The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-01-08
The VALUE OF AN ACQUAlNT'
ANcE WITH GREAT LlTERA.
TURE TO PARENTS.

Sara Louis Arnold. writer of chill
ren's books says, "The child who Is
deprived of stories at the mothers
knee will always miss the charm Of
literature, the Joy of poetry and swift
imagination. Except as this appreci.
alton is assured in childhood, it Is
never won."
In the very beginning the story was
educational. Events and courageous
deeds were handed down in story
form that they might help form the
character Of the next generation. We
read the folk stories and myths of the
different races. They were not for
mere entertainment. They revealed
the genius Of the people and for this
reason are studied by scientists.
China, India, Arabia and Japan
,honored the story-teller. They felt his
charm and were nodded by his magic.
Think of the influence of the story in
our own day! It is said that Uncle
Toms Cabin outweighed in influence
thousands of sermons and tens Of
thousands of pages of anti-slavery
tracts a generation ago. Ramona and
Black Beauty both had their practical
influence. The preachers that have
had a popular influence are those that
used the story to good advantage.
Jesus was master story-teller. Think
how his stories impressed the hearers
and the influence they had.
In selecting stories for children we
must use great care. Every story we
read or tell the children should have
a good moral. This must be embodied
in the story itself and not appended.
How children hate to nave moral
added to a story!
Henry Van Dykes prayer that he
may never tag moral to tale or tell
story without a meaning may well
be adopted by us.
Then, too in selecting stories for
children we must remember that IN
telling and reading stories to children
we wish to introduce them to the best
literature, for the ideals which chill
dren gain from books become their as
sociates and mould their character
more than their own human compan.
ions. They live the part Of their ideals.
Children have not the judgment to
choose what they should read, one
book is as good as another If it inter
ests. Hence, II we choose good In.
teresting books with clean morals the
children will enjoy them and be in
luenced by them.
The first form of literature, II 1t can
be classed as literature, which inter-
ests the very small child is the
Mother Goose Rhymes" Nonsense
to be sure but they love the jingle and
child who loses this part Of story
dom misses a great Joy of childhood.
How they love to have them repeated
and mother can keep her little tot
interested and happy for a long time
by repeating these jingles.
A friend of mine wished to help his
wife with the care of the children. It
was before the day Of "crying It out"
so when he put the babes to sleep. as
he could not sing, he repeated Lochen-
vac to them. Surely they did not un-
derstand the poem but they enjoyed
the rythm. .,~'ss a.S4&i ~"~~
!. So we may read poetry to children
long before they understand it. When
they are older they will then get the
meaning and the poem will seem like
an old friend. -,~-.s
From five to eight years OF age the
child enjoys stories Of child life, also
stiries Of kittens, dogs, birds. etc. It is
here that the story Of Jesus, the boy
hood Of Moses and Samuel are favor.
ties. Now. Is the time when Little
Red Riding Hood "The Three Bears"
and 1.-THE Stories of Peter Rabbit" in.
terest the child.
Children love stories in which there
is repetition Of words as In the story
Of "The Three Bears" It 10 hard for
them to get all Of story but when q
few words are repeated, they hail them
with delight. Children also enjoy stor-
les in which a little verse is used now
and then.
In telling stories to children one lit
tie trick may help US to make the
stories pleasing to children. Use d.
rect discourse. that Is make the people
and animals talg.
In Little Red Riding Hood" instead
Of saying that Red Riding Hood said
good morning to the wok, say Little
Red Riding Hood said Good morning,
Mr.. Wolf" /
+ After this first class Of stories come