stories to tell to children-第15部分

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see　more　than　you　say。〃　　True　vividness　is　lent

by　a　background　of　picture　realised　by　the

listener　beyond　what　you　tell　him。　　Children

see；　as　a　rule；　no　image　you　do　not　see；　they

see　most　clearly　what　you　see　most　largely。

Draw；　then；　from　a　full　well；　not　from　a　supply

so　low　that　the　pumps　wheeze　at　every　pull。



Dramatic　power　of　the　reasonably　quiet　and

suggestive　type　demanded　for　telling　a　story

will　come　pretty　surely　in　the　train　of　effort

along　these　lines；　it　follows　the　clear　concept

and　sincerity　in　imparting　it；　and　is　a　natural

consequence　of　the　visualising　imagination。



It　is　inextricably　bound　up；　also；　with　the

causes　and　results　of　the　quality　which　finds

place　in　my　final　injunction；　to　tell　your　story

WITH　ZEST。　　It　might　almost　be　assumed　that

the　final　suggestion　renders　the　preceding　one

superfluous；　so　direct　is　the　effect　of　a　lively

interest　on　the　dramatic　quality　of　a　narration；

but　it　would　not　of　itself　be　adequate；　the

necessity　of　visualising　imagination　is　paramount。

Zest　is；　however；　a　close　second　to

this　clearness　of　mental　vision。　　It　is　entirely

necessary　to　be　interested　in　your　own　story；

to　enjoy　it　as　you　tell　it。　　If　you　are　bored　and

tired；　the　children　will　soon　be　bored　and　tired；

too。　　If　you　are　not　interested　your　manner

cannot　get　that　vitalised　spontaneity　which

makes　dramatic　power　possible。　　Nothing　else

will　give　that　relish　on　the　lips；　that　gusto；

which　communicates　its　joy　to　the　audience

and　makes　it　receptive　to　every　impression。

I　used　to　say　to　teachers；　〃Tell　your　story

with　all　your　might；〃　but　I　found　that　this

by　a　natural　misconception　was　often　interpreted

to　mean　〃laboriously。〃　　And　of　course

nothing　is　more　injurious　to　the　enjoyment　of

an　audience　than　obvious　effort　on　the　part

of　the　entertainer。　　True　zest　can　beoften

isextremely　quiet；　but　it　gives　a　savour

nothing　else　can　impart。



〃But　how；　at　the　end　of　a　hard　morning's

work；　can　I　be　interested　in　a　story　I　have　told

twenty　times　before？〃　asks　the　kindergarten　or

primary　teacher；　not　without　reason。



There　are　two　things　to　be　said。　　The　first　is

a　reminder　of　the　wisdom　of　choosing　stories　in

which　you　originally　have　interest；　and　of　having

a　store　large　enough　to　permit　variety。　　The

second　applies　to　those　inevitable　times　of　weariness

which　attack　the　most　interested　and　well…

stocked　story…teller。　　You　are；　perhaps；　tired

out　physically。　　You　have　told　a　certain　story

till　it　seems　as　if　a　repetition　of　it　must　produce

bodily　effects　dire　to　contemplate；　yet　that

happens　to　be　the　very　story　you　must　tell。

What　can　you　do？　　I　answer；　〃Make　believe。〃

The　device　seems　incongruous　with　the　repeated

warnings　against　pretence；　but　it　is　necessary；

and　it　is　wise。　　Pretend　as　hard　as　ever　you　can

to　be　interested。　　And　the　result　will　bebefore

you　know　itthat　you　will　BE　interested。　　That

is　the　chief　cause　of　the　recommendation；　it

brings　about　the　result　it　simulates。　　Make

believe；　as　well　as　you　know　how；　and　the

probability　is　that　you　will　not　even　know　when　the

transition　from　pretended　to　real　interest　comes。



And　fortunately；　the　children　never　know　the

difference。　　They　have　not　that　psychological

infallibility　which　is　often　attributed　to　them。

They　might；　indeed；　detect　a　pretence　which

continued　through　a　whole　tale；　but　that　is　so

seldom　necessary　that　it　needs　little　consideration。



So　then：　enjoy　your　story；　be　interested　in

it；if　you　possibly　can；　and　if　you　cannot；

pretend　to　be；　till　the　very　pretence　brings

about　the　virtue　you　have　assumed。



There　is　much　else　which　might　be　said　and

urged　regarding　the　method　of　story…telling；　even

without　encroaching　on　the　domain　of　personal

variations。　　A　whole　chapter　might；　for　example；

be　devoted　to　voice　and　enunciation；　and　then

leave　the　subject　fertile。　　But　voice　and　enunciation

are　after　all　merely　single　manifestations　of

degree　and　quality　of　culture；　of　taste；　and　of

natural　gift。　　No　set　rules　can　bring　charm　of

voice　and　speech　to　a　person　whose　feeling　and

habitual　point　of　view　are　fundamentally　wrong；

the　person　whose　habitual　feeling　and　mental

attitude　are　fundamentally　right　needs　few　or　no

rules。　　As　the　whole　matter　of　story…telling　is

in　the　first　instance　an　expression　of　the　complex

personal　product；　so　will　this　feature　of　it

vary　in　perfection　according　to　the　beauty　and

culture　of　the　human　mechanism　manifesting　it。



A　few　generally　applicable　suggestions　may；

however；　be　useful；always　assuming　the　story…

teller　to　have　the　fundamental　qualifications　of

fine　and　wholesome　habit。　　These　are　not　rules

for　the　art　of　speaking；　they　are　merely　some

practical　considerations　regarding　speaking　to

an　audience。



First；　I　would　reiterate　my　earlier　advice；　be

simple。　　Affectation　is　the　worst　enemy　of　voice

and　enunciation　alike。　　Slovenly　enunciation　is

certainly　very　dreadful；　but　the　unregenerate

may　be　pardoned　if　they　prefer　it　to　the

affected　mouthing　which　some　over…nice　people

without　due　sense　of　values　expend　on　every

syllable　which　is　so　unlucky　as　to　fall　between

their　teeth。



Next　I　would　urge　avoidance　of　a　fault　very

common　with　those　who　speak　much　in　large

rooms；the　mistaken　effort　at　loudness。　　This

results　in　tightening　and　straining　the　throat；

finally　producing　nasal　head…tones　or　a　voice

of　metallic　harshness。　　And　it　is　entirely

unnecessary。　　There　is　no　need　to　speak　loudly。

The　ordinary　schoolroom　needs　no　vocal　effort。

A　hall　seating　three　or　four　hundred　persons

demands　no　effort　whatever　beyond　a　certain

clearness　and　definiteness　of　speech。　　A　hall

seating　from　five　to　eight　hundred　needs　more

skill　in　aiming　the　voice；　but　still　demands　no

shouting。



It　is　indeed　largely　the　psychological　quality

of　a　tone　that　makes　it　reach　in　through　the　ear

to　the　comprehension。　　The　quiet；　clear；　restful；

persuasive　tone　of　a　speaker　who　knows　his

power　goes　straight　home；　but　loud　speech

confuses。　　Never　speak　loudly。　　In　a　small　room；

speak　as　gently　and　easily　as　in　conversation；

in　a　large　room；　think　of　the　people　farthest

away；　and　speak　clearly；　with　a　slight　separation

between　words；　and　with　definite　phrasing；

aiming　your　MIND　toward　the　distant　listeners。



If　one　is　conscious　of　nasality　or　throatiness

of　voice；　it　certainly　pays　to　study　the　subject

seriously　with　an　intelligent　teacher。　　But　a

good；　natural　speaking…voice；　free　from　extraordinary

vices；　will　fill　all　the　requirements　of

story…telling　to　small　audiences；　without　other

attention　than　comes　indirectly　from　following

the　general　principles　of　the　art。



To　sum　it　all　up；　then；　let　us　say　of　the　method

likely　to　bring　success　in　telling　stories；　that　it

includes　sympathy；　grasp；　spontaneity：　one

must　appreciate　the　story；　and　know　it；　and

then；　using　the　realising　imagination　as　a

constant　vivifying　force；　and　dominated　by　the

mood　of　the　story；　one　must　tell　it　with　all　one's

might；simply；　vitally；　joyously。







CHAPTER　V



SOME　SPECIFIC　SCHOOLROOM　USES　OF　STORY…TELLING



In　Chapter　II。；　I　have　tried　to　give　my　conception

of　the　general　aim　of　story…telling　in　school。

From　that　conception；　it　is　not　difficult　to　deduce

certain　specific　uses。　　The　one　most　plainly

intimated　is　that　of　a　brief　recreation　period；　a

feature　which　has　proved　valuable　in　many

classes。　　Less　definitely　implied；　but　not　to　be

ignored；　was　the　use　of　the　story　during；　or

accessory　to；　the　lesson　in　science　or　history。



But　more　distinctive　and　valuable　than　these；

I　think；　is　a　specific　use　which　I　have　recently

had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　exemplified　in　great

completeness　in　the　schools　of　Providence；

Rhode　Island。



Some　four　years　ago；　the　assistant　superintendent

of　schools　of　that　city；　Miss　Ella　L。

Sweeney；　introduced　a　rather　unusual　and

extended　application　of　the　story　in　her　primary

classes。　　While　the　experiment　was　in　its　early

stages；　it　was　my　good　fortune　to　be　allowed　to

make　suggestions　for　its　development；　and　as

the　devices　in　question　were　those　I　had　been

accustomed　to　use　as　a　pastime　for　children；　I

was　able　to　take　some　slight　hand　in　the　formative

work　of　its　adoption　as　an　educational

method。　　Carried　out　most　ably　by　the　teachers

to　whom　it　was　entrusted；　the　plan　has　evolved

into　a　more　inclusive　and　systematic　one　than

was　at　first　hoped　for；　it　is　one　from　which　I

have　been　grateful　to　learn。



Tersely　stated；　the　object　of　the　general　plan

is　the　freeing　and　developing　of　the　power　of

expression　in　the　pupils。



I　think　there　can　be　no　need　of　dwelling　on

the　desirability　of　this　result。　　The　apathy　and

〃woodenness〃　of　children　under　average　modes

of　pedagogy　is　apparent　to　anyone　who　is

interested　enough　to　observe。　　In　elementary

work；　the　most　noticeable　lack　of　natural

expression　is　probably　in　the　reading　classes；　the

same　drawback　appears　at　a　later　stage　in

English　composition。　　But　all　along　the　line

every　thoughtful　teacher　knows　how　difficult　it

is　to　obtain　spontaneous；　creative　reaction　on

material　given。



Story…telling　has　a　real　mission　to　perform　in

setting　free　the　natural　creative　expression　of

children；　and　in　vitalising　the　general　atmosphere

of　the　school。　　The　method　in　use　for

this　purpose　in　Providence　（and　probably　elsewhere；

as　ideas　usually　germinate　in　more　than

one　place　at　once）　is　a　threefold　GIVING　BACK　of

the　story　by　the　children。　　Two　of　the　forms　of

reproduction　are　familiar　to　many　teachers；　the

first　is　the　obvious　one　of　telling　the　story　back

again。



It　is　such　fun　to　listen　to　a　good　story　that

children　remember　it　without　effort；　and　later；

when　asked　if　they　can　tell　the　story　of　The

Red…Headed　Woodpecker