take their personal savour merely from the fact that they flow from the lips in spontaneous1 homely phrases1 with an appreciative gusto which suggests participation4 ,the greater ease in holding the attention of children is1 for teachers1 a sufficient practical reason for telling stories rather than reading them4 ,it is incomparably easier to make the necessary exertion of magnetism1 or whatever it may be called1 when nothing else distracts the attention4 ,one's eyes meet the children's gaze naturally and constantly2 one's expression responds to and initiates theirs without effort2 the connection is immediate4 ,for the ease of the teacher1 then1 no less than for the joy of the children1 may the art of story-telling be urged as pre-eminent over the art of reading4 ,it is a very old1 a very beautiful art4 ,merely to think of it carries one's imaginary vision to scenes of glorious and touching antiquity4 ,the tellers of the stories of which ,homer's ,iliad was compounded2 the transmitters of the legend and history which make up the ,gesta ,romanorum2 the travelling raconteurs whose brief heroic tales are woven into our own national epic2 the grannies of age-old tradition whose stories are parts of ,celtic folk-lore1 of ,germanic myth1 of ,asiatic wonder-tales1--these are but younger brothers and sisters to the generations of story-tellers whose inventions are but vaguely outlined in resultant forms of ancient literatures1 and the names of whose tribes are no longer even guessed4 ,there was a time when story-telling was the chiefest of the arts of entertainment2 kings and warriors could ask for nothing better2 serfs and children were satisfied with nothing less4 ,in all times there have been occasional revivals of this pastime1 and in no time has the art died out in the simple human realms of which mothers are queens4 ,but perhaps never1 since the really old days1 has story-telling so nearly reached a recognised level of dignity as a legitimate and general art of entertainment as now4 ,its present popularity seems in a way to be an outgrowth of the recognition of its educational value which was given impetus by the ,german pedagogues of ,froebel's school4 ,that recognition has1 at all events1 been a noticeable factor in educational conferences of late4 ,the function of the story is no longer considered solely in the light of its place in the kindergarten2 it is being sought in the first1 the second1 and indeed in every standard where the children are still children4 ,sometimes the demand for stories is made solely in the interests of literary culture1 sometimes in far ampler and vaguer relations1 ranging from inculcation of scientific fact to admonition of moral theory2 but whatever the reason given1 the conclusion is the same3 tell the children stories4 ,the average teacher has yielded to the pressure1 at least in theory4 ,cheerfully1 as she has already accepted so many modifications of old methods by new thought1 she accepts the idea of instilling mental and moral desiderata into the receptive pupil1 vi the charming tale4 ,but1 confronted with the concrete problem of what desideratum by which tale1 and how1 the average teacher sometimes finds her cheerfulness displaced by a sense of inadequacy to the situation4 ,people who have always told stories to children1 who do not know when they began or how they do it2 whose heads are stocked with the accretions of years of fairyland-dwelling and nonsense-sharing1--these cannot understand the perplexity of one to whom the gift and the opportunity have not come natural4 ,but there are many who can understand it1 personally and all too well4 ,to these1 the teachers who have not a knack for story-telling1 who feel as shy as their own youngest scholar at the thought of it1 who do not know where the good stories are1 or which ones are easy to tell1 it is my earnest hope that the following pages will bring something definite and practical in the way of suggestion and reference4 ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,stories ,,to ,,children ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,,in ,,school ,let us first consider together the primary matter of the aim in educational story-telling4 ,on our conception of this must depend very largely all decisions as to choice and method2 and nothing in the whole field of discussion is more vital than a just and sensible notion of this first point4 ,what shall we attempt to accomplish by stories in the schoolroom8 ,what can we reasonably expect to accomplish8 ,and what1 of this1 is best accomplished by this means and no other8 ,these are questions which become the more interesting and practical because the recent access of enthusiasm for stories in education has led many people to claim very wide and very vaguely outlined territory for their possession1 and often to lay heaviest stress on their least essential functions4 ,the most important instance of this is the fervour with which many compilers of stories for school use have directed their efforts solely toward illustration of natural phenomena4 ,geology1 zoology1 botany1 and even physics are taught by means of more or less happily constructed narratives based on the simpler facts of these sciences4 ,kindergarten teachers are familiar with such narratives3 the little stories of chrysalis-breaking1 flower-growth1 and the like4 ,now this is a perfectly proper and practicable aim1 but it is not a primary one4 ,others1 to which at best this is but secondary1 should have first place and receive greatest attention4 ,what is a story1 essentially8 ,is it a text-book of science1 an appendix to the geography1 an introduction to the primer of history8 ,of course it is not4 ,a story is essentially and primarily a work of art1 and its chief function must be sought in the line of the uses of art4 ,just as the drama is capable of secondary uses1 yet fails abjectly to realise its purpose when those are substituted for its real significance as a work of art1 so does the story lend itself to subsidiary purposes1 but claims first and most strongly to be recognised in its real significance as a work of art4 ,since the drama deals with life in all its parts1 it can exemplify sociological theory1 it can illustrate economic principle1 it can even picture politics2 but the drama which does these things only1 has no breath of its real life in its being1 and dies when the wind of popular tendency veers from its direction4 ,so1 you can teach a child interesting facts about bees and butterflies by telling him certain stories1 and you can open his eyes to colours and processes in nature by telling certain others2 but unless you do something more than that and before that1 you are as one who should use the ,venus of ,milo for a demonstration in anatomy4 ,the message of the story is the message of beauty1 as effective as that message in marble or paint4 ,its part in the economy of life is to give joy4 ,and the purpose and working of the joy is found in that quickening of the spirit which answers every perception of the truly beautiful in the arts of man4 ,to give joy2 in and through the joy to stir and feed the life of the spirit3 is not this the legitimate function of the story in education8 ,because ,i believe it to be such1 not because ,i ignore the value of other uses1 ,i venture to push aside all aims which seem secondary to this for later mention under specific heads4 ,here in the beginning of our consideration ,i wish to emphasise this element alone4 ,a story is a work of art4 ,its greatest use to the child is in the everlasting appeal of beauty by which the soul of man is constantly pricked to new hungers1 quickened to new perceptions1 and so given desire to grow4 ,the obvious practical bearing of this is that story-telling is first of all an art of entertainment2 like the stage1 its immediate purpose is the pleasure of the hearer1--his pleasure1 not his instruction1 first4 ,now the story-teller who has given the listening children such pleasure as ,i mean may or may not have added a fact to the content of their minds2 she has inevitably added something to the vital powers of their souls4 ,she has given a wholesome exercise to the emotional muscles of the spirit1 has opened up new windows to the imagination1 and added some line or colour to the ideal of life and art which is always taking form in the heart of a child4 ,she has1 in short1 accomplished the one greatest aim of story-telling1--to enlarge and enrich the child's spiritual experience1 and stimulate healthy reaction upon it4 ,of course this result cannot be seen and proved as easily and early as can the apprehension of a fact4 ,the most one can hope to recognise is its promise1 and this is found in the tokens of that genuine pleasure which is itself the means of accomplishment4 ,it is1 then1 the signs of right pleasure which the story-teller must look to for her guide1 and which it must be her immediate aim to evoke4 ,as for the recognition of the signs1--no one who has ever seen the delight of a real child over a real story can fail to know the signals when given1 or flatter himself into belief in them when absent4 ,intimately connected with the enjoyment given are two very practically beneficial results which the story-teller may hope to obtain1 and at least one of which will be a kind of reward to herself4 ,the first is a relaxation of the tense schoolroom atmosphere1 valuable for its refreshing recreative power4 ,the second result1 or aim1 is not so obvious1 but is even more desirable2 it is this3 story-telling is at once one of the simplest and quickest ways of establishing a happy relation between teacher and children1 and one of the most effective methods of forming the habit of fixed attention in the latter4 ,if you have never seen an indifferent child aroused or a hostile one conquered to affection by a beguiling tale1 you can hardly appreciate the truth of the first statement2 but nothing is more familiar in the story-teller's experience4 ,an amusing1 but--to me--touching experience recently reaffirmed in my mind this power of the story to establish friendly relations4 ,my three-year-old niece1 who had not seen me since her babyhood1 being told that ,aunt ,sara was coming to visit her1 somehow confused the expected guest with a more familiar aunt1 my sister4 ,at sight of me1 her rush of welcome relapsed into a puzzled and hurt withdrawal1 which yielded to no explanations or proffers of affection4 ,all the first day she followed me about at a wistful distance1 watching me as if ,i might at any moment turn into the well-known and beloved relative ,i ought to have been4 ,even by undressing time ,i had not progressed far enough to be allowed intimate approach to small sacred nightgowns and diminutive shirts4 ,the next morning1 when ,i opened the door of the nursery where her maid was brushing her hair1 the same dignity radiated from the little round figure perched on its high chair1 the same almost hostile shyness gazed at me from the great expressive eyes4 ,obviously1 it was time for something to be done4 ,disregarding my lack of invitation1 ,i drew up a stool1 and seating myself opposite the small unbending person1 began in a conversational murmur3 ,m--m1 ,i guess those are tingly-tanglies up there in that curl ,lottie's combing2 did you ever hear about the tingly-tanglies8 ,they live in little girls' hair1 and they aren't any bigger than that1 and when anybody tries to comb the hair they curl both weeny legs round1 so1 and hold on tight with both weeny hands1 so1 and won't let go6 ,as ,i paused1 my niece made a queer little sound indicative of query battling with reserve4 ,i pursued the subject3 ,they like best to live right over a little girl's ear1 or down in her neck1 because it is easier to hang on1 there2 tingly-tanglies are very smart1 indeed4 ,what's ti-ly-ta-lies8 asked a curious1 guttural little voice4 ,i explained the nature and genesis of tingly-tanglies1 as revealed to me some decades before by my inventive mother1 and proceeded to develop their simple adventures4 ,when next ,i paused the small guttural voice demanded1 ,say more1 and ,i joyously obeyed4 ,when the curls were all curled and the last little button buttoned1 my baby niece climbed hastily down from her chair1 and deliberately up into my lap4 ,with a caress rare to her habit she spoke my name1 slowly and tentatively1 ,an-ty ,sai-ry8 ,then1 in an assured tone1 ,anty ,sairy1 ,i love you so much ,i don't know what to do6 ,and1 presently1 tucking a confiding hand in mine to lead me to breakfast1 she explained sweetly1 ,i didn' know you when you comed las' night1 but now ,i know you all th' time6 ,oh1 blessed tale1 thought ,i1 so easy a passport to a confidence so desired1 so complete6 ,never had the witchery of the story to the ear of a child come more closely home to me4 ,but the fact of the witchery was no new experience4 ,the surrender of the natural child to the story-teller is as absolute and invariable as that of a devotee to the priest of his own sect4 ,this power is especially valuable in the case of children whose natural shyness has been augmented by rough environment or by the strangeness of foreign habit4 ,and with such children even more than with others it is also true that the story is a simple and effective means of forming the habit of concentration1 of fixed attention2 any teacher who deals with this class of children knows the difficulty of doing this fundamental and indispensable thing1 and the value of any practical aid in doing it4 ,more than one instance of the power of story-telling to develop attentiveness comes to my mind1 but the most prominent in memory is a rather recent incident1 in which the actors were boys and girls far past the child-stage of docility4 ,i had been asked to tell stories to about sixty boys and girls of a club2 the president warned me in her invitation that the children were exceptionally undisciplined1 but my previous experiences with similar gatherings led me to interpret her words with a moderation which left me totally unready for the reality4 ,when ,i faced my audience1 ,i saw a squirming jumble of faces1 backs of heads1 and the various members of many small bodies1--not a person in the room was paying the slightest attention to me2 the president's introduction could scarcely be said to succeed in interrupting the interchange of social amenities which was in progress1 and which looked delusively like a free fight4 ,i came as near stage fright in the first minutes of that occasion as it is comfortable to be1 and if it had not been impossible to run away ,i think ,i should not have remained4 ,but ,i began1 with as funny a tale as ,i knew1 following the safe plan of not speaking very loudly1 and aiming my effort at the nearest children4 ,as ,i went on1 a very few faces held intelligently to mine2 the majority answered only fitfully2 and not a few of my hearers conversed with their neighbours as if ,i were non-existent4 ,the sense of bafflement1 the futile effort1 forced the perspiration to my hands and face--yet something in the faces before me told me that it was no ill-will that fought against me2 it was the apathy of minds without the power or habit of concentration1 unable to follow a sequence of ideas any distance1 and rendered more restless by bodies which were probably uncomfortable1 certainly undisciplined4 ,the first story took ten minutes4 ,when ,i began a second1 a very short one1 the initial work had to be done all over again1 for the slight comparative quiet ,i had won had been totally lost in the resulting manifestation of approval4 ,at the end of the second story1 the room was really orderly to the superficial view1 but where ,i stood ,i could see the small boy who deliberately made a hideous face at me each time my eyes met his1 the two girls who talked with their backs turned1 the squirms of a figure here and there4 ,it seemed so disheartening a record of failure that ,i hesitated much to yield to the uproarious request for a third story1 but finally ,i did begin again1 on a very long story which for its own sake ,i wanted them to hear4 ,this time the little audience settled to attention almost at the opening words4 ,after about five minutes ,i was suddenly conscious of a sense of ease and relief1 a familiar restful feeling in the atmosphere2 and then1 at last1 ,i knew that my audience was with me1 that they and ,i were interacting without obstruction4 ,absolutely quiet1 entirely unconscious of themselves1 the boys and girls were responding to every turn of the narrative as easily and readily as any group of story-bred kindergarten children4 ,from then on we had a good time together4 ,the process which took place in that small audience was a condensed example of what one may expect in habitual story-telling to a group of children4 ,once having had the attention chained by crude force of interest1 the children begin to expect something interesting from the teacher1 and to wait for it4 ,and having been led step by step from one grade of a logical sequence to another1 their minds--at first beguiled by the fascination of the steps--glide into the habit of following any logical sequence4 ,my club formed its habit1 as far as ,i was concerned1 all in one session2 the ordinary demands of school procedure lengthen the process1 but the result is equally sure4 ,by the end of a week in which the children have listened happily to a story every day1 the habit of listening and deducing has been formed1 and the expectation of pleasantness is connected with the opening of the teacher's lips4 ,these two benefits are well worth the trouble they cost1 and for these two1 at least1 any teacher who tells a story well may confidently look--the quick gaining of a confidential relation with the children1 and the gradual development of concentration and interested attention in them4 ,these are direct and somewhat clearly discernible results1 comfortably placed in a near future4 ,there are other aims1 reaching on into the far1 slow modes of psychological growth1 which must equally determine the choice of the story-teller's material and inform the spirit of her work4 ,these other1 less immediately attainable ends1 ,i wish now to consider in relation to the different types of story by which they are severally best served4 ,first1 unbidden claimant of attention1 comes ,,the ,,fairy ,,story ,no one can think of a child and a story1 without thinking of the fairy tale4 ,is this1 as some would have us believe1 a bad habit of an ignorant old world8 ,or can the ,fairy ,tale justify her popularity with truly edifying and educational results8 ,is she a proper person to introduce here1 and what are her titles to merit8 ,oh dear1 yes6 ,dame ,fairy ,tale comes bearing a magic wand in her wrinkled old fingers1 with one wave of which she summons up that very spirit of joy which it is our chief effort to invoke4 ,she raps smartly on the door1 and open sesames echo to every imagination4 ,her red-heeled shoes twinkle down an endless lane of adventures1 and every real child's footsteps quicken after4 ,she is the natural1 own great-grandmother of every child in the world1 and her pocketfuls of treasures are his by right of inheritance4 ,shut her out1 and you truly rob the children of something which is theirs2 something marking their constant kinship with the race-children of the past1 and adapted to their needs as it was to those of the generation of long ago6 ,if there were no other criterion at all1 it would be enough that the children love the fairy tale2 we give them fairy stories1 first1 because they like them4 ,but that by no means lessens the importance of the fact that fairy tales are also good for them4 ,how good8 ,in various ways4 ,first1 perhaps1 in their supreme power of presenting truth through the guise of images4 ,this is the way the race-child took toward wisdom1 and it is the way each child's individual instinct takes1 after him4 ,elemental truths of moral law and general types of human experience are presented in the fairy tale1 in the poetry of their images1 and although the child is aware only of the image at the time1 the truth enters with it and becomes a part of his individual experience1 to be recognised in its relations at a later stage4 ,every truth and type so given broadens and deepens the capacity of the child's inner life1 and adds an element to the store from which he draws his moral inferences4 ,the most familiar instance of a moral truth conveyed under a fairy-story image is probably the story of the pure-hearted and loving girl whose lips were touched with the wonderful power of dropping jewels with every spoken word1 while her stepsister1 whose heart was infested with malice and evil desires1 let ugly toads fall from her mouth whenever she spoke4 ,i mention the old tale because there is probably no one of my readers who has not heard it in childhood1 and because there are undoubtedly many to whose mind it has often recurred in later life as a sadly perfect presentment of the fact that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 ,that story has entered into the forming consciousness of many of us1 with its implications of the inevitable result of visible evil from evil in the heart1 and its revelation of the loathsomeness of evil itself4 ,and no less truly than this story has served to many as an embodiment of moral law has another household tale stood for a type of common experience4 ,how much the poorer should we be1 mentally1 without our early prophecy of the ugly ducklings we are to meet later in life6--those awkward offspring of our little human duckyard who are mostly well kicked and buffeted about1 for that very length of limb and breadth of back which needs must be1 to support swan's wings4 ,the story of the ugly duckling is much truer than many a bald statement of fact4 ,the ,english-speaking world bears witness to its verity in constant use of the title as an identifying phrase3 ,it is the old story of the ugly duckling1 we say1 or ,he has turned out a real ugly duckling4 ,and we know that our hearers understand the whole situation4 ,the consideration of such familiar types and expressions as that of the ugly duckling suggests immediately another good reason for giving the child his due of fairy lore4 ,the reason is that to omit it is to deprive him of one important element in the full appreciation of mature literature4 ,if one thinks of it1 one sees that nearly all adult literature is made by people who1 in their beginnings1 were bred on the wonder tale4 ,whether he will or no1 the grown-up author must incorporate into his work the tendencies1 memories1 kinds of feeling which were his in childhood4 ,the literature of maturity is1 naturally1 permeated by the influence of the literature of childhood4 ,sometimes it is apparent merely in the use of a name1 as suggestive of certain kinds of experience2 such are the recurrences of reference to the ,cinderella story4 ,sometimes it is an allusion which has its strength in long association of certain qualities with certain characters in fairydom--like the slyness of ,brother ,fox1 and the cruelty of ,brother ,wolf4 ,sometimes the association of ideas lies below the surface1 drawing from the hidden wells of poetic illusion which are sunk in childhood4 ,the man or woman whose infancy was nourished exclusively on tales adapted from science-made-easy1 or from biographies of good men and great1 must remain blind to these beauties of literature4 ,he may look up the allusion1 or identify the reference1 but when that is done he is but richer by a fact or two2 there is no remembered thrill in it for him1 no savour in his memory1 no suggestion to his imagination2 and these are precisely the things which really count4 ,leaving out the fairy element is a loss to literary culture much as would be the omission of the ,bible or of ,shakespeare4 ,just as all adult literature is permeated by the influence of these1 familiar in youth1 so in less degree is it transfused with the subtle reminiscences of childhood's commerce with the wonder world4 ,to turn now from the inner to the outer aspects of the old-time tale is to meet another cause of its value to children4 ,this is the value of its style4 ,simplicity1 directness1 and virility characterise the classic fairy tales and the most memorable relics of folklore4 ,and these are three of the very qualities which are most seriously lacking in much of the new writing for children1 and which are always necessary elements in the culture of taste4 ,fairy stories are not all well told1 but the best fairy stories are supremely well told4 ,and most folk-tales have a movement1 a sweep1 and an unaffectedness which make them splendid foundations for taste in style4 ,for this1 and for poetic presentation of truths in easily assimilated form1 and because it gives joyous stimulus to the imagination1 and is necessary to full appreciation of adult literature1 we may freely use the wonder tale4 ,closely related to1 sometimes identical with1 the fairy tale is the old1 old source of children's love and laughter1 ,,the ,,nonsense ,,tale ,under this head ,i wish to include all the merely funny tales of childhood1 embracing the cumulative stories like that of the old woman and the pig which would not go over the stile4 ,they all have a specific use and benefit1 and are worth the repetition children demand for them4 ,their value lies1 of course1 in the tonic and relaxing properties of humour4 ,nowhere is that property more welcome or needed than in the schoolroom4 ,it does us all good to laugh1 if there is no sneer nor smirch in the laugh2 fun sets the blood flowing more freely in the veins1 and loosens the strained cords of feeling and thought2 the delicious shock of surprise at every funny spot is a kind of electric treatment for the nerves4 ,but it especially does us good to laugh when we are children4 ,every little body is released from the conscious control school imposes on it1 and huddles into restful comfort or responds gaily to the joke4 ,more than this1 humour teaches children1 as it does their grown-up brethren1 some of the facts and proportions of life4 ,what keener teacher is there than the kindly satire8 ,what more penetrating and suggestive than the humour of exaggerated statement of familiar tendency8 ,is there one of us who has not laughed himself out of some absurd complexity of over-anxiety with a sudden recollection of clever ,alice and her fate8 ,in our household clever ,alice is an old habitue1 and her timely arrival has saved many a situation which was twining itself about more ifs than it could comfortably support4 ,the wisdom which lies behind true humour is found in the nonsense tale of infancy as truly as in mature humour1 but in its own kind and degree4 ,just for fun is the first reason for the humorous story2 the wisdom in the fun is the second4 ,and now we come to ,,the ,,nature ,,story ,no other type of fiction is more familiar to the teacher1 and probably no other kind is the source of so much uncertainty of feeling4 ,the nature story is much used1 as ,i have noticed above1 to illustrate or to teach the habits of animals and the laws of plant-growth2 to stimulate scientific interest as well as to increase culture in scientific fact4 ,this is an entirely legitimate object4 ,in view of its present preponderance1 it is certainly a pity1 however1 that so few stories are available1 the accuracy of which1 from this point of view1 can be vouched for4 ,the carefully prepared book of to-day is refuted and scoffed at to-morrow4 ,the teacher who wishes to use story-telling chiefly as an element in nature study must at least limit herself to a small amount of absolutely unquestioned material1 or else subject every new story to the judgment of an authority in the line dealt with4 ,this is not easy for the teacher at a distance from the great libraries1 and for those who have access to well-equipped libraries it is a matter of time and thought4 ,it does not so greatly trouble the teacher who uses the nature story as a story1 rather than as a text-book1 for she will not be so keenly attracted toward the books prepared with a didactic purpose4 ,she will find a good gift for the child in nature stories which are stories1 over and above any stimulus to his curiosity about fact4 ,that good gift is a certain possession of all good fiction4 ,one of the best things good fiction does for any of us is to broaden our comprehension of other lots than our own4 ,the average man or woman has little opportunity actually to live more than one kind of life4 ,the chances of birth1 occupation1 family ties1 determine for most of us a line of experience not very inclusive and but little varied2 and this is a natural barrier to our complete understanding of others1 whose life-line is set at a different angle4 ,it is not possible wholly to sympathise with emotions engendered by experience which one has never had4 ,yet we all long to be broad in sympathy and inclusive in appreciation2 we long1 greatly1 to know the experience of others4 ,this yearning is probably one of the good but misconceived appetites so injudiciously fed by the gossip of the daily press4 ,there is a hope1 in the reader1 of getting for the moment into the lives of people who move in wholly different sets of circumstances4 ,but the relation of dry facts in newspapers1 however tinged with journalistic colour1 helps very little to enter such other life4 ,the entrance has to be by the door of the imagination1 and the journalist is rarely able to open it for us4 ,but there is a genius who can open it4 ,the author who can write fiction of the right sort can do it2 his is the gift of seeing inner realities1 and of showing them to those who cannot see them for themselves4 ,sharing the imaginative vision of the story-writer1 we can truly follow out many other roads of life than our own4 ,the girl on a lone country farm is made to understand how a girl in a city sweating-den feels and lives2 the ,london exquisite realises the life of a ,californian ranchman2 royalty and tenement dwellers become acquainted1 through the power of the imagination working on experience shown in the light of a human basis common to both4 ,fiction supplies an element of culture1--that of the sympathies1 which is invaluable4 ,and the beginnings of this culture1 this widening and clearing of the avenues of human sympathy1 are especially easily made with children in the nature story4 ,when you begin1 ,there was once a little furry rabbit1#a the child's curiosity is awakened by the very fact that the rabbit is not a child1 but something of a different species altogether4 ,now for something new and adventuresome1 says his expectation1 we are starting off into a foreign world4 ,he listens wide-eyed1 while you say1 and he lived in a warm1 cosy nest1 down under the long grass with his mother--how delightful1 to live in a place like that2 so different from little boys' homes6--his name was ,raggylug1 and his mother's name was ,molly ,cottontail4 ,and every morning1 when ,molly ,cottontail went out to get their food1 she said to ,raggylug1 ',now1 ,raggylug1 remember you are only a baby rabbit1 and don't move from the nest4 ,no matter what you hear1 no matter what you see1 don't you move6'--all this is different still1 yet it is familiar1 too2 it appears that rabbits are rather like folks4 ,so the tale proceeds1 and the little furry rabbit passes through experiences strange to little boys1 yet very like little boys' adventures in some respects2 he is frightened by a snake1 comforted by his mammy1 and taken to a new house1 under the long grass a long way off4 ,these are all situations to which the child has a key4 ,there is just enough of strangeness to entice1 just enough of the familiar to relieve any strain4 ,when the child has lived through the day's happenings with ,raggylug1 the latter has begun to seem veritably a little brother of the grass to him4 ,and because he has entered imaginatively into the feelings and fate of a creature different from himself1 he has taken his first step out into the wide world of the lives of others4 ,footnote #a3 ,see ,raggylug1 page #ace4 ,it may be a recognition of this factor and its value which has led so many writers of nature stories into the error of over-humanising their four-footed or feathered heroes and heroines4 ,the exaggeration is unnecessary1 for there is enough community of lot suggested in the sternest scientific record to constitute a natural basis for sympathy on the part of the human animal4 ,without any falsity of presentation whatever1 the nature story may be counted on as a help in the beginnings of culture of the sympathies4 ,it is not1 of course1 a help confined to the powers of the nature story2 all types of story share in some degree the powers of each4 ,but each has some especial virtue in dominant degree1 and the nature story is1 on this ground1 identified with the thought given4 ,the nature story shares its influence especially with ,,the ,,historical ,,story ,as the one widens the circle of connection with other kinds of life1 the other deepens the sense of relation to past lives2 it gives the sense of background1 of the close and endless connection of generation with generation4 ,a good historical story vitalises the conception of past events and brings their characters into relation with the present4 ,this is especially true of stories of things and persons in the history of our own race4 ,they foster race-consciousness1 the feeling of kinship and community of blood4 ,it is this property which makes the historical story so good an agent for furthering a proper national pride in children4 ,genuine patriotism1 neither arrogant nor melodramatic1 is so generally recognised as having its roots in early training that ,i need not dwell on this possibility1 further than to note its connection with the instinct of hero-worship which is quick in the healthy child4 ,let us feed that hunger for the heroic which gnaws at the imagination of every boy and of more girls than is generally admitted4 ,there have been heroes in plenty in the world's records1--heroes of action1 of endurance1 of decision1 of faith4 ,biographical history is full of them4 ,and the deeds of these heroes are every one a story4 ,we tell these stories1 both to bring the great past into its due relation with the living present1 and to arouse that generous admiration and desire for emulation which is the source of so much inspiration in childhood4 ,when these stories are tales of the doings and happenings of our own heroes1 the strong men and women whose lives are a part of our own country's history1 they serve the double demands of hero-worship and patriotism4 ,stories of wise and honest statesmanship1 of struggle with primitive conditions1 of generous love and sacrifice1 and--in some measure--of physical courage1 form a subtle and powerful influence for pride in one's people1 the intimate sense of kinship with one's own nation1 and the desire to serve it in one's own time4 ,it is not particularly useful to tell batches of unrelated anecdote4 ,it is much more profitable to take up the story of a period and connect it with a group of interesting persons whose lives affected it or were affected by it1 telling the stories of their lives1 or of the events in which they were concerned1 as true stories4 ,these biographical stories must1 usually1 be adapted for use4 ,but besides these there is a certain number of pure stories--works of art--which already exist for us1 and which illuminate facts and epochs almost without need of sidelights4 ,such may stand by themselves1 or be used with only enough explanation to give background4 ,probably the best story of this kind known to lovers of modern literature is ,daudet's famous ,la ,dernire ,classe4#a ,footnote #a3 ,see ,the ,last ,lesson1 page #bch4 ,the historical story1 to recapitulate1 gives a sense of the reality and humanness of past events1 is a valuable aid in patriotic training1 and stirs the desire of emulating goodness and wisdom4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,selection ,,of ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,there is one picture which ,i can always review1 in my own collection of past scenes1 though many a more highly coloured one has been irrevocably curtained by the folds of forgetfulness4 ,it is the picture of a little girl1 standing by an old-fashioned marble-topped dressing-table in a pink1 sunny room4 ,i can never see the little girl's face1 because1 somehow1 ,i am always looking down at her short skirts or twisting my head round against the hand which patiently combs her stubborn curls4 ,but ,i can see the brushes and combs on the marble table quite plainly1 and the pinker streaks of sun on the pink walls4 ,and ,i can hear4 ,i can hear a low1 wonder-working voice which goes smoothly on and on1 as the fingers run up the little girl's locks or stroke the hair into place on her forehead4 ,the voice says1 ,and little ,goldilocks came to a little bit of a house4 ,and she opened the door and went in4 ,it was the house where three ,bears lived2 there was a great ,bear1 a little ,bear1 and a middle-sized ,bear2 and they had gone out for a walk4 ,goldilocks went in1 and she saw--the little girl is very still2 she would not disturb that story by so much as a loud breath2 but presently the comb comes to a tangle1 pulls1--and the little girl begins to squirm4 ,instantly the voice becomes impressive1 mysterious3 she went up to the table1 and there were three plates of porridge4 ,she tasted the first one--the little girl swallows the breath she was going to whimper with1 and waits--and it was too hot6 ,she tasted the next one1 and that was too hot4 ,then she tasted the little bit of a plate1 and that--was--just--right6 ,how ,i remember the delightful sense of achievement which stole into the little girl's veins when the voice behind her said just right4 ,i think she always chuckled a little1 and hugged her stomach4 ,so the story progressed1 and the little girl got through her toilet without crying1 owing to the wonder-working voice and its marvellous adaptation of climaxes to emergencies4 ,nine times out of ten1 it was the story of ,the ,three ,bears she demanded when1 with the appearance of brush and comb1 the voice asked1 ,which story shall mother tell8 ,it was a memory of the little girl in the pink room which made it easy for me to understand some other children's preferences when ,i recently had occasion to inquire about them4 ,by asking many individual children which story of all they had heard they liked best1 by taking votes on the best story of a series1 after telling it1 and by getting some obliging teachers to put similar questions to their pupils1 ,i found three prime favourites common to a great many children of about the kindergarten age4 ,they were ,the ,three ,bears1 ,three ,little ,pigs1 and ,the ,little ,pig that wouldn't go over the ,stile4 ,some of the teachers were genuinely disturbed because the few stories they had introduced merely for amusement had taken so pre-eminent a place in the children's affection over those which had been given seriously4 ,it was of no use1 however1 to suggest substitutes4 ,the children knew definitely what they liked1 and though they accepted the recapitulation of scientific and moral stories with polite approbation1 they returned to the original answer at a repetition of the question4 ,inasmuch as the slightest of the things we hope to do for children by means of stories is quite impossible unless the children enjoy the stories1 it may be worth our while to consider seriously these three which they surely do enjoy1 to see what common qualities are in them1 explanatory of their popularity1 by which we may test the probable success of other stories we wish to tell4 ,here they are1--three prime favourites of proved standing4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,little ,,pigs#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,joseph ,jacobs's ,english ,fairy ,tales 7,david ,nutt1 #eg-ei ,long ,acre1 ,w4,c4 #fs474 ,once upon a time there were three little pigs1 who went from home to seek their fortune4 ,the first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw1 and said to him3-- ,good man1 give me that straw to build me a house4 ,the man gave the straw1 and the little pig built his house with it4 ,presently came along a wolf1 and knocked at the door1 and said3-- ,little pig1 little pig1 let me come in4 ,but the pig answered3-- ,no1 no1 by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin4 ,so the wolf said3-- ,then ,i'll huff1 and ,i'll puff1 and ,i'll blow your house in4 ,so he huffed1 and he puffed1 and he blew his house in1 and ate up the little pig4 ,the second little pig met a man with a bundle of furze1 and said3-- ,good man1 give me that furze to build me a house4 ,the man gave the furze1 and the pig built his house4 ,then once more came the wolf1 and said3 ,little pig1 little pig1 let me come in4 ,no1 no1 by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin4 ,then ,i'll puff1 and ,i'll huff1 and ,i'll blow your house in4 ,so he huffed1 and he puffed1 and he puffed and he huffed1 and at last he blew the house in1 and ate up the little pig4 ,the third little pig met a man with a load of bricks1 and said3-- ,good man1 give me those bricks to build me a house with4 ,the man gave the bricks1 and he built his house with them4 ,again the wolf came1 and said3-- ,little pig1 little pig1 let me come in4 ,no1 no1 by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin4 ,then ,i'll huff1 and ,i'll puff1 and ,i'll blow your house in4 ,so he huffed1 and he puffed1 and he huffed1 and he puffed1 and he puffed and huffed2 but he could not get the house down4 ,finding that he could not1 with all his huffing and puffing1 blow the house down1 he said3-- ,little pig1 ,i know where there is a nice field of turnips4 ,where8 said the little pig4 ,oh1 in ,mr ,smith's field1 and if you will be ready to-morrow morning we will go together1 and get some for dinner4 ,very well1 said the little pig4 ,what time do you mean to go8 ,oh1 at six o'clock4 ,so the little pig got up at five1 and got the turnips before the wolf came crying3-- ,little pig1 are you ready8 ,the little pig said3 ,ready6 ,i have been and come back again1 and got a nice potful for dinner4 ,the wolf felt very angry at this1 but thought that he would be a match for the little pig somehow or other1 so he said3-- ,little pig1 ,i know where there is a nice apple-tree4 ,where8 said the pig4 ,down at ,merry-garden1 replied the wolf1 and if you will not deceive me ,i will come for you1 at five o'clock to-morrow1 and get some apples4 ,the little pig got up next morning at four o'clock1 and went off for the apples1 hoping to get back before the wolf came2 but it took long to climb the tree1 and just as he was coming down from it1 he saw the wolf coming4 ,when the wolf came up he said3-- ,little pig1 what6 are you here before me8 ,are they nice apples8 ,yes1 very1 said the little pig4 ,i will throw you down one4 ,and he threw it so far that1 while the wolf was gone to pick it up1 the little pig jumped down and ran home4 ,the next day the wolf came again1 and said to the little pig3-- ,little pig1 there is a fair in town this afternoon2 will you go8 ,oh yes1 said the pig1 ,i will go2 what time8 ,at three1 said the wolf4 ,as usual the little pig went off before the time1 and got to the fair1 and bought a butter-churn1 which he was rolling home when he saw the wolf coming4 ,so he got into the churn to hide1 and in so doing turned it round1 and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it1 which frightened the wolf so much that he ran home without going to the fair4 ,he went to the little pig's house1 and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came past him down the hill4 ,then the little pig said3-- ,ha6 ha6 ,i frightened you1 then6 ,then the wolf was very angry indeed1 and tried to get down the chimney in order to eat up the little pig4 ,when the little pig saw what he was about1 he put a pot full of water on the blazing fire1 and1 just as the wolf was coming down1 he took off the cover1 and in fell the wolf4 ,quickly the little pig clapped on the cover1 and when the wolf was boiled ate him for supper4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,bears#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,joseph ,jacobs's ,english ,fairy ,tales 7,david ,nutt1 #eg-ei ,long ,acre1 ,w4,c4 #fs474 ,once upon a time there were ,three ,bears1 who lived together in a house of their own1 in a wood4 ,one of them was a ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and one was a ,middle-sized ,bear1 and the other was a ,great ,huge ,bear4 ,they had each a pot for their porridge1--a little pot for the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and a middle-sized pot for the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and a great pot for the ,great ,huge ,bear4 ,and they had each a chair to sit in1--a little chair for the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and a middle-sized chair for the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and a great chair for the ,great ,huge ,bear4 ,and they had each a bed to sleep in1--a little bed for the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and a middle-sized bed for the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and a great bed for the ,great ,huge ,bear4 ,one day1 after they had made the porridge for their breakfast1 and poured it into their porridge-pots1 they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling1 that they might not burn their mouths1 by beginning too soon to eat it4 ,and while they were walking1 a little girl named ,goldilocks came to the house4 ,she had never seen the little house before1 and it was such a strange little house that she forgot all the things her mother had told her about being polite3 first she looked in at the window1 and then she peeped in at the keyhole2 and seeing nobody in the house1 she lifted the latch4 ,the door was not fastened1 because the ,bears were good ,bears1 who did nobody any harm1 and never suspected that anybody would harm them4 ,so ,goldilocks opened the door1 and went in2 and well pleased she was when she saw the porridge on the table4 ,if ,goldilocks had remembered what her mother had told her1 she would have waited till the ,bears came home1 and then1 perhaps1 they would have asked her to breakfast2 for they were good ,bears--a little rough1 as the manner of ,bears is1 but for all that very good-natured and hospitable4 ,but ,goldilocks forgot1 and set about helping herself4 ,so first she tasted the porridge of the ,great ,huge ,bear1 and that was too hot4 ,and then she tasted the porridge of the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and that was too cold4 ,and then she went to the porridge of the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and tasted that3 and that was neither too hot nor too cold1 but just right2 and she liked it so well1 that she ate it all up4 ,then ,goldilocks sat down in the chair of the ,great ,huge ,bear1 and that was too hard for her4 ,and then she sat down in the chair of the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and that was too soft for her4 ,and then she sat down in the chair of the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 and that was neither too hard nor too soft1 but just right4 ,so she seated herself in it1 and there she sat till the bottom of the chair came out1 and down she came1 plump upon the ground4 ,then ,goldilocks went upstairs into the bed-chamber in which the ,three ,bears slept4 ,and first she lay down upon the bed of the ,great ,huge ,bear2 but that was too high at the head for her4 ,and next she lay down upon the bed of the ,middle-sized ,bear1 and that was too high at the foot for her4 ,and then she lay down upon the bed of the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear2 and that was neither too high at the head nor at the foot1 but just right4 ,so she covered herself up comfortably1 and lay there till she fell fast asleep4 ,by this time the ,three ,bears thought their porridge would be cool enough2 so they came home to breakfast4 ,now ,goldilocks had left the spoon of the ,great ,huge ,bear standing in his porridge4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,at ,,my ,,porridge6 said the ,great ,huge ,bear1 in his great1 rough1 gruff voice4 ,and when the ,middle-sized ,bear looked at his1 he saw that the spoon was standing in it too4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,at ,,my ,,porridge6 said the ,middle-sized ,bear1 in his middle-sized voice4 ,then the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear looked at his1 and there was the spoon in the porridge-pot1 but the porridge was all gone4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,at ,,my ,,porridge1 ,,and ,,has ,,eaten ,,it ,,all ,,up6 said the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 in his little1 small1 wee voice4 ,upon this1 the ,three ,bears1 seeing that someone had entered their house1 and eaten up the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear's breakfast1 began to look about them4 ,now ,goldilocks had not put the hard cushion straight when she rose from the chair of the ,great ,huge ,bear4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,sitting ,,in ,,my ,,chair6 said the ,great ,huge ,bear1 in his great1 rough1 gruff voice4 ,and ,goldilocks had crushed down the soft cushion of the ,middle-sized ,bear4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,sitting ,,in ,,my ,,chair6 said the ,middle-sized ,bear1 in his middle-sized voice4 ,and you know what ,goldilocks had done to the third chair4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,sitting ,,in ,,my ,,chair ,,and ,,has ,,sat ,,the ,,bottom ,,out ,,of ,,it6 said the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 in his little1 small1 wee voice4 ,then the ,three ,bears thought it necessary that they should make further search2 so they went upstairs into their bed-chamber4 ,now ,goldilocks had pulled the pillow of the ,great ,huge ,bear out of its place4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,lying ,,in ,,my ,,bed6 said the ,great ,huge ,bear1 in his great1 rough1 gruff voice4 ,and ,goldilocks had pulled the bolster of the ,middle-sized ,bear out of its place4 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,lying ,,in ,,my ,,bed6 said the ,middle-sized ,bear1 in his middle-sized voice4 ,and when the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear came to look at his bed1 there was the bolster in its place2 and the pillow in its place upon the bolster2 and upon the pillow was the shining1 yellow hair of little ,goldilocks6 ,,somebody ,,has ,,been ,,lying ,,in ,,my ,,bed1--,,and ,,here ,,she ,,is6 said the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 in his little1 small1 wee voice4 ,goldilocks had heard in her sleep the great1 rough1 gruff voice of the ,great ,huge ,bear2 but she was so fast asleep that it was no more to her than the roaring of wind or the rumbling of thunder4 ,and she had heard the middle-sized voice of the ,middle-sized ,bear1 but it was only as if she had heard someone speaking in a dream4 ,but when she heard the little1 small1 wee voice of the ,little ,small ,wee ,bear1 it was so sharp1 and so shrill1 that it awakened her at once4 ,up she started1 and when she saw the ,three ,bears on one side of the bed1 she tumbled herself out at the other1 and ran to the window4 ,now the window was open1 because the ,bears1 like good1 tidy ,bears as they were1 always opened their bed-chamber window when they got up in the morning4 ,out little ,goldilocks jumped1 and ran away home to her mother1 as fast as ever she could4 ,,the ,,old ,,woman ,,and ,,her ,,pig#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,joseph ,jacobs's ,english ,fairy ,tales 7,david ,nutt1 #eg-ei ,long ,acre1 ,w4,c4 #fs474 ,it happened one day that as an old woman was sweeping her house she found a little crooked sixpence4 ,what1 said she1 shall ,i do with this little sixpence8 ,i will go to market1 and buy a little pig4 ,on the way home she came to a stile2 but the piggy wouldn't go over the stile4 ,so she left the piggy and went on a little further1 till she met a dog4 ,she said to him1 ,dog1 dog1 bite pig2 piggy won't go over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the dog wouldn't bite piggy4 ,a little further on she met a stick4 ,so she said3 ,stick6 stick6 beat dog6 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't go over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the stick wouldn't beat the dog4 ,a little further on she met a fire4 ,so she said3 ,fire6 fire6 burn stick6 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the fire wouldn't burn the stick4 ,a little further on she met some water4 ,so she said3 ,water6 water6 quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the water wouldn't quench the fire4 ,a little further on she met an ox4 ,so she said3 ,ox6 ox6 drink water2 water won't quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the ox wouldn't drink the water4 ,a little further on she met a butcher4 ,so she said3 ,butcher6 butcher6 kill ox2 ox won't drink water2 water won't quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the butcher wouldn't kill the ox4 ,a little further on she met a rope4 ,so she said3 ,rope6 rope6 hang butcher2 butcher won't kill ox2 ox won't drink water2 water won't quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the rope wouldn't hang the butcher4 ,a little further on she met a rat4 ,so she said3 ,rat6 rat6 gnaw rope2 rope won't hang butcher2 butcher won't kill ox2 ox won't drink water2 water won't quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the rat wouldn't gnaw the rope4 ,a little further on she met a cat4 ,so she said3 ,cat6 cat6 kill rat2 rat won't gnaw rope2 rope won't hang butcher2 butcher won't kill ox2 ox won't drink water2 water won't quench fire2 fire won't burn stick2 stick won't beat dog2 dog won't bite pig2 piggy won't get over the stile2 and ,i sha'n't get home to-night4 ,but the cat said to her1 ,if you will go to yonder cow1 and fetch me a saucer of milk1 ,i will kill the rat4 ,so away went the old woman to the cow4 ,but the cow refused to give the milk unless the old woman first gave her a handful of hay4 ,so away went the old woman to the haystack2 and she brought the hay to the cow4 ,when the cow had eaten the hay1 she gave the old woman the milk2 and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat4 ,as soon as it had lapped up the milk1 the cat began to kill the rat2 the rat began to gnaw the rope2 the rope began to hang the butcher2 the butcher began to kill the ox2 the ox began to drink the water2 the water began to quench the fire2 the fire began to burn the stick2 the stick began to beat the dog2 the dog began to bite the pig2 the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile2 and so the old woman did get home that night4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the briefest examination of these three stories reveals the fact that one attribute is beyond dispute in each4 ,something happens1 all the time4 ,every step in each story is an event4 ,there is no time spent in explanation1 description1 or telling how people felt2 the stories tell what people did1 and what they said4 ,and the events are the links of a sequence of the closest kind2 in point of time and of cause they follow as immediately as it is possible for events to follow4 ,there are no gaps1 and no complications of plot requiring a return on the road4 ,a second common characteristic appears on briefest examination4 ,as you run over the little stories you will see that each event presents a distinct picture to the imagination1 and that these pictures are made out of very simple elements4 ,the elements are either familiar to the child or analogous to familiar ones4 ,each object and happening is very like everyday1 yet touched with a subtle difference1 rich in mystery4 ,for example1 the details of the pictures in the ,goldilocks story are parts of everyday life1--house1 chairs1 beds1 and so on2 but they are the house1 chairs1 and beds of three bears2 that is the touch of marvel which transforms the scene4 ,the old woman who owned the obstinate pig is the centre of a circle in which stand only familiar images1--stick1 fire1 water1 cow1 and the rest2 but the wonder enters with the fact that these usually inanimate or dumb objects of nature enter so humanly into the contest of wills4 ,so it is1 also1 with the doings of the three little pigs4 ,every image is explicable to the youngest hearer1 while none suggests actual familiarity1 because the actors are not children1 but pigs4 ,simplicity1 with mystery1 is the keynote of all the pictures1 and these are clear and distinct4 ,still a third characteristic common to the stories quoted is a certain amount of repetition4 ,it is more definite1 and of what has been called the cumulative kind1 in the story of the old woman2 but in all it is a distinctive feature4 ,here we have1 then1 three marked characteristics common to three stories almost invariably loved by children1--action1 in close sequence2 familiar images1 tinged with mystery2 some degree of repetition4 ,it is not hard to see why these qualities appeal to a child4 ,the first is the prime characteristic of all good stories1--stories as is stories2 the child's demand for it but bears witness to the fact that his instinctive taste is often better than the taste he later develops under artificial culture4 ,the second is a matter of common-sense4 ,how could the imagination create new worlds1 save out of the material of the old8 ,to offer strange images is to confuse the mind and dull the interest2 to offer familiar ones with a difference is to pique the interest and engage the mind4 ,the charm of repetition1 to children1 is a more complex matter2 there are undoubtedly a good many elements entering into it1 hard to trace in analysis4 ,but one or two of the more obvious may be seized and brought to view4 ,the first is the subtle flattery of an unexpected sense of mastery4 ,when the child-mind1 following with toilful alertness a new train of thought1 comes suddenly on a familiar epithet or expression1 ,i fancy it is with much the same sense of satisfaction that we older people feel when in the midst of a long programme of new music the orchestra strikes into something we have heard before1--,handel1 maybe1 or one of the more familiar ,beethoven sonatas4 ,i know that6 ,i have heard that before6 we think1 triumphant1 and settle down to enjoyment without effort4 ,so it is1 probably1 with the middle-sized articles of the bears' house and the and ,i sha'n't get home to-night of the old woman4 ,each recurrence deepens the note of familiarity1 tickles the primitive sense of humour1 and eases the strain of attention4 ,when the repetition is cumulative1 like the extreme instance of ,the ,house that ,jack ,built1 ,i have a notion that the joy of the child is the pleasure of intellectual gymnastics1 not too hard for fun1 but not too easy for excitement4 ,there is a deal of fun to be got out of purely intellectual processes1 and childhood is not too soon for the rudiments of such fun to show4 ,the delight the healthy adult mind takes in working out a neat problem in geometry1 the pleasure a musician finds in following the involutions of a fugue1 are of the same type of satisfaction as the liking of children for cumulative stories4 ,complexity and mass1 arrived at by stages perfectly intelligible in themselves1 mounting steadily from a starting-point of simplicity2 then the same complexity and mass resolving itself as it were miraculously back into simplicity1 this is an intellectual joy4 ,it does not differ materially1 whether found in the study of counterpoint1 at thirty1 or in the story of the old woman and her pig1 at five4 ,it is perfectly natural and wholesome1 and it may perhaps be a more powerful developing force for the budding intellect than we are aware4 ,for these reasons let me urge you1 when you are looking for stories to tell little children1 to apply this threefold test as a kind of touchstone to their quality of fitness3 ,are they full of action1 in close natural sequence8 ,are their images simple without being humdrum8 ,are they repetitive8 ,the last quality is not an absolute requisite2 but it is at least very often an attribute of a good child-story4 ,having this touchstone in mind for general selection1 we can now pass to the matter of specific choices for different ages of children4 ,no one can speak with absolute conviction in this matter1 so greatly do the taste and capacity of children of the same age vary4 ,any approach to an exact classification of juvenile books according to their suitability for different ages will be found impossible4 ,the same book in the hands of a skilful narrator may be made to afford delight to children both of five and ten4 ,the following are merely the inferences drawn from my own experience4 ,they must be modified by each teacher according to the conditions of her small audience4 ,in general1 ,i believe it to be wise to plan the choice of stories much as indicated in the table given on page #fd4 ,at a later stage1 varying with the standard of capacity of different classes1 we find the temper of mind which asks continually1 ,is that true8 ,to meet this demand1 one draws on historical and scientific anecdote1 and on reminiscence4 ,but the demand is never so exclusive that fictitious narrative need be cast aside4 ,all that is necessary is to state frankly that the story you are telling is just a story1 or--if it be the case--that it is part true and part story4 ,at all stages ,i would urge the telling of ,bible stories1 as far as is allowed by the special circumstances of the school4 ,these are stories from a source unsurpassed in our literature for purity of style and loftiness of subject4 ,more especially ,i urge the telling of the ,christ-story1 in such parts as seem likely to be within the grasp of the several classes4 ,in all ,bible stories it is well to keep as near as possible to the original unimprovable text4#a ,some amplification can be made1 but no excessive modernising or simplifying is excusable in face of the austere grace and majestic simplicity of the original4 ,such adaptation as helps to cut the long narrative into separate units1 making each an intelligible story1 ,i have ventured to illustrate according to my own personal taste1 in two stories given in ,chapter ,,vi4 ,the object of the usual modernising or enlarging of the text may be far better attained for the child listener by infusing into the text as it stands a strong realising sense of its meaning and vitality1 letting it give its own message through a fit medium of expression4 ,footnote #a3 ,stories from the ,old ,testament1 by ,s4 ,platt1 retells the ,old ,testament story as nearly as possible in the actual words of the ,authorised ,version4 ,the stories given in pages #acc to #bdf are grouped as illustrations of the types suitable for different stages4 ,they are1 however1 very often interchangeable2 and many stories can be told successfully to all classes4 ,a vitally good story is little limited in its appeal4 ,it is1 nevertheless1 a help to have certain plain results of experience as a basis for choice2 that which is given is intended only for such a basis1 not in the least as a final list4 ,,certain ,,types ,,of ,,story ,,classified ,,for ,,kindergarten ,,and ,,class ,i43 ,little ,rhymed ,stories 7including the best of the nursery rhymes and the more poetic fragments of ,mother ,goose7 ,stories with ,rhyme in ,parts ,nature ,stories 7in which the element of personification is strong7 ,nonsense ,tales ,wonder ,tales ,,for ,,classes ,,ii4 ,,and ,,iii43 ,nonsense ,tales ,wonder ,tales ,fairy and ,folk ,tales ,fables ,legends ,nature ,stories 7especially stories of animals7 ,,for ,,classes ,,iv4 ,,and ,v43 ,folk ,tales ,fables ,myths and ,allegories ,developed ,animal ,stories ,legends3 ,historic and ,heroic ,historical ,stories ,humorous ,adventure ,stories ,true ,stories ,the wonder tales most familiar and accessible to the teacher are probably those included in the collections of ,andersen and the ,brothers ,grimm4 ,so constant is the demand for these that the following list may be found useful1 as indicating which of the stories are more easily and effectively adapted for telling1 and commonly most successful4 ,it must be remembered that many of these standard tales need such adapting as has been suggested1 cutting them down1 and ridding them of vulgar or sophisticated detail4 ,from the ,brothers ,grimm3 ,the ,star ,dollars ,the ,cat and the ,mouse ,the ,nail ,the ,hare and the ,hedgehog ,snow-,white and ,rose-,red ,mother ,holle ,thumbling ,three ,brothers ,the ,little ,porridge ,pot ,little ,snow-,white ,the ,wolf and the ,seven ,little ,kids ,the ,sea ,mouse ,from ,andersen3 ,little ,tiny ,the ,lark and the ,daisy ,the ,ugly ,duckling ,the ,seven ,stories of the ,snow ,queen ,the ,flax ,the ,little ,match ,girl ,the ,fir-,tree ,the ,red ,shoes ,ol ,luki ,monday ,saturday ,sunday ,the ,elf of the ,rose ,five ,peas in a ,pod ,the ,portuguese ,duck ,the ,little ,mermaid 7much shortened7 ,the ,nightingale 7shortened7 ,the ,girl who trod on a ,loaf ,the ,emperor's ,new ,clothes ,another familiar and easily attainable type of story is the classic myth1 as retold in ,kupfer's ,legends of ,greece and ,rome4#a ,of these1 again1 certain tales are more successfully adapted to children than others4 ,among the best for telling are3 ,arachne ,pandora ,midas ,apollo and ,daphne ,apollo and ,hyacinthus ,narcissus ,latona and the ,rustics ,proserpine ,footnote #a3 ,a well-nigh indispensable book for teachers is ,guerber's ,myths of ,greece and ,rome1 which contains in brief form a complete collection of the classic myths4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,adaptation ,,of ,,stories ,,for ,,telling ,it soon becomes easy to pick out from a collection such stories as can be well told2 but at no time is it easy to find a sufficient number of such stories4 ,stories simple1 direct1 and sufficiently full of incident for telling1 yet having the beautiful or valuable motive we desire for children1 do not lie hidden in every book4 ,and even many of the stories which are most charming to read do not answer the double demand1 for the appeal to the eye differs in many important respects from that to the ear4 ,unless one is able to change the form of a story to suit the needs of oral delivery1 one is likely to suffer from poverty of material4 ,perhaps the commonest need of change is in the case of a story too long to tell1 yet embodying some one beautiful incident or lesson2 or one including a series of such incidents4 ,the story of ,the ,nrnberg ,stove1 by ,ouida1#a is a good example of the latter kind2 ,ruskin's ,king of the ,golden ,river will serve as an illustration of the former4 ,footnote #a3 ,see ,bimbi1 by ,ouida4 7,chatto4 #bs47 ,the problem in one case is chiefly one of elimination2 in the other it is also in a large degree one of rearrangement4 ,in both cases ,i have purposely chosen extreme instances1 as furnishing plainer illustration4 ,the usual story needs less adaptation than these1 but the same kind1 in its own degree4 ,condensation and rearrangement are the commonest forms of change required4 ,pure condensation is probably the easier for most persons4 ,with ,the ,nrnberg ,stove in mind for reference1 let us see what the process includes4 ,this story can be readily found by anyone who is interested in the following example of adaptation1 for nearly every library includes in its catalogue the juvenile works of ,mlle4 de la ,rame 7,ouida74 ,the suggestions given assume that the story is before my readers4 ,the story as it stands is two thousand four hundred words long1 obviously too long to tell4 ,what can be left out8 ,let us see what must be kept in4 ,the dramatic climax toward which we are working is the outcome of ,august's strange exploit1--his discovery by the king and the opportunity for him to become an artist4 ,the joy of this climax is twofold3 ,august may stay with his beloved ,hirschvogel1 and he may learn to make beautiful things like it4 ,to arrive at the twofold conclusion we must start from a double premise1--the love of the stove and the yearning to be an artist4 ,it will1 then1 be necessary to include in the beginning of the story enough details of the family life to show plainly how precious and necessary ,hirschvogel was to the children2 and to state definitely how ,august had learned to admire and wish to emulate ,hirschvogel's maker4 ,we need no detail beyond what is necessary to make this clear4 ,the beginning and the end of a story decided upon1 its body becomes the bridge from one to the other2 in this case it is ,august's strange journey1 beginning with the catastrophe and his grief-dazed decision to follow the stove4 ,the journey is long1 and each stage of it is told in full4 ,as this is impossible in oral reproduction1 it becomes necessary to choose typical incidents1 which will give the same general effect as the whole4 ,the incidents which answer this purpose are3 the beginning of the journey1 the experience on the luggage train1 the jolting while being carried on men's shoulders1 the final fright and suspense before the king opens the door4 ,the episode of the night in the bric-a-brac shop introduces a wholly new and confusing train of thought2 therefore1 charming as it is1 it must be omitted4 ,and the secondary thread of narrative interest1 that of the prices for which the stove was sold1 and the retribution visited on the cheating dealers1 is also another story1 and must be ignored4 ,each of these destroys the clear sequence and the simplicity of plot which must be kept for telling4 ,we are reduced1 then1 for the whole1 to this3 a brief preliminary statement of the place ,hirschvogel held in the household affections1 and the ambition aroused in ,august2 the catastrophe of the sale2 ,august's decision2 his experiences on the train1 on the shoulders of men1 and just before the discovery2 his discovery1 and the dnouement4 ,this not only reduces the story to tellable form1 but it also leaves a suggestive interest which heightens later enjoyment of the original4 ,i suggest the adaptation of ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin1 in ,the ,story ,hour1 since in view of the existence of a satisfactory adaptation it seems unappreciative to offer a second4 ,the one ,i made for my own use some years ago is not dissimilar to this1 and ,i have no reason to suppose it more desirable4 ,ruskin's ,king of the ,golden ,river is somewhat difficult to adapt4 ,not only is it long1 but its style is mature1 highly descriptive1 and closely allegorical4 ,yet the tale is too beautiful and too suggestive to be lost to the story-teller4 ,and it is1 also1 so recognised a part of the standard literary equipment of youth that teachers need to be able to introduce children to its charm4 ,to make it available for telling1 we must choose the most essential events of the series leading up to the climax1 and present these so simply as to appeal to children's ears1 and so briefly as not to tire them4 ,the printed story is eight thousand words in length4 ,the first three thousand words depict the beauty and fertility of the ,treasure ,valley1 and the cruel habits of ,hans and ,schwartz1 its owners1 and give the culminating incident which leads to their banishment by ,west ,wind4 ,this episode1--the ,west ,wind's appearance in the shape of an aged traveller1 his kind reception by the younger brother1 little ,gluck1 and the subsequent wrath of ,hans and ,schwartz1 with their resulting punishment1--occupies about two thousand words4 ,the rest of the story deals with the three brothers after the decree of ,west ,wind has turned ,treasure ,valley into a desert4 ,in the little house where they are plying their trade of goldsmiths1 the ,king of the ,golden ,river appears to ,gluck and tells him the magic secret of turning the river's waters to gold4 ,hans and ,schwartz in turn attempt the miracle1 and in turn incur the penalty attached to failure4 ,gluck tries1 and wins the treasure through self-sacrifice4 ,the form of the treasure is a renewal of the fertility of ,treasure ,valley1 and the moral of the whole story is summed up in ,ruskin's words1 ,so the inheritance which was lost by cruelty was regained by love4 ,it is easy to see that the dramatic part of the story and that which most pointedly illustrates the underlying idea1 is the triple attempt to win the treasure1--the two failures and the one success4 ,but this is necessarily introduced by the episode of the ,king of the ,golden ,river1 which is1 also1 an incident sure to appeal to a child's imagination4 ,and the regaining of the inheritance is meaningless without the fact of its previous loss1 and the reason for the loss1 as a contrast with the reason for its recovery4 ,we need1 then1 the main facts recorded in the first three thousand words4 ,but the ,west ,wind episode must be avoided1 not only for brevity1 but because two supernatural appearances1 so similar1 yet of different personalities1 would hopelessly confuse a told story4 ,our oral story is now to be made out of a condensed statement of the character of the ,valley and of its owners1 and the manner of its loss2 the intervention of the ,king of the ,golden ,river2 the three attempts to turn the river to gold1 and ,gluck's success4 ,gluck is to be our hero1 and our underlying idea is the power of love versus cruelty4 ,description is to be reduced to its lowest terms1 and the language made simple and concrete4 ,with this outline in mind1 it may be useful to compare the following adaptation with the original story4 ,the adaptation is not intended in any sense as a substitute for the original1 but merely as that form of it which can be told1 while the original remains for reading4 ,,the ,,golden ,,river#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,ruskin's ,king of the ,golden ,river4 ,there was once a beautiful little valley1 where the sun was warm1 and the rains fell softly2 its apples were so red1 its corn so yellow1 its grapes so blue1 that it was called the ,treasure ,valley4 ,not a river ran into it1 but one great river flowed down the mountains on the other side1 and because the setting sun always tinged its high cataract with gold after the rest of the world was dark1 it was called the ,golden ,river4 ,the lovely valley belonged to three brothers4 ,the youngest1 little ,gluck1 was happy-hearted and kind1 but he had a hard life with his brothers1 for ,hans and ,schwartz were so cruel and so mean that they were known everywhere around as the ,black ,brothers4 ,they were hard to their farm hands1 hard to their customers1 hard to the poor1 and hardest of all to ,gluck4 ,at last the ,black ,brothers became so bad that the ,spirit of the ,west ,wind took vengeance on them2 he forbade any of the gentle winds1 south and west1 to bring rain to the valley4 ,then1 since there were no rivers in it1 it dried up1 and instead of a treasure valley it became a desert of dry1 red sand4 ,the ,black ,brothers could get nothing out of it1 and they wandered out into the world on the other side of the mountain-peaks2 and little ,gluck went with them4 ,hans and ,schwartz went out every day1 wasting their time in wickedness1 but they left ,gluck in the house to work4 ,and they lived on the gold and silver they had saved in ,treasure ,valley1 till at last it was all gone4 ,the only precious thing left was ,gluck's gold mug4 ,this the ,black ,brothers decided to melt into spoons1 to sell2 and in spite of ,gluck's tears1 they put it in the melting pot1 and went out1 leaving him to watch it4 ,poor little ,gluck sat at the window1 trying not to cry for his dear golden mug1 and as the sun began to go down1 he saw the beautiful cataract of the ,golden ,river turn red1 and yellow1 and then pure gold4 ,oh1 dear6 he said to himself1 how fine it would be if the river were really golden6 ,i needn't be poor1 then4 ,it wouldn't be fine at all6 said a thin1 metallic little voice1 in his ear4 ,mercy1 what's that6 said ,gluck1 looking all about4 ,but nobody was there4 ,suddenly the sharp little voice came again4 ,pour me out1 it said1 ,i am too hot6 ,it seemed to come right from the oven1 and as ,gluck stood1 staring in fright1 it came again1 ,pour me out2 ,i'm too hot6 ,gluck was very much frightened1 but he went and looked in the melting pot4 ,when he touched it1 the little voice said1 ,pour me out1 ,i say6 ,and ,gluck took the handle and began to pour the gold out4 ,first came out a tiny pair of yellow legs2 then a pair of yellow coat-tails2 then a strange little yellow body1 and1 last1 a wee yellow face1 with long curls of gold hair4 ,and the whole put itself together as it fell1 and stood up on the floor1--the strangest little yellow dwarf1 about a foot high6 ,dear1 me6 said ,gluck4 ,but the little yellow man said1 ,gluck1 do you know who ,i am8 ,i am the ,king of the ,golden ,river4 ,gluck did not know what to say1 so he said nothing2 and1 indeed1 the little man gave him no chance4 ,he said1 ,gluck1 ,i have been watching you1 and what ,i have seen of you1 ,i like4 ,listen1 and ,i will tell you something for your good4 ,whoever shall climb to the top of the mountain from which the ,golden ,river falls1 and shall cast into its waters three drops of holy water1 for him and him only shall its waters turn to gold4 ,but no one can succeed except at the first trial1 and anyone who casts unholy water in the river will be turned into a black stone4 ,and then1 before ,gluck could draw his breath1 the ,king walked straight into the hottest flame of the fire1 and vanished up the chimney6 ,when ,gluck's brothers came home1 they beat him black and blue1 because the mug was gone4 ,but when he told them about the ,king of the ,golden ,river they quarrelled all night1 as to which should go to get the gold4 ,at last1 ,hans1 who was the stronger1 got the better of ,schwartz1 and started off4 ,the priest would not give such a bad man any holy water1 so he stole a bottleful4 ,then he took a basket of bread and wine1 and began to climb the mountain4 ,he climbed fast1 and soon came to the end of the first hill4 ,but there he found a great glacier1 a hill of ice1 which he had never seen before4 ,it was horrible to cross1--the ice was slippery1 great gulfs yawned before him1 and noises like groans and shrieks came from under his feet4 ,he lost his basket of bread and wine1 and was quite faint with fear and exhaustion when his feet touched firm ground again4 ,next he came to a hill of hot1 red rock1 without a bit of grass to ease the feet1 or a particle of shade4 ,after an hour's climb he was so thirsty that he felt that he must drink4 ,he looked at the flask of water4 ,three drops are enough1 he thought2 ,i will just cool my lips4 ,he was lifting the flask to his lips when he saw something beside him in the path4 ,it was a small dog1 and it seemed to be dying of thirst4 ,its tongue was out1 its legs were lifeless1 and a swarm of black ants were crawling about its lips4 ,it looked piteously at the bottle which ,hans held4 ,hans raised the bottle1 drank1 kicked at the animal1 and passed on4 ,a strange black shadow came across the blue sky4 ,another hour ,hans climbed2 the rocks grew hotter and the way steeper every moment4 ,at last he could bear it no longer2 he must drink4 ,the bottle was half empty1 but he decided to drink half of what was left4 ,as he lifted it1 something moved in the path beside him4 ,it was a child1 lying nearly dead of thirst on the rock1 its eyes closed1 its lips burning1 its breath coming in gasps4 ,hans looked at it1 drank1 and passed on4 ,a dark cloud came over the sun1 and long shadows crept up the mountain-side4 ,it grew very steep now1 and the air weighed like lead on ,hans's forehead1 but the ,golden ,river was very near4 ,hans stopped a moment to breathe1 then started to climb the last height4 ,as he clambered on1 he saw an old1 old man lying in the path4 ,his eyes were sunken1 and his face deadly pale4 ,water6 he said2 water6 ,i have none for you1 said ,hans2 you have had your share of life4 ,he strode over the old man's body and climbed on4 ,a flash of blue lightning dazzled him for an instant1 and then the heavens were dark4 ,at last ,hans stood on the brink of the cataract of the ,golden ,river4 ,the sound of its roaring filled the air4 ,he drew the flask from his side and hurled it into the torrent4 ,as he did so1 an icy chill shot through him2 he shrieked and fell4 ,and the river rose and flowed over ,the ,black ,stone4 ,when ,hans did not come back ,gluck grieved1 but ,schwartz was glad4 ,he decided to go and get the gold for himself4 ,he thought it might not do to steal the holy water1 as ,hans had done1 so he took the money little ,gluck had earned1 and bought holy water of a bad priest4 ,then he took a basket of bread and wine1 and started off4 ,he came to the great hill of ice1 and was as surprised as ,hans had been1 and found it as hard to cross4 ,many times he slipped1 and he was much frightened at the noises1 and was very glad to get across1 although he had lost his basket of bread and wine4 ,then he came to the same hill of sharp1 red stone1 without grass or shade1 that ,hans had climbed4 ,and like ,hans he became very thirsty4 ,like ,hans1 too1 he decided to drink a little of the water4 ,as he raised it to his lips1 he suddenly saw the same fair child that ,hans had seen4 ,water6 said the child4 ,water6 ,i am dying4 ,i have not enough for myself1 said ,schwartz1 and passed on4 ,a low bank of black cloud rose out of the west4 ,when he had climbed for another hour1 the thirst overcame him again1 and again he lifted the flask to his lips4 ,as he did so1 he saw an old man who begged for water4 ,i have not enough for myself1 said ,schwartz1 and passed on4 ,a mist1 of the colour of blood1 came over the sun4 ,then ,schwartz climbed for another hour1 and once more he had to drink4 ,this time1 as he lifted the flask1 he thought he saw his brother ,hans before him4 ,the figure stretched its arms to him1 and cried out for water4 ,ha1 ha1 laughed ,schwartz1 do you suppose ,i brought the water up here for you8 ,and he strode over the figure4 ,but when he had gone a few yards farther1 he looked back1 and the figure was not there4 ,then he stood at the brink of the ,golden ,river1 and its waves were black1 and the roaring of the waters filled all the air4 ,he cast the flask into the stream4 ,and as he did so the lightning glared in his eyes1 the earth gave way beneath him1 and the river flowed over ,the ,two ,black ,stones4 ,when ,gluck found himself alone1 he at last decided to try his luck with the ,king of the ,golden ,river4 ,the priest gave him some holy water as soon as he asked for it1 and with this and a basket of bread he started off4 ,the hill of ice was much harder for ,gluck to climb1 because he was not so strong as his brothers4 ,he lost his bread1 fell often1 and was exhausted when he got on firm ground4 ,he began to climb the hill in the hottest part of the day4 ,when he had climbed for an hour he was very thirsty1 and lifted the bottle to drink a little water4 ,as he did so he saw a feeble old man coming down the path toward him4 ,i am faint with thirst1 said the old man2 will you give me some of that water8 ,gluck saw that he was pale and tired1 so he gave him the water1 saying1 ,please don't drink it all4 ,but the old man drank a great deal1 and gave back the bottle two-thirds emptied4 ,then he bade ,gluck good speed1 and ,gluck went on merrily4 ,some grass appeared on the path1 and the grasshoppers began to sing4 ,at the end of another hour1 ,gluck felt that he must drink again4 ,but1 as he raised the flask1 he saw a little child lying by the roadside1 and it cried out pitifully for water4 ,after a struggle with himself ,gluck decided to bear the thirst a little longer4 ,he put the bottle to the child's lips1 and it drank all but a few drops4 ,then it got up and ran down the hill4 ,all kinds of sweet flowers began to grow on the rocks1 and crimson and purple butterflies flitted about in the air4 ,at the end of another hour1 ,gluck's thirst was almost unbearable4 ,he saw that there were only five or six drops of water in the bottle1 however1 and he did not dare to drink4 ,so he was putting the flask away again when he saw a little dog on the rocks1 gasping for breath4 ,he looked at it1 and then at the ,golden ,river1 and he remembered the dwarf's words1 ,no one can succeed except at the first trial2 and he tried to pass the dog4 ,but it whined piteously1 and ,gluck stopped4 ,he could not bear to pass it4 ,confound the ,king and his gold1 too6 he said2 and he poured the few drops of water into the dog's mouth4 ,the dog sprang up2 its tail disappeared1 its nose grew red1 and its eyes twinkled4 ,the next minute the dog was gone1 and the ,king of the ,golden ,river stood there4 ,he stooped and plucked a lily that grew beside ,gluck's feet4 ,three drops of dew were on its white leaves4 ,these the dwarf shook into the flask which ,gluck held in his hand4 ,cast these into the river1 he said1 and go down the other side of the mountains into the ,treasure ,valley4 ,then he disappeared4 ,gluck stood on the brink of the ,golden ,river1 and cast the three drops of dew into the stream4 ,where they fell1 a little whirlpool opened2 but the water did not turn to gold4 ,indeed1 the water seemed vanishing altogether4 ,gluck was disappointed not to see gold1 but he obeyed the ,king of the ,golden ,river1 and went down the other side of the mountains4 ,when he came out into the ,treasure ,valley1 a river1 like the ,golden ,river1 was springing from a new cleft in the rocks above1 and flowing among the heaps of dry sand4 ,and then fresh grass sprang beside the river1 flowers opened along its sides1 and vines began to cover the whole valley4 ,the ,treasure ,valley was becoming a garden again4 ,gluck lived in the ,valley1 and his grapes were blue1 and his apples were red1 and his corn was yellow2 and the poor were never driven from his door4 ,for him1 as the ,king had promised1 the river was really a ,river of ,gold4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it will probably be clear to anyone who has followed these attempts1 that the first step in adaptation is analysis1 careful analysis of the story as it stands4 ,one asks oneself1 ,what is the story8 ,which events are necessary links in the chain8 ,how much of the text is pure description8 ,having this essential body of the story in mind1 one then decides which of the steps toward the climax are needed for safe arrival there1 and keeps these4 ,when two or more steps can be covered in a single stride1 one makes the stride4 ,when a necessary explanation is unduly long1 or is woven into the story in too many strands1 one disposes of it in an introductory statement1 or perhaps in a side remark4 ,if there are two or more threads of narrative1 one chooses among them1 and holds strictly to the one chosen1 eliminating details which concern the others4 ,in order to hold the simplicity of plot so attained1 it is also desirable to have but few personages in the story1 and to narrate the action from the point of view of one of them1--usually the hero4 ,to shift the point of view of the action is confusing to the child's mind4 ,when the analysis and condensation have been accomplished1 the whole must be cast in simple language1 keeping if possible the same kind of speech as that used in the original1 but changing difficult or technical terms to plain1 and complex images to simple and familiar ones4 ,all types of adaptation share in this need of simple language1--stories which are too short1 as well as those which are too long1 have this feature in their changed form4 ,the change in a short story is applied oftenest where it becomes desirable to amplify a single anecdote1 or perhaps a fable1 which is told in very condensed form4 ,such an instance is the following anecdote of heroism1 which in the original is quoted in one of ,f4,w4 ,robertson's lectures on ,poetry4 ,a detachment of troops was marching along a valley1 the cliffs overhanging which were crested by the enemy4 ,a sergeant1 with eleven men1 chanced to become separated from the rest by taking the wrong side of a ravine1 which they expected soon to terminate1 but which suddenly deepened into an impassable chasm4 ,the officer in command signalled to the party an order to return4 ,they mistook the signal for a command to charge2 the brave fellows answered with a cheer1 and charged4 ,at the summit of the steep mountain was a triangular platform1 defended by a breastwork1 behind which were seventy of the foe4 ,on they went1 charging up one of those fearful paths1 eleven against seventy4 ,the contest could not long be doubtful with such odds4 ,one after another they fell2 six upon the spot1 the remainder hurled backwards2 but not until they had slain nearly twice their own number4 ,there is a custom1 we are told1 amongst the hillsmen1 that when a great chieftain of their own falls in battle1 his wrist is bound with a thread either of red or green1 the red denoting the highest rank4 ,according to custom1 they stripped the dead1 and threw their bodies over the precipice4 ,when their comrades came1 they found their corpses stark and gashed2 but round both wrists of every ,british hero was twined the red thread6 ,this anecdote serves its purpose of illustration perfectly well1 but considered as a separate story it is somewhat too explanatory in diction1 and too condensed in form4 ,just as the long story is analysed for reduction of given details1 so this must be analysed1--to find the details implied4 ,we have to read into it again all that has been left between the lines4 ,moreover1 the order must be slightly changed1 if we are to end with the proper snap1 the final sting of surprise and admiration given by the point of the story2 the point must be prepared for4 ,the purpose of the original is equally well served by the explanation at the end1 but we must never forget that the place for the climax1 or effective point in a story told1 is the last thing said4 ,that is what makes a story go off well4 ,imagining vividly the situation suggested1 and keeping the logical sequence of facts in mind1 shall we not find the story telling itself to boys and girls in somewhat this form8 ,,the ,,red ,,thread ,,of ,,courage#a ,footnote #a3 ,see also ,the ,red ,thread of ,honour1 by ,sir ,francis ,doyle1 in ,lyra ,heroica4 ,this story which ,i am going to tell you is a true one4 ,it happened while the ,english troops in ,india were fighting against some of the native tribes4 ,the natives who were making trouble were people from the hill-country1 called ,hillsmen1 and they were strong enemies4 ,the ,english knew very little about them1 except their courage1 but they had noticed one peculiar custom1 after certain battles1--the ,hillsmen had a way of marking the bodies of their greatest chiefs who were killed in battle by binding a red thread about the wrist2 this was the highest tribute they could pay a hero4 ,the ,english1 however1 found the common men of them quite enough to handle1 for they had proved themselves good fighters and clever at ambushes4 ,one day1 a small body of the ,english had marched a long way into the hill country1 after the enemy1 and in the afternoon they found themselves in a part of the country strange even to the guides4 ,the men moved forward very slowly and cautiously1 for fear of an ambush4 ,the trail led into a narrow valley with very steep1 high1 rocky sides1 topped with woods in which the enemy might easily hide4 ,here the soldiers were ordered to advance more quickly1 though with caution1 to get out of the dangerous place4 ,after a little they came suddenly to a place where the passage was divided in two by a big three-cornered boulder which seemed to rise from the midst of the valley4 ,the main line of men kept to the right2 to save crowding the path1 a sergeant and eleven men took the left1 meaning to go round the rock and meet the rest beyond it4 ,they had been in the path only a few minutes when they saw that the rock was not a single boulder at all1 but an arm of the left wall of the valley1 and that they were marching into a deep ravine with no outlet except the way they came4 ,both sides were sheer rock1 almost perpendicular1 with thick trees at the top2 in front of them the ground rose in a steep hill1 bare of woods4 ,as they looked up1 they saw that the top was barricaded by the trunks of trees1 and guarded by a strong body of ,hillsmen4 ,as the ,english hesitated1 looking at this1 a shower of spears fell from the wood's edge1 aimed by hidden foes4 ,the place was a death trap4 ,at this moment1 their danger was seen by the officer in command of the main body1 and he signalled to the sergeant to retreat4 ,by some terrible mischance1 the signal was misunderstood4 ,the men took it for the signal to charge4 ,without a moment's pause1 straight up the slope1 they charged on the run1 cheering as they ran4 ,some were killed by the spears that were thrown from the cliffs1 before they had gone half way2 some were stabbed as they reached the crest1 and hurled backward from the precipice2 two or three got to the top1 and fought hand to hand with the ,hillsmen4 ,they were outnumbered1 seven to one2 but when the last of the ,english soldiers lay dead1 twice their number of ,hillsmen lay dead around them6 ,when the relief party reached the spot1 later in the day1 they found the bodies of their comrades1 full of wounds1 huddled over and in the barricade1 or crushed on the rocks below4 ,they were mutilated and battered1 and bore every sign of the terrible struggle4 ,but round both wrists of every ,british soldier was bound the red thread6 ,the ,hillsmen had paid greater honour to their heroic foes than to the bravest of their own brave dead4 99 99 99 99 99 ,another instance is the short poem1 which1 while being perfectly simple1 is rich in suggestion of more than the young child will see for himself4 ,the following example shows the working out of details in order to provide a satisfactorily rounded story4 ,,the ,,elf ,,and ,,the ,,dormouse#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,the ,elf and the ,dormouse1 by ,oliver ,herford1 in ,a ,treasury of ,verse for ,little ,children4 7,harrap4 #as4 net47 ,once upon a time a dormouse lived in the wood with his mother4 ,she had made a snug little nest1 but ,sleepy-head1 as she called her little mousie1 loved to roam about among the grass and fallen leaves1 and it was a hard task to keep him at home4 ,one day the mother went off as usual to look for food1 leaving ,sleepy-head curled up comfortably in a corner of the nest4 ,he will lie there safely till ,i come back1 she thought4 ,presently1 however1 ,sleepy-head opened his eyes and thought he would like to take a walk out in the fresh air4 ,so he crept out of the nest and through the long grass that nodded over the hole in the bank4 ,he ran here and he ran there1 stopping again and again to cock his little ears for sound of any creeping thing that might be close at hand4 ,his little fur coat was soft and silky as velvet4 ,mother had licked it clean before starting her day's work1 you may be sure4 ,as ,sleepy-head moved from place to place his long tail swayed from side to side and tickled the daisies so that they could not hold themselves still for laughing4 ,presently something very cold fell on ,sleepy-head's nose4 ,what could it be8 ,he put up his little paw and dabbed at the place4 ,then the same thing happened to his tail4 ,he whisked it quickly round to the front4 ,ah1 it was raining6 ,now ,sleepy-head couldn't bear rain1 and he had got a long way from home4 ,what would mother say if his nice furry coat got wet and draggled8 ,he crept under a bush1 but soon the rain found him out4 ,then he ran to a tree1 but this was poor shelter4 ,he began to think that he was in for a soaking when what should he spy1 a little distance off1 but a fine toadstool which stood bolt upright just like an umbrella4 ,the next moment ,sleepy-head was crawling underneath the friendly shelter4 ,he fixed himself up as snugly as he could1 with his little nose upon his paws and his little tail curled round all1 and before you could count six1 eight1 ten1 twenty1 he was fast asleep4 ,now it happened that ,sleepy-head was not the only creature that was caught by the rain that morning in the wood4 ,a little elf had been flitting about in search of fun or mischief1 and he1 too1 had got far from home when the raindrops began to come pattering through the leafy roof of the beautiful wood4 ,it would never do to get his pretty wings wet1 for he hated to walk--it was such slow work and1 besides1 he might meet some big wretched animal that could run faster than himself4 ,however1 he was beginning to think that there was no help for it1 when1 on a sudden1 there before him was the toadstool1 with ,sleepy-head snug and dry underneath6 ,there was room for another little fellow1 thought the elf1 and ere long he had safely bestowed himself under the other half of the toadstool1 which was just like an umbrella4 ,sleepy-head slept on1 warm and comfortable in his furry coat1 and the elf began to feel annoyed with him for being so happy4 ,he was always a great mischief1 and he could not bear to sit still for long at a time4 ,presently he laughed a queer little laugh4 ,he had got an idea6 ,putting his two small arms round the stem of the toadstool he tugged and he pulled until1 of a sudden1 snap6 ,he had broken the stem1 and a moment later was soaring in air safely sheltered under the toadstool1 which he held upright by its stem as he flew4 ,sleepy-head had been dreaming1 oh1 so cosy a dream6 ,it seemed to him that he had discovered a storehouse filled with golden grain and soft juicy nuts with little bunches of sweet-smelling hay1 where tired mousies might sleep dull hours away4 ,he thought that he was settled in the sweetest bunch of all1 with nothing in the world to disturb his nap1 when gradually he became aware that something had happened4 ,he shook himself in his sleep and settled down again1 but the dream had altered4 ,he opened his eyes4 ,rain was falling1 pit-a-pat1 and he was without cover on a wet patch of grass4 ,what could be the matter8 ,sleepy-head was now wide awake4 ,said he1 ,,dear ,,me1 ,,where ,,is ,,my ,,toadstool8 ,from these four instances we may1 perhaps1 deduce certain general principles of adaptation which have at least proved valuable to those using them4 ,these are suggestions which the practised story-teller will find trite4 ,but to others they may prove a fair foundation on which to build a personal method to be developed by experience4 ,i have given them a tabular arrangement below4 ,the preliminary step in all cases is ,analysis of the ,story4 ,the aim1 then1 is to reduce a long story or to amplify a short one4 ,for the first1 the need is ,elimination of secondary threads of narrative1 extra personages1 description1 irrelevant events4 ,for the second1 the great need is of ,realising ,imagination4 ,for both1 it is desirable to keep ,close ,logical ,sequence1 ,a ,single ,point of ,view1 ,simple ,language1 ,the ,point at the ,end4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,the ,,story ,selection1 and1 if necessary1 adaptation--these are the preliminaries to the act of telling4 ,that1 after all1 is the real test of one's power4 ,that is the real joy1 when achieved2 the real bugbear1 when dreaded4 ,and that is the subject of this chapter1 ,how to tell a story4 ,how to tell a story3 it is a short question which demands a long answer4 ,the right beginning of the answer depends on a right conception of the thing the question is about2 and that naturally reverts to an earlier discussion of the real nature of a story4 ,in that discussion it was stated that a story is a work of art1--a message1 as all works of art are4 ,to tell a story1 then1 is to pass on the message1 to share the work of art4 ,the message may be merely one of humour1--of nonsense1 even2 works of art range all the way from the ,victory to a ,dresden ,shepherdess1 from an ,assumption to a ,broken ,pitcher1 and farther4 ,each has its own place4 ,but whatever its quality1 the story-teller is the passer-on1 the interpreter1 the transmitter4 ,he comes bringing a gift4 ,always he gives2 always he bears a message4 ,this granted1 the first demand of the story-teller is not far to seek4 ,no one can repeat a message he has not heard1 or interpret what he does not understand4 ,you cannot give1 unless you first possess4 ,the first demand of the story-teller is that he possess4 ,he must feel the story4 ,whatever the particular quality and appeal of the work of art1 from the lightest to the grandest emotion or thought1 he must have responded to it1 grasped it1 felt it intimately1 before he can give it out again4 ,listen1 humbly1 for the message4 ,i realise that this has an incongruous sound1 when applied to such stories as that of the little pig at the stile or of the greedy cat who ate up man and beast4 ,but1 believe me1 it does apply even to those4 ,for the transmittable thing in a story is the identifying essence1 the characterising savour1 the peculiar quality and point of view of the humour1 pathos1 or interest4 ,every tale which claims a place in good fiction has this identifying savour and quality1 each different from every other4 ,the laugh which echoes one of ,seumas ,mc,manus's rigmaroles is not the chuckle which follows one of ,joel ,chandler ,harris's anecdotes2 the gentle sadness of an ,andersen allegory is not the heart-searching tragedy of a tale from the ,greek2 nor is any one story of an author just like any other of the same making4 ,each has its personal likeness1 its facial expression1 as it were4 ,and the mind must be sensitised to these differences4 ,no one can tell stories well who has not a keen and just feeling of such emotional values4 ,a positive and a negative injunction depend on this premise1--the positive1 cultivate your feeling1 striving toward increasingly just appreciation2 the negative1 never tell a story you do not feel4 ,fortunately1 the number and range of stories one can appreciate grow with cultivation2 but it is the part of wisdom not to step outside the range at any stage of its growth4 ,i feel the more inclined to emphasise this caution because ,i once had a rather embarrassing and pointed proof of its desirability1--which ,i relate for the enlightening of the reader4 ,there is a certain nonsense tale which a friend used to tell with such effect that her hearers became helpless with laughter1 but which for some reason never seemed funny to me4 ,i could not laugh at it4 ,but my friend constantly urged me to use it1 quoting her own success4 ,at last1 with much curiosity and some trepidation1 ,i included it in a programme before people with whom ,i was so closely in sympathy that no chill was likely to emanate from their side4 ,i told the story as well as ,i knew how1 putting into it more genuine effort than most stories can claim4 ,the audience smiled politely1 laughed gently once or twice1 relapsed into the mildest of amusement4 ,the most one could say was that the story was not a hopeless failure4 ,i tried it again1 after study1 and yet again2 but the audiences were all alike4 ,and in my heart ,i should have been startled if they had behaved otherwise1 for all the time ,i was telling it ,i was conscious in my soul that it was a stupid story6 ,at last ,i owned my defeat to myself1 and put the thing out of mind4 ,some time afterward1 ,i happened to take out the notes of the story1 and idly looked them over2 and suddenly1 ,i do not know how1 ,i got the point of view6 ,the salt of the humour was all at once on my lips2 ,i felt the tickle of the pure folly of it2 it was funny4 ,the next afternoon ,i told the story to a hundred or so children and as many mothers1--and the battle was won4 ,chuckles punctuated my periods2 helpless laughter ran like an under-current below my narrative2 it was a struggle for me to keep sober1 myself4 ,the nonsense tale had found its own atmosphere4 ,now of course ,i had known all along that the humour of the story emanated from its very exaggeration1 its absurdly illogical smoothness4 ,but ,i had not felt it4 ,i did not really see the joke4 ,and that was why ,i could not tell the story4 ,i undoubtedly impressed my own sense of its fatuity on every audience to which ,i gave it4 ,the case is very clear4 ,equally clear have been some happy instances where ,i have found audiences responding to a story ,i myself greatly liked1 but which common appreciation usually ignored4 ,this is an experience even more persuasive than the other1 certainly more to be desired4 ,every story-teller has lines of limitation2 certain types of story will always remain his or her best effort4 ,there is no reason why any type of story should be told really ill1 and of course the number of kinds one tells well increases with the growth of the appreciative capacity4 ,but none the less1 it is wise to recognise the limits at each stage1 and not try to tell any story to which the honest inner consciousness says1 ,i do not like you4 ,let us then set down as a prerequisite for good story-telling1 a genuine appreciation of the story4 ,now1 we may suppose this genuine appreciation to be your portion4 ,you have chosen a story1 have felt its charm1 and identified the quality of its appeal4 ,you are now to tell it in such wise that your hearers will get the same kind of impression you yourself received from it4 ,how8 ,i believe the inner secret of success is the measure of force with which the teller wills the conveyance of his impression to the hearer4 ,anyone who has watched1 or has himself been1 the teller of a story which held an audience1 knows that there is something approaching hypnotic suggestion in the close connection of effort and effect1 and in the elimination of self-consciousness from speaker and listeners alike4 ,i would not for a moment lend the atmosphere of charlatanry1 or of the ultra-psychic1 to the wholesome and vivid art of story-telling4 ,but ,i would1 if possible1 help the teacher to realise how largely success in that art is a subjective and psychological matter1 dependent on her control of her own mood and her sense of direct1 intimate communion with the minds attending her4 ,the feel of an audience1--that indescribable sense of the composite human soul waiting on the initiative of your own1 the emotional currents interplaying along a medium so delicate that it takes the baffling torture of an obstruction to reveal its existence1--cannot be taught4 ,but it can and does develop with use4 ,and a realisation of the immense latent power of strong desire and resolution vitalises and disembarrasses the beginner4 ,that is1 undoubtedly1 rather an intangible beginning2 it sets the root of the matter somewhat in the realm of spirits and influences4 ,there are1 however1 outward and visible means of arriving at results4 ,every art has its technique4 ,the art of story-telling1 intensely personal and subjective as it is1 yet comes under the law sufficiently not to be a matter of sheer knack4 ,it has its technique4 ,the following suggestions are an attempt to state what seem the foundation principles of that technique4 ,the general statements are deduced from many consecutive experiences2 partly1 too1 they are the results of introspective analysis1 confirmed by observation4 ,they do not make up an exclusive body of rules1 wholly adequate to produce good work1 of themselves2 they do include1 so far as my observation and experience allow1 the fundamental requisites of good work1--being the qualities uniformly present in successful work of many story-tellers4 ,first of all1 most fundamental of all1 is a rule without which any other would be but folly3 ,know your story4 ,one would think so obvious a preliminary might be taken for granted4 ,but alas1 even slight acquaintance with the average story-teller proves the dire necessity of the admonition4 ,the halting tongue1 the slip in name or incident1 the turning back to forge an omitted link in the chain1 the repetition1 the general weakness of statement consequent on imperfect grasp3 these are common features of the stories one hears told4 ,and they are features which will deface the best story ever told4 ,one must know the story absolutely2 it must have been so assimilated that it partakes of the nature of personal experience2 its essence must be so clearly in mind that the teller does not have to think of it at all in the act of telling1 but rather lets it flow from his lips with the unconscious freedom of a vivid reminiscence4 ,such knowledge does not mean memorising4 ,memorising utterly destroys the freedom of reminiscence1 takes away the spontaneity1 and substitutes a mastery of form for a mastery of essence4 ,it means1 rather1 a perfect grasp of the gist of the story1 with sufficient familiarity with its form to determine the manner of its telling4 ,the easiest way to obtain this mastery is1 ,i think1 to analyse the story into its simplest elements of plot4 ,strip it bare of style1 description1 interpolation1 and find out simply what happened4 ,personally1 ,i find that ,i get first an especially vivid conception of the climax2 this then has to be rounded out by a clear perception of the successive steps which lead up to the climax4 ,one has1 so1 the framework of the story4 ,the next process is the filling in4 ,there must be many ways of going about this filling in4 ,doubtless many of my readers1 in the days when it was their pet ambition to make a good recitation in school1 evolved personally effective ways of doing it2 for it is1 after all1 the same thing as preparing a bit of history or a recitation in literature4 ,but for the consideration of those who find it hard to gain mastery of fact without mastery of its stated form1 ,i give my own way4 ,i have always used the childlike plan of talking it out4 ,sometimes inaudibly1 sometimes in loud and penetrating tones which arouse the sympathetic curiosity of my family1 ,i tell it over and over1 to an imaginary hearer4 ,that hearer is as present to me1 always has been1 as ,stevenson's friend of the children who takes the part of the enemy in their solitary games of war4 ,his criticism 7though he is a most composite double-sexed creature who should not have a designating personal pronoun7 is all-revealing4 ,for talking it out instantly brings to light the weak spots in one's recollection4 ,what was it the little crocodile said8 ,just how did the little pig get into his house8 ,what was that link in the chain of circumstances which brought the wily fox to confusion8 ,the slightest cloud of uncertainty becomes obvious in a moment4 ,and as obvious becomes one's paucity of expression1 one's week-kneed imagination1 one's imperfect assimilation of the spirit of the story4 ,it is not a flattering process4 ,but when these faults have been corrected by several attempts1 the method gives a confidence1 a sense of sureness1 which makes the real telling to a real audience ready and spontaneously smooth4 ,scarcely an epithet or a sentence comes out as it was in the preliminary telling2 but epithets and sentences in sufficiency do come2 the beauty of this method is that it brings freedom instead of bondage4 ,a valuable exception to the rule against memorising must be noted here4 ,especially beautiful and indicative phrases of the original should be retained1 and even whole passages1 where they are identified with the beauty of the tale4 ,and in stories like ,the ,three ,bears or ,red ,riding ,hood the exact phraseology of the conversation as given in familiar versions should be preserved2 it is in a way sacred1 a classic1 and not to be altered4 ,but beyond this the language should be the teller's own1 and probably never twice the same4 ,sureness1 ease1 freedom1 and the effect of personal reminiscence come only from complete mastery4 ,i repeat1 with emphasis3 ,know your story4 ,the next suggestion is a purely practical one concerning the preparation of physical conditions4 ,see that the children are seated in close and direct range of your eye2 the familiar half-circle is the best arrangement for small groups of children1 but the teacher should be at a point opposite the centre of the arc1 not in its centre3 thus ,illustration1 not thus ,illustration2 it is important also not to have the ends too far at the side1 and to have no child directly behind another1 or in such a position that he has not an easy view of the teacher's full face4 ,little children have to be physically close in order to be mentally close4 ,it is1 of course1 desirable to obtain a hushed quiet before beginning2 but it is not so important as to preserve your own mood of holiday1 and theirs4 ,if the fates and the atmosphere of the day are against you1 it is wiser to trust to the drawing power of the tale itself1 and abate the irritation of didactic methods4 ,and never break into that magic tale1 once begun1 with an admonition to ,ethel or ,tommy to stop squirming1 or a rebuke to that little girl over there who is not listening4 ,make her listen6 ,it is probably your fault if she is not4 ,if you are telling a good story1 and telling it well1 she can't help listening1--unless she is an abnormal child2 and if she is abnormal you ought not to spoil the mood of the others to attend to her4 ,i say never interrupt your story2 perhaps it is only fair to amend that1 after the fashion of dear little ,marjorie ,fleming1 and say never--if you can help it4 ,for1 of course1 there are exceptional occasions1 and exceptional children2 some latitude must be left for the decisions of good common sense acting on the issue of the moment4 ,the children ready1 your own mood must be ready4 ,it is desirable that the spirit of the story should be imposed upon the room from the beginning1 and this result hangs on the clearness and intensity of the teller's initiatory mood4 ,an act of memory and of will is the requisite4 ,the story-teller must call up--it comes with the swiftness of thought--the essential emotion of the story as he felt it first4 ,a single volition puts him in touch with the characters and the movement of the tale4 ,this is scarcely more than a brief and condensed reminiscence2 it is the stepping back into a mood once experienced4 ,let us say1 for example1 that the story to be told is the immortal fable of ,the ,ugly ,duckling4 ,before you open your lips the whole pathetic series of the little swan's mishaps should flash across your mind1--not accurately and in detail1 but blended to a composite of undeserved ignominy1 of baffled innocent wonderment1 and of delicious underlying satire on average views4 ,with this is mingled the feeling of ,andersen's delicate whimsicality of style4 ,the dear little ,ugly ,duckling waddles1 bodily1 into your consciousness1 and you pity his sorrows and anticipate his triumph1 before you begin4 ,this preliminary recognition of mood is what brings the delicious quizzical twitch to the mouth of a good raconteur who begins an anecdote the hearers know will be side-splitting4 ,it is what makes grandmother sigh gently and look far over your heads1 when her soft voice commences the story of the little girl who lived long1 long ago4 ,it is a natural and instinctive thing with the born story-teller2 a necessary thing for anyone who will become a story-teller4 ,from the very start1 the mood of the tale should be definite and authoritative1 beginning with the mood of the teller and emanating therefrom in proportion as the physique of the teller is a responsive medium4 ,now we are off4 ,knowing your story1 having your hearers well arranged1 and being as thoroughly as you are able in the right mood1 you begin to tell it4 ,tell it1 then1 simply1 directly1 dramatically1 with zest4 ,simply applies both to manner and matter4 ,as to manner1 ,i mean without affectation1 without any form of pretence1 in short1 without posing4 ,it is a pity to talk down to the children1 to assume a honeyed voice1 to think of the edifying or educational value of the work one is doing4 ,naturalness1 being oneself1 is the desideratum4 ,i wonder why we so often use a preposterous voice1--a super-sweetened whine1 in talking to children8 ,is it that the effort to realise an ideal of gentleness and affectionateness overreaches itself in this form of the grotesque8 ,some good intention must be the root of it4 ,but the thing is none the less pernicious4 ,a cant voice is as abominable as a cant phraseology4 ,both are of the very substance of evil4 ,but it is easier to say1 ',be natural' than to be it1 said one teacher to me desperately4 ,beyond dispute4 ,to those of us who are cursed with an over-abundant measure of self-consciousness1 nothing is harder than simple naturalness4 ,the remedy is to lose oneself in one's art4 ,think of the story so absorbingly and vividly that you have no room to think of yourself4 ,live it4 ,sink yourself in that mood you have summoned up1 and let it carry you4 ,if you do this1 simplicity of matter will come easily4 ,your choice of words and images will naturally become simple4 ,it is1 ,i think1 a familiar precept to educators1 that children should not have their literature too much simplified for them4 ,we are told that they like something beyond them1 and that it is good for them to have a sense of mystery and power beyond the sense they grasp4 ,that may be true2 but if so it does not apply to story-telling as it does to reading4 ,we have constantly to remember that the movement of a story told is very swift4 ,a concept not grasped in passing is irrevocably lost2 there is no possibility of turning back1 or lingering over the page4 ,also1 since the art of story-telling is primarily an art of entertainment1 its very object is sacrificed if the ideas and images do not slip into the child's consciousness smoothly enough to avoid the sense of strain4 ,for this reason short1 familiar1 vivid words are best4 ,simplicity of manner and of matter are both essential to the right appeal to children4 ,directness in telling is a most important quality4 ,the story1 listened to1 is like the drama1 beheld4 ,its movement must be unimpeded1 increasingly swift1 winding up with a snap4 ,long-windedness1 or talking round the story1 utterly destroys this movement4 ,the incidents should be told1 one after another1 without explanation or description beyond what is absolutely necessary2 and they should be told in logical sequence4 ,nothing is more distressing than the cart-before-the-horse method1--nothing more quickly destroys interest than the failure to get a clue in the right place4 ,sometimes1 to be sure1 a side remark adds piquancy and a personal savour4 ,but the general rule is1 great discretion in this respect4 ,every epithet or adjective beyond what is needed to give the image1 is a five-barred gate in the path of the eager mind travelling to a climax4 ,explanations and moralising are usually sheer clatter4 ,some few stories necessarily include a little explanation1 and stories of the fable order may quaintly end with an obvious moral4 ,but here again1 the rule is--great discretion4 ,it is well to remember that you have one great advantage over the writer of stories4 ,the writer must present a clear image and make a vivid impression1--all with words4 ,the teller has face1 and voice1 and body to do it with4 ,the teller needs1 consequently1 but one swiftly incisive verb to the writer's two2 but one expressive adjective to his three4 ,often1 indeed1 a pause and an expressive gesture do the whole thing4 ,it may be said here that it is a good trick of description to repeat an epithet or phrase once used1 when referring again to the same thing4 ,the recurrent adjectives of ,homer were the device of one who entertained a childlike audience4 ,his trick is unconscious and instinctive with people who have a natural gift for children's stories4 ,of course this matter also demands common sense in the degree of its use2 in moderation it is a most successful device4 ,brevity1 close logical sequence1 exclusion of foreign matter1 unhesitant speech1--to use these is to tell a story directly4 ,after simplicity and directness1 comes that quality which to advise1 is to become a rock of offence to many4 ,it is the suggestion1 ,tell the story dramatically4 ,yet when we quite understand each other as to the meaning of dramatically1 ,i think you will agree with me that a good story-teller includes this in his qualities of manner4 ,it means1 not in the manner of the elocutionist1 not excitably1 not any of the things which are incompatible with simplicity and sincerity2 but with a whole-hearted throwing of oneself into the game1 which identifies one in a manner with the character or situation of the moment4 ,it means responsively1 vividly1 without interposing a blank wall of solid self between the drama of the tale and the mind's eye of the audience4 ,it is such fun1 pure and simple1 so to throw oneself into it1 and to see the answering expressions mimic one's own1 that it seems superfluous to urge it4 ,yet many persons do find it difficult4 ,the instant1 slight but suggestive change of voice1 the use of onomatopoetic words1 the response of eyes and hands1 which are all immediate and spontaneous with some temperaments1 are to others a matter of shamefacedness and labour4 ,to those1 to all who are not by nature bodily expressive1 ,i would reiterate the injunction already given1--not to pretend4 ,do nothing you cannot do naturally and happily4 ,but lay your stress on the inner and spiritual effort to appreciate1 to feel1 to imagine out the tale2 and let the expressiveness of your body grow gradually with the increasing freedom from crippling self-consciousness4 ,the physique will become more mobile as the emotion does4 ,the expression must1 however1 always remain suggestive rather than illustrative4 ,this is the side of the case which those who are over-dramatic must not forget4 ,the story-teller is not playing the parts of his stories2 he is merely arousing the imagination of his hearers to picture the scenes for themselves4 ,one element of the dual consciousness of the tale-teller remains always the observer1 the reporter1 the quiet outsider4 ,i like to think of the story-teller as a good fellow standing at a great window overlooking a busy street or a picturesque square1 and reporting with gusto to the comrade in the rear of the room what of mirth or sadness he sees2 he hints at the policeman's strut1 the organ-grinder's shrug1 the schoolgirl's gaiety1 with a gesture or two which is born of an irresistible impulse to imitate2 but he never leaves his fascinating post to carry the imitation further than a hint4 ,the verity of this figure lies in the fact that the dramatic quality of story-telling depends closely upon the clearness and power with which the story-teller visualises the events and characters he describes4 ,you must hold the image before the mind's eye1 using your imagination to embody to yourself every act1 incident and appearance4 ,you must1 indeed1 stand at the window of your consciousness and watch what happens4 ,this is a point so vital that ,i am tempted to put it in ornate type4 ,you must see what you say6 ,it is not too much1 even1 to say1 ,you must see more than you say4 ,true vividness is lent by a background of picture realised by the listener beyond what you tell him4 ,children see1 as a rule1 no image you do not see2 they see most clearly what you see most largely4 ,draw1 then1 from a full well1 not from a supply so low that the pumps wheeze at every pull4 ,dramatic power of the reasonably quiet and suggestive type demanded for telling a story will come pretty surely in the train of effort along these lines2 it follows the clear concept and sincerity in imparting it1 and is a natural consequence of the visualising imagination4 ,it is inextricably bound up1 also1 with the causes and results of the quality which finds place in my final injunction1 to tell your story with zest4 ,it might almost be assumed that the final suggestion renders the preceding one superfluous1 so direct is the effect of a lively interest on the dramatic quality of a narration2 but it would not of itself be adequate2 the necessity of visualising imagination is paramount4 ,zest is1 however1 a close second to this clearness of mental vision4 ,it is entirely necessary to be interested in your own story1 to enjoy it as you tell it4 ,if you are bored and tired1 the children will soon be bored and tired1 too4 ,if you are not interested your manner cannot get that vitalised spontaneity which makes dramatic power possible4 ,nothing else will give that relish on the lips1 that gusto1 which communicates its joy to the audience and makes it receptive to every impression4 ,i used to say to teachers1 ,tell your story with all your might1 but ,i found that this by a natural misconception was often interpreted to mean laboriously4 ,and of course nothing is more injurious to the enjoyment of an audience than obvious effort on the part of the entertainer4 ,true zest can be--often is--extremely quiet1 but it gives a savour nothing else can impart4 ,but how1 at the end of a hard morning's work1 can ,i be interested in a story ,i have told twenty times before8 asks the kindergarten or primary teacher1 not without reason4 ,there are two things to be said4 ,the first is a reminder of the wisdom of choosing stories in which you originally have interest2 and of having a store large enough to permit variety4 ,the second applies to those inevitable times of weariness which attack the most interested and well-stocked story-teller4 ,you are1 perhaps1 tired out physically4 ,you have told a certain story till it seems as if a repetition of it must produce bodily effects dire to contemplate1 yet that happens to be the very story you must tell4 ,what can you do8 ,i answer1 ,make believe4 ,the device seems incongruous with the repeated warnings against pretence2 but it is necessary1 and it is wise4 ,pretend as hard as ever you can to be interested4 ,and the result will be--before you know it--that you will be interested4 ,that is the chief cause of the recommendation2 it brings about the result it simulates4 ,make believe1 as well as you know how1 and the probability is that you will not even know when the transition from pretended to real interest comes4 ,and fortunately1 the children never know the difference4 ,they have not that psychological infallibility which is often attributed to them4 ,they might1 indeed1 detect a pretence which continued through a whole tale2 but that is so seldom necessary that it needs little consideration4 ,so then3 enjoy your story2 be interested in it1--if you possibly can2 and if you cannot1 pretend to be1 till the very pretence brings about the virtue you have assumed4 ,there is much else which might be said and urged regarding the method of story-telling1 even without encroaching on the domain of personal variations4 ,a whole chapter might1 for example1 be devoted to voice and enunciation1 and then leave the subject fertile4 ,but voice and enunciation are after all merely single manifestations of degree and quality of culture1 of taste1 and of natural gift4 ,no set rules can bring charm of voice and speech to a person whose feeling and habitual point of view are fundamentally wrong2 the person whose habitual feeling and mental attitude are fundamentally right needs few or no rules4 ,as the whole matter of story-telling is in the first instance an expression of the complex personal product1 so will this feature of it vary in perfection according to the beauty and culture of the human mechanism manifesting it4 ,a few generally applicable suggestions may1 however1 be useful1--always assuming the story-teller to have the fundamental qualifications of fine and wholesome habit4 ,these are not rules for the art of speaking2 they are merely some practical considerations regarding speaking to an audience4 ,first1 ,i would reiterate my earlier advice1 be simple4 ,affectation is the worst enemy of voice and enunciation alike4 ,slovenly enunciation is certainly very dreadful1 but the unregenerate may be pardoned if they prefer it to the affected mouthing which some over-nice people without due sense of values expend on every syllable which is so unlucky as to fall between their teeth4 ,next ,i would urge avoidance of a fault very common with those who speak much in large rooms1--the mistaken effort at loudness4 ,this results in tightening and straining the throat1 finally producing nasal head-tones or a voice of metallic harshness4 ,and it is entirely unnecessary4 ,there is no need to speak loudly4 ,the ordinary schoolroom needs no vocal effort4 ,a hall seating three or four hundred persons demands no effort whatever beyond a certain clearness and definiteness of speech4 ,a hall seating from five to eight hundred needs more skill in aiming the voice1 but still demands no shouting4 ,it is indeed largely the psychological quality of a tone that makes it reach in through the ear to the comprehension4 ,the quiet1 clear1 restful1 persuasive tone of a speaker who knows his power goes straight home2 but loud speech confuses4 ,never speak loudly4 ,in a small room1 speak as gently and easily as in conversation2 in a large room1 think of the people farthest away1 and speak clearly1 with a slight separation between words1 and with definite phrasing1--aiming your mind toward the distant listeners4 ,if one is conscious of nasality or throatiness of voice1 it certainly pays to study the subject seriously with an intelligent teacher4 ,but a good1 natural speaking-voice1 free from extraordinary vices1 will fill all the requirements of story-telling to small audiences1 without other attention than comes indirectly from following the general principles of the art4 ,to sum it all up1 then1 let us say of the method likely to bring success in telling stories1 that it includes sympathy1 grasp1 spontaneity3 one must appreciate the story1 and know it2 and then1 using the realising imagination as a constant vivifying force1 and dominated by the mood of the story1 one must tell it with all one's might1--simply1 vitally1 joyously4 ,,chapter ,v ,,some ,,specific ,,schoolroom ,,uses ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,in ,chapter ,,ii41 ,i have tried to give my conception of the general aim of story-telling in school4 ,from that conception1 it is not difficult to deduce certain specific uses4 ,the one most plainly intimated is that of a brief recreation period1 a feature which has proved valuable in many classes4 ,less definitely implied1 but not to be ignored1 was the use of the story during1 or accessory to1 the lesson in science or history4 ,but more distinctive and valuable than these1 ,i think1 is a specific use which ,i have recently had the pleasure of seeing exemplified in great completeness in the schools of ,providence1 ,rhode ,island4 ,some four years ago1 the assistant superintendent of schools of that city1 ,miss ,ella ,l4 ,sweeney1 introduced a rather unusual and extended application of the story in her primary classes4 ,while the experiment was in its early stages1 it was my good fortune to be allowed to make suggestions for its development1 and as the devices in question were those ,i had been accustomed to use as a pastime for children1 ,i was able to take some slight hand in the formative work of its adoption as an educational method4 ,carried out most ably by the teachers to whom it was entrusted1 the plan has evolved into a more inclusive and systematic one than was at first hoped for2 it is one from which ,i have been grateful to learn4 ,tersely stated1 the object of the general plan is the freeing and developing of the power of expression in the pupils4 ,i think there can be no need of dwelling on the desirability of this result4 ,the apathy and woodenness of children under average modes of pedagogy is apparent to anyone who is interested enough to observe4 ,in elementary work1 the most noticeable lack of natural expression is probably in the reading classes2 the same drawback appears at a later stage in ,english composition4 ,but all along the line every thoughtful teacher knows how difficult it is to obtain spontaneous1 creative reaction on material given4 ,story-telling has a real mission to perform in setting free the natural creative expression of children1 and in vitalising the general atmosphere of the school4 ,the method in use for this purpose in ,providence 7and probably elsewhere1 as ideas usually germinate in more than one place at once7 is a threefold giving back of the story by the children4 ,two of the forms of reproduction are familiar to many teachers2 the first is the obvious one of telling the story back again4 ,it is such fun to listen to a good story that children remember it without effort1 and later1 when asked if they can tell the story of ,the ,red-,headed ,woodpecker or ,the ,little ,red ,hen1 they are as eager to try it as if it were a personal experience which they were burning to impart4 ,each pupil1 in the ,providence classes1 is given a chance to try each story1 at some time4 ,then that one which each has told especially well is allotted to him for his own particular story1 on which he has an especial claim thereafter4 ,it is surprising to note how comparatively individual and distinctive the expression of voice and manner becomes1 after a short time4 ,the child instinctively emphasises the points which appeal to him1 and the element of fun in it all helps to bring forgetfulness of self4 ,the main inflections and the general tenor of the language1 however1 remain imitative1 as is natural with children4 ,but this is a gain rather than otherwise1 for it is useful in forming good habit4 ,in no other part of her work1 probably1 has a teacher so good a chance to foster in her pupils pleasant habits of enunciation and voice4 ,and this is especially worth while in the big city schools1 where so many children come from homes where the ,english of the tenement is spoken4 ,i have since wished that every city primary teacher could have visited with me the first-grade room in ,providence where the pupils were ,german1 ,russian1 or ,polish ,jews1 and where some of them had heard no ,english previous to that year1--it being then ,may4 ,the joy that shone on their faces was nothing less than radiance when the low-voiced teacher said1 ,would you like to tell these ladies some of your stories8 ,they told us their stories1 and there was truly not one told poorly or inexpressively2 all the children had learned something of the joy of creative effort4 ,but one little fellow stands out in my memory beyond all the rest1 yet as a type of all the rest4 ,rudolph was very small1 and square1 and merry of eye2 life was one eagerness and expectancy to him4 ,he knew no ,english beyond that of one school year4 ,but he stood staunchly in his place and told me the story of the ,little ,half ,chick with an abandon and bodily emphasis which left no doubt of his sympathetic understanding of every word4 ,the depth of moral reproach in his tone was quite beyond description when he said1 ,little ,half ,chick1 little ,half ,chick1 when ,i was in trubbul you wouldn't help me6 ,he heartily relished that repetition1 and became more dramatic each time4 ,through it all1 in the tones of the tender little voice1 the sidewise pose of the neat dark head1 and the occasional use of a chubby pointing finger1 one could trace a vague reflection of the teacher's manner4 ,it was not strong enough to dominate at all over the child's personality1 but it was strong enough to suggest possibilities4 ,in different rooms1 ,i was told ,the ,half ,chick1 ,the ,little ,red ,hen1 ,the ,three ,bears1 ,the ,red-,headed ,woodpecker1 ,the ,fox and the ,grapes1 and many other simple stories1 and in every instance there was a noticeable degree of spontaneity and command of expression4 ,when the reading classes were held1 the influence of this work was very visible4 ,it had crept into the teachers' method1 as well as the children's attitude4 ,the story interest was still paramount4 ,in the discussion1 in the teachers' remarks1 and in the actual reading1 there was a joyousness and an interest in the subject-matter which totally precluded that preoccupation with sounds and syllables so deadly to any real progress in reading4 ,there was less of the mechanical in the reading than in any ,i had heard in my visits to schools2 but it was exceptionally accurate4 ,the second form of giving back which has proved a keen pleasure and a stimulus to growth is a kind of seat-work4 ,the children are allowed to make original illustrations of the stories by cutting silhouette pictures4 ,it will be readily seen that no child can do this without visualising each image very perfectly4 ,in the simplest and most unconscious way possible1 the small artists are developing the power of conceiving and holding the concrete image of an idea given1 the power which is at the bottom of all arts of expression4 ,through the kindness of ,miss ,sweeney1 ,i am able to insert several of these illustrations4 ,they are entirely original1 and were made without any thought of such a use as this4 ,the pictures and the retelling are both popular with children1 but neither is as dear to them as the third form of reproduction of which ,i wish to speak4 ,this third kind is taken entirely on the ground of play1 and no visibly didactic element enters into it4 ,it consists simply of playing the story4 ,when a good story with a simple sequence has been told1 and while the children are still athrill with the delight of it1 they are told they may play it4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fox ,,and ,,the ,,grapes ,illustration3 ,,there ,,was ,,an ,,old ,,woman ,,who ,,lived ,,in ,a ,,shoe ,who would like to be ,red ,riding ,hood8 says the teacher2 up go the little girls' hands1 and ,mary or ,hannah or ,gertrude is chosen4 ,who will be the wolf8 ,johnny or ,marcus becomes the wolf4 ,the kind woodchopper and the mother are also happily distributed1 for in these little dramatic companies it is an all-star cast1 and no one realises any indignity in a subordinate rle4 ,now1 where shall we have little ,red ,riding ,hood's house8 ',over in that corner1' ,katie8 ,very well1 ,riding ,hood shall live over there4 ,and where shall the grandmother's cottage be8 ,the children decide that it must be a long distance through the wood1--half-way round the schoolroom1 in fact4 ,the wolf selects the spot where he will meet ,red ,riding ,hood1 and the woodchopper chooses a position from which he can rush in at the critical moment1 to save ,red ,riding ,hood's life4 ,then1 with gusto good to see1 they play the game4 ,the teacher makes no suggestions2 each actor creates his part4 ,some children prove extremely expressive and facile1 while others are limited by nature4 ,but each is left to his spontaneous action4 ,illustration3 ,great rats1 small rats1 lean rats1 brawny rats 444 followed the ,piper for their lives4 ,in the course of several days several sets of children have been allowed to try2 then if any of them are notably good in the several rles1 they are given an especial privilege in that story1 as was done with the retelling4 ,when a child expresses a part badly1 the teacher sometimes asks if anyone thinks of another way to do it2 from different examples offered1 the children then choose the one they prefer2 this is adopted4 ,at no point is the teacher apparently teaching4 ,she lets the audience teach itself and its actors4 ,the children played a good many stories for me during my visit in ,providence4 ,of them all1 ,red ,riding ,hood1 ,the ,fox and the ,grapes1 and ,the ,lion and the ,mouse were most vividly done4 ,it will be long before the chief of the ,little ,red ,riding ,hoods fades from my memory4 ,she had a dark1 foreign little face1 with a good deal of darker hair tied back from it1 and brown1 expressive hands4 ,her eyes were so full of dancing lights that when they met mine unexpectedly it was as if a chance reflection had dazzled me4 ,when she was told that she might play1 she came up for her riding hood like an embodied delight1 almost dancing as she moved4 7,her teacher used a few simple elements of stage-setting for her stories1 such as bowls for the ,bears1 a cape for ,riding ,hood1 and so on47 ,illustration3 ,the ,piper piped and the children danced1 444 all but one little lame boy1 who could not keep up with the rest4 ,the game began at once4 ,riding ,hood started from the rear corner of the room1 basket on arm2 her mother gave her strict injunctions as to lingering on the way1 and she returned a respectful ,yes1 mother4 ,then she trotted round the aisle1 greeting the woodchopper on the way1 to the deep wood which lay close by the teacher's desk4 ,there master wolf was waiting1 and there the two held converse1--master wolf very crafty indeed1 ,red ,riding ,hood extremely polite4 ,the wolf then darted on ahead and crouched down in the corner which represented grandmother's bed4 ,riding ,hood tripped sedately to the imaginary door1 and knocked4 ,the familiar dialogue followed1 and with the words the better to eat you with1 my dear6 the wolf clutched ,red ,riding ,hood1 to eat her up4 ,but we were not forced to undergo the threatened scene of horrid carnage1 as the woodchopper opportunely arrived1 and stated calmly1 ,i will not let you kill ,little ,red ,riding ,hood4 ,all was now happily culminated1 and with the chopper's grave injunction as to future conduct in her ears1 the rescued heroine tiptoed out of the woods1 to her seat4 ,i wanted to applaud1 but ,i realised in the nick of time that we were all playing1 and held my peace4 ,illustration3 ,,hiawatha ,,pictures ,the ,fox and the ,grapes was more dramatically done1 but was given by a single child4 ,he was the chosen fox of another primary room1 and had the fair colouring and sturdy frame which matched his ,swedish name4 ,he was naturally dramatic4 ,it was easy to see that he instinctively visualised everything1 and this he did so strongly that he suggested to the onlooker every detail of the scene4 ,he chose for his grape-trellis the rear wall of the room4 ,standing there1 he looked longingly up at the invisible bunch of grapes4 ,my gracious1 he said1 what fine grapes6 ,i will have some4 ,then he jumped for them4 ,didn't get them1 he muttered1 ,i'll try again1 and he jumped higher4 ,didn't get them this time1 he said disgustedly1 and hopped up once more4 ,then he stood still1 looked up1 shrugged his shoulders1 and remarked in an absurdly worldly-wise tone1 ,those grapes are sour6 ,after which he walked away4 ,of course the whole thing was infantile1 and without a touch of grace2 but it is no exaggeration to say that the child did what many grown-up actors fail to do1--he preserved the illusion4 ,it was in still another room that ,i saw the lion and mouse fable played4 ,the lion lay flat on the floor for his nap1 but started up when he found his paw laid on the little mouse1 who crouched as small as she could beside him4 7,the mouse was by nature rather larger than the lion1 but she called what art she might to her assistance47 ,the mouse persuaded the lion to lift his paw1 and ran away4 ,presently a most horrific groaning emanated from the lion4 ,the mouse ran up1 looked him over1 and soliloquised in precise language1--evidently remembered1 ,what is the matter with the lion8 ,oh1 ,i see2 he is caught in a trap4 ,and then she gnawed with her teeth at the imaginary rope which bound him4 ,what makes you so kind to me1 little ,mouse8 said the rescued lion4 ,you let me go1 when ,i asked you1 said the mouse demurely4 ,thank you1 little ,mouse1 answered the lion2 and therewith1 finis4 ,it is not impossible that all this play atmosphere may seem incongruous and unnecessary to teachers used to more conventional methods1 but ,i feel sure that an actual experience of it would modify that point of view conclusively4 ,the children of the schools where story-telling and dramatising were practised were startlingly better in reading1 in attentiveness1 and in general power of expression1 than the pupils of like social conditions in the same grades of other cities which ,i visited soon after1 and in which the more conventional methods were exclusively used4 ,the teachers1 also1 were stronger in power of expression4 ,but the most noticeable1 though the least tangible1 difference was in the moral atmosphere of the schoolroom4 ,there had been a great gain in vitality in all the rooms where stories were a part of the work4 ,it had acted and reacted on pupils and teachers alike4 ,the telling of a story well so depends on being thoroughly vitalised that1 naturally1 habitual telling had resulted in habitual vitalisation4 ,this result was not1 of course1 wholly due to the practice of story-telling1 but it was in some measure due to that4 ,and it was a result worth the effort4 ,i beg to urge these specific uses of stories1 as both recreative and developing1 and as especially tending toward enlarged power of expression3 retelling the story2 illustrating the story in seat-work2 dramatisation4 ,,stories ,,selected ,,and ,,adapted ,,for ,,telling ,,especially ,,for ,,kindergarten ,,and ,,class ,i4 ,wee ,willie ,winkie runs through the town1 ,upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown1 ,rapping at the window1 crying through the lock1 ,are the children in their beds1 for now it's eight o'clock8 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was a crooked man1 and he went a crooked mile1 ,he found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile2 ,he bought a crooked cat1 which caught a crooked mouse1 ,and they all lived together in a little crooked house4 99 99 99 99 99 ,cushy cow bonny1 let down thy milk1 ,and ,i will give thee a gown of silk2 ,a gown of silk and a silver tee1 ,if thou wilt let down thy milk to me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,little girl1 little girl1 where have you been8 ,gathering roses to give to the queen4 ,little girl1 little girl1 what gave she you8 ,she gave me a diamond as big as my shoe4 99 99 99 99 99 ,little ,bo-peep has lost her sheep1 ,and can't tell where to find them2 ,leave them alone1 and they'll come home1 ,and bring their tails behind them4 ,little ,bo-peep fell fast asleep1 ,and dreamt she heard them bleating2 ,but when she awoke1 she found it a joke1 ,for still they all were fleeting4 ,then up she took her little crook1 ,determin'd for to find them2 ,she found them indeed1 but it made her heart bleed1 ,for they'd left their tails behind them4 ,,five ,,little ,,white ,,heads#a ,footnote #a3 ,from ,mother-,song and ,child-,song1 ,charlotte ,brewster ,jordan4 ,,by ,,walter ,,learned ,five little white heads peeped out of the mould1 ,when the dew was damp and the night was cold2 ,and they crowded their way through the soil with pride2 ,hurrah6 ,we are going to be mushrooms6 they cried4 ,but the sun came up1 and the sun shone down1 ,and the little white heads were withered and brown2 ,long were their faces1 their pride had a fall-- ,they were nothing but toadstools1 after all4 ,,bird ,,thoughts#b ,footnote #b3 ,ibid4 ,i lived first in a little house1 ,and lived there very well2 ,i thought the world was small and round1 ,and made of pale blue shell4 ,i lived next in a little nest1 ,nor needed any other2 ,i thought the world was made of straw1 ,and brooded by my mother4 ,one day ,i fluttered from the nest ,to see what ,i could find4 ,i said1 ,the world is made of leaves2 ,i have been very blind4 ,at length ,i flew beyond the tree1 ,quite fit for grown-up labours4 ,i don't know how the world is made1 ,and neither do my neighbours6 ,,how ,,we ,,came ,,to ,,have ,,pink ,,roses#a ,footnote #a3 ,told me by ,miss ,elizabeth ,mc,cracken4 ,once1 ever and ever so long ago1 we didn't have any pink roses4 ,all the roses in the world were white4 ,there weren't any red ones at all1 any yellow ones1 or any pink ones1--only white roses4 ,and one morning1 very early1 a little white rosebud woke up1 and saw the sun looking at her4 ,he stared so hard that the little white rosebud did not know what to do2 so she looked up at him and said1 ,why are you looking at me so hard8 ,because you are so pretty6 said the big round sun4 ,and the little white rosebud blushed6 ,she blushed pink4 ,and all her children after her were little pink roses6 ,,raggylug#b ,footnote #b3 ,adapted from ,mr ,ernest ,thompson ,seton's ,wild ,animals ,i have known4 7,david ,nutt1 #eg-ei ,long ,acre1 ,w4,c4 #fs4 net47 ,once there was a little furry rabbit1 who lived with his mother deep down in a nest under the long grass4 ,his name was ,raggylug1 and his mother's name was ,molly ,cottontail4 ,every morning1 when ,molly ,cottontail went out to hunt for food1 she said to ,raggylug1 ,now1 ,raggylug1 lie still1 and make no noise4 ,no matter what you hear1 no matter what you see1 don't you move4 ,remember you are only a baby rabbit1 and lie low4 ,and ,raggylug always said he would4 ,one day1 after his mother had gone1 he was lying very still in the nest1 looking up through the feathery grass4 ,by just cocking his eye1 so1 he could see what was going on up in the world4 ,once a big blue-jay perched on a twig above him1 and scolded someone very loudly2 he kept saying1 ,thief6 thief6 ,but ,raggylug never moved his nose1 nor his paws2 he lay still4 ,once a lady-bird took a walk down a blade of grass1 over his head2 she was so top-heavy that pretty soon she tumbled off and fell to the bottom1 and had to begin all over again4 ,but ,raggylug never moved his nose nor his paws2 he lay still4 ,the sun was warm1 and it was very still4 ,suddenly ,raggylug heard a little sound1 far off4 ,it sounded like ,swish1 swish1 very soft and far away4 ,he listened4 ,it was a queer little sound1 low down in the grass1 rustle--rustle--rustle2 ,raggylug was interested4 ,but he never moved his nose or his paws2 he lay still4 ,then the sound came nearer1 rustle--rustle--rustle2 then grew fainter1 then came nearer2 in and out1 nearer and nearer1 like something coming2 only1 when ,raggylug heard anything coming he always heard its feet1 stepping ever so softly4 ,what could it be that came so smoothly1--rustle--rustle--without any feet8 ,he forgot his mother's warning1 and sat up on his hind paws2 the sound stopped then4 ,pooh1 thought ,raggylug1 ,i'm not a baby rabbit1 ,i am three weeks old2 ,i'll find out what this is4 ,he stuck his head over the top of the nest1 and looked--straight into the wicked eyes of a great big snake4 ,mammy1 ,mammy6 screamed ,raggylug4 ,oh1 ,mammy1 ,mam-- ,but he couldn't scream any more1 for the big snake had his ear in his mouth and was winding about the soft little body1 squeezing ,raggylug's life out4 ,he tried to call ,mammy6 again1 but he could not breathe4 ,ah1 but ,mammy had heard the first cry4 ,straight over the fields she flew1 leaping the stones and hummocks1 fast as the wind1 to save her baby4 ,she wasn't a timid little cottontail rabbit then2 she was a mother whose child was in danger4 ,and when she came to ,raggylug and the big snake1 she took one look1 and then hop6 hop6 she went over the snake's back2 and as she jumped she struck at the snake with her strong hind claws so that they tore his skin4 ,he hissed with rage1 but he did not let go4 ,hop6 hop6 she went again1 and this time she hurt him so that he twisted and turned2 but he held on to ,raggylug4 ,once more the mother rabbit hopped1 and once more she struck and tore the snake's back with her sharp claws4 ,zzz6 ,how she hurt6 ,the snake dropped ,raggy to strike at her1 and ,raggy rolled on to his feet and ran4 ,run1 ,raggylug1 run6 said his mother1 keeping the snake busy with her jumps2 and you may believe ,raggylug ran6 ,just as soon as he was out of the way his mother came too1 and showed him where to go4 ,when she ran1 there was a little white patch that showed under her tail2 that was for ,raggy to follow1--he followed it now4 ,far1 far away she led him1 through the long grass1 to a place where the big snake could not find him1 and there she made a new nest4 ,and this time1 when she told ,raggylug to lie low you'd better believe he minded6 ,,the ,,golden ,,cobwebs#a ,a ,,story ,,to ,,tell ,,by ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree ,footnote #a3 ,this story was told me in the mother-tongue of a ,german friend1 at the kindly instance of a common friend of both2 the narrator had heard it at home from the lips of a father of story-loving children for whom he often invented such little tales4 ,the present adaptation has passed by hearsay through so many minds that it is perhaps little like the original1 but ,i venture to hope it has a touch of the original fancy1 at least4 ,i am going to tell you a story about something wonderful that happened to a ,christmas ,tree like this1 ever and ever so long ago1 when it was once upon a time4 ,it was before ,christmas1 and the tree was trimmed with bright spangled threads and many-coloured candles and 7name the trimmings of the tree before you71 and it stood safely out of sight in a room where the doors were locked1 so that the children should not see it before the proper time4 ,but ever so many other little house-people had seen it4 ,the big black pussy saw it with her great green eyes2 the little grey kitty saw it with her little blue eyes2 the kind house-dog saw it with his steady brown eyes2 the yellow canary saw it with his wise1 bright eyes4 ,even the wee1 wee mice that were so afraid of the cat had peeped one peep when no one was by4 ,but there was someone who hadn't seen the ,christmas tree4 ,it was the little grey spider6 ,you see1 the spiders lived in the corners1--the warm corners of the sunny attic and the dark corners of the nice cellar4 ,and they were expecting to see the ,christmas ,tree as much as anybody4 ,but just before ,christmas a great cleaning-up began in the house4 ,the house-mother came sweeping and dusting and wiping and scrubbing1 to make everything grand and clean for the ,christ-child's birthday4 ,her broom went into all the corners1 poke1 poke1--and of course the spiders had to run4 ,dear1 dear1 how the spiders had to run6 ,not one could stay in the house while the ,christmas cleanness lasted4 ,so1 you see1 they couldn't see the ,christmas ,tree4 ,spiders like to know all about everything1 and see all there is to see1 and these were very sad4 ,so at last they went to the ,christ-child and told him about it4 ,all the others see the ,christmas ,tree1 dear ,christ-child1 they said2 but we1 who are so domestic and so fond of beautiful things1 we are cleaned up6 ,we cannot see it1 at all4 ,the ,christ-child was sorry for the little spiders when he heard this1 and he said they should see the ,christmas ,tree4 ,the day before ,christmas1 when nobody was noticing1 he let them all go in1 to look as long as ever they liked4 ,they came creepy1 creepy1 down the attic stairs1 creepy1 creepy1 up the cellar stairs1 creepy1 creepy1 along the halls1--and into the beautiful room4 ,the fat mother spiders and the old papa spiders were there1 and all the little teeny1 tiny1 curly spiders1 the baby ones4 ,and then they looked6 ,round and round the tree they crawled1 and looked and looked and looked4 ,oh1 what a good time they had6 ,they thought it was perfectly beautiful4 ,and when they had looked at everything they could see from the floor1 they started up the tree to see more4 ,all over the tree they ran1 creepy1 crawly1 looking at every single thing4 ,up and down1 in and out1 over every branch and twig1 the little spiders ran1 and saw every one of the pretty things right up close4 ,they stayed till they had seen all there was to see1 you may be sure1 and then they went away at last1 quite happy4 ,then1 in the still1 dark night before ,christmas ,day1 the dear ,christ-child came1 to bless the tree for the children4 ,but when he looked at it--what do you suppose8--it was covered with cobwebs6 ,everywhere the little spiders had been they had left a spider-web2 and you know they had been everywhere4 ,so the tree was covered from its trunk to its tip with spider-webs1 all hanging from the branches and looped round the twigs2 it was a strange sight4 ,what could the ,christ-child do8 ,he knew that house-mothers do not like cobwebs2 it would never1 never do to have a ,christmas ,tree covered with those4 ,no1 indeed4 ,so the dear ,christ-child touched the spider's webs1 and turned them all to gold6 ,wasn't that a lovely trimming8 ,they shone and shone1 all over the beautiful tree4 ,and that is the way the ,christmas ,tree came to have golden cobwebs on it4 ,,why ,,the ,,morning-,,glory ,,climbs#a ,footnote #a3 ,this story was given me by ,miss ,elisabeth ,mc,cracken1 who wrote it some years ago in a larger form1 and who told it to me in the way she had told it to many children of her acquaintance4 ,once the ,morning-,glory was flat on the ground4 ,she grew that way1 and she had never climbed at all4 ,up in the top of a tree near her lived ,mrs ,jennie ,wren and her little baby ,wren4 ,the little ,wren was lame2 he had a broken wing and couldn't fly4 ,he stayed in the nest all day4 ,but the mother ,wren told him all about what she saw in the world1 when she came flying home at night4 ,she used to tell him about the beautiful ,morning-,glory she saw on the ground4 ,she told him about the ,morning-,glory every day1 until the little ,wren was filled with a desire to see her for himself4 ,how ,i wish ,i could see the ,morning-,glory6 he said4 ,the ,morning-,glory heard this1 and she longed to let the little ,wren see her face4 ,she pulled herself along the ground1 a little at a time1 until she was at the foot of the tree where the little ,wren lived4 ,but she could not get any farther1 because she did not know how to climb4 ,at last she wanted to go up so much1 that she caught hold of the bark of the tree1 and pulled herself up a little4 ,and little by little1 before she knew it1 she was climbing4 ,and she climbed right up the tree to the little ,wren's nest1 and put her sweet face over the edge of the nest1 where the little ,wren could see4 ,that was how the ,morning-,glory came to climb4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,little ,,tavwots#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,the ,basket ,woman1 by ,mary ,austin4 ,this is the story an ,indian woman told a little white boy who lived with his father and mother near the ,indians' country2 and ,tavwots is the name of the little rabbit4 ,but once1 long ago1 ,tavwots was not little1--he was the largest of all four-footed things1 and a mighty hunter4 ,he used to hunt every day2 as soon as it was day1 and light enough to see1 he used to get up1 and go to his hunting4 ,but every day he saw the track of a great foot on the trail1 before him4 ,this troubled him1 for his pride was as big as his body4 ,who is this1 he cried1 that goes before me to the hunting1 and makes so great a stride8 ,does he think to put me to shame8 ,t'-sst6 said his mother1 there is none greater than thou4 ,still1 there are the footprints in the trail1 said ,tavwots4 ,and the next morning he got up earlier2 but still the great footprints and the mighty stride were before him4 ,the next morning he got up still earlier2 but there were the mighty foot-tracks and the long1 long stride4 ,now ,i will set me a trap for this impudent fellow1 said ,tavwots1 for he was very cunning4 ,so he made a snare of his bowstring and set it in the trail overnight4 ,and when in the morning he went to look1 behold1 he had caught the sun in his snare6 ,all that part of the earth was beginning to smoke with the heat of it4 ,is it you who made the tracks in my trail8 cried ,tavwots4 ,it is ,i1 said the sun2 come and set me free1 before the whole earth is afire4 ,then ,tavwots saw what he had to do1 and he drew his sharp hunting-knife and ran to cut the bowstring4 ,but the heat was so great that he ran back before he had done it2 and when he ran back he was melted down to half his size6 ,then the earth began to burn1 and the smoke curled up against the sky4 ,come again1 ,tavwots1 cried the sun4 ,and ,tavwots ran again to cut the bowstring4 ,but the heat was so great that he ran back before he had done it1 and he was melted down to a quarter of his size6 ,come again1 ,tavwots1 and quickly1 cried the sun1 or all the world will be burnt up4 ,and ,tavwots ran again2 this time he cut the bowstring and set the sun free4 ,but when he got back he was melted down to the size he is now6 ,only one thing is left of all his greatness3 you may still see by the print of his feet as he leaps in the trail1 how great his stride was when he caught the sun in his snare4 ,,the ,,pig ,,brother#a ,footnote #a3 ,from ,the ,golden ,windows1 by ,laura ,e4 ,richards4 7,h4,r4 ,allenson ,ltd4 #bs4 #f;d4 net47 ,there was once a child who was untidy4 ,he left his books on the floor1 and his muddy shoes on the table2 he put his fingers in the jam pots1 and spilled ink on his best pinafore2 there was really no end to his untidiness4 ,one day the ,tidy ,angel came into his nursery4 ,this will never do6 said the ,angel4 ,this is really shocking4 ,you must go out and stay with your brother while ,i set things to rights here4 ,i have no brother6 said the child4 ,yes1 you have1 said the ,angel4 ,you may not know him1 but he will know you4 ,go out in the garden and watch for him1 and he will soon come4 ,i don't know what you mean6 said the child2 but he went out into the garden and waited4 ,presently a squirrel came along1 whisking his tail4 ,are you my brother8 asked the child4 ,the squirrel looked him over carefully4 ,well1 ,i should hope not6 he said4 ,my fur is neat and smooth1 my nest is handsomely made1 and in perfect order1 and my young ones are properly brought up4 ,why do you insult me by asking such a question8 ,he whisked off1 and the child waited4 ,presently a wren came hopping by4 ,are you my brother8 asked the child4 ,no1 indeed6 said the wren4 ,what impertinence6 ,you will find no tidier person than ,i in the whole garden4 ,not a feather is out of place1 and my eggs are the wonder of all for smoothness and beauty4 ,brother1 indeed6 ,he hopped off1 ruffling his feathers1 and the child waited4 ,by-and-by a large ,tommy ,cat came along4 ,are you my brother8 asked the child4 ,go and look at yourself in the glass1 said the ,tommy ,cat haughtily1 and you will have your answer4 ,i have been washing myself in the sun all the morning1 while it is clear that no water has come near you for a long time4 ,there are no such creatures as you in my family1 ,i am humbly thankful to say4 ,he walked on1 waving his tail1 and the child waited4 ,presently a pig came trotting along4 ,the child did not wish to ask the pig if he were his brother1 but the pig did not wait to be asked4 ,hallo1 brother6 he grunted4 ,i am not your brother6 said the child4 ,oh yes1 you are6 said the pig4 ,i confess ,i am not proud of you1 but there is no mistaking the members of our family4 ,come along1 and have a good roll in the barnyard6 ,there is some lovely black mud there4 ,i don't like to roll in mud6 said the child4 ,tell that to the hens6 said the ,pig ,brother4 ,look at your hands and your shoes1 and your pinafore6 ,come along1 ,i say6 ,you may have some of the pig-wash for supper1 if there is more than ,i want4 ,i don't want pig-wash6 said the child2 and he began to cry4 ,just then the ,tidy ,angel came out4 ,i have set everything to rights1 she said1 and so it must stay4 ,now1 will you go with the ,pig ,brother1 or will you come back with me1 and be a tidy child8 ,with you1 with you6 cried the child2 and he clung to the ,angel's dress4 ,the ,pig ,brother grunted4 ,small loss6 he said4 ,there will be all the more wash for me6 ,and he trotted off4 ,,the ,,cake#a ,footnote #a3 ,from ,the ,golden ,windows1 by ,laura ,e4 ,richards4 7,h4,r4 ,allenson ,ltd4 #bs4 #f;d4 net47 ,a child quarrelled with his brother one day about a cake4 ,it is my cake6 said the child4 ,no1 it is mine6 said his brother4 ,you shall not have it6 said the child4 ,give it to me this minute6 ,and he fell upon his brother and beat him4 ,just then came by an ,angel who knew the child4 ,who is this that you are beating8 asked the ,angel4 ,it is my brother1 said the child4 ,no1 but truly1 said the ,angel1 who is it8 ,it is my brother1 ,i tell you6 said the child4 ,oh no1 said the ,angel1 that cannot be2 and it seems a pity for you to tell an untruth1 because that makes spots on your soul4 ,if it were your brother1 you would not beat him4 ,but he has my cake6 said the child4 ,oh1 said the ,angel1 now ,i see my mistake4 ,you mean that the cake is your brother2 and that seems a pity1 too1 for it does not look like a very good cake1--and1 besides1 it is all crumbled to pieces4 ,,the ,,pied ,,piper ,,of ,,hamelin ,,town#a ,footnote #a3 ,from traditions1 with rhymes from ,browning's ,the ,pied ,piper of ,hamelin4 ,once ,i made a pleasure trip to a country called ,germany2 and ,i went to a funny little town1 where all the streets ran uphill4 ,at the top there was a big mountain1 steep like the roof of a house1 and at the bottom there was a big river1 broad and slow4 ,and the funniest thing about the little town was that all the shops had the same thing in them2 bakers' shops1 grocers' shops1 everywhere we went we saw the same thing1--big chocolate rats1 rats and mice1 made out of chocolate4 ,we were so surprised that after a while1 ,why do you have rats in your shops8 we asked4 ,don't you know this is ,hamelin town8 they said4 ,what of that8 said we4 ,why1 ,hamelin town is where the ,pied ,piper came1 they told us2 surely you know about the ,pied ,piper8 ,what about the ,pied ,piper8 we said4 ,and this is what they told us about him4 ,it seems that once1 long1 long ago1 that little town was dreadfully troubled with rats4 ,the houses were full of them1 the shops were full of them1 the churches were full of them1 they were everywhere4 ,the people were all but eaten out of house and home4 ,those rats1 ,they fought the dogs and killed the cats1 ,and bit the babies in the cradles1 ,and ate the cheeses out of the vats1 ,and licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles1 ,split open the kegs of salted sprats1 ,made nests inside men's ,sunday hats1 ,and even spoiled the women's chats ,by drowning their speaking ,with shrieking and squeaking ,in fifty different sharps and flats6 ,at last it got so bad that the people simply couldn't stand it any longer4 ,so they all came together and went to the town hall1 and they said to the ,mayor 7you know what a mayor is871 ,see here1 what do we pay you your salary for8 ,what are you good for1 if you can't do a little thing like getting rid of these rats8 ,you must go to work and clear the town of them2 find the remedy that's lacking1 or--we'll send you packing6 ,well1 the poor ,mayor was in a terrible way4 ,what to do he didn't know4 ,he sat with his head in his hands1 and thought and thought and thought4 ,suddenly there came a little rat-tat at the door4 ,oh6 how the ,mayor jumped6 ,his poor old heart went pit-a-pat at anything like the sound of a rat4 ,but it was only the scraping of shoes on the mat4 ,so the ,mayor sat up1 and said1 ,come in6 ,and in came the strangest figure6 ,it was a man1 very tall and very thin1 with a sharp chin and a mouth where the smiles went out and in1 and two blue eyes1 each like a pin2 and he was dressed half in red and half in yellow--he really was the strangest fellow6--and round his neck he had a long red and yellow ribbon1 and on it was hung a thing something like a flute1 and his fingers went straying up and down it as if he wanted to be playing4 ,he came up to the ,mayor and said1 ,i hear you are troubled with rats in this town4 ,i should say we were1 groaned the ,mayor4 ,would you like to get rid of them8 ,i can do it for you4 ,you can8 cried the ,mayor4 ,how8 ,who are you8 ,men call me the ,pied ,piper1 said the man1 and ,i know a way to draw after me everything that walks1 or flies1 or swims4 ,what will you give me if ,i rid your town of rats8 ,anything1 anything1 said the ,mayor4 ,i don't believe you can do it1 but if you can1 ,i'll give you a thousand guineas4 ,all right1 said the ,piper1 it is a bargain4 ,and then he went to the door and stepped out into the street and stood1 and put the long flute-like thing to his lips1 and began to play a little tune4 ,a strange1 high1 little tune4 ,and before three shrill notes the pipe uttered1 ,you heard as if an army muttered2 ,and the muttering grew to a grumbling2 ,and the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling2 ,and out of the houses the rats came tumbling6 ,great rats1 small rats1 lean rats1 brawny rats1 ,brown rats1 black rats1 gray rats1 tawny rats1 ,grave old plodders1 gay young friskers1 ,fathers1 mothers1 uncles1 cousins1 ,cocking tails and pricking whiskers1 ,families by tens and dozens1 ,brothers1 sisters1 husbands1 wives-- ,followed the ,piper for their lives6 ,from street to street he piped1 advancing1 from street to street they followed1 dancing4 ,up one street and down another1 till they came to the edge of the big river1 and there the piper turned sharply about and stepped aside1 and all those rats tumbled hurry skurry1 head over heels1 down the bank into the river and--were--drowned4 ,every single one4 ,no1 there was one big old fat rat2 he was so fat he didn't sink1 and he swam across1 and ran away to tell the tale4 ,then the ,piper came back to the town hall4 ,and all the people were waving their hats and shouting for joy4 ,the ,mayor said they would have a big celebration1 and build a tremendous bonfire in the middle of the town4 ,he asked the ,piper to stay and see the bonfire1--very politely4 ,yes1 said the ,piper1 that will be very nice2 but first1 if you please1 ,i should like my thousand guineas4 ,h'm1--er--ahem6 said the ,mayor4 ,you mean that little joke of mine2 of course that was a joke4 7,you see it is always harder to pay for a thing when you no longer need it47 ,i do not joke1 said the ,piper very quietly2 my thousand guineas1 if you please4 ,oh1 come1 now1 said the ,mayor1 you know very well it wasn't worth sixpence to play a little tune like that2 call it one guinea1 and let it go at that4 ,a bargain is a bargain1 said the ,piper2 for the last time1--will you give me my thousand guineas8 ,i'll give you a pipe of tobacco1 something good to eat1 and call you lucky at that6 said the ,mayor1 tossing his head4 ,then the ,piper's mouth grew strange and thin1 and sharp blue and green lights began dancing in his eyes1 and he said to the ,mayor very softly1 ,i know another tune than that ,i played2 ,i play it to those who play me false4 ,play what you please6 ,you can't frighten me6 ,do your worst6 said the ,mayor1 making himself big4 ,then the ,piper stood high up on the steps of the town hall1 and put the pipe to his lips1 and began to play a little tune4 ,it was quite a different little tune1 this time1 very soft and sweet1 and very1 very strange4 ,and before he had played three notes1 you heard a rustling1 that seemed like a bustling ,of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling2 ,small feet were pattering1 wooden shoes clattering1 ,little hands clapping and little tongues chattering1 ,and like fowls in a farmyard when barley is scattering1 ,out came the children running4 ,all the little boys and girls1 ,with rosy cheeks and flaxen curls1 ,and sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls1 ,tripping and skipping1 ran merrily after ,the wonderful music with shouting and laughter4 ,stop1 stop6 cried the people4 ,he is taking our children6 ,stop him1 ,mr ,mayor6 ,i will give you your money1 ,i will6 cried the ,mayor1 and tried to run after the ,piper4 ,but the very same music that made the children dance made the grown-up people stand stock-still2 it was as if their feet had been tied to the ground2 they could not move a muscle4 ,there they stood and saw the ,piper move slowly down the street1 playing his little tune1 with the children at his heels4 ,on and on he went2 on and on the children danced2 till he came to the bank of the river4 ,oh1 oh6 ,he will drown our children in the river6 cried the people4 ,but the ,piper turned and went along by the bank1 and all the children followed after4 ,up1 and up1 and up the hill they went1 straight toward the mountain which is like the roof of a house4 ,and just as they got to it1 the mountain opened1--like two great doors1 and the ,piper went in through the opening1 playing the little tune1 and the children danced after him--and--just as they got through--the great doors slid together again and shut them all in6 ,every single one4 ,no1 there was one little lame child1 who couldn't keep up with the rest and didn't get there in time4 ,but none of his little companions ever came back any more1 not one4 ,but years and years afterward1 when the fat old rat who swam across the river was a grandfather1 his children used to ask him1 ,what made you follow the music1 ,grandfather8 and he used to tell them1 ,my dears1 when ,i heard that tune ,i thought ,i heard the moving aside of pickle-tub boards1 and the leaving ajar of preserve cupboards1 and ,i smelled the most delicious old cheese in the world1 and ,i saw sugar barrels ahead of me2 and then1 just as a great yellow cheese seemed to be saying1 ',come1 bore me'--,i felt the river rolling o'er me6 ,and in the same way the people asked the little lame child1 ,what made you follow the music8 ,i do not know what the others heard1 he said1 but ,i1 when the ,piper began to play1 ,i heard a voice that told of a wonderful country hard by1 where the bees had no stings and the horses had wings1 and the trees bore wonderful fruits1 where no one was tired or lame1 and children played all day2 and just as the beautiful country was but one step away--the mountain closed on my playmates1 and ,i was left alone4 ,that was all the people ever knew4 ,the children never came back4 ,all that was left of the ,piper and the rats was just the big street that led to the river2 so they called it the ,street of the ,pied ,piper4 ,and that is the end of the story4 ,,why ,,the ,,evergreen ,,trees ,,keep ,,their ,,leaves ,,in ,,winter#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,florence ,holbrook's ,a ,book of ,nature ,myths4 7,harrap ,co4 #i;d47 ,one day1 a long1 long time ago1 it was very cold2 winter was coming4 ,and all the birds flew away to the warm south1 to wait for the spring4 ,but one little bird had a broken wing and could not fly4 ,he did not know what to do4 ,he looked all round1 to see if there was any place where he could keep warm4 ,and he saw the trees of the great forest4 ,perhaps the trees will keep me warm through the winter1 he said4 ,so he went to the edge of the forest1 hopping and fluttering with his broken wing4 ,the first tree he came to was a slim silver birch4 ,beautiful birch-tree1 he said1 will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes8 ,dear me6 said the birch-tree1 what a thing to ask6 ,i have to take care of my own leaves through the winter2 that is enough for me4 ,go away4 ,the little bird hopped and fluttered with his broken wing until he came to the next tree4 ,it was a great1 big oak-tree4 ,o big oak-tree1 said the little bird1 will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes8 ,dear me1 said the oak-tree1 what a thing to ask6 ,if you stay in my branches all winter you will be eating my acorns4 ,go away4 ,so the little bird hopped and fluttered with his broken wing till he came to the willow-tree by the edge of the brook4 ,o beautiful willow-tree1 said the little bird1 will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes8 ,no1 indeed1 said the willow-tree2 ,i never speak to strangers4 ,go away4 ,the poor little bird did not know where to go2 but he hopped and fluttered along with his broken wing4 ,presently the spruce-tree saw him1 and said1 ,where are you going1 little bird8 ,i do not know1 said the bird2 the trees will not let me live with them1 and my wing is broken so that ,i cannot fly4 ,you may live on one of my branches1 said the spruce2 here is the warmest one of all4 ,but may ,i stay all winter8 ,yes1 said the spruce2 ,i shall like to have you4 ,the pine-tree stood beside the spruce1 and when he saw the little bird hopping and fluttering with his broken wing1 he said1 ,my branches are not very warm1 but ,i can keep the wind off because ,i am big and strong4 ,so the little bird fluttered up into the warm branch of the spruce1 and the pine-tree kept the wind off his house2 then the juniper-tree saw what was going on1 and said that she would give the little bird his dinner all the winter1 from her branches4 ,juniper berries are very good for little birds4 ,the little bird was very comfortable in his warm nest sheltered from the wind1 with juniper berries to eat4 ,the trees at the edge of the forest remarked upon it to each other3 ,i wouldn't take care of a strange bird1 said the birch4 ,i wouldn't risk my acorns1 said the oak4 ,i would not speak to strangers1 said the willow4 ,and the three trees stood up very tall and proud4 ,that night the ,north ,wind came to the woods to play4 ,he puffed at the leaves with his icy breath1 and every leaf he touched fell to the ground4 ,he wanted to touch every leaf in the forest1 for he loved to see the trees bare4 ,may ,i touch every leaf8 he said to his father1 the ,frost ,king4 ,no1 said the ,frost ,king1 the trees which were kind to the bird with the broken wing may keep their leaves4 ,so ,north ,wind had to leave them alone1 and the spruce1 the pine1 and the juniper-tree kept their leaves through all the winter4 ,and they have done so ever since4 ,,the ,,star ,,dollars#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,grimms' ,fairy ,tales4 ,there was once a little girl who was very1 very poor4 ,her father and mother had died1 and at last she had no little room to stay in1 and no little bed to sleep in1 and nothing more to eat except one piece of bread4 ,so she said a prayer1 put on her little jacket and her hood1 and took her piece of bread in her hand1 and went out into the world4 ,when she had walked a little way1 she met an old man1 bent and thin4 ,he looked at the piece of bread in her hand1 and said1 ,will you give me your bread1 little girl8 ,i am very hungry4 ,the little girl said1 ,yes1 and gave him her piece of bread4 ,when she had walked a little farther she came upon a child1 sitting by the path1 crying4 ,i am so cold6 said the child4 ,won't you give me your little hood1 to keep my head warm8 ,the little girl took off her hood and tied it on the child's head4 ,then she went on her way4 ,after a time1 as she went1 she met another child4 ,this one shivered with the cold1 and she said to the little girl1 ,won't you give me your jacket1 little girl8 ,and the little girl gave her her jacket4 ,then she went on again4 ,by-and-by she saw another child1 crouching almost naked by the wayside4 ,o little girl1 said the child1 won't you give me your dress8 ,i have nothing to keep me warm4 ,so the little girl took off her dress and gave it to the other child4 ,and now she had nothing left but her little shirt4 ,it grew dark1 and the wind was cold1 and the little girl crept into the woods1 to sleep for the night4 ,but in the woods a child stood1 weeping and naked4 ,i am cold1 she said1 give me your little shirt6 ,and the little girl thought1 ,it is dark1 and the woods will shelter me2 ,i will give her my little shirt2 so she did1 and now she had nothing left in all the world4 ,she stood looking up at the sky1 to say her night-time prayer4 ,as she looked up1 the whole skyful of stars fell in a shower round her feet4 ,there they were1 on the ground1 shining bright1 and round4 ,the little girl saw that they were silver dollars4 ,and in the midst of them was the finest little shirt1 all woven out of silk6 ,the little girl put on the little silk shirt1 and gathered the star dollars2 and she was rich1 all the days of her life4 ,,the ,,lion ,,and ,,the ,,gnat#a ,footnote #a3 ,this story has been told by the ,rev4 ,albert ,e4 ,sims to children in many parts of ,england4 ,on one occasion it was told to an audience of over three thousand children in the ,great ,assembly ,hall1 ,mile ,end1 ,london4 ,far away in ,central ,africa1 that vast land where dense forests and wild beasts abound1 the shades of night were once more descending1 warning all creatures that it was time to seek repose4 ,all day long the sun had been like a great burning eye1 but now1 after painting the western sky with crimson and scarlet and gold1 he had disappeared into his fleecy bed2 the various creatures of the forest had sought their holes and resting-places2 the last sound had rumbled its rumble1 the last bee had mumbled his mumble1 and the last bear had grumbled his grumble2 even the grasshoppers that had been chirruping1 chirruping1 through all the long hours without a pause1 at length had ceased their shrill music1 tucked up their long legs1 and given themselves to slumber4 ,there on a nodding grass-blade1 a tiny ,gnat had made a swinging couch1 and he too had folded his wings1 closed his tiny eyes1 and was fast asleep4 ,darker1 darker1 darker became the night until the darkness could almost be felt1 and over all was a solemn stillness as though some powerful finger had been raised1 and some potent voice had whispered1 ,,hu--,,sh6 ,just when all was perfectly still1 there came suddenly from the far away depths of the forest1 like the roll of thunder1 a mighty ,,roar--,r--,r--,r6 ,in a moment all the beasts and birds were wide awake1 and the poor little ,gnat was nearly frightened out of his little senses1 and his little heart went pit-a-pat4 ,he rubbed his little eyes with his feelers1 and then peered all around trying to penetrate the deep gloom as he whispered in terror--,what--was--that8 ,what do you think it was8444 ,yes1 a ,,lion6 ,a great1 big lion who1 while most other denizens of the forest slept1 was out hunting for prey4 ,he came rushing and crashing through the thick undergrowth of the forest1 swirling his long tail and opening wide his great jaws1 and as he rushed he ,,ro-,,ar-,r-,r-,,ed6 ,presently he reached the spot where the little ,gnat hung panting at the tip of the waving grass-blade4 ,now the little ,gnat was not afraid of lions1 so when he saw it was only a lion1 he cried out-- ,hi1 stop1 stop6 ,what are you making that horrible noise about8 ,the ,lion stopped short1 then backed slowly and regarded the ,gnat with scorn4 ,why1 you tiny1 little1 mean1 insignificant creature you1 how ,,dare you speak to ,,me8 he raged4 ,how dare ,i speak to you8 repeated the ,gnat quietly4 ,by the virtue of right1 which is always greater than might4 ,why don't you keep to your own part of the forest8 ,what right have you to be here1 disturbing folks at this time of night8 ,by a mighty effort the ,lion restrained his anger--he knew that to obtain mastery over others one must be master over oneself4 ,what right8 he repeated in dignified tones4 ,because ,i'm ,king of the ,forest4 ,that's why4 ,i can do no wrong1 for all the other creatures of the forest are afraid of me4 ,i ,,do what ,i please1 ,i ,,say what ,i please1 ,i ,,eat whom ,i please1 ,i ,,go where ,i please--simply because ,i'm ,king of the ,forest4 ,but who told you you were ,king8 demanded the ,gnat4 ,just answer me that6 ,who told ,,me8 roared the ,lion4 ,why1 everyone acknowledges it--don't ,i tell you that everyone is afraid of me8 ,indeed6 cried the ,gnat disdainfully4 ,pray don't say all1 for ,i'm not afraid of you4 ,and further1 ,i deny your right to be ,king4 ,this was too much for the ,lion4 ,he now worked himself into a perfect fury4 ,you--you--,,you deny my right as ,king8 ,i do1 and1 what is more1 you shall never be ,king until you have fought and conquered me4 ,the ,lion laughed a great lion laugh1 and a lion laugh cannot be laughed at like a cat laugh1 as everyone ought to know4 ,fight--did you say fight8 he asked4 ,who ever heard of a lion fighting a gnat8 ,here1 out of my way1 you atom of nothing6 ,i'll blow you to the other end of the world4 ,but though the ,lion puffed his cheeks until they were like great bellows1 and then blew with all his might1 he could not disturb the little ,gnat's hold on the swaying grass-blade4 ,you'll blow all your whiskers away if you are not careful1 he said1 with a laugh--but you won't move me4 ,and if you dare leave this spot without fighting me1 ,i'll tell all the beasts of the forest that you are afraid of me1 and they'll make me ,king4 ,ho1 ho6 roared the ,lion4 ,very well1 since you will fight1 let it be so4 ,you agree to the conditions1 then8 ,the one who conquers shall be ,king8 ,oh1 certainly1 laughed the ,lion1 for he expected an easy victory4 ,are you ready8 ,quite ready4 ,then--,,go6 roared the ,lion4 ,and with that he sprang forward with open jaws1 thinking he could easily swallow a million gnats4 ,but just as the great jaws were about to close upon the blade of grass whereto the ,gnat clung1 what should happen but that the ,gnat suddenly spread his wings and nimbly flew--where do you think8--right into one of the ,lion's nostrils6 ,and there he began to sting1 sting1 sting4 ,the ,lion wondered1 and thundered1 and blundered--but the ,gnat went on stinging2 he foamed1 and he moaned1 and he groaned--still the ,gnat went on stinging2 he rubbed his head on the ground in agony1 he swirled his tail in furious passion1 he roared1 he spluttered1 he sniffed1 he snuffed--and still the ,gnat went on stinging4 ,o my poor nose1 my nose1 my nose6 the ,lion began to moan4 ,come down1 come ,,down1 come ,,down6 ,my nose1 my ,,nose1 my ,,nose66 ,you're ,king of the ,forest1 you're ,king1 you're ,king--only come down4 ,my nose1 my ,,nose1 my ,,nose6 ,so at last the ,gnat flew out from the ,lion's nostril and went back to his waving grass-blade1 while the ,lion slunk away into the depths of the forest with his tail between his legs--beaten1 and by a tiny ,gnat6 ,what a fine fellow am ,i1 to be sure6 exclaimed the ,gnat1 as he proudly plumed his wings4 ,i've beaten a lion--a lion6 ,dear me1 ,i ought to have been ,king long ago1 ,i'm so clever1 so big1 so strong--oh6 ,the ,gnat's frightened cry was caused by finding himself entangled in some silky sort of threads4 ,while gloating over his victory1 the wind had risen1 and his grass-blade had swayed violently to and fro unnoticed by him4 ,a stronger gust than usual had bent the blade downward close to the ground1 and then something caught it and held it fast and with it the victorious ,gnat4 ,oh1 the desperate struggles he made to get free6 ,alas6 he became more entangled than ever4 ,you can guess what it was--a spider's web1 hung out from the overhanging branch of a tree4 ,then--flipperty-flopperty1 flipperty-flopperty1 flop1 flip1 flop--down his stairs came cunning ,father ,spider and quickly gobbled up the little ,gnat for his supper1 and that was the end of him4 ,a strong ,lion--and what overcame him8 ,a ,gnat4 ,a clever ,gnat--and what overcame him8 ,a ,spider's web6 ,he who had beaten the strong lion had been overcome by the subtle snare of a spider's thread4 ,,especially ,,for ,,classes ,,ii4 ,,and ,,iii4 ,,the ,,cat ,,and ,,the ,,parrot ,once there was a cat1 and a parrot4 ,and they had agreed to ask each other to dinner1 turn and turn about3 first the cat should ask the parrot1 then the parrot should invite the cat1 and so on4 ,it was the cat's turn first4 ,now the cat was very mean4 ,he provided nothing at all for dinner except a pint of milk1 a little slice of fish1 and a biscuit4 ,the parrot was too polite to complain1 but he did not have a very good time4 ,when it was his turn to invite the cat1 he cooked a fine dinner4 ,he had a roast of meat1 a pot of tea1 a basket of fruit1 and1 best of all1 he baked a whole clothes-basketful of little cakes6--little1 brown1 crispy1 spicy cakes6 ,oh1 ,i should say as many as five hundred4 ,and he put four hundred and ninety-eight of the cakes before the cat1 keeping only two for himself4 ,well1 the cat ate the roast1 and drank the tea1 and sucked the fruit1 and then he began on the pile of cakes4 ,he ate all the four hundred and ninety-eight cakes1 and then he looked round and said3-- ,i'm hungry2 haven't you anything to eat8 ,why1 said the parrot1 here are my two cakes1 if you want them8 ,the cat ate up the two cakes1 and then he licked his chops and said1 ,i am beginning to get an appetite2 have you anything to eat8 ,well1 really1 said the parrot1 who was now rather angry1 ,i don't see anything more1 unless you wish to eat me6 ,he thought the cat would be ashamed when he heard that--but the cat just looked at him and licked his chops again1--and slip6 slop6 gobble6 down his throat went the parrot6 ,then the cat started down the street4 ,an old woman was standing by1 and she had seen the whole thing1 and she was shocked that the cat should eat his friend4 ,why1 cat6 she said1 how dreadful of you to eat your friend the parrot6 ,parrot1 indeed6 said the cat4 ,what's a parrot to me8--,i've a great mind to eat you1 too4 ,and--before you could say ,jack ,robinson--slip6 slop6 gobble6 down went the old woman6 ,then the cat started down the road again1 walking like this1 because he felt so fine4 ,pretty soon he met a man driving a donkey4 ,the man was beating the donkey1 to hurry him up1 and when he saw the cat he said1 ,get out of my way1 cat2 ,i'm in a hurry and my donkey might tread on you4 ,donkey1 indeed6 said the cat1 much ,i care for a donkey6 ,i have eaten five hundred cakes1 ,i've eaten my friend the parrot1 ,i've eaten an old woman1--what's to hinder my eating a miserable man and a donkey8 ,and slip6 slop6 gobble6 down went the old man and the donkey4 ,then the cat walked on down the road1 jauntily1 like this4 ,after a little1 he met a procession1 coming that way4 ,the king was at the head1 walking proudly with his newly married bride1 and behind him were his soldiers1 marching1 and behind them were ever and ever so many elephants1 walking two by two4 ,the king felt very kind to everybody1 because he had just been married1 and he said to the cat1 ,get out of my way1 pussy1 get out of my way1--my elephants might hurt you4 ,hurt me6 said the cat1 shaking his fat sides4 ,ho1 ho6 ,i've eaten five hundred cakes1 ,i've eaten my friend the parrot1 ,i've eaten an old woman1 ,i've eaten a man and a donkey2 what's to hinder my eating a beggarly king8 ,and slip6 slop6 gobble6 down went the king2 down went the queen2 down went the soldiers1--and down went all the elephants6 ,then the cat went on1 more slowly2 he had really had enough to eat1 now4 ,but a little farther on he met two land-crabs1 scuttling along in the dust4 ,get out of our way1 pussy1 they squeaked4 ,ho1 ho ho6 cried the cat in a terrible voice4 ,i've eaten five hundred cakes1 ,i've eaten my friend the parrot1 ,i've eaten an old woman1 a man with a donkey1 a king1 a queen1 his men-at-arms1 and all his elephants2 and now ,i'll eat you too4 ,and slip6 slop6 gobble6 down went the two land-crabs4 ,when the land-crabs got down inside1 they began to look around4 ,it was very dark1 but they could see the poor king sitting in a corner with his bride on his arm2 she had fainted4 ,near them were the men-at-arms1 treading on one another's toes1 and the elephants1 still trying to form in twos1--but they couldn't1 because there was not room4 ,in the opposite corner sat the old woman1 and near her stood the man and his donkey4 ,but in the other corner was a great pile of cakes1 and by them perched the parrot1 his feathers all drooping4 ,let's get to work6 said the land-crabs4 ,and1 snip1 snap1 they began to make a little hole in the side1 with their sharp claws4 ,snip1 snap1 snip1 snap1--till it was big enough to get through4 ,then out they scuttled4 ,then out walked the king1 carrying his bride2 out marched the men-at-arms2 out tramped the elephants1 two by two2 out came the old man1 beating his donkey2 out walked the old woman1 scolding the cat2 and last of all1 out hopped the parrot1 holding a cake in each claw4 7,you remember1 two cakes were all he wanted87 ,but the poor cat had to spend the whole day sewing up the hole in his coat6 ,,the ,,rat ,,princess#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,frank ,rinder's ,old ,world ,japan4 ,in telling this story the voice should be changed for the ,sun1 ,cloud1 ,wind1 and ,wall1 as is always done in the old story of ,the ,three ,bears4 ,once upon a time1 there was a ,rat ,princess1 who lived with her father1 the ,rat ,king1 and her mother1 the ,rat ,queen1 in a ricefield in far away ,japan4 ,the ,rat ,princess was so pretty that her father and mother were quite foolishly proud of her1 and thought no one good enough to play with her4 ,when she grew up1 they would not let any of the rat princes come to visit her1 and they decided at last that no one should marry her till they had found the most powerful person in the whole world2 no one else was good enough4 ,and the ,father ,rat started out to find the most powerful person in the whole world4 ,the wisest and oldest rat in the ricefield said that the ,sun must be the most powerful person1 because he made the rice grow and ripen2 so the ,rat ,king went to find the ,sun4 ,he climbed up the highest mountain1 ran up the path of a rainbow1 and travelled and travelled across the sky till he came to the ,sun's house4 ,what do you want1 little brother8 the ,sun said1 when he saw him4 ,i come1 said the ,rat ,king1 very importantly1 to offer you the hand of my daughter1 the princess1 because you are the most powerful person in the world2 no one else is good enough4 ,ha1 ha6 laughed the jolly round ,sun1 and winked with his eye4 ,you are very kind1 little brother1 but if that is the case the princess is not for me2 the ,cloud is more powerful than ,i am2 when he passes over me ,i cannot shine4 ,oh1 indeed1 said the ,rat ,king1 then you are not my man at all2 and he left the ,sun without more words4 ,the ,sun laughed and winked to himself4 ,and the ,rat ,king travelled and travelled across the sky till he came to the ,cloud's house4 ,what do you want1 little brother8 sighed the ,cloud when he saw him4 ,i come to offer you the hand of my daughter1 the princess1 said the ,rat ,king1 because you are the most powerful person in the world2 the ,sun said so1 and no one else is good enough4 ,the ,cloud sighed again4 ,i am not the most powerful person1 he said2 the ,wind is stronger than ,i1--when he blows1 ,i have to go wherever he sends me4 ,then you are not the person for my daughter1 said the ,rat ,king proudly2 and he started at once to find the ,wind4 ,he travelled and travelled across the sky1 till he came at last to the ,wind's house1 at the very edge of the world4 ,when the ,wind saw him coming he laughed a big1 gusty laugh1 ,ho1 ho6 and asked him what he wanted2 and when the ,rat ,king told him that he had come to offer him the ,rat ,princess's hand because he was the most powerful person in the world1 the ,wind shouted a great gusty shout1 and said1 ,no1 no1 ,i am not the strongest2 the ,wall that man has made is stronger than ,i2 ,i cannot make him move1 with all my blowing2 go to the ,wall1 little brother6 ,and the ,rat ,king climbed down the sky-path again1 and travelled and travelled across the earth till he came to the ,wall4 ,it was quite near his own ricefield4 ,what do you want1 little brother8 grumbled the ,wall when he saw him4 ,i come to offer you the hand of the princess1 my daughter1 because you are the most powerful person in the world1 and no one else is good enough4 ,ugh1 ugh1 grumbled the ,wall1 ,i am not the strongest2 the big grey ,rat who lives in the cellar is stronger than ,i4 ,when he gnaws and gnaws at me ,i crumble and crumble1 and at last ,i fall2 go to the ,rat1 little brother4 ,and so1 after going all over the world to find the strongest person1 the ,rat ,king had to marry his daughter to a rat1 after all2 but the princess was very glad of it1 for she wanted to marry the grey ,rat1 all the time4 ,,the ,,frog ,,and ,,the ,,ox ,once a little ,frog sat by a big ,frog1 by the side of a pool4 ,oh1 father1 said he1 ,i have just seen the biggest animal in the world2 it was as big as a mountain1 and it had horns on its head1 and it had hoofs divided in two4 ,pooh1 child1 said the old ,frog1 that was only ,farmer ,white's ,ox4 ,he is not so very big4 ,i could easily make myself as big as he4 ,and he blew1 and he blew1 and he blew1 and swelled himself out4 ,was he as big as that8 he asked the little ,frog4 ,oh1 much bigger1 said the little ,frog4 ,the old ,frog blew1 and blew1 and blew again1 and swelled himself out1 more than ever4 ,was he bigger than that8 he said4 ,much1 much bigger1 said the little ,frog4 ,i can make myself as big1 said the old ,frog4 ,and once more he blew1 and blew1 and blew1 and swelled himself out1--and he burst6 ,self-conceit leads to self-destruction4 ,,the ,,fire-,,bringer#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,the ,basket ,woman1 by ,mary ,austin4 ,this is the ,indian story of how fire was brought to the tribes4 ,it was long1 long ago1 when men and beasts talked together with understanding1 and the grey ,coyote was friend and counsellor of man4 ,there was a ,boy of the tribe who was swift of foot and keen of eye1 and he and the ,coyote ranged the wood together4 ,they saw the men catching fish in the creeks with their hands1 and the women digging roots with sharp stones4 ,this was in summer4 ,but when winter came on1 they saw the people running naked in the snow1 or huddled in caves of the rocks1 and most miserable4 ,the ,boy noticed this1 and was very unhappy for the misery of his people4 ,i do not feel it1 said the ,coyote4 ,you have a coat of good fur1 said the ,boy1 and my people have not4 ,come to the hunt1 said the ,coyote4 ,i will hunt no more1 till ,i have found a way to help my people against the cold1 said the ,boy4 ,help me1 ,o ,counsellor6 ,then the ,coyote ran away1 and came back after a long time2 he said he had found a way1 but it was a hard way4 ,no way is too hard1 said the ,boy4 ,so the ,coyote told him that they must go to the ,burning ,mountain and bring fire to the people4 ,what is fire8 said the ,boy4 ,and the ,coyote told him that fire was red like a flower1 yet not a flower2 swift to run in the grass and to destroy1 like a beast1 yet no beast2 fierce and hurtful1 yet a good servant to keep one warm1 if kept among stones and fed with small sticks4 ,we will get this fire1 said the ,boy4 ,first the ,boy had to persuade the people to give him one hundred swift runners4 ,then he and they and the ,coyote started at a good pace for the far away ,burning ,mountain4 ,at the end of the first day's trail they left the weakest of the runners1 to wait2 at the end of the second1 the next stronger2 at the end of the third1 the next2 and so for each of the hundred days of the journey2 and the ,boy was the strongest runner1 and went to the last trail with the ,counsellor4 ,high mountains they crossed1 and great plains1 and giant woods1 and at last they came to the ,big ,water1 quaking along the sand at the foot of the ,burning ,mountain4 ,it stood up in a high peaked cone1 and smoke rolled out from it endlessly along the sky4 ,at night1 the ,fire ,spirits danced1 and the glare reddened the ,big ,water far out4 ,there the ,counsellor said to the ,boy1 ,stay thou here till ,i bring thee a brand from the burning2 be ready and right for running1 for ,i shall be far spent when ,i come again1 and the ,fire ,spirits will pursue me4 ,then he went up to the mountain2 and the ,fire ,spirits only laughed when they saw him1 for he looked so slinking1 inconsiderable1 and mean1 that none of them thought harm from him4 ,and in the night1 when they were at their dance about the mountain1 the ,coyote stole the fire1 and ran with it down the slope of the burning mountain4 ,when the ,fire ,spirits saw what he had done they streamed out after him1 red and angry1 with a humming sound like a swarm of bees4 ,but the ,coyote was still ahead2 the sparks of the brand streamed out along his flanks1 as he carried it in his mouth2 and he stretched his body to the trail4 ,the ,boy saw him coming1 like a falling star against the mountain2 he heard the singing sound of the ,fire ,spirits close behind1 and the labouring breath of the ,counsellor4 ,and when the good beast panted down beside him1 the ,boy caught the brand from his jaws and was off1 like an arrow from a bent bow4 ,out he shot on the homeward path1 and the ,fire ,spirits snapped and sang behind him4 ,but fast as they pursued he fled faster1 till he saw the next runner standing in his place1 his body bent for the running4 ,to him he passed it1 and it was off and away1 with the ,fire ,spirits raging in chase4 ,so it passed from hand to hand1 and the ,fire ,spirits tore after it through the scrub1 till they came to the mountains of the snows2 these they could not pass4 ,then the dark1 sleek runners with the backward streaming brand bore it forward1 shining starlike in the night1 glowing red in sultry noons1 violet pale in twilight glooms1 until they came in safety to their own land4 ,and there they kept it among stones and fed it with small sticks1 as the ,counsellor advised2 and it kept the people warm4 ,ever after the ,boy was called the ,fire-,bringer2 and ever after the ,coyote bore the sign of the bringing1 for the fur along his flanks was singed and yellow from the flames that streamed backward from the brand4 ,,the ,,burning ,,of ,,the ,,ricefields#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,gleanings in ,buddha-,fields1 by ,lafcadio ,hearn4 7,kegan ,paul1 ,trench1 ,trbner and ,co4 ,ltd4 #es4 net47 ,once there was a good old man who lived up on a mountain1 far away in ,japan4 ,all round his little house the mountain was flat1 and the ground was rich2 and there were the ricefields of all the people who lived in the village at the mountain's foot4 ,mornings and evenings1 the old man and his little grandson1 who lived with him1 used to look far down on the people at work in the village1 and watch the blue sea which lay all round the land1 so close that there was no room for fields below1 only for houses4 ,the little boy loved the ricefields1 dearly1 for he knew that all the good food for all the people came from them2 and he often helped his grand father to watch over them4 ,one day1 the grandfather was standing alone1 before his house1 looking far down at the people1 and out at the sea1 when1 suddenly1 he saw something very strange far off where the sea and sky meet4 ,something like a great cloud was rising there1 as if the sea were lifting itself high into the sky4 ,the old man put his hands to his eyes and looked again1 hard as his old sight could4 ,then he turned and ran to the house4 ,yone1 ,yone6 he cried1 bring a brand from the hearth6 ,the little grandson could not imagine what his grandfather wanted with fire1 but he always obeyed1 so he ran quickly and brought the brand4 ,the old man already had one1 and was running for the ricefields4 ,yone ran after4 ,but what was his horror to see his grandfather thrust his burning brand into the ripe dry rice1 where it stood4 ,oh1 ,grandfather1 ,grandfather6 screamed the little boy1 what are you doing8 ,quick1 set fire6 thrust your brand in6 said the grandfather4 ,yone thought his dear grandfather had lost his mind1 and he began to sob2 but a little ,japanese boy always obeys1 so though he sobbed1 he thrust his torch in1 and the sharp flame ran up the dry stalks1 red and yellow4 ,in an instant1 the field was ablaze1 and thick black smoke began to pour up1 on the mountain side4 ,it rose like a cloud1 black and fierce1 and in no time the people below saw that their precious ricefields were on fire4 ,ah1 how they ran6 ,men1 women1 and children climbed the mountain1 running as fast as they could to save the rice2 not one soul stayed behind4 ,and when they came to the mountain top1 and saw the beautiful rice-crop all in flames1 beyond help1 they cried bitterly1 ,who has done this thing8 ,how did it happen8 ,i set fire1 said the old man1 very solemnly2 and the little grandson sobbed1 ,grandfather set fire4 ,but when they came fiercely round the old man1 with ,why8 ,why8 he only turned and pointed to the sea4 ,look6 he said4 ,they all turned and looked4 ,and there1 where the blue sea had lain1 so calm1 a mighty wall of water1 reaching from earth to sky1 was rolling in4 ,no one could scream1 so terrible was the sight4 ,the wall of water rolled in on the land1 passed quite over the place where the village had been1 and broke1 with an awful sound1 on the mountain side4 ,one wave more1 and still one more1 came2 and then all was water1 as far as they could look1 below2 the village where they had been was under the sea4 ,but the people were all safe4 ,and when they saw what the old man had done1 they honoured him above all men for the quick wit which had saved them all from the tidal wave4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,wylie#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,rab and his ,friends1 by ,dr ,john ,brown4 ,this is a story about a dog1--not the kind of dog you often see in the street here2 not a fat1 wrinkly pugdog1 nor a smooth-skinned bulldog1 nor even a big shaggy fellow1 but a slim1 silky-haired1 sharp-eared little dog1 the prettiest thing you can imagine4 ,her name was ,wylie1 and she lived in ,scotland1 far up on the hills1 and helped her master take care of his sheep4 ,you can't think how clever she was6 ,she watched over the sheep and the little lambs like a soldier1 and never let anything hurt them4 ,she drove them out to pasture when it was time1 and brought them safely home when it was time for that4 ,when the silly sheep got frightened and ran this way and that1 hurting themselves and getting lost1 ,wylie knew exactly what to do1--round on one side she would run1 barking and scolding1 driving them back2 then round on the other1 barking and scolding1 driving them back1 till they were all bunched together in front of the right gate4 ,then she drove them through as neatly as any person4 ,she loved her work1 and was a wonderfully fine sheepdog4 ,at last her master grew too old to stay alone on the hills1 and so he went away to live4 ,before he went1 he gave ,wylie to two kind young men who lived in the nearest town2 he knew they would be good to her4 ,they grew very fond of her1 and so did their old grandmother and the little children3 she was so gentle and handsome and well behaved4 ,so now ,wylie lived in the city where there were no sheep farms1 only streets and houses1 and she did not have to do any work at all1--she was just a pet dog4 ,she seemed very happy and she was always good4 ,but after a while1 the family noticed something odd1 something very strange indeed1 about their pet4 ,every single ,tuesday night1 about nine o'clock1 ,wylie disappeared4 ,they would look for her1 call her1--no1 she was gone4 ,and she would be gone all night4 ,but every ,wednesday morning1 there she was at the door1 waiting to be let in4 ,her silky coat was all sweaty and muddy and her feet heavy with weariness1 but her bright eyes looked up at her masters as if she were trying to explain where she had been4 ,week after week the same thing happened4 ,nobody could imagine where ,wylie went every ,tuesday night4 ,they tried to follow her to find out1 but she always slipped away2 they tried to shut her in1 but she always found a way out4 ,it grew to be a real mystery4 ,where in the world did ,wylie go8 ,you never could guess1 so ,i am going to tell you4 ,in the city near the town where the kind young men lived was a big market like 7naming one in the neighbourhood74 ,every sort of thing was sold there1 even live cows and sheep and hens4 ,on ,tuesday nights1 the farmers used to come down from the hills with their sheep to sell1 and drive them through the city streets into the pens1 ready to sell on ,wednesday morning2 that was the day they sold them4 ,the sheep weren't used to the city noises and sights1 and they always grew afraid and wild1 and gave the farmers and the sheepdogs a great deal of trouble4 ,they broke away and ran about1 in everybody's way4 ,but just as the trouble was worst1 about sunrise1 the farmers would see a little silky1 sharp-eared dog come trotting all alone down the road1 into the midst of them4 ,and then6 ,in and out the little dog ran like the wind1 round and about1 always in the right place1 driving--coaxing--pushing--making the sheep mind like a good school-teacher1 and never frightening them1 till they were all safely in6 ,all the other dogs together could not do as much as the little strange dog4 ,she was a perfect wonder4 ,and no one knew whose dog she was or where she came from4 ,the farmers grew to watch for her1 every week1 and they called her the wee fell yin which is ,scots for the little terror2 they used to say when they saw her coming1 ,there's the wee fell yin6 ,now we'll get them in4 ,every farmer would have liked to keep her1 but she let no one catch her4 ,as soon as her work was done she was off and away like a fairy dog1 no one knew where4 ,week after week this happened1 and nobody knew who the little strange dog was4 ,but one day ,wylie went to walk with her two masters1 and they happened to meet some sheep farmers4 ,the sheep farmers stopped short and stared at ,wylie1 and then they cried out1 ,why1 that's the dog6 ,that's the wee fell yin6 ,and so it was4 ,the little strange dog who helped with the sheep was ,wylie4 ,her masters1 of course1 didn't know what the farmers meant1 till they were told all about what ,i have been telling you4 ,but when they heard about the pretty strange dog who came to market all alone1 they knew at last where ,wylie went1 every ,tuesday night4 ,and they loved her better than ever4 ,wasn't it wise of the dear little dog to go and work for other people when her own work was taken away8 ,i fancy she knew that the best people and the best dogs always work hard at something4 ,any way she did that same thing as long as she lived1 and she was always just as gentle1 and silky-haired1 and loving as at first4 ,,little ,,daylight#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,at the ,back of the ,north ,wind1 by ,george ,macdonald4 ,once there was a beautiful palace1 which had a great wood at one side4 ,the king and his courtiers hunted in the wood near the palace1 and there it was kept open1 free from underbrush4 ,but farther away it grew wilder and wilder1 till at last it was so thick that nobody knew what was there4 ,it was a very great wood indeed4 ,in the wood lived eight fairies4 ,seven of them were good fairies1 who had lived there always2 the eighth was a bad fairy1 who had just come4 ,and the worst of it was that nobody but the other fairies knew she was a fairy2 people thought she was just an ugly old witch4 ,the good fairies lived in the dearest little houses6 ,one lived in a hollow silver birch1 one in a little moss cottage1 and so on4 ,but the bad fairy lived in a horrid mud house in the middle of a dark swamp4 ,now when the first baby was born to the king and queen1 her father and mother decided to name her ,daylight1 because she was so bright and sweet4 ,and of course they had a christening party4 ,and of course they invited the fairies1 because the good fairies had always been at the christening party when a princess was born in the palace1 and everybody knew that they brought good gifts4 ,but1 alas1 no one knew about the swamp fairy1 and she was not invited1--which really pleased her1 because it gave her an excuse for doing something mean4 ,the good fairies came to the christening party1 and1 one after another1 five of them gave little ,daylight good gifts4 ,the other two stood among the guests1 so that no one noticed them4 ,the swamp fairy thought there were no more of them2 so she stepped forward1 just as the archbishop was handing the baby back to the lady-in-waiting4 ,i am just a little deaf1 she said1 mumbling a laugh with her toothless gums4 ,will your reverence tell me the baby's name again8 ,certainly1 my good woman1 said the bishop2 the infant is little ,daylight4 ,and little ,daylight it shall be1 forsooth1 cried the bad fairy4 ,i decree that she shall sleep all day4 ,then she laughed a horrid shrieking laugh1 ,he1 he1 hi1 hi6 ,everyone looked at everyone else in despair1 but out stepped the sixth good fairy1 who by arrangement with her sisters had remained in the background to undo what she could of any evil that the swamp fairy might decree4 ,then at least she shall wake all night1 she said1 sadly4 ,ah6 screamed the swamp fairy1 you spoke before ,i had finished1 which is against the law1 and gives me another chance4 ,all the fairies started at once to say1 ,i beg your pardon6 ,but the bad fairy said1 ,i had only laughed 'he1 he6' and 'hi1 hi6' ,i had still 'ho1 ho6' and 'hu1 hu6' to laugh4 ,the fairies could not gainsay this1 and the bad fairy had her other chance4 ,she said1-- ,since she is to wake all night1 ,i decree that she shall wax and wane with the moon6 ,ho1 ho1 hu1 hu6 ,out stepped the seventh good fairy4 ,until a prince shall kiss her without knowing who she is1 she said1 quickly4 ,the swamp fairy had been prepared for the trick of keeping back one good fairy1 but she had not suspected it of two1 and she could not say a word1 for she had laughed ho1 ho6 and hu1 hu6 ,the poor king and queen looked sad enough4 ,we don't know what you mean1 they said to the good fairy who had spoken last4 ,but the good fairy smiled4 ,the meaning of the thing will come with the thing1 she said4 ,that was the end of the party1 but it was only the beginning of the trouble4 ,can you imagine what a queer household it would be1 where the baby laughed and crowed all night1 and slept all day8 ,little ,daylight was as merry and bright all night as any baby in the world1 but with the first sign of dawn she fell asleep1 and slept like a little dormouse till dark4 ,nothing could waken her while day lasted4 ,still1 the royal family got used to this2 but the rest of the bad fairy's gift was a great deal worse1--that about waxing and waning with the moon4 ,you know how the moon grows bigger and brighter each night1 from the time it is a curly silver thread low in the sky till it is round and golden1 flooding the whole sky with light8 ,that is the waxing moon4 ,then1 you know1 it wanes2 it grows smaller and paler again1 night by night1 till at last it disappears for a while1 altogether4 ,well1 poor little ,daylight waxed and waned with it4 ,she was the rosiest1 plumpest1 merriest baby in the world when the moon was at the full2 but as it began to wane her little cheeks grew paler1 her tiny hands thinner1 with every night1 till she lay in her cradle like a shadow-baby1 without sound or motion4 ,at first they thought she was dead1 when the moon disappeared1 but after some months they got used to this too1 and only waited eagerly for the new moon1 to see her revive4 ,when it shone again1 faint and silver1 on the horizon1 the baby stirred weakly1 and then they fed her gently2 each night she grew a little better1 and when the moon was near the full again1 she was again a lively1 rosy1 lovely child4 ,so it went on till she grew up4 ,she grew to be the most beautiful maiden the moon ever shone on1 and everyone loved her so much1 for her sweet ways and her merry heart1 that someone was always planning to stay up at night1 to be near her4 ,but she did not like to be watched1 especially when she felt the bad time of waning coming on2 so her ladies-in-waiting had to be very careful4 ,when the moon waned she became shrunken and pale and bent1 like an old1 old woman1 worn out with sorrow4 ,only her golden hair and her blue eyes remained unchanged1 and this gave her a terribly strange look4 ,at last1 as the moon disappeared1 she faded away to a little1 bowed1 old creature1 asleep and helpless4 ,no wonder she liked best to be alone6 ,she got in the way of wandering by herself in the beautiful wood1 playing in the moonlight when she was well1 stealing away in the shadows when she was fading with the moon4 ,her father had a lovely little house of roses and vines built for her1 there4 ,it stood at the edge of a most beautiful open glade1 inside the wood1 where the moon shone best4 ,there the princess lived with her ladies4 ,and there she danced when the moon was full4 ,but when the moon waned1 her ladies often lost her altogether1 so far did she wander2 and sometimes they found her sleeping under a great tree1 and brought her home in their arms4 ,when the princess was about seventeen years old1 there was a rebellion in a kingdom not far from her father's4 ,wicked nobles murdered the king of the country and stole his throne1 and would have murdered the young prince1 too1 if he had not escaped1 dressed in peasant's clothes4 ,dressed in his poor rags1 the prince wandered about a long time1 till one day he got into a great wood1 and lost his way4 ,it was the wood where the ,princess ,daylight lived1 but of course he did not know anything about that nor about her4 ,he wandered till night1 and then he came to a queer little house4 ,one of the good fairies lived there1 and the minute she saw him she knew all about everything2 but to him she looked only like a kind old woman4 ,she gave him a good supper and a bed for the night1 and told him to come back to her if he found no better place for the next night4 ,but the prince said he must get out of the wood at once2 so in the morning he took leave of the fairy4 ,all day long he walked1 and walked2 but at nightfall he had not found his way out of the wood1 so he lay down to rest till the moon should rise and light his path4 ,when he woke the moon was glorious2 it was three days from the full1 and bright as silver4 ,by its light he saw what he thought to be the edge of the wood1 and he hastened toward it4 ,but when he came to it1 it was only an open space1 surrounded with trees4 ,it was so very lovely1 in the white moonlight1 that the prince stood a minute to look4 ,and as he looked1 something white moved out of the trees on the far side of the open space4 ,it was something slim and white1 that swayed in the dim light like a young birch4 ,it must be a moon fairy1 thought the prince2 and he stepped into the shadow4 ,the moon fairy came nearer and nearer1 dancing and swaying in the moonlight4 ,and as she came1 she began to sing a soft1 gay little song4 ,but when she was quite close1 the prince saw that she was not a fairy after all1 but a real human maiden1--the loveliest maiden he had ever seen4 ,her hair was like yellow corn1 and her smile made all the place merry4 ,her white gown fluttered as she danced1 and her little song sounded like a bird note4 ,the prince watched her till she danced out of sight1 and then until she once more came toward him2 and she seemed so like a moonbeam herself1 as she lifted her face to the sky1 that he was almost afraid to breathe4 ,he had never seen anything so lovely4 ,by the time she had danced twice round the circle1 he could think of nothing in the world except the hope of finding out who she was1 and staying near her4 ,but while he was waiting for her to appear the third time1 his weariness overcame him1 and he fell asleep4 ,and when he awoke1 it was broad day1 and the beautiful maiden had vanished4 ,he hunted about1 hoping to find where she lived1 and on the other side of the glade he came upon a lovely little house1 covered with moss and climbing roses4 ,he thought she must live there1 so he went round to the kitchen door and asked the kind cook for a drink of water1 and while he was drinking it he asked who lived there4 ,she told him it was the house of the ,princess ,daylight1 but she told him nothing else about her1 because she was not allowed to talk about her mistress4 ,but she gave him a very good meal and told him other things4 ,he did not go back to the little old woman who had been so kind to him first1 but wandered all day in the wood1 waiting for the moontime4 ,again he waited at the edge of the dell1 and when the white moon was high in the heavens1 once more he saw the glimmering in the distance1 and once more the lovely maiden floated toward him4 ,he knew her name was the ,princess ,daylight1 but this time she seemed to him much lovelier than before4 ,she was all in blue like the blue of the sky in summer4 7,she really was more lovely1 you know1 because the moon was almost at the full47 ,all night he watched her1 quite forgetting that he ought not to be doing it1 till she disappeared on the opposite side of the glade4 ,then1 very tired1 he found his way to the little old woman's house1 had breakfast with her1 and fell fast asleep in the bed she gave him4 ,the fairy knew well enough by his face that he had seen ,daylight1 and when he woke up in the evening and started off again she gave him a strange little flask and told him to use it if ever he needed it4 ,this night the princess did not appear in the dell until midnight1 at the very full of the moon4 ,but when she came1 she was so lovely that she took the prince's breath away4 ,just think6--she was dressed in a gown that looked as if it were made of fireflies' wings1 embroidered in gold4 ,she danced around and around1 singing1 swaying1 and flitting like a beam of sunlight1 till the prince grew quite dazzled4 ,but while he had been watching her1 he had not noticed that the sky was growing dark and the wind was rising4 ,suddenly there was a clap of thunder4 ,the princess danced on4 ,but another clap came louder1 and then a sudden great flash of lightning that lit up the sky from end to end4 ,the prince couldn't help shutting his eyes1 but he opened them quickly to see if ,daylight was hurt4 ,alas1 she was lying on the ground4 ,the prince ran to her1 but she was already up again4 ,who are you8 she said4 ,i thought1 stammered the prince1 you might be hurt4 ,there is nothing the matter4 ,go away4 ,the prince went sadly4 ,come back1 said the princess4 ,the prince came4 ,i like you1 you do as you are told4 ,are you good8 ,not so good as ,i should like to be1 said the prince4 ,then go and grow better1 said the princess4 ,the prince went1 more sadly4 ,come back1 said the princess4 ,the prince came4 ,i think you must be a prince1 she said4 ,why8 said the prince4 ,because you do as you are told1 and you tell the truth4 ,will you tell me what the sun looks like8 ,why1 everybody knows that1 said the prince4 ,i am different from everybody1 said the princess1--,i don't know4 ,but1 said the prince1 do you not look when you wake up in the morning8 ,that's just it1 said the princess1 ,i never do wake up in the morning4 ,i never can wake up until-- ,then the princess remembered that she was talking to a prince1 and putting her hands over her face she walked swiftly away4 ,the prince followed her1 but she turned and put up her hand to tell him not to4 ,and like the gentleman prince that he was1 he obeyed her at once4 ,now all this time1 the wicked swamp fairy had not known a word about what was going on4 ,but now she found out1 and she was furious1 for fear that little ,daylight should be delivered from her spell4 ,so she cast her spells to keep the prince from finding ,daylight again4 ,night after night the poor prince wandered and wandered1 and never could find the little dell4 ,and when daytime came1 of course1 there was no princess to be seen4 ,finally1 at the time that the moon was almost gone1 the swamp fairy stopped her spells1 because she knew that by this time ,daylight would be so changed and ugly that the prince would never know her if he did see her4 ,she said to herself with a wicked laugh3-- ,no fear of his wanting to kiss her now6 ,that night the prince did find the dell1 but no princess came4 ,a little after midnight he passed near the lovely little house where she lived1 and there he overheard her waiting-women talking about her4 ,they seemed in great distress4 ,they were saying that the princess had wandered into the woods and was lost4 ,the prince didn't know1 of course1 what it meant1 but he did understand that the princess was lost somewhere1 and he started off to find her4 ,after he had gone a long way without finding her1 he came to a big old tree1 and there he thought he would light a fire to show her the way if she should happen to see it4 ,as the blaze flared up1 he suddenly saw a little black heap on the other side of the tree4 ,somebody was lying there4 ,he ran to the spot1 his heart beating with hope4 ,but when he lifted the cloak which was huddled about the form1 he saw at once that it was not ,daylight4 ,a pinched1 withered1 white1 little old woman's face shone out at him4 ,the hood was drawn close down over her forehead1 the eyes were closed1 and as the prince lifted the cloak1 the old woman's lips moaned faintly4 ,oh1 poor mother1 said the prince1 what is the matter8 ,the old woman only moaned again4 ,the prince lifted her and carried her over to the warm fire1 and rubbed her hands1 trying to find out what was the matter4 ,but she only moaned1 and her face was so terribly strange and white that the prince's tender heart ached for her4 ,remembering his little flask1 he poured some of his liquid between her lips1 and then he thought the best thing he could do was to carry her to the princess's house1 where she could be taken care of4 ,as he lifted the poor little form in his arms1 two great tears stole out from the old woman's closed eyes and ran down her wrinkled cheeks4 ,oh1 poor1 poor mother1 said the prince pityingly2 and he stooped and kissed her withered lips4 ,as he walked through the forest with the old woman in his arms1 it seemed to him that she grew heavier and heavier2 he could hardly carry her at all2 and then she stirred1 and at last he was obliged to set her down1 to rest4 ,he meant to lay her on the ground4 ,but the old woman stood upon her feet4 ,and then the hood fell back from her face4 ,as she looked up at the prince1 the first1 long1 yellow ray of the rising sun struck full upon her1--and it was the ,princess ,daylight6 ,her hair was golden as the sun itself1 and her eyes as blue as the flower that grows in the corn4 ,the prince fell on his knees before her4 ,but she gave him her hand and made him rise4 ,you kissed me when ,i was an old woman1 said the princess1 ,i'll kiss you now that ,i am a young princess4 ,and she did4 ,and then she turned her face toward the dawn4 ,dear ,prince1 she said1 is that the sun8 ,,the ,,sailor ,,man#a ,footnote #a3 ,from ,the ,golden ,windows1 by ,laura ,e4 ,richards4 7,h4,r4 ,allenson ,ltd4 #bs4 #f;d4 net47 ,once upon a time1 two children came to the house of a sailor man1 who lived beside the salt sea2 and they found the sailor man sitting in his doorway knotting ropes4 ,how do you do8 asked the sailor man4 ,we are very well1 thank you1 said the children1 who had learned manners1 and we hope you are the same4 ,we heard that you had a boat1 and we thought that perhaps you would take us out in her1 and teach us how to sail1 for that is what we most wish to know4 ,all in good time1 said the sailor man4 ,i am busy now1 but by-and-by1 when my work is done1 ,i may perhaps take one of you if you are ready to learn4 ,meantime here are some ropes that need knotting2 you might be doing that1 since it has to be done4 ,and he showed them how the knots should be tied1 and went away and left them4 ,when he was gone the first child ran to the window and looked out4 ,there is the sea1 he said4 ,the waves come up on the beach1 almost to the door of the house4 ,they run up all white1 like prancing horses1 and then they go dragging back4 ,come and look6 ,i cannot1 said the second child4 ,i am tying a knot4 ,oh6 cried the first child1 ,i see the boat4 ,she is dancing like a lady at a ball2 ,i never saw such a beauty4 ,come and look6 ,i cannot1 said the second child4 ,i am tying a knot4 ,i shall have a delightful sail in that boat1 said the first child4 ,i expect that the sailor man will take me1 because ,i am the eldest and ,i know more about it4 ,there was no need of my watching when he showed you the knots1 because ,i knew how already4 ,just then the sailor man came in4 ,well1 he said1 my work is over4 ,what have you been doing in the meantime8 ,i have been looking at the boat1 said the first child4 ,what a beauty she is6 ,i shall have the best time in her that ever ,i had in my life4 ,i have been tying knots1 said the second child4 ,come1 then1 said the sailor man1 and he held out his hand to the second child4 ,i will take you out in the boat1 and teach you to sail her4 ,but ,i am the eldest1 cried the first child1 and ,i know a great deal more than she does4 ,that may be1 said the sailor man2 but a person must learn to tie a knot before he can learn to sail a boat4 ,but ,i have learned to tie a knot1 cried the child4 ,i know all about it6 ,how can ,i tell that8 asked the sailor man4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,jairus',s ,,daughter#a ,footnote #a3 ,this should usually be prefaced by a brief statement of ,jesus habit of healing and comforting all with whom ,he came in close contact4 ,the exact form of the preface must depend on how much of ,his life has already been given in stories4 ,once1 while ,jesus was journeying about1 ,he passed near a town where a man named ,jairus lived4 ,this man was a ruler in the synagogue1 and he had just one little daughter about twelve years of age4 ,at the time that ,jesus was there the little daughter was very sick1 and at last she lay a-dying4 ,her father heard that there was a wonderful man near the town1 who was healing sick people whom no one else could help1 and in his despair he ran out into the streets to search for ,him4 ,he found ,jesus walking in the midst of a crowd of people1 and when he saw ,him he fell down at ,jesus feet and besought ,him to come into his house1 to heal his daughter4 ,and ,jesus said1 ,yes1 he would go with him4 ,but there were so many people begging to be healed1 and so many looking to see what happened1 that the crowd thronged them1 and kept them from moving fast4 ,and before they reached the house one of the man's servants came to meet them1 and said1 ,thy daughter is dead2 trouble not the ,master to come farther4 ,but instantly ,jesus turned to the father and said1 ,fear not2 only believe1 and she shall be made whole4 ,and ,he went on with ,jairus1 to the house4 ,when they came to the house1 they heard the sound of weeping and lamentation2 the household was mourning for the little daughter1 who was dead4 ,jesus sent all the strangers away from the door1 and only three of ,his disciples and the father and mother of the child went in with ,him4 ,and when ,he was within1 ,he said to the mourning people1 ,weep not2 she is not dead2 she sleepeth4 ,when ,he had passed1 they laughed ,him to scorn1 for they knew that she was dead4 ,then ,jesus left them all1 and went alone into the chamber where the little daughter lay4 ,and when ,he was there1 alone1 ,he went up to the bed where she was1 and bent over her1 and took her by the hand4 ,and ,he said1 ,maiden1 arise4 ,and her spirit came unto her again6 ,and she lived1 and grew up in her father's house4 ,,especially ,,for ,,classes ,,iv4 ,,and ,v4 ,,arthur ,,and ,,the ,,sword#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,sir ,thomas ,malory4 ,once there was a great king in ,britain named ,uther1 and when he died the other kings and princes disputed over the kingdom1 each wanting it for himself4 ,but ,king ,uther had a son named ,arthur1 the rightful heir to the throne1 of whom no one knew1 for he had been taken away secretly while he was still a baby by a wise old man called ,merlin1 who had him brought up in the family of a certain ,sir ,ector1 for fear of the malice of wicked knights4 ,even the boy himself thought ,sir ,ector was his father1 and he loved ,sir ,ector's son1 ,sir ,kay1 with the love of a brother4 ,when the kings and princes could not be kept in check any longer1 and something had to be done to determine who was to be king1 ,merlin made the ,archbishop of ,canterbury send for them all to come to ,london4 ,it was ,christmas time1 and in the great cathedral a solemn service was held1 and prayer was made that some sign should be given1 to show who was the rightful king4 ,when the service was over1 there appeared a strange stone in the churchyard1 against the high altar4 ,it was a great white stone1 like marble1 with something sunk in it that looked like a steel anvil2 and in the anvil was driven a great glistening sword4 ,the sword had letters of gold written on it1 which read3 ,whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all ,england4 ,all wondered at the strange sword and its strange writing2 and when the archbishop himself came out and gave permission1 many of the knights tried to pull the sword from the stone1 hoping to be king4 ,but no one could move it a hair's breadth4 ,he is not here1 said the archbishop1 that shall achieve the sword2 but doubt not1 ,god will make him known4 ,then they set a guard of ten knights to keep the stone1 and the archbishop appointed a day when all should come together to try at the stone1--kings from far and near4 ,in the meantime1 splendid jousts were held1 outside ,london1 and both knights and commons were bidden4 ,sir ,ector came up to the jousts1 with others1 and with him rode ,kay and ,arthur4 ,kay had been made a knight at ,allhallowmas1 and when he found there was to be so fine a joust he wanted a sword1 to join it4 ,but he had left his sword behind1 where his father and he had slept the night before4 ,so he asked young ,arthur to ride for it4 ,i will well1 said ,arthur1 and rode back for it4 ,but when he came to the castle1 the lady and all her household were at the jousting1 and there was none to let him in4 ,thereat ,arthur said to himself1 ,my brother ,sir ,kay shall not be without a sword this day4 ,and he remembered the sword he had seen in the churchyard4 ,i will to the churchyard1 he said1 and take that sword with me4 ,so he rode into the churchyard1 tied his horse to the stile1 and went up to the stone4 ,the guards were away to the tourney1 and the sword was there1 alone4 ,going up to the stone1 young ,arthur took the great sword by the hilt1 and lightly and fiercely he drew it out of the anvil4 ,then he rode straight to ,sir ,kay1 and gave it to him4 ,sir ,kay knew instantly that it was the sword of the stone1 and he rode off at once to his father and said1 ,sir1 lo1 here is the sword of the stone2 ,i must be king of the land4 ,but ,sir ,ector asked him where he got the sword4 ,and when ,sir ,kay said1 ,from my brother1 he asked ,arthur how he got it4 ,when ,arthur told him1 ,sir ,ector bowed his head before him4 ,now ,i understand ye must be king of this land1 he said to ,arthur4 ,wherefore ,i8 said ,arthur4 ,for ,god will have it so1 said ,ector2 never man should have drawn out this sword but he that shall be rightwise king of this land4 ,now let me see whether ye can put the sword as it was in the stone1 and pull it out again4 ,straightway ,arthur put the sword back4 ,then ,sir ,ector tried to pull it out1 and after him ,sir ,kay2 but neither could stir it4 ,then ,arthur pulled it out4 ,thereupon1 ,sir ,ector and ,sir ,kay kneeled upon the ground before him4 ,alas1 said ,arthur1 mine own dear father and brother1 why kneel ye to me8 ,sir ,ector told him1 then1 all about his royal birth1 and how he had been taken privily away by ,merlin4 ,but when ,arthur found ,sir ,ector was not truly his father1 he was so sad at heart that he cared not greatly to be king4 ,and he begged his father and brother to love him still4 ,sir ,ector asked that ,sir ,kay might be seneschal when ,arthur was king4 ,arthur promised with all his heart4 ,then they went to the archbishop and told him that the sword had found its master4 ,the archbishop appointed a day for the trial to be made in the sight of all men1 and on that day the princes and knights came together1 and each tried to draw out the sword1 as before4 ,but as before1 none could so much as stir it4 ,then came ,arthur1 and pulled it easily from its place4 ,the knights and kings were terribly angry that a boy from nowhere in particular had beaten them1 and they refused to acknowledge him king4 ,they appointed another day1 for another great trial4 ,three times they did this1 and every time the same thing happened4 ,at last1 at the feast of ,pentecost1 ,arthur again pulled out the sword before all the knights and the commons4 ,and then the commons rose up and cried that he should be king1 and that they would slay any who denied him4 ,so ,arthur became king of ,britain1 and all gave him allegiance4 ,,tarpeia ,there was once a girl named ,tarpeia1 whose father was guard of the outer gate of the citadel of ,rome4 ,it was a time of war1--the ,sabines were besieging the city4 ,their camp was close outside the city wall4 ,tarpeia used to see the ,sabine soldiers when she went to draw water from the public well1 for that was outside the gate4 ,and sometimes she stayed about and let the strange men talk with her1 because she liked to look at their bright silver ornaments4 ,the ,sabine soldiers wore heavy silver rings and bracelets on their left arms1--some wore as many as four or five4 ,the soldiers knew she was the daughter of the keeper of the citadel1 and they saw that she had greedy eyes for their ornaments4 ,so day by day they talked with her1 and showed her their silver rings1 and tempted her4 ,and at last ,tarpeia made a bargain1 to betray her city to them4 ,she said she would unlock the great gate and let them in1 if they would give her what they wore on their left arms4 ,the night came4 ,when it was perfectly dark and still1 ,tarpeia stole from her bed1 took the great key from its place1 and silently unlocked the gate which protected the city4 ,outside1 in the dark1 stood the soldiers of the enemy1 waiting4 ,as she opened the gate1 the long shadowy files pressed forward silently1 and the ,sabines entered the citadel4 ,as the first man came inside1 ,tarpeia stretched forth her hand for her price4 ,the soldier lifted high his left arm4 ,take thy reward6 he said1 and as he spoke he hurled upon her that which he wore upon it4 ,down upon her head crashed--not the silver rings of the soldier1 but the great brass shield he carried in battle6 ,she sank beneath it1 to the ground4 ,take thy reward1 said the next2 and his shield rang against the first4 ,thy reward1 said the next--and the next--and the next--and the next2 every man wore his shield on his left arm4 ,so ,tarpeia lay buried beneath the reward she had claimed1 and the ,sabines marched past her dead body1 into the city she had betrayed4 ,,the ,,buckwheat#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,hans ,christian ,andersen4 ,down by the river were fields of barley and rye and golden oats4 ,wheat grew there1 too1 and the heaviest and richest ears bent lowest1 in humility4 ,opposite the corn was a field of buckwheat1 but the buckwheat never bent2 it held its head proud and stiff on the stem4 ,the wise old willow-tree by the river looked down on the fields1 and thought his thoughts4 ,one day a dreadful storm came4 ,the field-flowers folded their leaves together1 and bowed their heads4 ,but the buckwheat stood straight and proud4 ,bend your head1 as we do1 called the field-flowers4 ,i have no need to1 said the buckwheat4 ,bend your head1 as we do6 warned the golden wheat-ears2 the angel of the storm is coming2 he will strike you down4 ,i will not bend my head1 said the buckwheat4 ,then the old willow-tree spoke3 ,close your flowers and bend your leaves4 ,do not look at the lightning when the cloud bursts4 ,even men cannot do that2 the sight of heaven would strike them blind4 ,much less can we who are so inferior to them6 ',inferior1' indeed6 said the buckwheat4 ,now ,i will look6 ,and he looked straight up1 while the lightning flashed across the sky4 ,when the dreadful storm had passed1 the flowers and the wheat raised their drooping heads1 clean and refreshed in the pure1 sweet air4 ,the willow-tree shook the gentle drops from its leaves4 ,but the buckwheat lay like a weed in the field1 scorched black by the lightning4 ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,midas#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,old ,greek ,folk-,stories1 by ,josephine ,preston ,peabody4 7,harrap ,co4 #i;d47 ,the ,greek ,god ,pan1 the god of the open air1 was a great musician4 ,he played on a pipe of reeds4 ,and the sound of his reed-pipe was so sweet that he grew proud1 and believed himself greater than the chief musician of the gods1 ,apollo1 the sun-god4 ,so he challenged great ,apollo to make better music than he4 ,apollo consented to the test1 for he wished to punish ,pan's vanity1 and they chose the mountain ,tmolus for judge1 since no one is so old and wise as the hills4 ,when ,pan and ,apollo came before ,tmolus1 to play1 their followers came with them1 to hear1 and one of those who came with ,pan was a mortal named ,midas4 ,first ,pan played2 he blew on his reed-pipe1 and out came a tune so wild and yet so coaxing that the birds hopped from the trees to get near2 the squirrels came running from their holes2 and the very trees swayed as if they wanted to dance4 ,the fauns laughed aloud for joy as the melody tickled their furry little ears4 ,and ,midas thought it the sweetest music in the world4 ,then ,apollo rose4 ,his hair shook drops of light from its curls2 his robes were like the edge of the sunset cloud2 in his hands he held a golden lyre4 ,and when he touched the strings of the lyre1 such music stole upon the air as never god nor mortal heard before4 ,the wild creatures of the wood crouched still as stone2 the trees kept every leaf from rustling2 earth and air were silent as a dream4 ,to hear such music cease was like bidding farewell to father and mother4 ,when the charm was broken1 the hearers fell at ,apollo's feet and proclaimed the victory his4 ,all but ,midas4 ,he alone would not admit that the music was better than ,pan's4 ,if thine ears are so dull1 mortal1 said ,apollo1 they shall take the shape that suits them4 ,and he touched the ears of ,midas4 ,and straightway the dull ears grew long1 pointed1 and furry1 and they turned this way and that4 ,they were the ears of an ass6 ,for a long time ,midas managed to hide the tell-tale ears from everyone2 but at last a servant discovered the secret4 ,he knew he must not tell1 yet he could not bear not to2 so one day he went into the meadow1 scooped a little hollow in the turf1 and whispered the secret into the earth4 ,then he covered it up again1 and went away4 ,but1 alas1 a bed of reeds sprang up from the spot1 and whispered the secret to the grass4 ,the grass told it to the tree-tops1 the tree-tops to the little birds1 and they cried it all abroad4 ,and to this day1 when the wind sets the reeds nodding together1 they whisper1 laughing1 ,midas has the ears of an ass6 ,oh1 hush1 hush6 ,,why ,,the ,,sea ,,is ,,salt#a ,footnote #a3 ,there are many versions of this tale1 in different collections4 ,this one is the story which grew up in my mind1 about the bare outline related to me by one of ,mrs ,rutan's hearers4 ,what the original teller said1 ,i never knew1 but what the listener felt was clear4 ,and in this form ,i have told it a great many times4 ,once there were two brothers4 ,one was rich1 and one was poor2 the rich one was rather mean4 ,when the ,poor ,brother used to come to ask for things it annoyed him1 and finally one day he said1 ,there1 ,i'll give it to you this time1 but the next time you want anything1 you can go ,below for it6 ,presently the ,poor ,brother did want something1 and he knew it wasn't any use to go to his brother2 he must go ,below for it4 ,so he went1 and he went1 and he went1 till he came ,below4 ,it was the queerest place6 ,there were red and yellow fires burning all around1 and kettles of boiling oil hanging over them1 and a queer sort of men standing round1 poking the fires4 ,there was a ,chief ,man2 he had a long curly tail that curled up behind1 and two ugly little horns just over his ears2 and one foot was very queer indeed4 ,and as soon as anyone came in the door1 these men would catch him up and put him over one of the fires1 and turn him on a spit4 ,and then the ,chief ,man1 who was the worst of all1 would come and say1 ,eh1 how do you feel now8 ,how do you feel now8 ,and of course the poor people screamed and screeched and said1 ,let us out6 ,let us out6 ,that was just what the ,chief ,man wanted4 ,when the ,poor ,brother came in1 they picked him up at once1 and put him over one of the hottest fires1 and began to turn him round and round like the rest2 and of course the ,chief ,man came up to him and said1 ,eh1 how do you feel now8 ,how do you feel now8 ,but the ,poor ,brother did not say1 ,let me out6 ,let me out6 ,he said1 ,pretty well1 thank you4 ,the ,chief ,man grunted and said to the other men1 ,make the fire hotter4 ,but the next time he asked the ,poor ,brother how he felt1 the ,poor ,brother smiled and said1 ,much better now1 thank you4 ,the ,chief ,man did not like this at all1 because1 of course1 the whole object in life of the people ,below was to make their victims uncomfortable4 ,so he piled on more fuel and made the fire hotter still4 ,but every time he asked the ,poor ,brother how he felt1 the ,poor ,brother would say1 ,very much better2 and at last he said1 ,perfectly comfortable1 thank you2 couldn't be better4 ,you see when the ,poor ,brother was on earth he had never once had money enough to buy coal enough to keep him warm2 so he liked the heat4 ,at last the ,chief ,man could stand it no longer4 ,oh1 look here1 he said1 you can go home4 ,oh no1 thank you1 said the ,poor ,brother1 ,i like it here4 ,you must go home1 said the ,chief ,man4 ,but ,i won't go home1 said the ,poor ,brother4 ,the ,chief ,man went away and talked with the other men2 but no matter what they did they could not make the ,poor ,brother uncomfortable2 so at last the ,chief ,man came back and said1-- ,what'll you take to go home8 ,what have you got8 said the ,poor ,brother4 ,well1 said the ,chief ,man1 if you'll go home quietly ,i'll give you the ,little ,mill that stands behind my door4 ,what's the good of it8 said the ,poor ,brother4 ,it is the most wonderful mill in the world1 said the ,chief ,man4 ,anything at all that you want1 you have only to name it1 and say1 ',grind this1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly1' and the ,mill will grind that thing until you say the magic word1 to stop it4 ,that sounds nice1 said the ,poor ,brother4 ,i'll take it4 ,and he took the ,little ,mill under his arm1 and went up1 and up1 and up1 till he came to his own house4 ,when he was in front of his little old hut1 he put the ,little ,mill down on the ground and said to it1 ,grind a fine house1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly4 ,and the ,little ,mill ground1 and ground1 and ground the finest house that ever was seen4 ,it had fine big chimneys1 and gable windows1 and broad piazzas2 and just as the ,little ,mill ground the last step of the last flight of steps1 the ,poor ,brother said the magic word1 and it stopped4 ,then he took it round to where the barn was1 and said1 ,grind cattle1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly4 ,and the ,little ,mill ground1 and ground1 and ground1 and out came great fat cows1 and little woolly lambs1 and fine little pigs2 and just as the ,little ,mill ground the last curl on the tail of the last little pig1 the ,poor ,brother said the magic word1 and it stopped4 ,he did the same thing with crops for his cattle1 pretty clothes for his daughters1 and everything else they wanted4 ,at last he had everything he wanted1 and so he stood the ,little ,mill behind his door4 ,all this time the ,rich ,brother had been getting more and more jealous1 and at last he came to ask the ,poor ,brother how he had grown so rich4 ,the ,poor ,brother told him all about it4 ,he said1 ,it all comes from that ,little ,mill behind my door4 ,all ,i have to do when ,i want anything is to name it to the ,little ,mill1 and say1 ',grind that1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly1' and the ,little ,mill will grind that thing until-- ,but the ,rich ,brother didn't wait to hear any more4 ,will you lend me the ,little ,mill8 he said4 ,why1 yes1 said the ,poor ,brother1 ,i will4 ,so the ,rich ,brother took the ,little ,mill under his arm and started across the fields to his house4 ,when he got near home he saw the farm-hands coming in from the fields for their luncheon4 ,now1 you remember1 he was rather mean4 ,he thought to himself1 ,it is a waste of good time for them to come into the house2 they shall have their porridge where they are4 ,he called all the men to him1 and made them bring their porridge-bowls4 ,then he set the ,little ,mill down on the ground1 and said to it1 ,grind oatmeal porridge1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly6 ,the ,little ,mill ground1 and ground1 and ground1 and out came delicious oatmeal porridge4 ,each man held his bowl under the spout4 ,when the last bowl was filled1 the porridge ran over on the ground4 ,that's enough1 ,little ,mill1 said the ,rich ,brother4 ,you may stop1 and stop quickly4 ,but this was not the magic word1 and the ,little ,mill did not stop4 ,it ground1 and ground1 and ground1 and the porridge ran all round and made a little pool4 ,the ,rich ,brother said1 ,no1 no1 ,little ,mill1 ,i said1 ',stop grinding1 and stop quickly4' ,but the ,little ,mill ground1 and ground1 faster than ever2 and presently there was a regular pond of porridge1 almost up to their knees4 ,the ,rich ,brother said1 ,stop grinding1 in every kind of way2 he called the ,little ,mill names2 but nothing did any good4 ,the ,little ,mill ground porridge just the same4 ,at last the men said1 ,go and get your brother to stop the ,little ,mill1 or we shall be drowned in porridge4 ,so the ,rich ,brother started for his brother's house4 ,he had to swim before he got there1 and the porridge went up his sleeves1 and down his neck1 and it was horrid and sticky4 ,his brother laughed when he heard the story1 but he came with him1 and they took a boat and rowed across the lake of porridge to where the ,little ,mill was grinding4 ,and then the ,poor ,brother whispered the magic word1 and the ,little ,mill stopped4 ,but the porridge was a long time soaking into the ground1 and nothing would ever grow there afterwards except oatmeal4 ,the ,rich ,brother didn't seem to care much about the ,little ,mill after this1 so the ,poor ,brother took it home again and put it behind the door2 and there it stayed a long1 long while4 ,years afterwards a ,sea ,captain came there on a visit4 ,he told such big stories that the ,poor ,brother said1 ,oh1 ,i daresay you have seen wonderful things1 but ,i don't believe you ever saw anything more wonderful than the ,little ,mill that stands behind my door4 ,what is wonderful about that8 said the ,sea ,captain4 ,why1 said the ,poor ,brother1 anything in the world you want1--you have only to name it to the ,little ,mill and say1 ',grind that1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly1' and it will grind that thing until-- ,the ,sea ,captain didn't wait to hear another word4 ,will you lend me that ,little ,mill8 he said eagerly4 ,the ,poor ,brother smiled a little1 but he said1 ,yes1 and the ,sea ,captain took the ,little ,mill under his arm1 and went on board his ship and sailed away4 ,they had head-winds and storms1 and they were so long at sea that some of the food gave out4 ,worst of all1 the salt gave out4 ,it was dreadful1 being without salt4 ,but the ,captain happened to remember the ,little ,mill4 ,bring up the salt box6 he said to the cook4 ,we will have salt enough4 ,he set the ,little ,mill on deck1 put the salt box under the spout1 and said1-- ,grind salt1 ,little ,mill1 and grind quickly6 ,and the ,little ,mill ground beautiful1 white1 powdery salt4 ,when they had enough1 the ,captain said1 ,now you may stop1 ,little ,mill1 and stop quickly4 ,the ,little ,mill kept on grinding2 and the salt began to pile up in little heaps on the deck4 ,i said1 ',stop1' said the ,captain4 ,but the ,little ,mill ground1 and ground1 faster than ever1 and the salt was soon thick on the deck like snow4 ,the ,captain called the ,little ,mill names and told it to stop1 in every language he knew1 but the ,little ,mill went on grinding4 ,the salt covered all the decks and poured down into the hold1 and at last the ship began to settle in the water2 salt is very heavy4 ,but just before the ship sank to the water-line1 the ,captain had a bright thought3 he threw the ,little ,mill overboard6 ,it fell right down to the bottom of the sea4 ,and it has been grinding salt ever since4 ,,billy ,,beg ,,and ,,his ,,bull#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from ,in ,chimney ,corners1 by ,seumas ,mc,manus4 ,i have ventured to give this in the somewhat ,hibernian phraseology suggested by the original1 because ,i have found that the humour of the manner of it appeals quite as readily to the boys and girls of my acquaintance as to maturer friends1 and they distinguish as quickly between the savour of it and any unintentional crudeness of diction4 ,once upon a time1 there was a king and a queen1 and they had one son1 whose name was ,billy4 ,and ,billy had a bull he was very fond of1 and the bull was just as fond of him4 ,and when the queen came to die1 she put it as her last request to the king1 that come what might1 come what may1 he'd not part ,billy and the bull4 ,and the king promised that1 come what might1 come what may1 he would not4 ,then the good queen died1 and was buried4 ,after a time1 the king married again1 and the new queen could not abide ,billy2 no more could she stand the bull1 seeing him and ,billy so thick4 ,so she asked the king to have the bull killed4 ,but the king said he had promised1 come what might1 come what may1 he'd not part ,billy ,beg and his bull1 so he could not4 ,then the queen sent for the ,hen-,wife1 and asked what she should do4 ,what will you give me1 said the ,hen-,wife1 and ,i'll very soon part them8 ,anything at all1 said the queen4 ,then do you take to your bed1 very sick with a complaint1 said the ,hen-,wife1 and ,i'll do the rest4 ,so the queen took to her bed1 very sick with a complaint1 and the king came to see what could be done for her4 ,i shall never be better of this1 she said1 till ,i have the medicine the ,hen-,wife ordered4 ,what is that8 said the king4 ,a mouthful of the blood of ,billy ,beg's bull4 ,i can't give you that1 said the king1 and went away1 sorrowful4 ,then the queen got sicker and sicker1 and each time the king asked what would cure her she said1 ,a mouthful of the blood of ,billy ,beg's bull4 ,and at last it looked as if she were going to die4 ,so the king finally set a day for the bull to be killed4 ,at that the queen was so happy that she laid plans to get up and see the grand sight4 ,all the people were to be at the killing1 and it was to be a great affair4 ,when ,billy ,beg heard all this1 he was very sorrowful1 and the bull noticed his looks4 ,what are you doitherin' about8 said the bull to him4 ,so ,billy told him4 ,don't fret yourself about me1 said the bull1 it's not ,i that'll be killed6 ,the day came1 when ,billy ,beg's bull was to be killed2 all the people were there1 and the queen1 and ,billy4 ,and the bull was led out1 to be seen4 ,when he was led past ,billy he bent his head4 ,jump on my back1 ,billy1 my boy1 says he1 till ,i see what kind of a horseman you are6 ,billy jumped on his back1 and with that the bull leaped nine miles high and nine miles broad and came down with ,billy sticking between his horns4 ,then away he rushed1 over the head of the queen1 killing her dead1 where you wouldn't know day by night or night by day1 over high hills1 low hills1 sheep walks and bullock traces1 the ,cove o' ,cork1 and old ,tom ,fox with his bugle horn4 ,when at last he stopped he said1 ,now1 ,billy1 my boy1 you and ,i must undergo great scenery2 there's a mighty great bull of the forest ,i must fight1 here1 and he'll be hard to fight1 but ,i'll be able for him4 ,but first we must have dinner4 ,put your hand in my left ear and pull out the napkin you'll find there1 and when you've spread it1 it will be covered with eating and drinking fit for a king4 ,so ,billy put his hand in the bull's left ear1 and drew out the napkin1 and spread it2 and1 sure enough1 it was spread with all kinds of eating and drinking1 fit for a king4 ,and ,billy ,beg ate well4 ,but just as he finished he heard a great roar1 and out of the forest came a mighty bull1 snorting and running4 ,and the two bulls at it and fought4 ,they knocked the hard ground into soft1 the soft into hard1 the rocks into spring wells1 and the spring wells into rocks4 ,it was a terrible fight4 ,but in the end1 ,billy ,beg's bull was too much for the other bull1 and he killed him1 and drank his blood4 ,then ,billy jumped on the bull's back1 and the bull off and away1 where you wouldn't know day from night or night from day1 over high hills1 low hills1 sheep walks and bullock traces1 the ,cove o' ,cork1 and old ,tom ,fox with his bugle horn4 ,and when he stopped he told ,billy to put his hand in his left ear and pull out the napkin1 because he'd to fight another great bull of the forest4 ,so ,billy pulled out the napkin and spread it1 and it was covered with all kinds of eating and drinking1 fit for a king4 ,and1 sure enough1 just as ,billy finished eating1 there was a frightful roar1 and a mighty great bull1 greater than the first1 rushed out of the forest4 ,and the two bulls at it and fought4 ,it was a terrible fight6 ,they knocked the hard ground into soft1 the soft into hard1 the rocks into spring wells1 and the spring wells into rocks4 ,but in the end1 ,billy ,beg's bull killed the other bull1 and drank his blood4 ,then he off and away1 with ,billy4 ,but when he came down1 he told ,billy ,beg that he was to fight another bull1 the brother of the other two1 and that this time the other bull would be too much for him1 and would kill him and drink his blood4 ,when ,i am dead1 ,billy1 my boy1 he said1 put your hand in my left ear and draw out the napkin1 and you'll never want for eating or drinking2 and put your hand in my right ear1 and you'll find a stick there1 that will turn into a sword if you wave it three times round your head1 and give you the strength of a thousand men beside your own4 ,keep that2 then cut a strip of my hide1 for a belt1 for when you buckle it on1 there's nothing can kill you4 ,billy ,beg was very sad to hear that his friend must die4 ,and very soon he heard a more dreadful roar than ever he heard1 and a tremendous bull rushed out of the forest4 ,then came the worst fight of all4 ,in the end1 the other bull was too much for ,billy ,beg's bull1 and he killed him and drank his blood4 ,billy ,beg sat down and cried for three days and three nights4 ,after that he was hungry2 so he put his hand in the bull's left ear1 and drew out the napkin1 and ate all kinds of eating and drinking4 ,then he put his hand in the right ear and pulled out the stick which was to turn into a sword if waved round his head three times1 and to give him the strength of a thousand men beside his own4 ,and he cut a strip of the hide for a belt1 and started off on his adventures4 ,presently he came to a fine place2 an old gentleman lived there4 ,so ,billy went up and knocked1 and the old gentleman came to the door4 ,are you wanting a boy8 says ,billy4 ,i am wanting a herd-boy1 says the gentleman1 to take my six cows1 six horses1 six donkeys1 and six goats to pasture every morning1 and bring them back at night4 ,maybe you'd do4 ,what are the wages8 says ,billy4 ,oh1 well1 says the gentleman1 it's no use to talk of that now2 there's three giants live in the wood by the pasture1 and every day they drink up all the milk and kill the boy that looks after the cattle2 so we'll wait to talk about wages till we see if you come back alive4 ,all right1 says ,billy1 and he entered service with the old gentleman4 ,the first day1 he drove the six cows1 six horses1 six donkeys1 and six goats to pasture1 and sat down by them4 ,about noon he heard a kind of roaring from the wood2 and out rushed a giant with two heads1 spitting fire out of his two mouths4 ,oh6 my fine fellow1 says he to ,billy1 you are too big for one swallow and not big enough for two2 how would you like to die1 then8 ,by a cut with the sword1 a blow with the fist1 or a swing by the back8 ,that is as may be1 says ,billy1 but ,i'll fight you4 ,and he buckled on his hide belt1 and swung his stick three times round his head1 to give him the strength of a thousand men besides his own1 and went for the giant4 ,and at the first grapple ,billy ,beg lifted the giant up and sunk him in the ground1 to his armpits4 ,oh1 mercy6 mercy6 ,spare my life6 cried the giant4 ,i think not1 said ,billy2 and he cut off his heads4 ,that night1 when the cows and the goats were driven home1 they gave so much milk that all the dishes in the house were filled1 and the milk ran over and made a little brook in the yard4 ,this is very queer1 said the old gentleman2 they never gave any milk before4 ,did you see nothing in the pasture8 ,nothing worse than myself1 said ,billy4 ,and next morning he drove the six cows1 six horses1 six donkeys1 and six goats to pasture again4 ,just before noon he heard a terrific roar2 and out of the wood came a giant with six heads4 ,you killed my brother1 he roared1 fire coming out of his six mouths1 and ,i'll very soon have your blood6 ,will you die by a cut of the sword1 or a swing by the back8 ,i'll fight you1 said ,billy4 ,and buckling on his belt and swinging his stick three times round his head1 he ran in and grappled the giant4 ,at the first hold1 he sunk the giant up to the shoulders in the ground4 ,mercy1 mercy1 kind gentleman6 cried the giant4 ,spare my life6 ,i think not1 said ,billy1 and cut off his heads4 ,that night the cattle gave so much milk that it ran out of the house and made a stream1 and turned a mill wheel which had not been turned for seven years6 ,it's certainly very queer1 said the old gentleman2 did you see nothing in the pasture1 ,billy8 ,nothing worse than myself1 said ,billy4 ,and the next morning the gentleman said1 ,billy1 do you know1 ,i only heard one of the giants roaring in the night1 and the night before only two4 ,what can ail them1 at all8 ,oh1 maybe they are sick or something1 says ,billy2 and with that he drove the six cows1 six horses1 six donkeys1 and six goats to pasture4 ,at about ten o'clock there was a roar like a dozen bulls1 and the brother of the two giants came out of the wood1 with twelve heads on him1 and fire spouting from every one of them4 ,i'll have you1 my fine boy1 cries he2 how will you die1 then8 ,we'll see1 says ,billy2 come on6 ,and swinging his stick round his head1 he made for the giant1 and drove him up to his twelve necks in the ground4 ,all twelve of the heads began begging for mercy1 but ,billy soon cut them short4 ,then he drove the beasts home4 ,and that night the milk overflowed the mill-stream and made a lake1 nine miles long1 nine miles broad1 and nine miles deep2 and there are salmon and whitefish there to this day4 ,you are a fine boy1 said the gentleman1 and ,i'll give you wages4 ,so ,billy was herd4 ,the next day1 his master told him to look after the house while he went up to the king's town1 to see a great sight4 ,what will it be8 said ,billy4 ,the king's daughter is to be eaten by a fiery dragon1 said his master1 unless the champion fighter they've been feeding for six weeks on purpose kills the dragon4 ,oh1 said ,billy4 ,after he was left alone1 there were people passing on horses and afoot1 in coaches and chaises1 in carriages and in wheelbarrows1 all going to see the great sight4 ,and all asked ,billy why he was not on his way4 ,but ,billy said he didn't care about going4 ,when the last passer-by was out of sight1 ,billy ran and dressed himself in his master's best suit of clothes1 took the brown mare from the stable1 and was off to the king's town4 ,when he came there1 he saw a big round place with great high seats built up around it1 and all the people sitting there4 ,down in the midst was the champion1 walking up and down proudly1 with two men behind him to carry his heavy sword4 ,and up in the centre of the seats was the princess1 with her maidens2 she was looking very pretty1 but nervous4 ,the fight was about to begin when ,billy got there1 and the herald was crying out how the champion would fight the dragon for the princess's sake1 when suddenly there was heard a fearsome great roaring1 and the people shouted1 ,here he is now1 the dragon6 ,the dragon had more heads than the biggest of the giants1 and fire and smoke came from every one of them4 ,and when the champion saw the creature1 he never waited even to take his sword1--he turned and ran2 and he never stopped till he came to a deep well1 where he jumped in and hid himself1 up to the neck4 ,when the princess saw that her champion was gone1 she began wringing her hands1 and crying1 ,oh1 please1 kind gentlemen1 fight the dragon1 some of you1 and keep me from being eaten6 ,will no one fight the dragon for me8 ,but no one stepped up1 at all4 ,and the dragon made to eat the princess4 ,just then1 out stepped ,billy from the crowd1 with his fine suit of clothes and his hide belt on him4 ,i'll fight the beast1 he says1 and swinging his stick three times round his head1 to give him the strength of a thousand men besides his own1 he walked up to the dragon1 with easy gait4 ,the princess and all the people were looking1 you may be sure1 and the dragon raged at ,billy with all his mouths1 and they at it and fought4 ,it was a terrible fight1 but in the end ,billy ,beg had the dragon down1 and he cut off his heads with the sword4 ,there was great shouting1 then1 and crying that the strange champion must come to the king to be made prince1 and to the princess1 to be seen4 ,but in the midst of the hullabaloo ,billy ,begs slips on the brown mare and is off and away before anyone has seen his face4 ,but1 quick as he was1 he was not so quick but that the princess caught hold of him as he jumped on his horse1 and he got away with one shoe left in her hand4 ,and home he rode1 to his master's house1 and had his old clothes on and the mare in the stable before his master came back4 ,when his master came back1 he had a great tale for ,billy1 how the princess's champion had run from the dragon1 and a strange knight had come out of the clouds and killed the dragon1 and before anyone could stop him had disappeared in the sky4 ,wasn't it wonderful8 said the old gentleman to ,billy4 ,i should say so1 said ,billy to him4 ,soon there was proclamation made that the man who killed the dragon was to be found1 and to be made son of the king and husband of the princess2 for that1 everyone should come up to the king's town and try on the shoe which the princess had pulled from off the foot of the strange champion1 that he whom it fitted should be known to be the man4 ,on the day set1 there was passing of coaches and chaises1 of carriages and wheelbarrows1 people on horseback and afoot1 and ,billy's master was the first to go4 ,while ,billy was watching1 at last came along a raggedy man4 ,will you change clothes with me1 and ,i'll give you boot8 said ,billy to him4 ,shame to you to mock a poor raggedy man6 said the raggedy man to ,billy4 ,it's no mock1 said ,billy1 and he changed clothes with the raggedy man1 and gave him boot4 ,when ,billy came to the king's town1 in his dreadful old clothes1 no one knew him for the champion at all1 and none would let him come forward to try the shoe4 ,but after all had tried1 ,billy spoke up that he wanted to try4 ,they laughed at him1 and pushed him back1 with his rags4 ,but the princess would have it that he should try4 ,i like his face1 said she2 let him try1 now4 ,so up stepped ,billy1 and put on the shoe1 and it fitted him like his own skin4 ,then ,billy confessed that it was he that killed the dragon4 ,and that he was a king's son4 ,and they put a velvet suit on him1 and hung a gold chain round his neck1 and everyone said a finer-looking boy they'd never seen4 ,so ,billy married the princess1 and was the prince of that place4 ,,the ,,little ,,hero ,,of ,,haarlem#a ,footnote #a3 ,told from memory of the story told me when a child4 ,a long way off1 across the ocean1 there is a little country where the ground is lower than the level of the sea1 instead of higher1 as it is here4 ,of course the water would run in and cover the land and houses1 if something were not done to keep it out4 ,but something is done4 ,the people build great1 thick walls all round the country1 and the walls keep the sea out4 ,you see how much depends on those walls1--the good crops1 the houses1 and even the safety of the people4 ,even the small children in that country know that an accident to one of the walls is a terrible thing4 ,these walls are really great banks1 as wide as roads1 and they are called dikes4 ,once there was a little boy who lived in that country1 whose name was ,hans4 ,one day1 he took his little brother out to play4 ,they went a long way out of the town1 and came to where there were no houses1 but ever so many flowers and green fields4 ,by-and-by1 ,hans climbed up on the dike1 and sat down2 the little brother was playing about at the foot of the bank4 ,suddenly the little brother called out1 ,oh1 what a funny little hole6 ,it bubbles6 ,hole8 ,where8 said ,hans4 ,here in the bank1 said the little brother2 water's in it4 ,what6 said ,hans1 and he slid down as fast as he could to where his brother was playing4 ,there was the tiniest little hole in the bank4 ,just an air-hole4 ,a drop of water bubbled slowly through4 ,it is a hole in the dike6 cried ,hans4 ,what shall we do8 ,he looked all round2 not a person or a house in sight4 ,he looked at the hole2 the little drops oozed steadily through2 he knew that the water would soon break a great gap1 because that tiny hole gave it a chance4 ,the town was so far away--if they ran for help it would be too late2 what should he do8 ,once more he looked2 the hole was larger1 now1 and the water was trickling4 ,suddenly a thought came to ,hans4 ,he stuck his little forefinger right into the hole1 where it fitted tight2 and he said to his little brother1 ,run1 ,dieting6 ,go to the town and tell the men there's a hole in the dike4 ,tell them ,i will keep it stopped till they get here4 ,the little brother knew by ,hans' face that something very serious was the matter1 and he started for the town1 as fast as his legs could run4 ,hans1 kneeling with his finger in the hole1 watched him grow smaller and smaller as he got farther away4 ,soon he was as small as a chicken2 then he was only a speck2 then he was out of sight4 ,hans was alone1 his finger tight in the bank4 ,he could hear the water1 slap1 slap1 slap1 on the stones2 and deep down under the slapping was a gurgling1 rumbling sound4 ,it seemed very near4 ,by-and-by1 his hand began to feel numb4 ,he rubbed it with the other hand2 but it got colder and more numb1 colder and more numb1 every minute4 ,he looked to see if the men were coming2 the road was bare as far as he could see4 ,then the cold began creeping1 creeping1 up his arm2 first his wrist1 then his arm to the elbow1 then his arm to the shoulder2 how cold it was6 ,and soon it began to ache4 ,ugly little cramp-pains streamed up his finger1 up his palm1 up his arm1 till they reached into his shoulder1 and down the back of his neck4 ,it seemed hours since the little brother went away4 ,he felt very lonely1 and the hurt in his arm grew and grew4 ,he watched the road with all his eyes1 but no one came in sight4 ,then he leaned his head against the dike1 to rest his shoulder4 ,as his ear touched the dike1 he heard the voice of the great sea1 murmuring4 ,the sound seemed to say1-- ,i am the great sea4 ,no one can stand against me4 ,what are you1 a little child1 that you try to keep me out8 ,beware6 ,beware6 ,hans' heart beat in heavy knocks4 ,would they never come8 ,he was frightened4 ,and the water went on beating at the wall1 and murmuring1 ,i will come through1 ,i will come through1 ,i will get you1 ,i will get you1 run--run--before ,i come through6 ,hans started to pull out his finger2 he was so frightened that he felt as if he must run for ever4 ,but that minute he remembered how much depended on him2 if he pulled out his finger1 the water would surely make the hole bigger1 and at last break down the dike1 and the sea would come in on all the land and houses4 ,he set his teeth1 and stuck his finger tighter than ever4 ,you shall not come through6 he whispered1 ,i will not run6 ,at that moment1 he heard a far-off shout4 ,far in the distance he saw a black something on the road1 and dust4 ,the men were coming6 ,at last1 they were coming4 ,they came nearer1 fast1 and he could make out his own father1 and the neighbours4 ,they had pickaxes and shovels1 and they were running4 ,and as they ran they shouted1 ,we're coming2 take heart1 we're coming6 ,the next minute1 it seemed1 they were there4 ,and when they saw ,hans1 with his pale face1 and his hand tight in the dike1 they gave a great cheer1--just as people do for soldiers back from war2 and they lifted him up and rubbed his aching arm with tender hands1 and they told him that he was a real hero and that he had saved the town4 ,when the men had mended the dike1 they marched home like an army1 and ,hans was carried high on their shoulders1 because he was a hero4 ,and to this day the people of ,haarlem tell the story of how a little boy saved the dike4 ,,the ,,last ,,lesson#a ,footnote #a3 ,adapted from the ,french of ,alphonse ,daudet4 ,little ,franz didn't want to go to school1 that morning4 ,he would much rather have played truant4 ,the air was so warm and still1--you could hear the blackbird singing at the edge of the wood1 and the sound of the ,prussians drilling1 down in the meadow behind the old sawmill4 ,he would so much rather have played truant6 ,besides1 this was the day for the lesson in the rule of participles2 and the rule of participles in ,french is very1 very long1 and very hard1 and it has more exceptions than rule4 ,little ,franz did not know it at all4 ,he did not want to go to school4 ,but1 somehow1 he went4 ,his legs carried him reluctantly into the village and along the street4 ,as he passed the official bulletin-board before the town hall1 he noticed a little crowd round it1 looking at it4 ,that was the place where the news of lost battles1 the requisition for more troops1 the demands for new taxes were posted4 ,small as he was1 little ,franz had seen enough to make him think1 ,what now1 ,i wonder8 ,but he could not stop to see2 he was afraid of being late4 ,when he came to the school-yard his heart beat very fast2 he was afraid he was late1 after all1 for the windows were all open1 and yet he heard no noise1--the schoolroom was perfectly quiet4 ,he had been counting on the noise and confusion before school1--the slamming of desk covers1 the banging of books1 the tapping of the master's cane and his ,a little less noise1 please1--to let him slip quietly into his seat unnoticed4 ,but no2 he had to open the door and walk up the long aisle1 in the midst of a silent room1 with the master looking straight at him4 ,oh1 how hot his cheeks felt1 and how hard his heart beat6 ,but to his great surprise the master didn't scold at all4 ,all he said was1 ,come quickly to your place1 my little ,franz2 we were just going to begin without you6 ,little ,franz could hardly believe his ears2 that wasn't at all the way the master was accustomed to speak4 ,it was very strange6 ,somehow--everything was very strange4 ,the room looked queer4 ,everybody was sitting so still1 so straight--as if it were an exhibition day1 or something very particular4 ,and the master--he looked strange1 too2 why1 he had on his fine lace jabot and his best coat1 that he wore only on holidays1 and his gold snuff-box in his hand4 ,certainly it was very odd4 ,little ,franz looked all round1 wondering4 ,and there in the back of the room was the oddest thing of all4 ,there1 on a bench1 sat visitors4 ,visitors6 ,he could not make it out2 people never came except on great occasions1--examination days and such4 ,and it was not a holiday4 ,yet there were the agent1 the old blacksmith1 the farmer1 sitting quiet and still4 ,it was very1 very strange4 ,just then the master stood up and opened school4 ,he said1 ,my children1 this is the last time ,i shall ever teach you4 ,the order has come from ,berlin that henceforth nothing but ,german shall be taught in the schools of ,alsace and ,lorraine4 ,this is your last lesson in ,french4 ,i beg you1 be very attentive4 ,his last lesson in ,french6 ,little ,franz could not believe his ears2 his last lesson--ah1 that was what was on the bulletin-board6 ,it flashed across him in an instant4 ,that was it6 ,his last lesson in ,french--and he scarcely knew how to read and write--why1 then1 he should never know how6 ,he looked down at his books1 all battered and torn at the corners2 and suddenly his books seemed quite different to him1 they seemed--somehow--like friends4 ,he looked at the master1 and he seemed different1 too1--like a very good friend4 ,little ,franz began to feel strange himself4 ,just as he was thinking about it1 he heard his name called1 and he stood up to recite4 ,it was the rule of participles4 ,oh1 what wouldn't he have given to be able to say it off from beginning to end1 exceptions and all1 without a blunder6 ,but he could only stand and hang his head2 he did not know a word of it4 ,then through the hot pounding in his ears he heard the master's voice2 it was quite gentle2 not at all the scolding voice he expected4 ,and it said1 ,i'm not going to punish you1 little ,franz4 ,perhaps you are punished enough4 ,and you are not alone in your fault4 ,we all do the same thing1--we all put off our tasks till to-morrow4 ,and--sometimes--to-morrow never comes4 ,that is what it has been with us4 ,we ,alsatians have been always putting off our education till the morrow2 and now they have a right1 those people down there1 to say to us1 ',what6 ,you call yourselves ,french1 and cannot even read and write the ,french language8 ,learn ,german1 then6' ,and then the master spoke to them of the ,french language4 ,he told them how beautiful it was1 how clear and musical and reasonable1 and he said that no people could be hopelessly conquered so long as it kept its language1 for the language was the key to its prison-house4 ,and then he said he was going to tell them a little about that beautiful language1 and he explained the rule of participles4 ,and do you know1 it was just as simple as ,,abc6 ,little ,franz understood every word4 ,it was just the same with the rest of the grammar lesson4 ,i don't know whether little ,franz listened harder1 or whether the master explained better2 but it was all quite clear1 and simple4 ,but as they went on with it1 and little ,franz listened and looked1 it seemed to him that the master was trying to put the whole ,french language into their heads in that one hour4 ,it seemed as if he wanted to teach them all he knew1 before he went1--to give them all he had1--in this last lesson4 ,from the grammar he went on to the writing lesson4 ,and for this1 quite new copies had been prepared4 ,they were written on clean1 new slips of paper1 and they were3-- ,france3 ,alsace4 ,france3 ,alsace4 ,all up and down the aisles they hung out from the desks like little banners1 waving3-- ,france3 ,alsace4 ,france3 ,alsace4 ,and everybody worked with all his might1--not a sound could you hear but the scratching of pens on the ,france3 ,alsace4 ,even the little ones bent over their up and down strokes with their tongues stuck out to help them work4 ,after the writing came the reading lesson1 and the little ones sang their ba1 be1 bi1 bo1 bu4 ,right in the midst of it1 ,franz heard a curious sound1 a big deep voice mingling with the children's voices4 ,he turned round1 and there1 on the bench in the back of the room1 the old blacksmith sat with a big ,,abc book open on his knees4 ,it was his voice ,franz had heard4 ,he was saying the sounds with the little children1--ba1 be1 bi1 bo1 bu4 ,his voice sounded so odd1 with the little voices1--so very odd1--it made little ,franz feel queer4 ,it seemed so funny that he thought he would laugh2 then he thought he wouldn't laugh1 he felt--he felt very queer4 ,so it went on with the lessons2 they had them all4 ,and then1 suddenly1 the town clock struck noon4 ,and at the same time they heard the tramp of the ,prussians' feet1 coming back from drill4 ,it was time to close school4 ,the master stood up4 ,he was very pale4 ,little ,franz had never seen him look so tall4 ,he said3-- ,my children--my children--but something choked him2 he could not go on4 ,instead he turned and went to the blackboard and took up a piece of chalk4 ,and then he wrote1 high up1 in big white letters1 ,vive la ,france6 ,and he made a little sign to them with his head1 ,that is all2 go away4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,christmas ,there was once a nation which was very powerful1 very fortunate1 and very proud4 ,its lands were fruitful2 its armies were victorious in battle2 and it had strong kings1 wise lawgivers1 and great poets4 ,but after a great many years1 everything changed4 ,the nation had no more strong kings1 no more wise lawgivers2 its armies were beaten in battle1 and neighbouring tribes conquered the country and took the fruitful lands2 there were no more poets except a few who made songs of lamentation4 ,the people had become a captive and humiliated people2 and the bitterest part of all its sadness was the memory of past greatness4 ,but in all the years of failure and humiliation1 there was one thing which kept this people from despair2 one hope lived in their hearts and kept them from utter misery4 ,it was a hope which came from something one of the great poets of the past had said1 in prophecy4 ,this prophecy was whispered in the homes of the poor1 taught in the churches1 repeated from father to son among the rich2 it was like a deep1 hidden well of comfort in a desert of suffering4 ,the prophecy said that some time a deliverer should be born for the nation1 a new king even stronger than the old ones1 mighty enough to conquer its enemies1 set it free1 and bring back the splendid days of old4 ,this was the hope and expectation all the people looked for2 they waited through the years for the prophecy to come true4 ,in this nation1 in a little country town1 lived a man and a woman whose names were ,joseph and ,mary4 ,and it happened1 one year1 that they had to take a little journey up to the town which was the nearest tax-centre1 to have their names put on the census list2 because that was the custom in that country4 ,but when they got to the town1 so many others were there for the same thing1 and it was such a small town1 that every place was crowded4 ,there was no room for them at the inn4 ,finally1 the innkeeper said they might sleep in the stable1 on the straw4 ,so they went there for the night4 ,and while they were there1 in the stable1 their first child was born to them1 a little son4 ,and because there was no cradle to put ,him in1 the mother made a little warm nest of the hay in the big wooden manger where the oxen had eaten1 and wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes1 and laid ,him in the manger1 for a bed6 ,that same night1 on the hills outside the town1 there were shepherds1 keeping their flocks through the darkness4 ,they were tired with watching over the sheep1 and they stood or sat about1 drowsily1 talking and watching the stars4 ,and as they watched1 behold1 an angel of the ,lord appeared unto them6 ,and the glory of the ,lord shone round about them6 ,and they were sore afraid4 ,but the angel said unto them1 ,fear not1 for behold ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people4 ,for unto you is born1 this day1 in the city of ,david1 a saviour1--which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,and this shall be a sign unto you3 ye shall find the babe1 wrapped in swaddling clothes1 lying in a manger4 ,and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host1 praising ,god1 and saying1 ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth peace1 good will toward men4 ,when the angels were gone up from them into heaven1 the shepherds said to one another1 ,let us now go even unto ,bethlehem1 and see this thing which is come to pass1 which the ,lord hath made known unto us4 ,and they came1 with haste1 and they found ,mary1 and ,joseph1 and the babe lying in a manger4 ,and when they saw ,him in the manger1 they knew that the wonderful thing the angel said had really happened1 and that the great deliverer was born at last4 ,,the ,,child-,,mind2 ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,satisfy ,,it ,it is the grown people who make the nursery stories1 wrote ,stevenson1 all the children do is jealously to preserve the text4 ,and the grown person1 whether he makes his stories with pen or with tongue1 should bring two qualities at least to the work--simplicity of language and a serious sincerity4 ,the reason for the simplicity is obvious1 for no one1 child or otherwise1 can thoroughly enjoy a story clouded by words which convey no meaning to him4 ,the second quality is less obvious but equally necessary4 ,no absence of fun is intended by the words serious sincerity1 but they mean that the story-teller should bring to the child an equal interest in what is about to be told2 an honest acceptance1 for the time being1 of the fairies1 or the heroes1 or the children1 or the animals who talk1 with which the tale is concerned4 ,the child deserves this equality of standpoint1 and without it there can be no entire success4 ,as for the stories themselves1 the difficulty lies with the material1 not with the child4 ,styles may be varied generously1 but the matter must be quarried for4 ,out of a hundred children's books it is more than likely that ninety-nine will be useless2 yet perhaps out of one autobiography may be gleaned an anecdote1 or a reminiscence which can be amplified into an absorbing tale4 ,almost every story-teller will find that the open eye and ear will serve him better than much arduous searching4 ,no one book will yield him the increase to his repertoire which will come to him by listening1 by browsing in chance volumes and magazines1 and even newspapers1 by observing everyday life1 and in all remembering his own youth1 and his youthful1 waiting audience4 ,and that youthful audience8 ,a rather too common mistake is made in allowing overmuch for the creative imagination of the normal child4 ,it is not creative imagination which the normal child possesses so much as an enormous credulity and no limitations4 ,if we consider for a moment we see that there has been little or nothing to limit things for him1 therefore anything is possible4 ,it is the years of our life as they come which narrow our fancies and set a bound to our beliefs2 for experience has taught us that for the most part a certain cause will produce a certain effect4 ,the child1 on the contrary1 has but little knowledge of causes1 and as yet but an imperfect realisation of effects4 ,if we1 for instance1 go into the midst of a savage country1 we know that there is the chance of our meeting a savage4 ,but to the young child it is quite as possible to meet a ,red ,indian coming round the bend of the brook at the bottom of the orchard1 as it is to meet him in his own wigwam4 ,the child is an adept at make-believe1 but his make-believes are1 as a rule1 practical and serious4 ,it is credulity rather than imagination which helps him4 ,he takes the tales he has been told1 the facts he has observed1 and for the most part reproduces them to the best of his ability4 ,and nothing1 as ,stevenson says1 can stagger a child's faith2 he accepts the clumsiest substitutes and can swallow the most staring incongruities4 ,the chair he has just been besieging as a castle is taken away for the accommodation of a morning visitor and he is nothing abashed2 he can skirmish by the hour with a stationary coal-scuttle2 in the midst of the enchanted pleasuance he can see1 without sensible shock1 the gardener soberly digging potatoes for the day's dinner4 ,the child1 in fact1 is neither undeveloped grown-up nor unspoiled angel4 ,perhaps he has a dash of both1 but most of all he is akin to the grown person who dreams4 ,with the dreamer and with the child there is that unquestioning acceptance of circumstances as they arise1 however unusual and disconcerting they may be4 ,in dreams the wildest1 most improbable and fantastic things happen1 but they are not so to the dreamer4 ,the veriest cynic amongst us must take his dreams seriously and without a sneer1 whether he is forced to leap from the edge of a precipice1 whether he finds himself utterly incapable of packing his trunk in time for the train1 whether in spite of his distress at the impropriety1 he finds himself at a dinner-party minus his collar1 or whether the riches of ,el ,dorado are laid at his feet4 ,for him at the time it is all quite real and harassingly or splendidly important4 ,to the child and to the dreamer all things are possible2 frogs may talk1 bears may be turned into princes1 gallant tailors may overcome giants1 fir-trees may be filled with ambitions4 ,a chair may become a horse1 a chest of drawers a coach and six1 a hearthrug a battlefield1 a newspaper a crown of gold4 ,and these are facts which the story-teller must realise1 and choose and shape the stories accordingly4 ,many an old book1 which to a modern grown person may seem prim and over-rigid1 will be to the child a delight2 for him the primness and the severity slip away1 the story remains4 ,such a book as ,mrs ,sherwood's ,fairchild ,family is an example of this4 ,to a grown person reading it for the first time1 the loafing propensities of the immaculate ,mrs ,fairchild1 who never does a hand's turn of good work for anyone from cover to cover1 the hard piety1 the snobbishness1 the brutality of taking the children to the old gallows and seating them before the dangling remains of a murderer1 while the lesson of brotherly love is impressed are shocking when they are not amusing2 but to the child the doings of the naughty and repentant little ,fairchilds are engrossing2 and experience proves to us that the twentieth-century child is as eager for the book as were ever his nineteenth-century grandfather and grandmother4 ,good ,mrs ,timmin's ,history of the ,robins1 too1 is a continuous delight2 and from its pompous and high-sounding dialogue a skilful adapter may glean not only one story1 but one story with two versions2 for the infant of eighteen months can follow the narrative of the joys and troubles1 errors and kindnesses of ,robin1 ,dicky1 ,flopsy and ,pecksy2 while the child of five or ten or even more will be keenly interested in a fuller account of the birds' adventures and the development of their several characters and those of their human friends and enemies4 ,from these two books1 from ,miss ,edgeworth's wonderful ,moral ,tales2 from ,miss ,wetherell's delightful volume ,mr ,rutherford's ,children2 from ,jane and ,ann ,taylor's ,original ,poems2 from ,thomas ,day's ,sandford and ,merton2 from ,bunyan's ,pilgrim's ,progress and ,lamb's ,tales from ,shakespeare1 and from many another old friend1 stories may be gathered1 but the story-teller will find that in almost all cases adaptation is a necessity4 ,the joy of the hunt1 however1 is a real joy1 and with a field which stretches from the myths of ,greece to ,uncle ,remus1 from ,le ,morte d',arthur to the ,jungle ,books1 there need be no more lack of pleasure for the seeker than for the receiver of the spoil4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following is a list of valuable sources for the story-teller1 all yielding either good original material for adaptation1 or stories which need only a slight alteration in the telling4#a ,footnote #a3 ,readers may be interested in ,a ,history of ,story-telling1 by ,arthur ,ransome4 7,jack47 ,,the ,,bible4 ,,mother ,,goose',s ,,melody4 7,bullen47 ,,the ,,story ,,hour1 by ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin4 7,gay ,hancock47 ,,stories ,,for ,,kindergarten4 7,ginn47 ,,st ,,nicholas ,,magazine1 bound volumes4 7,warne47 ,,little ,,folks1 bound volumes4 7,cassell47 ,,fables ,,and ,,nursery ,,tales1 edited by ,prof4 ,charles ,eliot ,norton4 7,heath47 ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,,the ,,littlest ,,ones1 by ,sara ,gone ,bryant4 7,harrap47 ,,mother ,,stories1 by ,maud ,lindsay4 7,harrap47 ,,more ,,mother ,,stories1 by ,maud ,lindsay4 7,harrap47 ,,sop',s ,,fables4 ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,,to ,,children1 by ,sara ,cone ,bryant4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,story-,,teller1 by ,fanny ,coe4 7,harrap47 ,,songs ,,and ,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,little ,,ones1 by ,gordon ,browne4 7,harrap47 ,,character ,,training 7stories with an ethical bearing71 by ,e4,l4 ,cabot and ,e4 ,eyles4 7,harrap47 ,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,story ,,hour1 by ,ada ,m4 ,marzials4 7,harrap47 ,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,history ,,hour1 by ,nannie ,niemeyer4 7,harrap47 ,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,bible ,,hour1 by ,r4 ,brimley ,johnson4 7,harrap47 ,,nature ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,,to ,,children1 by ,h4 ,waddingham ,seers4 7,harrap47 ,,old ,,time ,,tales1 by ,florence ,dugdale4 7,collins47 ,,the ,,mabinogion4 7,dent47 ,,percy',s ,,reliques4 7,warne47 ,,told ,,through ,,the ,,ages ,,series4 7,harrap47 ,,legends ,,of ,,greece ,,and ,,rome1 by ,g4,h4 ,kupfer1 ,m4,a4 ,,favourite ,,greek ,,myths1 by ,l4,s4 ,hyde4 ,,stories ,,of ,,robin ,,hood1 by ,j4,w4 ,mc,spadden4 ,,stories ,,of ,,king ,,arthur1 by ,u4,w4 ,cutler4 ,,stories ,,from ,,greek ,,history1 by ,h4,l4 ,havell1 ,b4,a4 ,,stories ,,from ,,wagner1 by ,j4,w4 ,mc,spadden4 ,,britain ,,long ,,ago 7stories from old ,english and ,celtic sources71 by ,e4,m4 ,wilmot-,buxton1 ,f4,r4,hist4,s4 ,,stories ,,from ,,scottish ,,history 7selected from ,tales of a ,grandfather71 by ,madalen ,edgar1 ,m4,a4 ,,stories ,,from ,,greek ,,tragedy1 by ,h4,l4 ,havell1 ,b4,a4 ,,stories ,,from ,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise1 by ,madalen ,edgar1 ,m4,a4 ,,stories ,,from ,,chaucer1 by ,j4,w4 ,mc,spadden4 ,,stories ,,from ,,the ,,old ,,testament1 by ,mrs ,s4 ,platt4 ,,told ,,by ,,the ,,northmen 7stories from the ,norse eddas and sagas71 by ,e4,m4 ,wilmot-,buxton1 ,f4,r4,hist4,s4 ,,stories ,,from ,,don ,,quixote1 by ,h4,l4 ,havell1 ,b4,a4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,roland ,,and ,,the ,,peers ,,of ,,charlemagne1 by ,james ,baldwin4 7,teachers in need of good stories should keep themselves acquainted with the development of this series1 as fresh volumes are constantly added4 ,the material is precisely the right kind for the story-teller1 since the stories have come to us from distant days when1 as the national inheritance of this race or that1 they were told in homely cabins by parents to their children1 or sung by bards to festive companies47 ,,stories ,,of ,,the ,,english1 by ,f4 7,blackwood47 ,,old ,,greek ,,folk ,,stories1 by ,josephine ,peabody4 7,harrap47 ,,red ,,cap ,,tales1 by ,s4,r4 ,crockett4 7,black47 ,a ,,child',s ,,book ,,of ,,saints1 by ,wm4 ,canton4 7,dent47 ,,cuchulain1 ,,the ,,hound ,,of ,,ulster1 by ,eleanor ,hull4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,high ,,deeds ,,of ,,finn1 by ,t4,w4 ,rolleston1 ,m4,a4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,epic1 by ,h4,a4 ,guerber4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,myths ,,of ,,greece ,,and ,,rome1 by ,h4,a4 ,guerber4 7,harrap47 ,,myths ,,of ,,the ,,norsemen1 by ,h4,a4 ,guerber4 7,harrap47 ,,myths ,,and ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,middle ,,ages1 by ,h4,a4 ,guerber4 7,harrap47 ,,hero-,,myths ,,and ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,british ,,race1 by ,m4,i4 ,ebbutt1 ,m4,a4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,minstrelsy ,,of ,,the ,,scottish ,,border4 ,,gleanings ,,in ,,buddha-,,fields1 by ,lafcadio ,hearn4 7,kegan ,paul47 ,,the ,,golden ,,windows1 by ,laura ,e4 ,richards4 7,allenson47 ,,hans ,,andersen',s ,,fairy ,,tales4 ,,grimm',s ,,fairy ,,tales4 ,,english ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,joseph ,jacobs4 7,nutt47 ,,folk-,,tales ,,from ,,many ,,lands1 by ,lilian ,gask4 7,harrap47 ,,celtic ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,joseph ,jacobs4 7,nutt47 ,,indian ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,joseph ,jacobs4 7,nutt47 ,,west ,,african ,,folk-,,tales1 by ,w4,h4 ,barker and ,c4 ,sinclair4 7,harrap47 ,,russian ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,r4 ,nisbet ,bain4 7,harrap47 ,,cossack ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,r4 ,nisbet ,bain4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,happy ,,prince1 by ,oscar ,wilde4 7,nutt47 ,,donegal ,,fairy ,,tales1 by ,seumas ,mc,manus4 ,,in ,,chimney ,,corners1 by ,seumas ,mc,manus4 ,,the ,,arabian ,,nights4 ,,the ,,blue ,,fairy ,,book 7and others71 by ,andrew ,lang4 7,longmans47 ,,fairy ,,stories1 by ,john ,finnemore4 7,s4,s4 ,union47 ,,the ,,japanese ,,fairy ,,book4 7,constable47 ,,fairy ,,tales ,,from ,,far ,,japan1 translated by ,susan ,bollard4 7,religious ,tract ,society47 ,,in ,,the ,,child',s ,,world4 7,philip47 ,,legends ,,from ,,fairyland1 by ,holme ,lee4 7,warne47 ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,the ,,golden ,,river1 by ,john ,ruskin4 7,grant ,allen47 ,,the ,,welsh ,,fairy ,,book1 by ,jenkyn ,thomas4 7,unwin47 ,,at ,,the ,,back ,,of ,,the ,,north ,,wind1 by ,george ,macdonald4 7,blackie47 ,,tell-,,me-,,why ,,stories ,,about ,,animals1 by ,c4,h4 ,claudy4 7,harrap47 ,,tell-,,me-,,why ,,stories ,,about ,,great ,,discoveries1 by ,c4,h4 ,claudy4 7,harrap47 ,,uncle ,,remus1 by ,joel ,chandler ,harris4 7,routledge47 ,,macaulay',s ,,lays ,,of ,,ancient ,,rome4 ,,le ,,morte ,d',,arthur1 by ,sir ,thomas ,malory4 7,macmillan47 ,,the ,,boy',s ,,froissart1 by ,henry ,newbolt4 7,macmillan47 ,,stories ,,from ,,dante1 by ,susan ,cunnington4 7,harrap47 ,,the ,,jungle ,,books1 by ,rudyard ,kipling4 7,macmillan47 ,,just ,,so ,,stories1 by ,rudyard ,kipling4 7,macmillan47 ,,wood ,,magic1 by ,richard ,jefferies4 7,longmans47 ,,among ,,the ,,farmyard ,,people1 by ,clara ,d4 ,pierson4 7,murray47 ,,among ,,the ,,night ,,people1 by ,clara ,d4 ,pierson4 7,murray47 ,,among ,,the ,,meadow ,,people1 by ,clara ,d4 ,pierson4 7,murray47 ,,the ,,animal ,,story ,,book1 by ,andrew ,lang4 7,longmans47 ,,wild ,,animals ,i ,,have ,,known1 by ,ernest ,thompson ,seton4 7,nutt47 ,a ,,book ,,of ,,nature ,,myths1 by ,florence ,holbrook4 7,harrap47 ,,more ,,nature ,,myths1 by ,f4,v4 ,farmer4 7,harrap47 ,,parables ,,from ,,nature1 by ,mrs ,a4 ,gatty4 7,bell47 ,,northern ,,trails1 by ,w4,j4 ,long4 7,ginn47 ,,the ,,kindred ,,of ,,the ,,wild1 by ,chas4 ,g4,d4 ,roberts4 7,duckworth47 ,,rab ,,and ,,his ,,friends1 by ,dr ,john ,brown4 ,a ,,child',s ,,garden ,,of ,,verses1 by ,r4,l4 ,stevenson4 7,longmans47 ,a ,,treasury ,,of ,,verse ,,for ,,little ,,children1 compiled by ,madalen ,edgar1 ,m4,a4 7,harrap47 ,a ,,treasury ,,of ,,verse ,,for ,,boys ,,and ,,girls1 compiled by ,madalen ,edgar1 ,m4,a4 7,harrap47 ,a ,,treasury ,,of ,,ballads1 compiled by ,madalen ,edgar1 ,m4,a4 7,harrap47 ,,bimbi1 by ,ouida4 7,chatto47 ,,stories ,,from ,,shakespeare1 by ,dr ,thomas ,carter4 7,harrap47 ,,stories ,,from ,,the ,,faerie ,,queene1 by ,laurence ,h4 ,dawson4 7,harrap47 ,,moral ,,tales1 by ,maria ,edgeworth4 7,macmillan47