NowithappenedthatSleepy—headwasnottheonlycreaturethatwascaughtbytherainthatmorninginthewood。Alittleelfhadbeenflittingaboutinsearchoffunormischief，andhe，too，hadgotfarfromhomewhentheraindropsbegantocomepatteringthroughtheleafyroofofthebeautifulwood。Itwouldneverdotogethisprettywingswet，forhehatedtowalk——itwassuchslowworkand，besides，hemightmeetsomebigwretchedanimalthatcouldrunfasterthanhimself。However，hewasbeginningtothinkthattherewasnohelpforit，when，onasudden，therebeforehimwasthetoadstool，withSleepy—headsnuganddryunderneath！

Therewasroomforanotherlittlefellow，thoughttheelf，anderelonghehadsafelybestowedhimselfundertheotherhalfofthetoadstool，whichwasjustlikeanumbrella。

Sleepy—headslepton，warmandcomfortableinhisfurrycoat，andtheelfbegantofeelannoyedwithhimforbeingsohappy。Hewasalwaysagreatmischief，andhecouldnotbeartositstillforlongatatime。Presentlyhelaughedaqueerlittlelaugh。Hehadgotanidea！Puttinghistwosmallarmsroundthestemofthetoadstoolhetuggedandhepulleduntil，ofasudden，snap！Hehadbrokenthestem，andamomentlaterwassoaringinairsafelyshelteredunderthetoadstool，whichhehelduprightbyitsstemasheflew。

Sleepy—headhadbeendreaming，oh，socosyadream！Itseemedtohimthathehaddiscoveredastorehousefilledwithgoldengrainandsoftjuicynutswithlittlebunchesofsweet—

smellinghay，wheretiredmousiesmightsleepdullhoursaway。Hethoughtthathewassettledinthesweetestbunchofall，withnothingintheworldtodisturbhisnap，whengraduallyhebecameawarethatsomethinghadhappened。Heshookhimselfinhissleepandsettleddownagain，butthedreamhadaltered。

Heopenedhiseyes。Rainwasfalling，pit—a—pat，andhewaswithoutcoveronawetpatchofgrass。Whatcouldbethematter？Sleepy—

headwasnowwideawake。Saidhe，"DEARME，WHEREISMYTOADSTOOL？"

Fromthesefourinstanceswemay，perhaps，deducecertaingeneralprinciplesofadaptationwhichhaveatleastprovedvaluabletothoseusingthem。

Thesearesuggestionswhichthepractisedstory—tellerwillfindtrite。Buttootherstheymayproveafairfoundationonwhichtobuildapersonalmethodtobedevelopedbyexperience。

Ihavegiventhematabulararrangementbelow。

ThepreliminarystepinallcasesisAnalysisoftheStory。

Theaim，then，istoREDUCEalongstoryortoAMPLIFYashortone。

Forthefirst，theneedisELIMINATIONofsecondarythreadsofnarrative，extrapersonages，description，irrelevantevents。

Forthesecond，thegreatneedisofRealisingImagination。

Forboth，itisdesirabletokeepCloseLogicalSequence，SinglePointofView，SimpleLanguage，ThePointattheEndCHAPTERIV

HOWTOTELLTHESTORY

Selection，and，ifnecessary，adaptation——thesearethepreliminariestotheactoftelling。That，afterall，istherealtestofone’spower。Thatistherealjoy，whenachieved;therealbugbear，whendreaded。Andthatisthesubjectofthischapter，"Howtotellastory。"

Howtotellastory：itisashortquestionwhichdemandsalonganswer。Therightbeginningoftheanswerdependsonarightconceptionofthethingthequestionisabout;andthatnaturallyrevertstoanearlierdiscussionoftherealnatureofastory。Inthatdiscussionitwasstatedthatastoryisaworkofart，——amessage，asallworksofartare。

Totellastory，then，istopassonthemessage，tosharetheworkofart。Themessagemaybemerelyoneofhumour，——ofnonsense，even;

worksofartrangeallthewayfromthe"Victory"

toa"DresdenShepherdess，"froman"Assumption"toa"BrokenPitcher，"andfarther。Eachhasitsownplace。Butwhateveritsquality，thestory—telleristhepasser—on，theinterpreter，thetransmitter。Hecomesbringingagift。Alwayshegives;alwayshebearsamessage。

Thisgranted，thefirstdemandofthestory—

tellerisnotfartoseek。Noonecanrepeatamessagehehasnotheard，orinterpretwhathedoesnotunderstand。Youcannotgive，unlessyoufirstpossess。Thefirstdemandofthestory—

telleristhathepossess。HemustFEELthestory。Whatevertheparticularqualityandappealoftheworkofart，fromthelightesttothegrandestemotionorthought，hemusthaverespondedtoit，graspedit，feltitintimately，beforehecangiveitoutagain。Listen，humbly，forthemessage。

Irealisethatthishasanincongruoussound，whenappliedtosuchstoriesasthatofthelittlepigatthestileorofthegreedycatwhoateupmanandbeast。But，believeme，itdoesapplyeventothose。Forthetransmittablethinginastoryistheidentifyingessence，thecharacterisingsavour，thepeculiarqualityandpointofviewofthehumour，pathos，orinterest。

Everytalewhichclaimsaplaceingoodfictionhasthisidentifyingsavourandquality，eachdifferentfromeveryother。ThelaughwhichechoesoneofSeumasMcManus’srigmarolesisnotthechucklewhichfollowsoneofJoelChandlerHarris’sanecdotes;thegentlesadnessofanAndersenallegoryisnottheheartsearchingtragedyofatalefromtheGreek;norisanyonestoryofanauthorjustlikeanyotherofthesamemaking。Eachhasitspersonallikeness，itsfacialexpression，asitwere。

Andthemindmustbesensitisedtothesedifferences。Noonecantellstorieswellwhohasnotakeenandjustfeelingofsuchemotionalvalues。

Apositiveandanegativeinjunctiondependonthispremise，——thepositive，cultivateyourfeeling，strivingtowardincreasinglyjustappreciation;

thenegative，nevertellastoryyoudonotfeel。

Fortunately，thenumberandrangeofstoriesonecanappreciategrowwithcultivation;butitisthepartofwisdomnottostepoutsidetherangeatanystageofitsgrowth。

IfeelthemoreinclinedtoemphasisethiscautionbecauseIoncehadaratherembarrassingandpointedproofofitsdesirability，——whichI

relatefortheenlighteningofthereader。

Thereisacertainnonsensetalewhichafriendusedtotellwithsucheffectthatherhearersbecamehelplesswithlaughter，butwhichforsomereasonneverseemedfunnytome。I

couldnotlaughatit。Butmyfriendconstantlyurgedmetouseit，quotingherownsuccess。

Atlast，withmuchcuriosityandsometrepidation，IincludeditinaprogrammebeforepeoplewithwhomIwassocloselyinsympathythatnochillwaslikelytoemanatefromtheirside。

ItoldthestoryaswellasIknewhow，puttingintoitmoregenuineeffortthanmoststoriescanclaim。Theaudiencesmiledpolitely，laughedgentlyonceortwice，relapsedintothemildestofamusement。Themostonecouldsaywasthatthestorywasnotahopelessfailure，Itrieditagain，afterstudy，andyetagain;buttheaudienceswereallalike。AndinmyheartIshouldhavebeenstartlediftheyhadbehavedotherwise，forallthetimeIwastellingitIwasconsciousinmysoulthatitwasastupidstory！

AtlastIownedmydefeattomyself，andputthethingoutofmind。

Sometimeafterward，Ihappenedtotakeoutthenotesofthestory，andidlylookedthemover;andsuddenly，Idonotknowhow，Igotthepointofview！Thesaltofthehumourwasallatonceonmylips;Ifeltthetickleofthepurefollyofit;itWASfunny。

ThenextafternoonItoldthestorytoahundredorsochildrenandasmanymothers，——

andthebattlewaswon。Chucklespunctuatedmyperiods;helplesslaughterranlikeanunder—

currentbelowmynarrative;itwasastruggleformetokeepsober，myself。Thenonsensetalehadfounditsownatmosphere。

NowofcourseIhadknownallalongthatthehumourofthestoryemanatedfromitsveryexaggeration，itsabsurdlyillogicalsmoothness。

ButIhadnotFELTit。Ididnotreally"seethejoke。"AndthatwaswhyIcouldnottellthestory。IundoubtedlyimpressedmyownsenseofitsfatuityoneveryaudiencetowhichIgaveit。Thecaseisveryclear。

EquallyclearhavebeensomehappyinstanceswhereIhavefoundaudiencesrespondingtoastoryImyselfgreatlyliked，butwhichcommonappreciationusuallyignored。Thisisanexperienceevenmorepersuasivethantheother，certainlymoretobedesired。

Everystory—tellerhaslinesoflimitation;

certaintypesofstorywillalwaysremainhisorherbesteffort。Thereisnoreasonwhyanytypeofstoryshouldbetoldreallyill，andofcoursethenumberofkindsonetellswellincreaseswiththegrowthoftheappreciativecapacity。Butnonetheless，itiswisetorecognisethelimitsateachstage，andnottrytotellanystorytowhichthehonestinnerconsciousnesssays，"Idonotlikeyou。"

Letusthensetdownasaprerequisiteforgoodstory—telling，AGENUINEAPPRECIATIONOFTHE

STORY。

Now，wemaysupposethisgenuineappreciationtobeyourportion。Youhavechosenastory，havefeltitscharm，andidentifiedthequalityofitsappeal。

Youarenowtotellitinsuchwisethatyourhearerswillgetthesamekindofimpressionyouyourselfreceivedfromit。How？

Ibelievetheinnersecretofsuccessisthemeasureofforcewithwhichthetellerwillstheconveyanceofhisimpressiontothehearer。

Anyonewhohaswatched，orhashimselfbeen，thetellerofastorywhichheldanaudience，knowsthatthereissomethingapproachinghypnoticsuggestioninthecloseconnectionofeffortandeffect，andintheeliminationofself—

consciousnessfromspeakerandlistenersalike。

Iwouldnotforamomentlendtheatmosphereofcharlatanry，oroftheultra—psychic，tothewholesomeandvividartofstory—telling。ButIwould，ifpossible，helptheteachertorealisehowlargelysuccessinthatartisasubjectiveandpsychologicalmatter，dependentonhercontrolofherownmoodandhersenseofdirect，intimatecommunionwiththemindsattendingher。The"feel"ofanaudience，——thatindescribablesenseofthecompositehumansoulwaitingontheinitiativeofyourown，theemotionalcurrentsinterplayingalongamediumsodelicatethatittakesthebafflingtortureofanobstructiontorevealitsexistence，——cannotbetaught。Butitcananddoesdevelopwithuse。Andarealisationoftheimmenselatentpowerofstrongdesireandresolutionvitalisesanddisembarrassesthebeginner。

Thatis，undoubtedly，ratheranintangiblebeginning;itsetstherootofthemattersomewhatintherealmof"spiritsandinfluences。"

Thereare，however，outwardandvisiblemeansofarrivingatresults。Everyarthasitstechnique。Theartofstory—telling，intenselypersonalandsubjectiveasitis，yetcomesunderthelawsufficientlynottobeamatterofsheer"knack。"Ithasitstechnique。Thefollowingsuggestionsareanattempttostatewhatseemthefoundationprinciplesofthattechnique。

Thegeneralstatementsarededucedfrommanyconsecutiveexperiences;partly，too，theyaretheresultsofintrospectiveanalysis，confirmedbyobservation。Theydonotmakeupanexclusivebodyofrules，whollyadequatetoproducegoodwork，ofthemselves;theydoinclude，sofarasmyobservationandexperienceallow，thefundamentalrequisitesofgoodwork，——beingthequalitiesuniformlypresentinsuccessfulworkofmanystory—tellers。

Firstofall，mostfundamentalofall，isarulewithoutwhichanyotherwouldbebutfolly：

KNOWYOURSTORY。

Onewouldthinksoobviousapreliminarymightbetakenforgranted。Butalas，evenslightacquaintancewiththeaveragestory—tellerprovesthedirenecessityoftheadmonition。

Thehaltingtongue，theslipinnameorincident，theturningbacktoforgeanomittedlinkinthechain，therepetition，thegeneralweaknessofstatementconsequentonimperfectgrasp：thesearecommonfeaturesofthestoriesonehearstold。Andtheyarefeatureswhichwilldefacethebeststoryevertold。

Onemustknowthestoryabsolutely;itmusthavebeensoassimilatedthatitpartakesofthenatureofpersonalexperience;itsessencemustbesoclearlyinmindthatthetellerdoesnothavetothinkofitatallintheactoftelling，butratherletsitflowfromhislipswiththeunconsciousfreedomofavividreminiscence。

Suchknowledgedoesnotmeanmemorising。

Memorisingutterlydestroysthefreedomofreminiscence，takesawaythespontaneity，andsubstitutesamasteryofformforamasteryofessence。Itmeans，rather，aperfectgraspofthegistofthestory，withsufficientfamiliaritywithitsformtodeterminethemannerofitstelling。Theeasiestwaytoobtainthismasteryis，Ithink，toanalysethestoryintoitssimplestelementsofplot。Stripitbareofstyle，description，interpolation，andfindoutsimplyWHAT

HAPPENED。Personally，IfindthatIgetfirstanespeciallyvividconceptionoftheclimax;

thisthenhastoberoundedoutbyaclearperceptionofthesuccessivestepswhichleaduptotheclimax。Onehas，so，theframeworkofthestory。Thenextprocessisthefillingin。

Theremustbemanywaysofgoingaboutthisfillingin。Doubtlessmanyofmyreaders，inthedayswhenitwastheirpetambitiontomakeagoodrecitationinschool，evolvedpersonallyeffectivewaysofdoingit;foritis，afterall，thesamethingaspreparingabitofhistoryorarecitationinliterature。Butfortheconsiderationofthosewhofindithardtogainmasteryoffactwithoutmasteryofitsstatedform，Igivemyownway。Ihavealwaysusedthechildlikeplanoftalkingitout。Sometimesinaudibly，sometimesinloudandpenetratingtoneswhicharousethesympatheticcuriosityofmyfamily，Itellitoverandover，toanimaginaryhearer。Thathearerisaspresenttome，alwayshasbeen，asStevenson’s"friendofthechildren"whotakesthepartoftheenemyintheirsolitarygamesofwar。Hiscriticism（thoughheisamostcompositedouble—

sexedcreaturewhoshouldnothaveadesignatingpersonalpronoun）isall—revealing。Fortalkingitoutinstantlybringstolighttheweakspotsinone’srecollection。"Whatwasitthelittlecrocodilesaid？""Justhowdidthelittlepiggetintohishouse？""Whatwasthatlinkinthechainofcircumstanceswhichbroughtthewilyfoxtoconfusion？"

Theslightestcloudofuncertaintybecomesobviousinamoment。Andasobviousbecomesone’spaucityofexpression，one’sweek—kneedimagination，one’simperfectassimilationofthespiritofthestory。Itisnotaflatteringprocess。

Butwhenthesefaultshavebeencorrectedbyseveralattempts，themethodgivesaconfidence，asenseofsureness，whichmakestherealtellingtoarealaudiencereadyandspontaneouslysmooth。Scarcelyanepithetorasentencecomesoutasitwasinthepreliminarytelling;butepithetsandsentencesinsufficiencydocome;thebeautyofthismethodisthatitbringsfreedominsteadofbondage。

Avaluableexceptiontotheruleagainstmemorisingmustbenotedhere。Especiallybeautifulandindicativephrasesoftheoriginalshouldberetained，andevenwholepassages，wheretheyareidentifiedwiththebeautyofthetale。AndinstorieslikeTheThreeBearsorRedRidingHoodtheexactphraseologyoftheconversationasgiveninfamiliarversionsshouldbepreserved;itisinawaysacred，aclassic，andnottobealtered。Butbeyondthisthelanguageshouldbetheteller’sown，andprobablynevertwicethesame。Sureness，ease，freedom，andtheeffectofpersonalreminiscencecomeonlyfromcompletemastery。

Irepeat，withemphasis：Knowyourstory。

Thenextsuggestionisapurelypracticaloneconcerningthepreparationofphysicalconditions。

Seethatthechildrenareseatedincloseanddirectrangeofyoureye;thefamiliarhalf—circleisthebestarrangementforsmallgroupsofchildren，buttheteachershouldbeatapointOPPOSITEthecentreofthearc，NOTinitscentre：

itisimportantalsonottohavetheendstoofarattheside，andtohavenochilddirectlybehindanother，orinsuchapositionthathehasnotaneasyviewoftheteacher’sfullface。Littlechildrenhavetobephysicallycloseinordertobementallyclose。Itis，ofcourse，desirabletoobtainahushedquietbeforebeginning;butitisnotsoimportantastopreserveyourownmoodofholiday，andtheirs。Ifthefatesandtheatmosphereofthedayareagainstyou，itiswisertotrusttothedrawingpowerofthetaleitself，andabatetheirritationofdidacticmethods。Andneverbreakintothatmagictale，oncebegun，withanadmonitiontoEthelorTommytostopsquirming，orarebuketo"thatlittlegirlovertherewhoisnotlistening。"

Makeherlisten！Itisprobablyyourfaultifsheisnot。Ifyouaretellingagoodstory，andtellingitwell，shecan’thelplistening，——unlesssheisanabnormalchild;andifsheisabnormalyououghtnottospoilthemoodoftheotherstoattendtoher。

Isay"never"interruptyourstory;perhapsitisonlyfairtoamendthat，afterthefashionofdearlittleMarjorieFleming，andsay"never——ifyoucanhelpit。"For，ofcourse，thereareexceptionaloccasions，andexceptionalchildren;somelatitudemustbeleftforthedecisionsofgoodcommonsenseactingontheissueofthemoment。

Thechildrenready，yourownmoodmustbeready。Itisdesirablethatthespiritofthestoryshouldbeimposedupontheroomfromthebeginning，andthisresulthangsontheclearnessandintensityoftheteller’sinitiatorymood。Anactofmemoryandofwillistherequisite。Thestory—tellermustcallup——itcomeswiththeswiftnessofthought——theessentialemotionofthestoryashefeltitfirst。Asinglevolitionputshimintouchwiththecharactersandthemovementofthetale。Thisisscarcelymorethanabriefandcondensedreminiscence;itisthesteppingbackintoamoodonceexperienced。

Letussay，forexample，thatthestorytobetoldistheimmortalfableofTheUglyDuckling。

Beforeyouopenyourlipsthewholepatheticseriesofthelittleswan’smishapsshouldflashacrossyourmind，——notaccuratelyandindetail，butblendedtoacompositeofundeservedignominy，ofbaffledinnocentwonderment，andofdeliciousunderlyingsatireonaverageviews。

WiththisismingledthefeelingofAndersen’sdelicatewhimsicalityofstyle。ThedearlittleUglyDucklingwaddles，bodily，intoyourconsciousness，andyoupityhissorrowsandanticipatehistriumph，beforeyoubegin。

Thispreliminaryrecognitionofmoodiswhatbringsthedeliciousquizzicaltwitchtothemouthofagoodraconteurwhobeginsananecdotethehearersknowwillbeside—splitting。Itiswhatmakesgrandmothersighgentlyandlookfaroveryourheads，whenhersoftvoicecommencesthestoryof"thelittlegirlwholivedlong，longago。"Itisanaturalandinstinctivethingwiththebornstory—teller;anecessarythingforanyonewhowillbecomeastory—teller。

Fromtheverystart，themoodofthetaleshouldbedefiniteandauthoritative，beginningwiththemoodofthetellerandemanatingtherefrominproportionasthephysiqueofthetellerisaresponsivemedium。

Nowweareoff。Knowingyourstory，havingyourhearerswellarranged，andbeingasthoroughlyasyouareableintherightmood，youbegintotellit。Tellit，then，simply，directly，dramatically，withzest。

SIMPLYappliesbothtomannerandmatter。

Astomanner，Imeanwithoutaffectation，withoutanyformofpretence，inshort，withoutposing。Itisapityto"talkdown"tothechildren，toassumeahoneyedvoice，tothinkoftheedifyingoreducationalvalueoftheworkoneisdoing。Naturalness，beingoneself，isthedesideratum。Iwonderwhywesooftenuseapreposterousvoice，——asuper—sweetenedwhine，intalkingtochildren？Isitthattheefforttorealiseanidealofgentlenessandaffectionatenessoverreachesitselfinthisformofthegrotesque？

SomegoodintentionmustbetherootofitButthethingisnonethelesspernicious。A

"cant"voiceisasabominableasacantphraseology。

Bothareoftheverysubstanceofevil。

"ButitiseasiertoSAY，`Benatural’thantoBEit，"saidoneteachertomedesperately。

Beyonddispute。Tothoseofuswhoarecursedwithanover—abundantmeasureofself—

consciousness，nothingisharderthansimplenaturalness。Theremedyistoloseoneselfinone’sart。Thinkofthestorysoabsorbinglyandvividlythatyouhavenoroomtothinkofyourself。Liveit。Sinkyourselfinthatmoodyouhavesummonedup，andletitcarryyou。

Ifyoudothis，simplicityofmatterwillcomeeasily。Yourchoiceofwordsandimageswillnaturallybecomesimple。

Itis，Ithink，afamiliarprecepttoeducators，thatchildrenshouldnothavetheirliteraturetoomuchsimplifiedforthem。Wearetoldthattheylikesomethingbeyondthem，andthatitisgoodforthemtohaveasenseofmysteryandpowerbeyondthesensetheygrasp。Thatmaybetrue;butifsoitdoesnotapplytostory—

tellingasitdoestoreading。Wehaveconstantlytorememberthatthemovementofastorytoldisveryswift。Aconceptnotgraspedinpassingisirrevocablylost;thereisnopossibilityofturningback，orlingeringoverthepage。Also，sincetheartofstory—tellingisprimarilyanartofentertainment，itsveryobjectissacrificediftheideasandimagesdonotslipintothechild’sconsciousnesssmoothlyenoughtoavoidthesenseofstrain。Forthisreasonshort，familiar，vividwordsarebest。

Simplicityofmannerandofmatterarebothessentialtotherightappealtochildren。

DIRECTNESSintellingisamostimportantquality。Thestory，listenedto，islikethedrama，beheld。Itsmovementmustbeunimpeded，increasinglyswift，windingup"withasnap。"Long—windedness，ortalkingroundthestory，utterlydestroysthismovement。Theincidentsshouldbetold，oneafteranother，withoutexplanationordescriptionbeyondwhatisabsolutelynecessary;andTHEYSHOULDBETOLD

INLOGICALSEQUENCE。Nothingismoredistressingthanthecart—before—the—horsemethod，——nothingmorequicklydestroysinterestthanthefailuretogetaclueintherightplace。

Sometimes，tobesure，asideremarkaddspiquancyandapersonalsavour。Butthegeneralruleis，greatdiscretioninthisrespect。

Everyepithetoradjectivebeyondwhatisneededtogivetheimage，isafive—barredgateinthepathoftheeagermindtravellingtoaclimax。

Explanationsandmoralisingareusuallysheerclatter。Somefewstoriesnecessarilyincludealittleexplanation，andstoriesofthefableordermayquaintlyendwithanobviousmoral。

Buthereagain，theruleis——greatdiscretion。

Itiswelltorememberthatyouhaveonegreatadvantageoverthewriterofstories。Thewritermustpresentaclearimageandmakeavividimpression，——allwithwords。Thetellerhasface，andvoice，andbodytodoitwith。

Thetellerneeds，consequently，butoneswiftlyincisiveverbtothewriter’stwo;butoneexpressiveadjectivetohisthree。Often，indeed，apauseandanexpressivegesturedothewholething。

Itmaybesaidherethatitisagoodtrickofdescriptiontorepeatanepithetorphraseonceused，whenreferringagaintothesamething。

TherecurrentadjectivesofHomerwerethedeviceofonewhoentertainedachildlikeaudience。Histrickisunconsciousandinstinctivewithpeoplewhohaveanaturalgiftforchildren’sstories。Ofcoursethismatteralsodemandscommonsenseinthedegreeofitsuse;inmoderationitisamostsuccessfuldevice。

Brevity，closelogicalsequence，exclusionofforeignmatter，unhesitantspeech，——tousetheseistotellastorydirectly。

Aftersimplicityanddirectness，comesthatqualitywhichtoadvise，istobecomearockofoffencetomany。Itisthesuggestion，"TellthestoryDRAMATICALLY。"Yetwhenwequiteunderstandeachotherastothemeaningof"dramatically，"Ithinkyouwillagreewithmethatagoodstory—tellerincludesthisinhisqualitiesofmanner。Itmeans，notinthemanneroftheelocutionist，notexcitably，notanyofthethingswhichareincompatiblewithsimplicityandsincerity;butwithawhole—

heartedthrowingofoneselfintothegame，whichidentifiesoneinamannerwiththecharacterorsituationofthemoment。Itmeansresponsively，vividly，withoutinterposingablankwallofsolidselfbetweenthedramaofthetaleandthemind’seyeoftheaudience。

Itissuchfun，pureandsimple，sotothrowoneselfintoit，andtoseetheansweringexpressionsmimicone’sown，thatitseemssuperfluoustourgeit。Yetmanypersonsdofinditdifficult。Theinstant，slightbutsuggestivechangeofvoice，theuseofonomatopoeticwords，theresponseofeyesandhands，whichareallimmediateandspontaneouswithsometemperaments，aretoothersamatterofshamefacednessandlabour。Tothose，toallwhoarenotbynaturebodilyexpressive，I

wouldreiteratetheinjunctionalreadygiven，nottopretend。Donothingyoucannotdonaturallyandhappily。Butlayyourstressontheinnerandspiritualefforttoappreciate，tofeel，toimagineoutthetale;andlettheexpressivenessofyourbodygrowgraduallywiththeincreasingfreedomfromcripplingself—

consciousness。Thephysiquewillbecomemoremobileastheemotiondoes。

Theexpressionmust，however，alwaysREMAIN

SUGGESTIVERATHERTHANILLUSTRATIVE。Thisisthesideofthecasewhichthosewhoareover—dramaticmustnotforget。Thestory—

tellerisnotplayingthepartsofhisstories;

heismerelyarousingtheimaginationofhishearerstopicturethescenesforthemselves。

Oneelementofthedualconsciousnessofthetale—tellerremainsalwaystheobserver，thereporter，thequietoutsider。

Iliketothinkofthestory—tellerasagoodfellowstandingatagreatwindowoverlookingabusystreetorapicturesquesquare，andreportingwithgustotothecomradeintherearoftheroomwhatofmirthorsadnesshesees;

hehintsatthepoliceman’sstrut，theorgan—

grinder’sshrug，theschoolgirl’sgaiety，withagestureortwowhichisbornofanirresistibleimpulsetoimitate;butheneverleaveshisfascinatingposttocarrytheimitationfurtherthanahint。

Theverityofthisfigureliesinthefactthatthedramaticqualityofstory—tellingdependscloselyupontheCLEARNESSANDPOWERWITHWHICH

THESTORY—TELLERVISUALISESTHEEVENTSANDCHARACTERS

HEDESCRIBES。Youmustholdtheimagebeforethemind’seye，usingyourimaginationtoembodytoyourselfeveryact，incidentandappearance。Youmust，indeed，standatthewindowofyourconsciousnessandwatchwhathappens。

ThisisapointsovitalthatIamtemptedtoputitinornatetype。YoumustSEEwhatyouSAY！

Itisnottoomuch，even，tosay，"Youmustseemorethanyousay。"Truevividnessislentbyabackgroundofpicturerealisedbythelistenerbeyondwhatyoutellhim。Childrensee，asarule，noimageyoudonotsee;theyseemostclearlywhatyouseemostlargely。

Draw，then，fromafullwell，notfromasupplysolowthatthepumpswheezeateverypull。

Dramaticpowerofthereasonablyquietandsuggestivetypedemandedfortellingastorywillcomeprettysurelyinthetrainofeffortalongtheselines;itfollowstheclearconceptandsincerityinimpartingit，andisanaturalconsequenceofthevisualisingimagination。

Itisinextricablyboundup，also，withthecausesandresultsofthequalitywhichfindsplaceinmyfinalinjunction，totellyourstoryWITHZEST。Itmightalmostbeassumedthatthefinalsuggestionrenderstheprecedingonesuperfluous，sodirectistheeffectofalivelyinterestonthedramaticqualityofanarration;

butitwouldnotofitselfbeadequate;thenecessityofvisualisingimaginationisparamount。

Zestis，however，aclosesecondtothisclearnessofmentalvision。Itisentirelynecessarytobeinterestedinyourownstory，toenjoyitasyoutellit。Ifyouareboredandtired，thechildrenwillsoonbeboredandtired，too。Ifyouarenotinterestedyourmannercannotgetthatvitalisedspontaneitywhichmakesdramaticpowerpossible。Nothingelsewillgivethatrelishonthelips，thatgusto，whichcommunicatesitsjoytotheaudienceandmakesitreceptivetoeveryimpression。

Iusedtosaytoteachers，"Tellyourstorywithallyourmight，"butIfoundthatthisbyanaturalmisconceptionwasofteninterpretedtomean"laboriously。"Andofcoursenothingismoreinjurioustotheenjoymentofanaudiencethanobviouseffortonthepartoftheentertainer。Truezestcanbe——oftenis——extremelyquiet，butitgivesasavournothingelsecanimpart。

"Buthow，attheendofahardmorning’swork，canIbeinterestedinastoryIhavetoldtwentytimesbefore？"asksthekindergartenorprimaryteacher，notwithoutreason。

Therearetwothingstobesaid。Thefirstisareminderofthewisdomofchoosingstoriesinwhichyouoriginallyhaveinterest;andofhavingastorelargeenoughtopermitvariety。Thesecondappliestothoseinevitabletimesofwearinesswhichattackthemostinterestedandwell—

stockedstory—teller。Youare，perhaps，tiredoutphysically。Youhavetoldacertainstorytillitseemsasifarepetitionofitmustproducebodilyeffectsdiretocontemplate，yetthathappenstobetheverystoryyoumusttell。

Whatcanyoudo？Ianswer，"Makebelieve。"

Thedeviceseemsincongruouswiththerepeatedwarningsagainstpretence;butitisnecessary，anditiswise。Pretendashardaseveryoucantobeinterested。Andtheresultwillbe——beforeyouknowit——thatyouwillBEinterested。Thatisthechiefcauseoftherecommendation;itbringsabouttheresultitsimulates。Makebelieve，aswellasyouknowhow，andtheprobabilityisthatyouwillnotevenknowwhenthetransitionfrompretendedtorealinterestcomes。

Andfortunately，thechildrenneverknowthedifference。Theyhavenotthatpsychologicalinfallibilitywhichisoftenattributedtothem。

Theymight，indeed，detectapretencewhichcontinuedthroughawholetale;butthatissoseldomnecessarythatitneedslittleconsideration。

Sothen：enjoyyourstory;beinterestedinit，——ifyoupossiblycan;andifyoucannot，pretendtobe，tilltheverypretencebringsaboutthevirtueyouhaveassumed。

Thereismuchelsewhichmightbesaidandurgedregardingthemethodofstory—telling，evenwithoutencroachingonthedomainofpersonalvariations。Awholechaptermight，forexample，bedevotedtovoiceandenunciation，andthenleavethesubjectfertile。Butvoiceandenunciationareafterallmerelysinglemanifestationsofdegreeandqualityofculture，oftaste，andofnaturalgift。Nosetrulescanbringcharmofvoiceandspeechtoapersonwhosefeelingandhabitualpointofviewarefundamentallywrong;

thepersonwhosehabitualfeelingandmentalattitudearefundamentallyrightneedsfewornorules。Asthewholematterofstory—tellingisinthefirstinstanceanexpressionofthecomplexpersonalproduct，sowillthisfeatureofitvaryinperfectionaccordingtothebeautyandcultureofthehumanmechanismmanifestingit。

Afewgenerallyapplicablesuggestionsmay，however，beuseful，——alwaysassumingthestory—

tellertohavethefundamentalqualificationsoffineandwholesomehabit。Thesearenotrulesfortheartofspeaking;theyaremerelysomepracticalconsiderationsregardingspeakingtoanaudience。

First，Iwouldreiteratemyearlieradvice，besimple。Affectationistheworstenemyofvoiceandenunciationalike。Slovenlyenunciationiscertainlyverydreadful，buttheunregeneratemaybepardonediftheypreferittotheaffectedmouthingwhichsomeover—nicepeoplewithoutduesenseofvaluesexpendoneverysyllablewhichissounluckyastofallbetweentheirteeth。

NextIwouldurgeavoidanceofafaultverycommonwiththosewhospeakmuchinlargerooms，——themistakeneffortatloudness。Thisresultsintighteningandstrainingthethroat，finallyproducingnasalhead—tonesoravoiceofmetallicharshness。Anditisentirelyunnecessary。Thereisnoneedtospeakloudly。

Theordinaryschoolroomneedsnovocaleffort。

Ahallseatingthreeorfourhundredpersonsdemandsnoeffortwhateverbeyondacertainclearnessanddefinitenessofspeech。Ahallseatingfromfivetoeighthundredneedsmoreskillinaimingthevoice，butstilldemandsnoshouting。

Itisindeedlargelythepsychologicalqualityofatonethatmakesitreachinthroughtheeartothecomprehension。Thequiet，clear，restful，persuasivetoneofaspeakerwhoknowshispowergoesstraighthome;butloudspeechconfuses。Neverspeakloudly。Inasmallroom，speakasgentlyandeasilyasinconversation;

inalargeroom，thinkofthepeoplefarthestaway，andspeakclearly，withaslightseparationbetweenwords，andwithdefinitephrasing，——

aimingyourMINDtowardthedistantlisteners。

Ifoneisconsciousofnasalityorthroatinessofvoice，itcertainlypaystostudythesubjectseriouslywithanintelligentteacher。Butagood，naturalspeaking—voice，freefromextraordinaryvices，willfillalltherequirementsofstory—tellingtosmallaudiences，withoutotherattentionthancomesindirectlyfromfollowingthegeneralprinciplesoftheart。

Tosumitallup，then，letussayofthemethodlikelytobringsuccessintellingstories，thatitincludessympathy，grasp，spontaneity：onemustappreciatethestory，andknowit;andthen，usingtherealisingimaginationasaconstantvivifyingforce，anddominatedbythemoodofthestory，onemusttellitwithallone’smight，——simply，vitally，joyously。

CHAPTERV

SOMESPECIFICSCHOOLROOMUSESOFSTORY—TELLING

InChapterII。，Ihavetriedtogivemyconceptionofthegeneralaimofstory—tellinginschool。

Fromthatconception，itisnotdifficulttodeducecertainspecificuses。Theonemostplainlyintimatedisthatofabriefrecreationperiod，afeaturewhichhasprovedvaluableinmanyclasses。Lessdefinitelyimplied，butnottobeignored，wastheuseofthestoryduring，oraccessoryto，thelessoninscienceorhistory。

Butmoredistinctiveandvaluablethanthese，Ithink，isaspecificusewhichIhaverecentlyhadthepleasureofseeingexemplifiedingreatcompletenessintheschoolsofProvidence，RhodeIsland。

Somefouryearsago，theassistantsuperintendentofschoolsofthatcity，MissEllaL。

Sweeney，introducedaratherunusualandextendedapplicationofthestoryinherprimaryclasses。Whiletheexperimentwasinitsearlystages，itwasmygoodfortunetobeallowedtomakesuggestionsforitsdevelopment，andasthedevicesinquestionwerethoseIhadbeenaccustomedtouseasapastimeforchildren，I

wasabletotakesomeslighthandintheformativeworkofitsadoptionasaneducationalmethod。Carriedoutmostablybytheteacherstowhomitwasentrusted，theplanhasevolvedintoamoreinclusiveandsystematiconethanwasatfirsthopedfor;itisonefromwhichI

havebeengratefultolearn。

Terselystated，theobjectofthegeneralplanisthefreeinganddevelopingofthepowerofexpressioninthepupils。

Ithinktherecanbenoneedofdwellingonthedesirabilityofthisresult。Theapathyand"woodenness"ofchildrenunderaveragemodesofpedagogyisapparenttoanyonewhoisinterestedenoughtoobserve。Inelementarywork，themostnoticeablelackofnaturalexpressionisprobablyinthereadingclasses;thesamedrawbackappearsatalaterstageinEnglishcomposition。Butallalongthelineeverythoughtfulteacherknowshowdifficultitistoobtainspontaneous，creativereactiononmaterialgiven。

Story—tellinghasarealmissiontoperforminsettingfreethenaturalcreativeexpressionofchildren，andinvitalisingthegeneralatmosphereoftheschool。ThemethodinuseforthispurposeinProvidence（andprobablyelsewhere，asideasusuallygerminateinmorethanoneplaceatonce）isathreefoldGIVINGBACKofthestorybythechildren。Twooftheformsofreproductionarefamiliartomanyteachers;thefirstistheobviousoneoftellingthestorybackagain。

Itissuchfuntolistentoagoodstorythatchildrenrememberitwithouteffort，andlater，whenaskediftheycantellthestoryofTheRed—HeadedWoodpeckerorThelittleRedHen，theyareaseagertotryitasifitwereapersonalexperiencewhichtheywereburningtoimpart。

Eachpupil，intheProvidenceclasses，isgivenachancetotryeachstory，atsometime。Thenthatonewhicheachhastoldespeciallywellisallottedtohimforhisownparticularstory，onwhichhehasanespecialclaimthereafter。

Itissurprisingtonotehowcomparativelyindividualanddistinctivetheexpressionofvoiceandmannerbecomes，afterashorttime。

Thechildinstinctivelyemphasisesthepointswhichappealtohim，andtheelementoffuninitallhelpstobringforgetfulnessofself。Themaininflectionsandthegeneraltenorofthelanguage，however，remainimitative，asisnaturalwithchildren。Butthisisagainratherthanotherwise，foritisusefulinforminggoodhabit。Innootherpartofherwork，probably，hasateachersogoodachancetofosterinherpupilspleasanthabitsofenunciationandvoice。

Andthisisespeciallyworthwhileillthebigcityschools，wheresomanychildrencomefromhomeswheretheEnglishofthetenementisspoken。

Ihavesincewishedthateverycityprimaryteachercouldhavevisitedwithmethefirst—

graderoominProvidencewherethepupilswereGerman，Russian，orPolishJews，andwheresomeofthemhadheardnoEnglishprevioustothatyear，——itbeingthenMay。Thejoythatshoneontheirfaceswasnothinglessthanradiancewhenthelow—voicedteachersaid，"Wouldyouliketotelltheseladiessomeofyourstories？"

Theytoldustheirstories，andtherewastrulynotonetoldpoorlyorinexpressively;allthechildrenhadlearnedsomethingofthejoyofcreativeeffort。Butonelittlefellowstandsoutinmymemorybeyondalltherest，yetasatypeofalltherest。

Rudolphwasverysmall，andsquare，andmerryofeye;lifewasoneeagernessandexpectancytohim。HeknewnoEnglishbeyondthatofoneschoolyear。ButhestoodstaunchlyinhisplaceandtoldmethestoryoftheLittleHalfChickwithanabandonandbodilyemphasiswhichleftnodoubtofhissympatheticunderstandingofeveryword。Thedepthofmoralreproachinhistonewasquitebeyonddescriptionwhenhesaid，"LittleHalfChick，littleHalfChick，whenIwasintrubbulyouwouldn’thelpme！"Heheartilyrelishedthatrepetition，andbecamemoredramaticeachtime。

Throughitall，inthetonesofthetenderlittlevoice，thesidewiseposeoftheneatdarkhead，andtheoccasionaluseofachubbypointingfinger，onecouldtraceavaguereflectionoftheteacher’smanner。Itwasnotstrongenoughtodominateatalloverthechild’spersonality，butitwasstrongenoughtosuggestpossibilities。

Indifferentrooms，IwastoldTheHalfChick，TheLittleRedHen，TheThreeBears，TheRed—

HeadedWoodpecker，TheFoxandtheGrapes，andmanyothersimplestories，andineveryinstancetherewasanoticeabledegreeofspontaneityandcommandofexpression。

Whenthereadingclasseswereheld，theinfluenceofthisworkwasveryvisible。Ithadcreptintotheteachers’method，aswellasthechildren’sattitude。Thestoryinterestwasstillparamount。Inthediscussion，intheteachers’

remarks，andintheactualreading，therewasajoyousnessandaninterestinthesubject—

matterwhichtotallyprecludedthatpreoccupationwithsoundsandsyllablessodeadlytoanyrealprogressinreading。TherewaslessofthemechanicalinthereadingthaninanyIhadheardinmyvisitstoschools;butitwasexceptionallyaccurate。

Thesecondformofgivingbackwhichhasprovedakeenpleasureandastimulustogrowthisakindof"seat—work。"Thechildrenareallowedtomakeoriginalillustrationsofthestoriesbycuttingsilhouettepictures。

Itwillbereadilyseenthatnochildcandothiswithoutvisualisingeachimageveryperfectly。Inthesimplestandmostunconsciouswaypossible，thesmallartistsaredevelopingthepowerofconceivingandholdingtheconcreteimageofanideagiven，thepowerwhichisatthebottomofallartsofexpression。

ThroughthekindnessofMissSweeney，I

amabletoinsertseveraloftheseillustrations。

Theyareentirelyoriginal，andweremadewithoutanythoughtofsuchauseasthis。

Thepicturesandtheretellingarebothpopularwithchildren，butneitherisasdeartothemasthethirdformofreproductionofwhichIwishtospeak。Thisthirdkindistakenentirelyonthegroundofplay，andnovisiblydidacticelemententersintoit。ItconsistssimplyofPLAYINGTHESTORY。

Whenagoodstorywithasimplesequencehasbeentold，andwhilethechildrenarestillathrillwiththedelightofit，theyaretoldtheymayplayit。

"WhowouldliketobeRedRidingHood？"

saystheteacher;upgothelittlegirls’hands，andMaryorHannahorGertrudeischosen。

"Whowillbethewolf？"JohnnyorMarcusbecomesthewolf。Thekindwoodchopperandthemotherarealsohappilydistributed，forintheselittledramaticcompaniesitisanall—starcast，andnoonerealisesanyindignityinasubordinaterole。

"Now，whereshallwehavelittleRedRidingHood’shouse？`Overinthatcorner，’Katie？

Verywell，RidingHoodshallliveoverthere。

Andwhereshallthegrandmother’scottagebe？"

Thechildrendecidethatitmustbealongdistancethroughthewood，——half—wayroundtheschoolroom，infact。ThewolfselectsthespotwherehewillmeetRedRidingHood，andthewoodchopperchoosesapositionfromwhichhecanrushinatthecriticalmoment，tosaveRedRidingHood’slife。

Then，withgustogoodtosee，theyplaythegame。Theteachermakesnosuggestions;

eachactorcreateshispart。Somechildrenproveextremelyexpressiveandfacile，whileothersarelimitedbynature。Buteachislefttohisspontaneousaction。

Inthecourseofseveraldaysseveralsetsofchildrenhavebeenallowedtotry;thenifanyofthemarenotablygoodintheseveralroles，theyaregivenanespecialprivilegeinthatstory，aswasdonewiththeretelling。Whenachildexpressesapartbadly，theteachersometimesasksifanyonethinksofanotherwaytodoit;fromdifferentexamplesoffered，thechildrenthenchoosetheonetheyprefer;

thisisadopted。Atnopointistheteacherapparentlyteaching。Sheletstheaudienceteachitselfanditsactors。

ThechildrenplayedagoodmanystoriesformeduringmyvisitinProvidence。Ofthemall，RedRidingHood，TheFoxandtheGrapes，andTheLionandtheMouseweremostvividlydone。

ItwillbelongbeforethechiefoftheLittleRedRidingHoodsfadesfrommymemory。

Shehadadark，foreignlittleface，withagooddealofdarkerhairtiedbackfromit，andbrown，expressivehands。Hereyesweresofullofdancinglightsthatwhentheymetmineunexpectedlyitwasasifachancereflectionhaddazzledme。Whenshewastoldthatshemightplay，shecameupforherridinghoodlikeanembodieddelight，almostdancingasshemoved。（Herteacherusedafewsimpleelementsofstage—settingforherstories，suchasbowlsfortheBears，acapeforRidingHood，andsoon。）

Thegamebeganatonce。RidingHoodstartedfromtherearcorneroftheroom，basketonarm;hermothergaveherstrictinjunctionsastolingeringontheway，andshereturnedarespectful"Yes，mother。"Thenshetrottedroundtheaisle，greetingthewood—

chopperontheway，tothedeepwoodwhichlayclosebytheteacher’sdesk。Theremasterwolfwaswaiting，andtherethetwoheldconverse，——masterwolfverycraftyindeed，RedRidingHoodextremelypolite。Thewolfthendartedonaheadandcroucheddowninthecornerwhichrepresentedgrandmother’sbed。

RidingHoodtrippedsedatelytotheimaginarydoor，andknocked。Thefamiliardialoguefollowed，andwiththewords"thebettertoeatyouwith，mydear！"thewolfclutchedRedRidingHood，toeatherup。Butwewerenotforcedtoundergothethreatenedsceneofhorridcarnage，asthewoodchopperopportunelyarrived，andstatedcalmly，"IwillnotletyoukillLittleRedRidingHood。"

Allwasnowhappilyculminated，andwiththechopper’sgraveinjunctionastofutureconductinherears，therescuedheroinetip—

toedoutofthewoods，toherseat。

Iwantedtoapplaud，butIrealisedinthenickoftimethatwewereallplaying，andheldmypeace。

TheFoxandtheGrapeswasmoredramaticallydone，butwasgivenbyasinglechild。

Hewasthechosen"fox"ofanotherprimaryroom，andhadthefaircolouringandsturdyframewhichmatchedhisSwedishname。Hewasnaturallydramatic。Itwaseasytoseethatheinstinctivelyvisualisedeverything，andthishedidsostronglythathesuggestedtotheonlookereverydetailofthescene。

Hechoseforhisgrape—trellistherearwalloftheroom。

Standingthere，helookedlonginglyupattheinvisiblebunchofgrapes。"Mygracious，"

hesaid，"whatfinegrapes！Iwillhavesome。"

Thenhejumpedforthem。

"Didn’tgetthem，"hemuttered，"I’lltryagain，"andhejumpedhigher。

"Didn’tgetthemthistime，"hesaiddisgustedly，andhoppeduponcemore。Thenhestoodstill，lookedup，shruggedhisshoulders，andremarkedinanabsurdlyworldly—wisetone，"Thosegrapesaresour！"Afterwhichhewalkedaway。

Ofcoursethewholethingwasinfantile，andwithoutatouchofgrace;butitisnoexaggerationtosaythatthechilddidwhatmanygrown—upactorsfailtodo，——hepreservedtheillusion。

ItwasinstillanotherroomthatIsawthelionandmousefableplayed。

Thelionlayflatonthefloorforhisnap，butstartedupwhenhefoundhispawlaidonthelittlemouse，whocrouchedassmallasshecouldbesidehim。（Themousewasbynatureratherlargerthanthelion，butshecalledwhatartshemighttoherassistance）Themousepersuadedtheliontolifthispaw，andranaway。

Presentlyamosthorrificgroaningemanatedfromthelion。Themouseranup，lookedhimover，andsoliloquisedinpreciselanguage，——

evidentlyremembered，"Whatisthematterwiththelion？Oh，Isee;heiscaughtinatrap。"Andthenshegnawedwithherteethattheimaginaryropewhichboundhim。

"Whatmakesyousokindtome，littleMouse？"

saidtherescuedlion。

"Youletmego，whenIaskedyou，"saidthemousedemurely。

"Thankyou，littleMouse，"answeredthelion;andtherewith，finis。

Itisnotimpossiblethatallthisplayatmospheremayseemincongruousandunnecessarytoteachersusedtomoreconventionalmethods，butIfeelsurethatanactualexperienceofitwouldmodifythatpointofviewconclusively。

Thechildrenoftheschoolswherestory—tellingand"dramatising"werepractisedwerestartlinglybetterinreading，inattentiveness，andingeneralpowerofexpression，thanthepupilsoflikesocialconditionsinthesamegradesofothercitieswhichIvisitedsoonafter，andinwhichthemoreconventionalmethodswereexclusivelyused。Theteachers，also，werestrongerinpowerofexpression。

Butthemostnoticeable，thoughtheleasttangible，differencewasinthemoralatmosphereoftheschoolroom。Therehadbeenagreatgaininvitalityinalltheroomswherestorieswereapartofthework。Ithadactedandreactedonpupilsandteachersalike。Thetellingofastorywellsodependsonbeingthoroughlyvitalisedthat，naturally，habitualtellinghadresultedinhabitualvitalisation。

Thisresultwasnot，ofcourse，whollyduetothepracticeofstory—telling，butitwasinsomemeasureduetothat。Anditwasaresultworththeeffort。

Ibegtourgethesespecificusesofstories，asbothrecreativeanddeveloping，andasespeciallytendingtowardenlargedpowerofexpression：

retellingthestory;illustratingthestoryinseat—

work;dramatisation。

STORIESSELECTEDANDADAPTEDFORTELLING

ESPECIALLYFORKINDERGARTENANDCLASSI。

WeeWillieWinkierunsthroughthetown，Upstairsanddownstairsinhisnightgown，Rappingatthewindow，cryingthroughthelock，"Arethechildrenintheirbeds，fornowit’seighto’clock？"

Therewasacrookedman，andhewentacrookedmile，Hefoundacrookedsixpenceagainstacrookedstile;

Heboughtacrookedcat，whichcaughtacrookedmouse，Andtheyalllivedtogetherinalittlecrookedhouse。

Cushycowbonny，letdownthymilk，AndIwillgivetheeagownofsilk;

Agownofsilkandasilvertee，Ifthouwiltletdownthymilktome。

"Littlegirl，littlegirl，wherehaveyoubeen？"

"Gatheringrosestogivetothequeen。"

"Littlegirl，littlegirl，whatgavesheyou？"

"Shegavemeadiamondasbigasmyshoe。"

LittleBo—peephaslosthersheep，Andcan’ttellwheretofindthem;

Leavethemalone，andthey’llcomehome，Andbringtheirtailsbehindthem。

LittleBopeepfellfastasleep，Anddreamtsheheardthembleating;

Butwhensheawoke，shefounditajoke，Forstilltheyallwerefleeting。

Thenupshetookherlittlecrook，Determin’dfortofindthem;

Shefoundthemindeed，butitmadeherheartbleed，Forthey’dlefttheirtailsbehindthem。

FIVELITTLEWHITEHEADS[1]

BYWALTERLEARNED

[1]FromMother—SongandChild—Song，CharlotteBrewsterJordan。

Fivelittlewhiteheadspeepedoutofthemould，Whenthedewwasdampandthenightwascold;

Andtheycrowdedtheirwaythroughthesoilwithpride;

"Hurrah！Wearegoingtobemushrooms！"theycriedButthesuncameup，andthesunshonedown，Andthelittlewhiteheadswerewitheredandbrown;

Longweretheirfaces，theirpridehadafall——

Theywerenothingbuttoadstools，afterall。

BIRDTHOUGHTS[2]

[2]Ibid。

Ilivedfirstinalittlehouse，Andlivedthereverywell;

Ithoughttheworldwassmallandround，Andmadeofpaleblueshell。

Ilivednextinalittlenest，Norneededanyother;

Ithoughttheworldwasmadeofstraw，Andbroodedbymymother。

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