how to tell children stories(如何给孩子讲故事)-第8章
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A little further on she met a butcher。 So she said： 〃Butcher！ butcher！
kill ox； ox won't drink water； water won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick；
stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and
I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the butcher wouldn't kill the ox。
A little further on she met a rope。 So she said： 〃Rope！ rope！ hang
butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't drink water； water won't quench
fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy
won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to… night。〃 But the rope
wouldn't hang the butcher。
A little further on she met a rat。 So she said： 〃Rat！ rat！ gnaw rope； rope
won't hang butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't drink water； water
won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog won't
bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to… night。〃
But the rat wouldn't gnaw the rope。
A little further on she met a cat。 So she said： 〃Cat！ cat！ kill rat； rat
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won't gnaw rope； rope won't hang butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't
drink water； water won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat
dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get
home to…night。〃 But the cat said to her； 〃If you will go to yonder cow； and
fetch me a saucer of milk； I will kill the rat。〃 So away went the old woman
to the cow。
But the cow refused to give the milk unless the old woman first gave
her a handful of hay。 So away went the old woman to the haystack； and
she brought the hay to the cow。
When the cow had eaten the hay； she gave the old woman the milk；
and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat。
As soon as it had lapped up the milk； the cat began to kill the rat； the
rat began to gnaw the rope； the rope began to hang the butcher； the butcher
began to kill the ox； the ox began to drink the water； the water began to
quench the fire； the fire began to burn the stick； the stick began to beat the
dog； the dog began to bite the pig； the little pig in a fright jumped over the
stile； and so the old woman did get home that night。
The briefest examination of these three stories reveals the fact that
one attribute beyond dispute in each。 Something happens； all the time。
Every step in each story is an event。 There is no time spent in explanation；
description； or telling how people felt； the stories tell what people did； and
what they said。 And the events are the links of a sequence of the closest
kind； in point of time and of cause they follow as immediately as it is
possible for events to follow。 There are no gaps； and no complications of
plot requiring a return on the road。
A second common characteristic appears on briefest examination。 As
you run over the little stories you will see that each event presents a
distinct picture to the imagination； and that these pictures are made out of
very simple elements。 The elements are either familiar to the child or
analogous to familiar ones。 Each object and happening is very like
everyday； yet touched with a subtle difference； rich in mystery。 For
example； the details of the pictures in the Goldilocks story are parts of
everyday life；house； chairs； beds； and so on； but they are the house；
chairs； and beds of three bears； that is the touch of marvel which
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transforms the scene。 The old woman who owned the obstinate pig is the
centre of a circle in which stand only familiar images；stick； fire； water；
cow； and the rest； but the wonder enters with the fact that these usually
inanimate or dumb objects of nature enter so humanly into the contest of
wills。 So it is； also； with the doings of the three little pigs。 Every image is
explicable to the youngest hearer； while none suggests actual familiarity；
because the actors are not children； but pigs。 Simplicity； with mystery； is
the keynote of all the pictures； and these are clear and distinct。
Still a third characteristic common to the stories quoted is a certain
amount of repetition。 It is more definite； and of what has been called the
〃cumulative〃 kind； in the story of the old woman； but in all it is a
distinctive feature。
Here we have； then； three marked characteristics common to three
stories almost invariably loved by children；action； in close sequence；
familiar images； tinged with mystery； some degree of repetition。
It is not hard to see why these qualities appeal to a child。 The first is
the prime characteristic of all good stories；〃stories as is stories〃； 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 culture。 The
second is a matter of common…sense。 How could the imagination create
new worlds； save out of the material of the old？ To offer strange images is
to confuse the mind and dull the interest； to offer familiar ones 〃with a
difference〃 is to pique the interest and engage the mind。
The charm of repetition； to children； is a more complex matter； there
are undoubtedly a good many elements entering into it； hard to trace in
analysis。 But one or two of the more obvious may be seized and brought to
view。 The first is the subtle flattery of an unexpected sense of mastery。
When the child…mind； following with toilful alertness a new train of
thought； comes suddenly on a familiar epithet or expression； 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 before；Handel； maybe； or one of the more
familiar Beethoven sonatas。 〃I know that！ I have heard that before！〃 we
think； triumphant； and settle down to enjoyment without effort。 So it is；
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probably； with the 〃middle…sized〃 articles of the bears' house and the 〃and
I sha'n't get home to…night〃 of the old woman。 Each recurrence deepens
the note of familiarity； tickles the primitive sense of humour； and eases the
strain of attention。
When the repetition is cumulative； like the extreme instance of The
House that Jack Built； I have a notion that the joy of the child is the
pleasure of intellectual gymnastics； not too hard for fun； but not too easy
for excitement。 There is a deal of fun to be got out of purely intellectual
processes； and child… hood is not too soon for the rudiments of such fun to
show。 The delight the healthy adult mind takes in working out a neat
problem in geometry； the pleasure a musician finds in following the
involutions of a fugue； are of the same type of satisfaction as the liking of
children for cumulative stories。 Complexity and mass； arrived at by stages
perfectly intelligible in themselves； mounting steadily from a starting…
point of simplicity； then the same complexity and mass resolving itself as
it were miraculously back into simplicity； this is an intellectual joy。 It does
not differ materially； whether found in the study of counterpoint； at thirty；
or in the story of the old woman and her pig； at five。 It is perfectly natural
and wholesome； and it may perhaps be a more powerful developing force
for the budding intellect than we are aware。
For these reasons let me urge you； when you are looking for stories to
tell little children； to apply this threefold test as a kind of touchstone to
their quality of fitness： Are they full of action； in close natural sequence？
Are their images simple without being humdrum？ Are they repetitive？ The
last quality is not an absolute requisite； but it is at least very often an
attribute of a good child…story。
Having this touchstone in mind for general selection； we can now pass
to the matter of specific choices for different ages of children。 No one can
speak with absolute conviction in this matter； so greatly do the taste and
capacity of children of the same age vary。 Any approach to an exact
classification of juvenile books according to their suitability for different
ages will be found impossible。 The same book in the hands of a skilful
narrator may be made to afford delight to children both of five and ten。
The following are merely the inferences drawn from my own experience。
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They must be modified by each teacher according to the conditions of her
small audience。 In general； I believe it to be wise to plan the choice of
stories much as indicated in the table。
At a later stage； varying with the standard of capacity of different
classes； we find the temper of mind which asks continually； 〃Is that true？〃
To meet this demand； one draws on historical and scientific anecdote； and
on reminiscence。 But the demand is never so exclusive that fictitious
narrative need be cast aside。 All that is necessary is to state frankly that the
story you are telling is 〃just a story；〃 orif it be the casethat it is 〃part
true and part story。〃
At all stages I would urge the telling of Bible stories； as far as is
allowed by the special circumstances of the school。 These are stories from
a source unsurpassed in our literature for purity of style and loftiness of
subject。 More especially I urge the telling of the Christ…story； in
