stories to tell to children-第29章

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others　were　there　for　the　same　thing；　and　it　was

such　a　small　town；　that　every　place　was　crowded。

There　was　no　room　for　them　at　the　inn。　　Finally

the　innkeeper　said　they　might　sleep　in　the　stable

on　the　straw。　　So　they　went　there　for　the　night。



And　while　they　were　there；　in　the　stable；　their

first　child　was　born　to　them；　a　little　son。　　And

because　there　was　no　cradle　to　put　Him　in；　the

mother　made　a　little　warm　nest　of　the　hay　in

the　big　wooden　manger　where　the　oxen　had

eaten；　and　wrapped　the　baby　in　swaddling

clothes；　and　laid　Him　in　the　manger；　for　a　bed！



That　same　night；　on　the　hills　outside　the

town；　there　were　shepherds；　keeping　their

flocks　through　the　darkness。　　They　were　tired

with　watching　over　the　sheep；　and　they　stood　or

sat　about；　drowsily；　talking　and　watching　the

stars。　　And　as　they　watched；　behold；　an　angel

of　the　Lord　appeared　unto　them！　　And　the

glory　of　the　Lord　shone　round　about　them！

And　they　were　sore　afraid。　　But　the　angel　said

unto　them；　〃Fear　not；　for　behold　I　bring　you

good　tidings　of　great　joy；　which　shall　be　to　all

people。　　For　unto　you　is　born；　this　day；　in　the　city

of　David；　a　saviour；which　is　Christ　the　Lord。

And　this　shall　be　a　sign　unto　you：　ye　shall　find

the　babe；　wrapped　in　swaddling　clothes；　lying

in　a　manger。〃



And　suddenly　there　was　with　the　angel　a

multitude　of　the　heavenly　host；　praising　God；

and　saying；　〃Glory　to　God　in　the　highest；　and

on　earth　peace；　good　will　toward　men。〃



When　the　angels　were　gone　up　from　them　into

heaven；　the　shepherds　said　to　one　another；　〃Let

us　now　go　even　unto　Bethlehem；　and　see　this

thing　which　is　come　to　pass；　which　the　Lord

hath　made　known　unto　us。〃　　And　they　came；

with　haste；　and　they　found　Mary；　and　Joseph；

and　the　babe　lying　in　a　manger。　　And　when

they　saw　Him　in　the　manger；　they　knew　that

the　wonderful　thing　the　angel　said　had　really

happened；　and　that　the　great　deliverer　was　born

at　last。







THE　CHILD…MIND；　AND　HOW　TO　SATISFY　IT





〃It　is　the　grown　people　who　make　the　nursery

stories；〃　wrote　Stevenson；　〃all　the　children

do　is　jealously　to　preserve　the　text。〃　　And　the

grown　person；　whether　he　makes　his　stories

with　pen　or　with　tongue；　should　bring　two

qualities　at　least　to　the　worksimplicity　of

language　and　a　serious　sincerity。　　The　reason

for　the　simplicity　is　obvious；　for　no　one；　child　or

otherwise；　can　thoroughly　enjoy　a　story　clouded

by　words　which　convey　no　meaning　to　him。



The　second　quality　is　less　obvious　but　equally

necessary。　　No　absence　of　fun　is　intended　by

the　words　〃serious　sincerity；〃　but　they　mean

that　the　story…teller　should　bring　to　the　child　an

equal　interest　in　what　is　about　to　be　told；　an

honest　acceptance；　for　the　time　being；　of　the

fairies；　or　the　heroes；　or　the　children；　or　the

animals　who　talk；　with　which　the　tale　is

concerned。　　The　child　deserves　this　equality　of

standpoint；　and　without　it　there　can　be　no　entire

success。



As　for　the　stories　themselves；　the　difficulty

lies　with　the　material；　not　with　the　CHILD。　　Styles

may　be　varied　generously；　but　the　matter　must

be　quarried　for。　　Out　of　a　hundred　children's

books　it　is　more　than　likely　that　ninety…nine　will

be　useless；　yet　perhaps　out　of　one　autobiography

may　be　gleaned　an　anecdote；　or　a　reminiscence

which　can　be　amplified　into　an　absorbing　tale。

Almost　every　story…teller　will　find　that　the　open

eye　and　ear　will　serve　him　better　than　much

arduous　searching。　　No　one　book　will　yield　him

the　increase　to　his　repertoire　which　will　come　to

him　by　listening；　by　browsing　in　chance　volumes

and　magazines；　and　even　newspapers；　by　observing

everyday　life；　and　in　all　remembering　his　own

youth；　and　his　youthful；　waiting　audience。



And　that　youthful　audience？　　A　rather　too

common　mistake　is　made　in　allowing　overmuch

for　the　creative　imagination　of　the　normal　child。

It　is　not　creative　imagination　which　the　normal

child　possesses　so　much　as　an　enormous　credulity

and　no　limitations。　　If　we　consider　for　a

moment　we　see　that　there　has　been　little　or

nothing　to　limit　things　for　him；　therefore

anything　is　possible。　　It　is　the　years　of　our　life　as

they　come　which　narrow　our　fancies　and　set　a

bound　to　our　beliefs；　for　experience　has　taught

us　that　for　the　most　part　a　certain　cause　will

produce　a　certain　effect。　　The　child；　on　the

contrary；　has　but　little　knowledge　of　causes；　and　as

yet　but　an　imperfect　realisation　of　effects。　　If

we；　for　instance；　go　into　the　midst　of　a　savage

country；　we　know　that　there　is　the　chance　of

our　meeting　a　savage。　　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　orchard；　as　it　is　to　meet　him　in

his　own　wigwam。



The　child　is　an　adept　at　make…believe；　but　his

make…believes　are；　as　a　rule；　practical　and　serious。

It　is　credulity　rather　than　imagination　which

helps　him。　　He　takes　the　tales　he　has　been　TOLD；

the　facts　he　has　observed；　and　for　the　most　part

reproduces　them　to　the　best　of　his　ability。　　And

〃nothing；〃　as　Stevenson　says；　〃can　stagger　a

child's　faith；　he　accepts　the　clumsiest　substitutes

and　can　swallow　the　most　staring　incongruities。

The　chair　he　has　just　been　besieging　as　a　castle　is

taken　away　for　the　accommodation　of　a　morning

visitor　and　he　is　nothing　abashed；　he　can　skirmish

by　the　hour　with　a　stationary　coal…scuttle；

in　the　midst　of　the　enchanted　pleasuance　he　can

see；　without　sensible　shock；　the　gardener　soberly

digging　potatoes　for　the　day's　dinner。〃



The　child；　in　fact；　is　neither　undeveloped

〃grown…up〃　nor　unspoiled　angel。　　Perhaps　he

has　a　dash　of　both；　but　most　of　all　he　is

akin　to　the　grown　person　who　dreams。　　With

the　dreamer　and　with　the　child　there　is　that

unquestioning　acceptance　of　circumstances　as　they

arise；　however　unusual　and　disconcerting　they

may　be。　　In　dreams　the　wildest；　most　improbable

and　fantastic　things　happen；　but　they　are

not　so　to　the　dreamer。　　The　veriest　cynic　amongst

us　must　take　his　dreams　seriously　and　without

a　sneer；　whether　he　is　forced　to　leap　from

the　edge　of　a　precipice；　whether　he　finds　himself

utterly　incapable　of　packing　his　trunk　in　time

for　the　train；　whether　in　spite　of　his　distress　at

the　impropriety；　he　finds　himself　at　a　dinner…

party　minus　his　collar；　or　whether　the　riches　of

El　Dorado　are　laid　at　his　feet。　　For　him　at　the

time　it　is　all　quite　real　and　harassingly　or

splendidly　important。



To　the　child　and　to　the　dreamer　all　things　are

possible；　frogs　may　talk；　bears　may　be　turned

into　princes；　gallant　tailors　may　overcome　giants；

fir…trees　may　be　filled　with　ambitions。　　A　chair

may　become　a　horse；　a　chest　of　drawers　a　coach

and　six；　a　hearthrug　a　battlefield；　a　newspaper

a　crown　of　gold。　　And　these　are　facts　which　the

story…teller　must　realise；　and　choose　and　shape

the　stories　accordingly。



Many　an　old　book；　which　to　a　modern　grown

person　may　seem　prim　and　over…rigid；　will　be

to　the　child　a　delight；　for　him　the　primness

and　the　severity　slip　away；　the　story　remains。

Such　a　book　as　Mrs　Sherwood's　Fairchild　Family

is　an　example　of　this。　　To　a　grown　person

reading　it　for　the　first　time；　the　loafing

propensities　of　the　immaculate　Mrs　Fairchild；　who

never　does　a　hand's　turn　of　good　work　for　anyone

from　cover　to　cover；　the　hard　piety；　the

snobbishness；　the　brutality　of　taking　the　children

to　the　old　gallows　and　seating　them　before　the

dangling　remains　of　a　murderer；　while　the　lesson

of　brotherly　love　is　impressed　are　shocking

when　they　are　not　amusing；　but　to　the　child

the　doings　of　the　naughty　and　repentant　little

Fairchilds　are　engrossing；　and　experience　proves

to　us　that　the　twentieth…century　child　is　as　eager

for　the　book　as　were　ever　his　nineteenth…century

grandfather　and　grandmother。



Good　Mrs　Timmin's　History　of　the　Robins；

too；　is　a　continuous　delight；　and　from　its

pompous　and　high…sounding　dialogue　a　skilful

adapter　may　glean　not　only　one　story；　but　one

story　with　two　versions；　for　the　infant　of

eighteen　months　can　follow　the　narrative　of　the

joys　and　troubles；　errors　and　kindnesses　of

Robin；　Dicky；　Flopsy　and　Pecksy；　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

enemies。



From　these　two　books；　from　Miss　Edgeworth's

wonderful　Moral　Tales；　from　Miss　Wetherell's

delightful　volume　Mr　Rutherford's　Children；

from　Jane　and　Ann　Taylor's　Original　Poems；

from　Thomas　Day's　Sandford　and　Merton；　from

Bunyan's　Pilgrim's　Progress　and　Lamb's　Tales

from　Shakespeare；　and　from　many　another　old

friend；　stories　may　be　gathered；　but　the　story

teller　will　find　that　in　almost　all　cases

adaptation　is　a　necessity。　　The　joy　of　the　hunt；

however；　is　a　real　joy；　and　with　a　field　which

stretches　from　the　myths　of　Greece　to　Uncle

Remus；　from　Le　Morte　d'Arthur　to　the　Jungle

Books；　there　need　be　no　more　lack　of　pleasure

for　the　seeker　than　for　the　receiver　of　the　spoil。







End