80
o growth is a kind of "seat-work." The children are allowed to make original illustrations of the stories by cutting silhouette pictures.
It will be readily seen that no child can do this without visualising each image very perfectly. In the simplest and most unconscious way possible, the small artists are developing the power of conceiving and holding the concrete image of an idea given, the power which is at the bottom of all arts of expression.
Through the kindness of Miss Sweeney, I am able to insert several of these illustrations. They are entirely original, and were made without any thought of such a use as this.
The pictures and the retelling are both popular with children, but neither is as dear to them as the third form of reproduction of which I wish to speak. This third kind is taken entirely on the ground of play, and no visibly didactic element enters into it. It consists simply of PLAYING THE STORY.
When a good story with a simple sequence has been told, and while the children are still athrill with the delight of it, they are told they may play it.
"Who would like to be Red Riding Hood?" says the teacher; up go the little girls' hands, and Mary or Hannah or Gertrude is chosen.
"Who will be the wolf?" Johnny or Marcus becomes the wolf. The kind woodchopper and the mother are also happily distributed, for in these little dramatic companies it is an all-star cast, and no one realises any indignity in a subordinate role.
"Now, where shall we have little Red Riding Hood's house? `Over in that corner,' Katie? Very well, Riding Hood shall live over there. And where shall the grandmother's cottage be?"
The children decide that it must be a long distance through the wood,--half-way round the schoolroom, in fact. The wolf selects the spot where he will meet Red Riding Hood, and the woodchopper chooses a position from which he can rush in at the critical moment, to save Red Riding Hood's life.
Then, with gusto good to see, they play the game. The