stories to tell to children-第3部分

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reaction　upon　it。



Of　course　this　result　cannot　be　seen　and

proved　as　easily　and　early　as　can　the　apprehension

of　a　fact。　　The　most　one　can　hope　to

recognise　is　its　promise；　and　this　is　found　in

the　tokens　of　that　genuine　pleasure　which　is

itself　the　means　of　accomplishment。　　It　is；

then；　the　signs　of　right　pleasure　which　the

story…teller　must　look　to　for　her　guide；　and

which　it　must　be　her　immediate　aim　to　evoke。

As　for　the　recognition　of　the　signs；no　one

who　has　ever　seen　the　delight　of　a　real　child

over　a　real　story　can　fail　to　know　the　signals

when　given；　or　flatter　himself　into　belief　in

them　when　absent。



Intimately　connected　with　the　enjoyment

given　are　two　very　practically　beneficial　results

which　the　story…teller　may　hope　to　obtain；　and

at　least　one　of　which　will　be　a　kind　of　reward

to　herself。　　The　first　is　a　relaxation　of　the　tense

schoolroom　atmosphere；　valuable　for　its　refreshing

recreative　power。　　The　second　result；　or

aim；　is　not　so　obvious；　but　is　even　more

desirable；　it　is　this：　story…telling　is　at　once　one

of　the　simplest　and　quickest　ways　of　establishing

a　happy　relation　between　teacher　and

children；　and　one　of　the　most　effective　methods

of　forming　the　habit　of　fixed　attention　in　the　latter。



If　you　have　never　seen　an　indifferent　child

aroused　or　a　hostile　one　conquered　to　affection

by　a　beguiling　tale；　you　can　hardly　appreciate

the　truth　of　the　first　statement；　but　nothing

is　more　familiar　in　the　story…teller's　experience。

An　amusing；　butto　metouching　experience

recently　reaffirmed　in　my　mind　this　power　of

the　story　to　establish　friendly　relations。



My　three…year…old　niece；　who　had　not　seen

me　since　her　babyhood；　being　told　that　Aunt

Sara　was　coming　to　visit　her；　somehow　confused

the　expected　guest　with　a　more　familiar　aunt；

my　sister。　　At　sight　of　me；　her　rush　of　welcome

relapsed　into　a　puzzled　and　hurt　withdrawal；

which　yielded　to　no　explanations　or　proffers　of

affection。　　All　the　first　day　she　followed　me

about　at　a　wistful　distance；　watching　me　as　if

I　might　at　any　moment　turn　into　the　well…known

and　beloved　relative　I　ought　to　have　been。

Even　by　undressing　time　I　had　not　progressed

far　enough　to　be　allowed　intimate　approach　to

small　sacred　nightgowns　and　diminutive　shirts。

The　next　morning；　when　I　opened　the　door　of

the　nursery　where　her　maid　was　brushing　her

hair；　the　same　dignity　radiated　from　the　little

round　figure　perched　on　its　high　chair；　the　same

almost　hostile　shyness　gazed　at　me　from　the

great　expressive　eyes。　　Obviously；　it　was　time

for　something　to　be　done。



Disregarding　my　lack　of　invitation；　I　drew

up　a　stool；　and　seating　myself　opposite　the

small　unbending　person；　began　in　a　conversational

murmur：　　〃Mm；　I　guess　those　are

tingly…tanglies　up　there　in　that　curl　Lottie's

combing；　did　you　ever　hear　about　the　tingly…

tanglies？　　They　live　in　little　girls'　hair；　and

they　aren't　any　bigger　than　THAT；　and　when

anybody　tries　to　comb　the　hair　they　curl　both

weeny　legs　round；　SO；　and　hold　on　tight　with

both　weeny　hands；　SO；　and　won't　let　go！〃　　As

I　paused；　my　niece　made　a　queer　little　sound

indicative　of　query　battling　with　reserve。　　I

pursued　the　subject：　　〃They　like　best　to　live

right　over　a　little　girl's　ear；　or　down　in　her　neck；

because　it　is　easier　to　hang　on；　there；　tingly…

tanglies　are　very　smart；　indeed。〃



〃What's　ti…ly…ta…lies？〃　asked　a　curious；

guttural　little　voice。



I　explained　the　nature　and　genesis　of　tingly…

tanglies；　as　revealed　to　me　some　decades　before

by　my　inventive　mother；　and　proceeded　to

develop　their　simple　adventures。　　When　next　I

paused　the　small　guttural　voice　demanded；

〃Say　more；〃　and　I　joyously　obeyed。



When　the　curls　were　all　curled　and　the　last

little　button　buttoned；　my　baby　niece　climbed

hastily　down　from　her　chair；　and　deliberately　up

into　my　lap。　　With　a　caress　rare　to　her　habit　she

spoke　my　name；　slowly　and　tentatively；　〃An…ty

Sai…ry？〃　　Then；　in　an　assured　tone；　〃Anty　Sairy；

I　love　you　so　much　I　don't　know　what　to　do！〃

And；　presently；　tucking　a　confiding　hand　in

mine　to　lead　me　to　breakfast；　she　explained

sweetly；　〃I　didn'　know　you　when　you　comed

las'　night；　but　now　I　know　you　all　th'　time！〃



〃Oh；　blessed　tale；〃　thought　I；　〃so　easy　a

passport　to　a　confidence　so　desired；　so　complete！〃

Never　had　the　witchery　of　the　story　to

the　ear　of　a　child　come　more　closely　home　to

me。　　But　the　fact　of　the　witchery　was　no　new

experience。　　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　sect。



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　habit。　　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　concentration；

of　fixed　attention；　any　teacher　who　deals　with

this　class　of　children　knows　the　difficulty　of

doing　this　fundamental　and　indispensable　thing；

and　the　value　of　any　practical　aid　in　doing　it。



More　than　one　instance　of　the　power　of　story…

telling　to　develop　attentiveness　comes　to　my

mind；　but　the　most　prominent　in　memory　is　a

rather　recent　incident；　in　which　the　actors　were

boys　and　girls　far　past　the　child…stage　of　docility。



I　had　been　asked　to　tell　stories　to　about

sixty　boys　and　girls　of　a　club；　the　president

warned　me　in　her　invitation　that　the　children

were　exceptionally　undisciplined；　but　my　previous

experiences　with　similar　gatherings　led　me　to

interpret　her　words　with　a　moderation　which

left　me　totally　unready　for　the　reality。　　When

I　faced　my　audience；　I　saw　a　squirming　jumble

of　faces；　backs　of　heads；　and　the　various

members　of　many　small　bodies；not　a　person

in　the　room　was　paying　the　slightest　attention

to　me；　the　president's　introduction　could

scarcely　be　said　to　succeed　in　interrupting　the

interchange　of　social　amenities　which　was　in

progress；　and　which　looked　delusively　like　a

free　fight。　　I　came　as　near　stage　fright　in　the

first　minutes　of　that　occasion　as　it　is　comfortable

to　be；　and　if　it　had　not　been　impossible　to

run　away　I　think　I　should　not　have　remained。

But　I　began；　with　as　funny　a　tale　as　I　knew；

following　the　safe　plan　of　not　speaking　very

loudly；　and　aiming　my　effort　at　the　nearest

children。　　As　I　went　on；　a　very　few　faces　held

intelligently　to　mine；　the　majority　answered

only　fitfully；　and　not　a　few　of　my　hearers

conversed　with　their　neighbours　as　if　I　were　non…

existent。　　The　sense　of　bafflement；　the　futile

effort；　forced　the　perspiration　to　my　hands　and

faceyet　something　in　the　faces　before　me　told

me　that　it　was　no　ill…will　that　fought　against

me；　it　was　the　apathy　of　minds　without　the

power　or　habit　of　concentration；　unable　to　follow

a　sequence　of　ideas　any　distance；　and　rendered

more　restless　by　bodies　which　were　probably

uncomfortable；　certainly　undisciplined。



The　first　story　took　ten　minutes。　　When　I

began　a　second；　a　very　short　one；　the　initial　work

had　to　be　done　all　over　again；　for　the　slight

comparative　quiet　I　had　won　had　been　totally

lost　in　the　resulting　manifestation　of　approval。



At　the　end　of　the　second　story；　the　room

was　really　orderly　to　the　superficial　view；　but

where　I　stood　I　could　see　the　small　boy　who

deliberately　made　a　hideous　face　at　me　each

time　my　eyes　met　his；　the　two　girls　who　talked

with　their　backs　turned；　the　squirms　of　a　figure

here　and　there。　　It　seemed　so　disheartening

a　record　of　failure　that　I　hesitated　much　to

yield　to　the　uproarious　request　for　a　third　story；

but　finally　I　did　begin　again；　on　a　very　long　story

which　for　its　own　sake　I　wanted　them　to　hear。



This　time　the　little　audience　settled　to　attention

almost　at　the　opening　words。　　After　about

five　minutes　I　was　suddenly　conscious　of　a

sense　of　ease　and　relief；　a　familiar　restful　feeling

in　the　atmosphere；　and　then；　at　last；　I

knew　that　my　audience　was　〃with　me；〃　that

they　and　I　were　interacting　without　obstruction。

Absolutely　quiet；　entirely　unconscious　of

themselves；　the　boys　and　girls　were　responding　to

every　turn　of　the　narrative　as　easily　and　readily

as　any　group　of　story…bred　kindergarten　children。

From　then　on　we　had　a　good　time　together。



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　children。　　Once　having　had　the　attention

chained　by　crude　force　of　interest；　the

children　begin　to　expect　something　interesting

from　the　teacher；　and　to　wait　for　it。　　And

having　been　led　step　by　step　from　one　grade

of　a　logical　sequence　to　another；　their　minds

at　first　beguiled　by　the　fascination　of　the　steps

glide　into　the　habit　of　following　any　logical

sequence。　　My　club　formed　its　habit；　as　far　as

I　was　concerned；　all　in　one　session；　the　ordinary

demands　of　school　procedure　lengthen　the

process；　but　the　result　is　equally　sure。　　By　the

end　of　a　week　in　which　the　children　have

listened　happily　to　a　story　every　day；　the　habit

of　listening　and　deducing　has　been　formed；　and

the　expectation　of　pleasantness　is　connected

with　the　opening　of　the　teacher's　lips。



These　two　benefits　are　well　worth　the　trouble

they　cost；　and　for　these　two；　at　least；　any　teacher

who　tells　a　story　well　may　confidently　look

the　quick　gaining　of　a　confidential　relation　with

the　children；　and　the　gradual　development　of

concentration　and　interested　attention　in　them。



These　are　direct　and　somewhat　clearly

discernible　results；　comfortably　placed　in　a　near

future。　　There　are　other　aims；　reaching　on　into

the　far；　slow　modes　of　psychological　growth；

which　must　equally　determine　the　choice　of　the

story…teller's　material　and　inform　the　spirit　of　her

work。　　These　other；　less　imme