How to Tell Stories to Children, And Some Stories to Tell

How to Tell Stories to Children, And Some Stories to Tell

Project Gutenberg's How to Tell Stories to Children, by Sara Cone Bryant This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: How to Tell Stories to Children And Some Stories to Tell
Author: Sara Cone Bryant
Release Date: February 7, 2005 [EBook #474]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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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 Art--Recent Revival--The Difference between telling a Story and reading it aloud--Some 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 why--Qualities necessary for Oral Delivery--Examples: The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, The Old Woman and her Pig--Suggestions 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 short--How to fill out a short Story--General 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 Dormouse--Analysis of Method


CHAPTER IV
HOW TO TELL THE STORY
Essential Nature of the Story--Kind of Appreciation necessary--Suggestions for gaining Mastery of Facts --Arrangement of Children--The Story-teller's Mood--A few Principles of Method, Manner and Voice, from the Psychological Point of View


CHAPTER V
SOME SPECIFIC SCHOOLROOM USES
Exercise in Retelling--Illustrations cut by the Children as Seat-work--Dramatic Games--Influence 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