Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-07-27
CHILDREN ENJOY
HEARING TALES
THESE HOT DAYS
Storytelling Classes Are Popu-
lar at Newark Play
grounds.

The telling of stories to children in
the city's Fairgrounds is the new
feature introduced by the Playground
Commission. Miss Mary S. Horton. a
college graduate, has charge of the
work, and, although It was started just
few weeks ago, 1t is very successful
and exceedingly popular with the
youngsters.
A group Of children varying in ages
from to IA years, in comfortable sum-
mer dress some with bare feet. gath
cred around the story teacher" as she
commenced her tales Of magic fairy
land and ogres in the room of the New
ton street city playground yesterday
afternoon.
The tots were all attention as Miss
Horton vividly described "how the
whale got his small throat The chill
dren have learned to look forward to
the Tuesday and Thursday story ses-
sions. for they have heard Uncle
Remus's Wonderful Tar Baby" Kip
ling's "Just-so" stories, Epamnodas's
Nonsense Tales" Greek Myths and
Beauty and the Beast and other
stories on former occasions.
Storytelling has become part of the
regular program of the city play
grounds. thoroughly enjoyed by the
children.
Laughed mt idea.
At first the large boys-the f8-year-
old fellows-laughed at the idea of
listening to stories, but now they, too,
eagerly await the teachers coming,
and. although they do not sit with the
class, they stand In the doorway. where
they can hear every word of the ad-
ventures of fairies. ogres. princes or
wild beasts.
Only those who like come to these
classes, and yet there are always about
thirty boys and thirty girls In each
class. both in the Newton street and
South Canal street grounds
When Miss Horton. the teacher, first
spoke about these sessions TO the head
OF the Board of Education, the plan was
not adopted. but this year Mr. McKier-
nan. supervisor of the Fairgrounds,
readily consented to give it a trial.
Miss Horton not only understands the
children, but she loves them, and as far
as possible becomes one of them. She.
is graduate of Columbia and teaches
in the Calvert private school In Balti-
more during the winter.
When asked by an EVENING STAR
reporter how she started in this work
she replied:
T Il always loved children and liked to
tell stories TO them. do a lot of 1t in
school during the winter. then I heard
Kitty Cheathem, the professional story
teller, and was greatly impressed with
the, need for such work 1t gives the
| children something wholesome TO think
abou.
Stories in Summer Time.
Last year I heard that the school
boards In several cities had engaged
teachers to tell stories during the sum-
niertime in the public Fairgrounds. and
| it was then that introduced 1t here.
| II love the little ones; those here are
especially interesting; they represent
many nations, Italians, Hebrews, Ger
mans, Irish, as well as our own Ameri-
cans, and some of them never listened
| to stories before.
Il tried reading to them. too, but they
did not like that. Sometimes l have
them act a story and it is surprising
how well some of them do 1t.
None of the children. however, are
credulous. they never think a story is
really truly true'-it is not because
they lack irnag agination. either. | think
it is because in. this section of the city
they are confronted by the ,hardships OF
life while they are still children.
never moralize, but often the chill
dren will comment on the stories; they
regret the wickedness of ogres and laud
the generosity of kind FAIRIES. Some
children want new stories all the time,
while some like the old ones repeated.
The classes are larger each week"
other Glasses Busy, Too.
Besides the story class there are gar
dening and sewing classes at Newton
street. The children take care OF the
grounds. doing all OF the wedding. lawn
moving and flower planting.
The girls sewing class is busy just
now They are making dolls dresses.
Miss Elizabeth Mcmahon. the head
teacher. has promised them doll pa
rade In August; the best dressed doll 10
to get a prize.