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The child is an adept at make…believe； but his make…believes are； as a
rule； practical and serious。 It is credulity rather than imagination which
helps him。 He takes the tales he has been TOLD； the facts he has observed；
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HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
and for the most part reproduces them to the best of his ability。 And
〃nothing；〃 as Stevenson says； 〃can stagger a child's faith； he accepts the
clumsiest substitutes and can swallow the most staring incongruities。 The
chair he has just been besieging as a castle is taken away for the
accommodation of a morning visitor and he is nothing abashed； he can
skirmish by the hour with a stationary coal…scuttle； in the midst of the
enchanted pleasuance he can see； without sensible shock； the gardener
soberly digging potatoes for the day's dinner。〃
The child； in fact； is neither undeveloped 〃grown…up〃 nor unspoiled
angel。 Perhaps he has a dash of both； but most of all he is akin to the
grown person who dreams。 With the dreamer and with the child there is
that unquestioning acceptance of circumstances as they arise； however
unusual and disconcerting they may be。 In dreams the wildest； most
improbable and fantastic things happen； but they are not so to the dreamer。
The veriest cynic amongst us must take his dreams seriously and without a
sneer； whether he is forced to leap from the edge of a precipice； whether
he finds himself utterly incapable of packing his trunk in time for the train；
whether in spite of his distress at the impropriety； he finds himself at a
dinner… party minus his collar； or whether the riches of El Dorado are laid
at his feet。 For him at the time it is all quite real and harassingly or
splendidly important。
To the child and to the dreamer all things are possible； frogs may talk；
bears may be turned into princes； gallant tailors may overcome giants； fir…
trees may be filled with ambitions。 A chair may become a horse； a chest of
drawers a coach and six； a hearthrug a battlefield； a newspaper a crown of
gold。 And these are facts which the story…teller must realise； and choose
and shape the stories accordingly。
Many an old book； which to a modern grown person may seem prim
and over…rigid； will be to the child a delight； for him the primness and the
severity slip away； the story remains。 Such a book as Mrs Sherwood's
Fairchild Family is an example of this。 To a grown person reading it for
the first time； the loafing propensities of the immaculate Mrs Fairchild；
who never does a hand's turn of good work for anyone from cover to cover；
the hard piety； the snobbishness； the brutality of taking the children to the
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HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
old gallows and seating them before the dangling remains of a murderer；
while the lesson of brotherly love is impressed are shocking when they are
not amusing； but to the child the doings of the naughty and repentant little
Fairchilds are engrossing； and experience proves to us that the twentieth…
century child is as eager for the book as were ever his nineteenth…century
grandfather and grandmother。
Good Mrs Timmin's History of the Robins； too； is a continuous delight；
and from its pompous and high…sounding dialogue a skilful adapter may
glean not only one story； but one story with two versions； for the infant of
eighteen months can follow the narrative of the joys and troubles； errors
and kindnesses of Robin； Dicky； Flopsy and Pecksy； while the child of
five or ten or even more will be keenly interested in a fuller account of the
birds' adventures and the development of their several characters and those
of their human friends and enemies。
From these two books； from Miss Edgeworth's wonderful Moral Tales；
from Miss Wetherell's delightful volume Mr Rutherford's Children； from
Jane and Ann Taylor's Original Poems； from Thomas Day's Sandford and
Merton； from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Lamb's Tales from
Shakespeare； and from many another old friend； stories may be gathered；
but the story teller will find that in almost all cases adaptation is a
necessity。 The joy of the hunt； however； is a real joy； and with a field
which stretches from the myths of Greece to Uncle Remus； from Le Morte
d'Arthur to the Jungle Books； there need be no more lack of pleasure for
the seeker than for the receiver of the spoil。
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