Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-19
The Power of the Story

Washington. D. c.. Sept. IA. IF
the truth were known the Pied Piper
probably did not pipe at ALL" declared
a visitor to social settlement center
recently. Instead he told a story"
Her, glance swept circle of nearly
a hundred children gathered around
young woman who was relating the adj
ventures of the noble Cordelia, daugh-
ter Of King Lear. Among her listen
ers were youngsters Of almost every
nationality and description; small bare
footed Poles: ragged frocked little
italian girls; several decidedly soiled
Syrians and numerous American chill
dren easily distinuishgable by Their
patronizing manner due to superior
acquaintance with the English langn.
age. Every other day in the week
these children come to specifled spot
in this settlement-sometimes street
corner. sometimes a churchyard-to
be told stories, which they devour with
all the starved imaginative appetite
of the tenement. |E.
The visitor on this occasion, who
was young society girl. had watch
ed the children assemble in twos and
/ threes wearing the same look OF ex-
peCtaut glee to De seen on the faces
Of her younger sisters when attending
birthday parties; she had noted their
absolute and contented absorption in
the story. and she was much impress
ed by the ability of the young woman
who told it in words of few syllables.
sometimes pausing in the course OF
the story to explain the meaning OF
new term TO her audience The society
girl went home recording few NELL
| tai reflections on the general made
, auacy Of career made up Of recep-
, lions and dinner parties. and the next
day she went to local university and
| inquired into its course in story tell
ing. Now, although she has not quite
completed this course. she has already
/ told several stories to the children OF
the settlement where she Is demon
strating her theory concerning the
real lure Of the Pied Piper.
Story telling classes are now popu-
lar in every large American city. Not
only have the social settlement cen
tiers taken 1t up as means OF educat-
ing as we'll as entertaining the chill
! dren. but the public libraries are en-
ploying professionals to tell stories
! several afternoons week to the chill.
dren who patrorize their bookshelves
The story telling movement is at
tanning tremendous proportions. Most
of the colleges are advertising the
course as a part of their curriculum:
| IT is the most talked about feature of
| the normal classes. and even the high
schools in MANY cities have added a
| belated story telling course to next
years work. But the movement has
not stopped with the children and the
| education of those who are to tell
stories to children. In all the larger
cities there are now story telling
leagues which are combined under the
head Of one big nat 'onal league These
usually comprise membership Of
! from twenty-five to fifty members
| who arrange to meet on a certain
might each week and tell stories
either stories they have read or stor-
les Of their own creation. or course,
so far as these are concerned their
benefit is merely one of amusement.
being something in the na1Nre Of a
fad. but in the case of the children the
story and the story teller are here TO
stay. ~.
The influence OF the story on the
child has been generally recognized
throughout the ages. and varied and
numerous have been the clever inven-
tons Of parents for the purpose of dis
cipline. For a long time in the opin-
ion of the modern psvcholog' ats, the
American child not only was not spoil.
! ed hut was neglected He was re-
! garded as matter Of course as a per-
njcio"s l:ttle animal with very little
iptell gence who must be "seen and
not heard" and whose naturally wick
ed instincts must be repressed and
crushed. Therefore. when parents in
du1ged in creative flights of the mag
ination it was almost always to the
a., point The stories dealt with bad littl"
boys who disobeyed their parents and
thereby got struck bv lightning or
drowned or eaten by bear.
Then came the biologist and the
nsr cbologist who discussed the lido.
e-ncracias of tho child at great length.
DESTROYED all the carefully huilt no
tra diticns Of the proper way to raise
children and insisted that the child be
! "heard."- Not only must he be allow
! ed to talk but he must be coaxed and
wheedled to talk since the cb' aim
1T existence was self expression.
These refOrmers even went 40 far as
, to criticize the public school system
! and the uee Of text books. you can't
exnect children 10 master history bv
a list of dctes" thew asserted with a
J complete disregard for the past gener-
ations. who bad been learning theirs
| that way "Tell it to them in stories,
and they will never forget IT, Par
cnts who had been telling their chill
dren stories to scare them into discip-
line were the subject of scathing re-
buke by these men. who pointed out
that a great many nervous diseases
and Affections occurring in later life
were directly attributable to this