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its appeal。
You are now to tell it in such wise that your hearers will get the same
kind of impression you yourself received from it。 How？
I believe the inner secret of success is the measure of force with which
the teller wills the conveyance of his impression to the hearer。
Anyone who has watched； or has himself been； the teller of a story
which held an audience； knows that there is something approaching
hypnotic suggestion in the close connection of effort and effect； and in the
elimination of self… consciousness from speaker and listeners alike。
I would not for a moment lend the atmosphere of charlatanry； or of the
ultra…psychic； to the wholesome and vivid art of story…telling。 But I would；
if possible； help the teacher to realise how largely success in that art is a
subjective and psychological matter； dependent on her control of her own
mood and her sense of direct； intimate communion with the minds
attending her。 The 〃feel〃 of an audience；that indescribable sense of the
composite human soul waiting on the initiative of your own； the emotional
currents interplaying along a medium so delicate that it takes the baffling
torture of an obstruction to reveal its existence；cannot be taught。 But it
can and does develop with use。 And a realisation of the immense latent
power of strong desire and resolution vitalises and disembarrasses the
beginner。
That is； undoubtedly； rather an intangible beginning； it sets the root of
the matter somewhat in the realm of 〃spirits and influences。〃 There are；
however； outward and visible means of arriving at results。 Every art has its
technique。 The art of story…telling； intensely personal and subjective as it
is； yet comes under the law sufficiently not to be a matter of sheer
〃knack。〃 It has its technique。 The following suggestions are an attempt to
state what seem the foundation principles of that technique。 The general
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HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
statements are deduced from many consecutive experiences； partly； too；
they are the results of introspective analysis； confirmed by observation。
They do not make up an exclusive body of rules； wholly adequate to
produce good work； of themselves； they do include； so far as my
observation and experience allow； the fundamental requisites of good
work； being the qualities uniformly present in successful work of many
story…tellers。
First of all； most fundamental of all； is a rule without which any other
would be but folly： KNOW YOUR STORY。
One would think so obvious a preliminary might be taken for granted。
But alas； even slight acquaintance with the average story…teller proves the
dire necessity of the admonition。 The halting tongue； the slip in name or
incident； the turning back to forge an omitted link in the chain； the
repetition； the general weakness of statement consequent on imperfect
grasp： these are common features of the stories one hears told。 And they
are features which will deface the best story ever told。
One must know the story absolutely； it must have been so assimilated
that it partakes of the nature of personal experience； its essence must be so
clearly in mind that the teller does not have to think of it at all in the act of
telling； but rather lets it flow from his lips with the unconscious freedom
of a vivid reminiscence。
Such knowledge does not mean memorising。 Memorising utterly
destroys the freedom of reminiscence； takes away the spontaneity； and
substitutes a mastery of form for a mastery of essence。 It means； rather； a
perfect grasp of the gist of the story； with sufficient familiarity with its
form to determine the manner of its telling。 The easiest way to obtain this
mastery is； I think； to analyse the story into its simplest elements of plot。
Strip it bare of style； description； interpolation； and find out simply WHAT
HAPPENED。 Personally； I find that I get first an especially vivid
conception of the climax； this then has to be rounded out by a clear
perception of the successive steps which lead up to the climax。 One has； so；
the framework of the story。 The next process is the filling in。
There must be many ways of going about this filling in。 Doubtless
many of my readers； in the days when it was their pet ambition to make a
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HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
good recitation in school； evolved personally effective ways of doing it；
for it is； after all； the same thing as preparing a bit of history or a recitation
in literature。 But for the consideration of those who find it hard to gain
mastery of fact without mastery of its stated form； I give my own way。 I
have always used the childlike plan of talking it out。 Sometimes inaudibly；
sometimes in loud and penetrating tones which arouse the sympathetic
curiosity of my family； I tell it over and over； to an imaginary hearer。 That
hearer is as present to me； always has been； as Stevenson's 〃friend of the
children〃 who takes the part of the enemy in their solitary games of war。
His criticism （though he is a most composite double… sexed creature who
should not have a designating personal pronoun） is all…revealing。 For
talking it out instantly brings to light the weak spots in one's recollection。
〃What was it the little crocodile said？〃 〃Just how did the little pig get into
his house？〃 〃What was that link in the chain of circumstances which
brought the wily fox to confusion？〃 The slightest cloud of uncertainty
becomes obvious in a moment。 And as obvious becomes one's paucity of
expression； one's week…kneed imagination； one's imperfect assimilation of
the spirit of the story。 It is not a flattering process。
But when these faults have been corrected by several attempts； the
method gives a confidence； a sense of sureness； which makes the real
telling to a real audience ready and spontaneously smooth。 Scarcely an
epithet or a sentence comes out as it was in the preliminary telling； but
epithets and sentences in sufficiency do come； the beauty of this method is
that it brings freedom instead of bonda