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How To Tell Stories To Children And Some Stories To Tell
by Sara Cone Bryant
To My Mother
THE FIRST； BEST STORY…TELLER
THIS LITTLE BOOK IS
DEDICATED
PREFACE
The stories which are given in the following
pages are for the most part those which I have
found to be best liked by the children to whom
I have told these and others。 I have tried to
reproduce the form in which I actually tell
them；although that inevitably varies with
every repetition；feeling that it would be of
greater value to another story…teller than a
more closely literary form。
For the same reason； I have confined my
statements of theory as to method； to those
which reflect my own experience； my 〃rules〃
were drawn from introspection and retrospection；
at the urging of others； long after the instinctive
method they exemplify had become habitual。
These facts are the basis of my hope that
the book may be of use to those who have much
to do with children。
It would be impossible； in the space of any
pardonable preface； to name the teachers；
mothers； and librarians who have given me
hints and helps during the past few years of
story…telling。 But I cannot let these pages go
to press without recording my especial
indebtedness to the few persons without whose interested
aid the little book would scarcely have
come to be。 They are： Mrs Elizabeth Young
Rutan； at whose generous instance I first
enlarged my own field of entertaining story…telling
to include hers； of educational narrative； and
from whom I had many valuable suggestions
at that time； Miss Ella L。 Sweeney； assistant
superintendent of schools； Providence； R。I。；
to whom I owe exceptional opportunities for
investigation and experiment； Mrs Root；
children's librarian of Providence Public
Library； and Miss Alice M。 Jordan； Boston
Public Library； children's room； to whom I
am indebted for much gracious and efficient aid。
My thanks are due also to Mr David Nutt
for permission to make use of three stories from
English Fairy Tales； by Mr Joseph Jacobs； and
Raggylug； from Wild Animals I have Known；
by Mr Ernest Thompson Seton； to Messrs
Frederick A。 Stokes Company for Five Little
White Heads； by Walter Learned； and for Bird
Thoughts； to Messrs Kegan Paul； Trench；
Trubner & Co。 Ltd。 for The Burning of the
Ricefields； from Gleanings in Buddha…Fields；
by Mr Lafcadio Hearn； to Messrs H。 R。 Allenson
Ltd。 for three stories from The Golden
Windows； by Miss Laura E。 Richards； and to
Mr Seumas McManus for Billy Beg and his Bull；
from In Chimney Corners。
S。 C。 B。
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Story…teller's ArtRecent RevivalThe Difference
between telling a Story and reading it aloudSome
Reasons why the Former is more effective
CHAPTER I
THE PURPOSE OF STORY…TELLING IN SCHOOL
Its immediate Advantages to the Teacher…Its ultimate
Gifts to the Child
CHAPTER II
SELECTION OF STORIES TO TELL
The Qualities Children like； and whyQualities
necessary for Oral DeliveryExamples： The Three
Bears； The Three Little Pigs； The Old Woman and
her PigSuggestions as to the Type of Story
especially useful in the several primary Grades
Selected List of familiar Fairy Tales
CHAPTER III
ADAPTATION OF STORIES FOR TELLING
How to make a long Story shortHow to fill out a
short StoryGeneral Changes commonly desirable
Examples： The Nurnberg Stove； by Ouida； The
King of the Golden River； by Ruskin； The Red Thread
of Courage； The Elf and the DormouseAnalysis
of Method
CHAPTER IV
HOW TO TELL THE STORY
Essential Nature of the StoryKind of Appreciation
necessarySuggestions for gaining Mastery of Facts
Arrangement of ChildrenThe Story…teller's
MoodA few Principles of Method； Manner and
Voice； from the Psychological Point of View
CHAPTER V
SOME SPECIFIC SCHOOLROOM USES
Exercise in RetellingIllustrations cut by the
Children as Seat…workDramatic GamesInfluence
of Games on Reading Classes
STORIES SELECTED AND ADAPTED FOR TELLING
ESPECIALLY FOR KINDERGARTEN AND CLASS I。
Nursery Rhymes
Five Little White Heads
Bird Thoughts
How we came to have Pink Roses
Raggylug
The Golden Cobwebs
Why the Morning…Glory climbs
The Story of Little Tavwots
The Pig Brother
The Cake
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Town
Why the Evergreen Trees keep their Leaves in Winter
The Star Dollars
The Lion and the Gnat
ESPECIALLY FOR CLASSES II。 AND III。
The Cat and the Parrot
The Rat Princess
The Frog and the Ox
The Fire…Bringer
The Burning of the Ricefields
The Story of Wylie
Little Daylight
The Sailor Man
The Story of Jairus's Daughter
ESPECIALLY FOR CLASSES IV。 AND V。
Arthur and the Sword
Tarpeia
The Buckwheat
The Judgment of Midas
Why the Sea is salt
Billy Beg and his Ball
The Little Hero of Haarlem
The Last Lesson
The Story of Christmas
THE CHILD…MIND； AND HOW TO SATISFY IT
A short List of Books in which the Story…teller will find
Stories not too far from the Form in which they are needed。
INTRODUCTION
Not long ago； I chanced to open a magazine
at a story of Italian life which dealt with a
curious popular custom。 It told of the love of
the people for the performances of a strangely
clad； periodically appearing old man who was
a professional story…teller。 This old man
repeated whole cycles of myth and serials of
popular history； holding his audience…chamber
in whatever corner of the open court or square
he happened upon； and always surrounded by
an eager crowd of listeners。 So great was the
respect in which the story…teller was held； that
any interruption was likely to be resented with
violence。
As I read of the absorbed silence and the
changing expressions of the crowd about the
old man； I was suddenly reminded of a company
of people I had recently seen。 They were
gathered in one of the parlours of a women's
college； and their serious young faces had；
habitually； none of the childlike responsiveness
of the Italian populace； they were suggestive；
rather； of a daily experience which precluded
over…much surprise or curiosity about anything。
In the midst of the group stood a frail…looking
woman with bright eyes。 She was telling a
story； a children's story； about a good and a
bad little mouse。
She had been asked to do that thing； for a
purpose； and she did it； therefore。 But it was
easy to see from the expressions of the listeners
how trivial a thing it seemed to them。
That was at first。 But presently the room
grew quieter； and yet quieter。 The faces relaxed
into amused smiles； sobered in unconscious
sympathy； finally broke in ripples of mirth。
The story…teller had come to her own。
The memory of the college girls listening to
the mouse…story brought other memories with
it。 Many a swift composite view of faces passed
before my mental vision； faces with the child's
look on them； yet not the faces of children。
And of the occasions to which the faces
belonged； those were most vivid which were
earliest in my experience。 For it was those early
experiences which first made me realise the
modern possibilities of the old； old art of telling
stories。
It had become a part of my work； some years
ago； to give English lectures on German literature。
Many of the members of my class were
unable to read in the original the works with
which I dealt； and as these were modern works；
it was rarely possible to obtain translations。
For this reason； I gradually formed the habit
of telling the story of the drama or novel in
question before passing to a detailed consideration
of it。 I enjoyed this part of the lesson
exceedingly； but it was some time before I
reali