how to tell stories to children- 第4部分

All　this　will　mean　that　no　corrections　are　made；　except　in　flagrant　cases　of　slang　or　grammar；　though　all　bad　slips　are　mentally　noted；　for　introduction　at　a　more　favorable　time。　　It　will　mean　that　the　teacher　will　respect　the　continuity　of　thought　and　interest　as　completely　as　she　would　wish　an　audience　to　respect　her　occasional　prosy　periods　if　she　were　reading　a　report。　　She　will　remember；　of　course　that　she　is　not　training　actors　for　amateur　theatricals；　however　tempting　her　show…material　may　be；　she　is　simply　letting　the　children　play　with　expression；　just　as　a　gymnasium　teacher　introduces　muscular　play；for　power　through　relaxation。

When　the　time　comes　that　the　actors　lose　their　unconsciousness　it　is　the　end　of　the　story…play。　　Drilled　work；　the　beginning　of　the　art；　is　then　the　necessity。

I　have　indicated　that　the　children　may　be　left　undisturbed　in　their　crudities　and　occasional　absurdities。　　The　teacher；　on　the　other　hand；　must　avoid；　with　great　judgment；　certain　absurdities　which　can　easily　be　initiated　by　her。　　The　first　direful　possibility　is　in　the　choice　of　material。　　It　is　very　desirable　that　children　should　not　be　allowed　to　dramatize　stories　of　a　kind　so　poetic；　so　delicate；　or　so　potentially　valuable　that　the　material　is　in　danger　of　losing　future　beauty　to　the　pupils　through　its　present　crude　handling。　　Mother　Goose　is　a　hardy　old　lady；　and　will　not　suffer　from　the　grasp　of　the　seven…year…old；　and　the　familiar　fables　and　tales　of　the　〃Goldilocks〃　variety　have　a　firmness　of　surface　which　does　not　let　the　glamour　rub　off；　but　stories　in　which　there　is　a　hint　of　the　beauty　just　beyond　the　palpableor　of　a　dignity　suggestive　of　developed　literatureare　sorely　hurt　in　their　metamorphosis；　and　should　be　protected　from　it。　　They　are　for　telling　only。

Another　point　on　which　it　is　necessary　to　exercise　reserve　is　in　the　degree　to　which　any　story　can　be　acted。　　In　the　justifiable　　desire　to　bring　a　large　number　of　children　into　the　action　one　must　not　lose　sight　of　the　sanity　and　propriety　of　the　presentation。　For　example；　one　must　not　make　a　ridiculous　caricature；　where　a　picture；　however　crude；　is　the　intention。　　Personally　represent　only　such　things　as　are　definitely　and　dramatically　personified　in　the　story。　　If　a　natural　force；　the　wind；　for　example；　is　represented　as　talking　and　acting　like　a　human　being　in　the　story；　it　can　be　imaged　by　a　person　in　the　play；　but　if　it　remains　a　part　of　the　picture　in　the　story；　performing　only　its　natural　motions；　it　is　a　caricature　to　enact　it　as　a　role。　　The　most　powerful　instance　of　a　mistake　of　this　kind　which　I　have　ever　seen　will　doubtless　make　my　meaning　clear。　　In　playing　a　pretty　story　about　animals　and　children；　some　children　in　a　primary　school　were　made　by　the　teacher　to　take　the　part　of　the　sea。　　In　the　story；　the　sea　was　said　to　〃beat　upon　the　shore；〃　as　a　sea　would；　without　doubt。　　In　the　play；　the　children　were　allowed　to　thump　the　floor　lustily；　as　a　presentation　of　their　watery　functions！　　It　was　unconscionably　funny。　　Fancy　presenting　even　the　crudest　　image　of　the　mighty　sea；　surging　up　on　the　shore；　by　a　row　of　infants　squatted　on　the　floor　and　pounding　with　their　fists！　　Such　pitfalls　can　be　avoided　by　the　simple　rule　of　personifying　only　characters　that　actually　behave　like　human　beings。

A　caution　which　directly　concerns　the　art　of　story　telling　itself；　must　be　added　here。　　There　is　a　definite　distinction　between　the　arts　of　narration　and　dramatization　which　must　never　be　overlooked。　　Do　not；　yourself；　half　tell　and　half　act　the　story；　and　do　not　let　the　children　do　it。　　It　is　done　in　very　good　schools；　sometimes；　because　an　enthusiasm　for　realistic　and　lively　presentation　momentarily　obscures　the　faculty　of　discrimination。　　A　much　loved　and　respected　teacher　whom　I　recently　listened　to；　and　who　will　laugh　if　she　recognizes　her　blunder　here；　offers　a　good　〃bad　example〃　in　this　particular。　　She　said　to　an　attentive　audience　of　students　that　she　had　at　last；　with　much　difficulty；　brought　herself　to　the　point　where　she　could　forget　herself　in　her　story：　where　she　could；　for　instance；　hop；　like　the　fox；　when　she　told　the　story　of　the　〃sour　grapes。〃　　She　　said；　〃It　was　hard　at　first；　but　now　it　is　a　matter　of　course；　AND　THE　CHILDREN　DO　IT　TOO；　WHEN　THEY　TELL　THE　STORY。〃　　That　was　the　pity！　I　saw　the　illustration　myself　a　little　later。　The　child　who　played　fox　began　with　a　story：　he　said；　〃Once　there　was　an　old　fox；　and　he　saw　some　grapes；〃　then　the　child　walked　to　the　other　side　of　the　room；　and　looked　up　at　an　imaginary　vine；　and　said；　〃He　wanted　some；　he　thought　they　would　taste　good；　so　he　jumped　for　them；〃　at　this　point　the　child　did　jump；　like　his　role；　then　he　continued　with　his　story；　〃but　he　couldn't　get　them。〃　　And　so　he　proceeded；　with　a　constant　alternation　of　narrative　and　dramatization　which　was　enough　to　make　one　dizzy。

The　trouble　in　such　work　is；　plainly；　a　lack　of　discriminating　analysis。　　Telling　a　story　necessarily　implies　non…identification　of　the　teller　with　the　event；　he　relates　what　occurs　or　occurred；　outside　of　his　circle　of　conciousness。　　Acting　a　play　necessarily　implies　identification　of　the　actor　with　the　event；　he　presents　to　you　a　picture　of　the　thing；　in　himself。　　It　is　a　difference　wide　and　clear；　and　the　least　failure　to　recognize　it　confuses　the　audience　and　injures　both　arts。

In　the　preceding　instances　of　secondary　uses　of　story…telling　I　have　come　some　distance　from　the　great　point；　the　fundamental　point；　of　the　power　of　imitation　in　breeding　good　habit。　　This　power　is　less　noticeably　active　in　the　dramatizing　than　in　simple　re…telling；　in　the　listening　and　the　re…　telling；　it　is　dominant　for　good。　　The　child　imitates　what　he　hears　you　say　and　sees　you　do；　and　the　way　you　say　and　do　it；　far　more　closely　in　the　story…hour　than　in　any　lesson…period。　　He　is　in　a　more　absorbent　state；　as　it　were；　because　there　is　no　preoccupation　of　effort。　　Here　is　the　great　opportunity　of　the　cultured　teacher；　here　is　the　appalling　opportunity　of　the　careless　or　ignorant　teacher。　　For　the　implications　of　the　oral　theory　of　teaching　English　are　evident；　concerning　the　immense　importance　of　the　teacher's　habit。　　This　is　what　it　all　comes　to　ultimately；　the　teacher　of　young　children　must　be　a　person　who　can　speak　English　as　it　should　be　spoken；purely；　clearly；　pleasantly；　and　with　force。

It　is　a　hard　ideal　to　live　up　to；　but　it　is　　a　valuable　ideal　to　try　to　live　up　to。　　And　one　of　the　best　chances　to　work　toward　attainment　is　in　telling　stories；　for　there　you　have　definite　material；　which　you　can　work　into　shape　and　practice　on　in　private。　That　practice　ought　to　include　conscious　thought　as　to　one's　general　manner　in　the　schoolroom；　and　intelligent　effort　to　understand　and　improve　one's　own　voice。　　I　hope　I　shall　not　seem　to　assume　the　dignity　of　an　authority　which　no　personal　taste　can　claim；　if　I　beg　a　hearing　for　the　following　elements　of　manner　and　voice；　which　appeal　to　me　as　essential。　　They　will；　probably；　appear　self…evident　to　my　readers；　yet　they　are　often　found　wanting　in　the　public　school…teacher；　it　is　so　much　easier　to　say　〃what　were　good　to　do〃　than　to　do　it！

Three　elements　of　manner　seem　to　me　an　essential　adjunct　to　the　personality　of　a　teacher　of　little　children：　courtesy；　repose　vitality。　　Repose　and　vitality　explain　themselves；　by　courtesy　I　specifically　do　NOT　mean　the　habit　of　mind　which　contents　itself　with　drilling　children　in　〃Good…　mornings〃　and　in　hat…liftings。　　I　mean　the　attitude　of　mind　which　recognizes　in　　the　youngest；　commonest　child；　the　potential　dignity；　majesty；　and　mystery　of　the　developed　human　soul。　　Genuine　reverence　for　the　humanity　of　the　〃other　fellow〃　marks　a　definite　degree　of　courtesy　in　the　intercourse　of　adults；　does　it　not？　　And　the　same　quality　of　respect；　tempered　by　the　demands　of　a　wise　control；　is　exactly　what　is　needed　among　children。　　Again　and　again；　in　dealing　with　young　minds；　the　teacher　who　respects　personality　as　sacred；　no　matter　how　embryonic　it　be；　wins　the　victories　which　count　for　true　education。　　Yet；　all　too　often；　we　forget　the　claims　of　this　reverence；　in　the　presence　of　the　annoyances　and　the　needed　corrections。

As　for　voice：　work　in　schoolrooms　brings　two　opposing　mistakes　constantly　before　me：　one　is　the　repressed　voice；　and　the　other；　the　forced。　　The　best　way　to　avoid　either　extreme；　is　to　keep　in　mind　that　the　ideal　is　development　of　one's　own　natural　voice；　along　its　own　natural　lines。　A　〃quiet；　gentle　voice〃　is　conscientiously　aimed　at　by　many　young　teachers；　with　so　great　zeal　that　the　tone　becomes　painfully　　repressed；　〃breathy；〃　and　timid。　　This　is　quite　as　unpleasant　as　a　loud　voice；　which　is；　in　turn；　a　frequent　result　of　early　admonitions　to　〃speak　up。〃　　Neither　is　natural。　It　is　wise　to　determine　the　natural　volume　and　pitch　of　one's　speaking　voice　by　a　number　of　tests；　made　when　one　is　thoroughly　rested；　at　ease；　and　alone。　　Find　out　where　your　voice　lies　when　it　is　left　to　itself；　under　favorable　conditions；　by　reading　something　aloud　or　by　listening　to　yourself　as　you　talk　to　an　intimate　friend。　　Then　practise　keeping　it　in　that　general　range；　unless　it　prove　to　have　a　distinct　fault；　such　as　a　nervous　sharpness；　or　hoarseness。　　A　quiet　voice　is　good；　a　hushed　voice　is　abnormal。　　A　clear　tone　is　restful；　but　a　loud　one　is　wearying。

Perhaps　the　common…sense　way　of　setting　a　standard　for　one's　own　voice　is　to　remember　that　the；　purpose　of　a　speaking　voice　is　to　communicate　with　others；　their　ears　and　minds　are　the　receivers　of　our　tones。　　For　this　purpose；　evidently；　a　voice　should　be；　first　of　all；　easy　to　hear；　next；　pleasant　to　hear；　next；　susceptible　of　sufficient　variation　to　express　a　wide　range　of　　meaning；　and　finally；　indicative　of　personality。

Is　it　too　quixotic　to　urge　teachers　who　tell　stories　to　little　children　to　bear　these　thoughts；　and　better　ones　of　their　own；　in　mind？　　Not；　I　think；　if　it　be　fully　accepted　that　the　story　hour；　as　a　play　hour；　is　a　time　peculiarly　open　to　influences　affecting　the　imitative　faculty；　that　this　faculty　is　especially　valuable　in　forming　fine　habits　of　speech；　and　that　an　increasingly　high　and　general　standard　of　English　speech　is　one　of　our　greatest　needs　and　our　most　instant　opportunities　in　th