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。