stories to tell to children-第7章

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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　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　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；　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。　　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　such　parts　as　seem　likely　to　be　within　the

grasp　of　the　several　classes。　　In　all　Bible

stories　it　is　well　to　keep　as　near　as　possible

to　the　original　unimprovable　text。＇1＇　　Some

amplification　can　be　made；　but　no　excessive

modernising　or　simplifying　is　excusable　in　face

of　the　austere　grace　and　majestic　simplicity　of

the　original。　　Such　adaptation　as　helps　to　cut

the　long　narrative　into　separate　units；　making

each　an　intelligible　story；　I　have　ventured　to

illustrate　according　to　my　own　personal　taste；

in　two　stories　given　in　Chapter　VI。　　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

vitality；　letting　it　give　its　own　message　through

a　fit　medium　of　expression。



＇1＇　Stories　from　the　Old　Testament；　by　S。　Platt；　retells　the　Old

Testament　story　as　nearly　as　possible　in　the　actual　words　of

the　Authorised　Version。





The　stories　given　are　grouped　as　illustrations　of　

the　types　suitable　for　different　stages。　　They　are；　

however；　very　often　interchangeable；　and　many　stories　

can　be　told　successfully　to　all　classes。　　A　vitally

good　story　is　little　limited　in　its　appeal。　　It　is；

nevertheless；　a　help　to　have　certain　plain　results

of　experience　as　a　basis　for　choice；　that　which

is　given　is　intended　only　for　such　a　basis；　not

in　the　least　as　a　final　list。





CERTAIN　TYPES　OF　STORY　CLASSIFIED



FOR　KINDERGARTEN　AND　CLASS　I。：



　Little　Rhymed　Stori