第 11 节
作者:沸点123      更新:2021-02-27 02:03      字数:9322
  the more poetic fragments of Mother Goose) Stories with Rhyme in Parts
  Nature     Stories   (in  which     the  element    of   personification     is  strong)
  Nonsense Tales Wonder Tales
  FOR CLASSES II。 AND III。:
  Nonsense Tales Wonder Tales Fairy and Folk Tales Fables   Legends
  Nature Stories (especially stories of animals)
  FOR CLASSES IV。 AND V。:
  Folk   Tales   Fables   Myths   and Allegories   Developed Animal   Stories
  Legends:     Historic   and   Heroic    Historical   Stories   Humorous      Adventure
  Stories 〃True Stories 〃
  The    wonder    tales  most   familiar   and   accessible   to  the  teacher   are
  probably  those   included   in   the  collections   of Andersen   and   the   Brothers
  Grimm。 So constant is the demand for these that the following list may be
  found     useful;  as  indicating   which    of  the  stories   are  more   easily   and
  effectively adapted for telling; and commonly most successful。
  It   must   be   remembered   that   many   of   these   standard   tales   need   such
  adapting as has been suggested; catting them down; and ridding them of
  vulgar or sophisticated detail。
  From the Brothers Grimm:
  The Star Dollars The Cat and the Mouse The Nail The Hare and the
  Hedgehog   Snow…White   and   Rose…Red            Mother   Holle   Thumbling      Three
  Brothers   The   Little   Porridge   Pot   Little   Snow…White   The   Wolf   and   the
  Seven Little Kids The Sea Mouse
  From Andersen:
  Little Tiny The   Lark   and   the   Daisy  The   Ugly   Duckling The   Seven
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  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  Stories of the Snow Queen The Flax The Little Match Girl The Fir…Tree
  The Red Shoes Ole Lukoie Monday Saturday Sunday The Elf of the Rose
  Five   Peas   in   a   Pod   The  Portuguese   Duck   The   Little   Mermaid       (much
  shortened) The Nightingale (shortened) The Girl who trod on a Loaf The
  Emperor's New Clothes
  Another familiar and easily attainable type of story is the classic myth;
  as   retold   in   Kupfer's   Legends   of   Greece   and   Rome。'1'   Of   these;   again;
  certain tales are more successfully adapted to children than others。 Among
  the best for telling are:
  Arachne Pandora Midas Apollo and Daphne Apollo and Hyacinthus
  Narcissus Latona and the Rustics Proserpine
  '1' A well…nigh indispensable book for teachers is Guerber's Myths of
  Greece and Rome; which contains in brief form a complete collection of
  the classic myths。
  CHAPTER III
  ADAPTATION OF STORIES FOR TELLING
  It soon becomes easy to pick out from a collection such stories as can
  be well told; but at no time is it easy to find a sufficient number of such
  stories。 Stories simple; direct; and sufficiently full of incident for telling;
  yet having the beautiful or valuable motive we desire for children; do not
  lie hidden   in   every  book。 And   even   many  of   the   stories   which   are   most
  charming to read do not answer the double demand; for the appeal to the
  eye differs in many important respects from that to the ear。 Unless one is
  able to change the form of a story to suit the needs of oral delivery; one is
  likely to suffer from poverty of material。 Perhaps the commonest need of
  change is in the case of a story too long to tell; yet embodying some one
  beautiful   incident   or   lesson;   or   one   including   a   series   of   such   incidents。
  The story of The Nurnberg Stove; by Ouida;'1' is a good example of the
  latter kind; Ruskin's King of the Golden River will serve as an illustration
  of the former。
  '1' See Bimbi; by Ouida。 (Chatto。 2s。)
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  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  The problem in one case is chiefly one of elimination; in the other it
  is   also   in  a  large   degree    one   of  rearrangement。   In      both   cases    I  have
  purposely chosen extreme instances; as furnishing plainer illustration。 The
  usual story needs less adaptation than these; but the same kind; in its own
  degree。     Condensation       and   rearrangement       are   the  commonest        forms    of
  change required。 Pure condensation is probably the easier for most persons。
  With     The   Nurnberg      Stove    in  mind    for  reference;     let  us  see   what   the
  process     includes。    This    story   can   be   readily   found    by   anyone     who    is
  interested in the following example of adaptation; for nearly every library
  includes in its catalogue the juvenile works of Mlle。 de la Ramee (Ouida)。
  The suggestions given assume that the story is before my readers。
  The     story   as  it  stands   is  two   thousand     four   hundred     words     long;
  obviously too long to tell。 What can be left out? Let us see what must be
  kept in。
  The dramatic climax toward which we are working is the outcome of
  August's   strange   exploit;his   discovery   by   the   king   and   the   opportunity
  for him to become an artist。 The joy of this climax is twofold: August may
  stay   with   his   beloved   Hirschvogel;   and   he   may   learn   to   make   beautiful
  things   like   it。   To   arrive   at   the   twofold   conclusion   we   must   start   from   a
  double premise;the love of the stove and the yearning to be an artist。 It
  will;   then;   be   necessary  to   include   in   the   beginning   of   the   story   enough
  details   of   the   family   life   to   show   plainly   how   precious   and   necessary
  Hirschvogel was to the children; and   to state definitely  how August had
  learned to admire and wish to emulate Hirschvogel's maker。 We need no
  detail beyond what is necessary to make this clear。
  The beginning and the end of a story decided upon; its body becomes
  the bridge from one to the other; in this case it is August's strange journey;
  beginning with the catastrophe and his grief…dazed decision to follow the
  stove。 The journey is long; and each stage of it is told in full。 As this is
  impossible   in   oral   reproduction;   it   becomes   necessary   to   choose   typical
  incidents;     which    will   give   the   same    general    effect  as   the  whole。    The
  incidents which answer this purpose are: the beginning of the journey; the
  experience on the luggage train; the jolting while being carried on men's
  shoulders; the final fright and suspense before the king opens the door。
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  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  The episode of the  night in the bric…a…brac shop introduces a  wholly
  new and confusing train of thought; therefore; charming as it is; it must be
  omitted。 And the secondary thread of narrative interest; that of the prices
  for which the stove was sold; and the retribution visited on the cheating
  dealers;     is  also   〃another     story;〃   and   must    be   ignored。     Each    of  these
  destroys the clear sequence and the simplicity of plot which must be kept
  for telling。
  We     are   reduced;    then;   for   the   whole;    to  this:   a  brief   preliminary
  statement of the place Hirschvogel held in the household affections; and
  the   ambition      aroused    in   August;    the   catastrophe     of   the  sale;   August's
  decision; his experiences on the train; on the shoulders of men; and just
  before the discovery; his discovery; and the denouement。
  This   not   only  reduces   the   story  to   tellable   form;   but   it   also   leaves   a
  suggestive       interest   which    heightens     later   enjoyment      of   the  original。    I
  suggest the adaptation of Kate Douglas Wiggin; in The Story Hour; since
  in    view     of    the   existence      of    a   satisfactory     adaptation       it  seems
  unappreciative to offer   a second。 The   one I   made for my  own use   some
  years ago is not dissimilar to this; and I have no reason to suppose it more
  desirable。
  Ruskin's King of the Golden River is somewhat difficult to adapt。 Not
  only   is   it   long;   but   its   style   is   mature;   highly   descriptive;   and   closely
  allegorical。 Yet the tale is too beautiful and too suggestive to be lost to the
  story…teller。 And   it   is;   also;   so   recognised   a   part   of   the   standard   literary
  equipment of youth that teachers need to be able to introduce children to
  its   charm。   To    make   it   available   for   telling;   we   must   choose   the   most
  essential events of the series leading up to the climax; and present these so
  simply as to appeal to children's ears; and so brief