"HIAWATHA"

Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. American Book Co.Robinson Crusoe. Lee and Shepard.Robinson Crusoe for Youngest Readers. Educational Pub. Co.Robinson Crusoe. University Publishing Co.De Foe's Robinson Crusoe (Hale). Ginn & Co.De Foe's Robinson Crusoe. Maynard, Merrill, & Co.

The story of Hiawatha has been much used for oral treatment in primary grades, and as a basis for exercises in learning to read. Later the complete poem has been much read in third, fourth, or fifth grade as a piece of choice literature.

A story which is growing so rapidly in favor with primary teachers may explain our effort to determine its educational value.

That the story begins with the early childhood of Hiawatha and describes his home and early training at the feet of Nokomis, is at least one point in its favor.

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,By the shining Big-Sea-Water,Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.Dark behind it rose the forest,Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,Rose the firs with cones upon them;Bright before it beat the water,Beat the clear and sunny water,Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.There the wrinkled, old NokomisNursed the little Hiawatha,Rocked him in his linden cradle,Bedded soft in moss and rushes,Safely bound with reindeer sinews.

The traditions and stories he learned from the lips of Nokomis will remind children of their own home life, while his companionship with birds and animals will touch them in a sympathetic place.

Then the little HiawathaLearned of every bird its language,Learned their names and all their secrets,How they built their nests in Summer,Where they hid themselves in Winter,Talked with them whene'er he met them,Called them "Hiawatha's Chickens."

The games and exercises of his youth will remind them of their own sports and introduce them to Indian life. This home of Hiawatha, and the description of his childhood, are a happy introduction to the simple surroundings of Indian life on the shores of the northern sea.

Primitive Indian modes of life, traditions and myths, appeal naturally to children, and the whole story has this setting of early simplicity which adapts it in many ways to child study. The Indian nature myths,which in themselves are attractive, are here woven into a connected series by their relation to Hiawatha in the training of his childhood and in the exploits of his manhood.

The number of pure fairy tales scattered through the story adapts it especially for young children, while the descriptions of home customs, feasts, weddings, merrymaking, and games, show the happier side of their life.

Ye who love a nation's legends,Love the ballads of a people,That like voices from afar offCall to us to pause and listen,Speak in tones so plain and childlike,Scarcely can the ear distinguishWhether they are sung or spoken;—Listen to this Indian Legend,To this song of Hiawatha!Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple,Who have faith in God and Nature,Who believe, that in all agesEvery human heart is human,That in even savage bosomsThere are longings, yearnings, strivingsFor the good they comprehend not,That the feeble hands and helpless,Groping blindly in the darkness,Touch God's right hand in that darkness,And are lifted up and strengthened;—Listen to this simple story,To this Song of Hiawatha!

The description of husking time is such a pleasing scene, while the picture writing of the Indians, theirtotems and rude drawings, are in harmony with their traditions and religion.

On the border of the forest,Underneath the fragrant pine-trees,Sat the old men and the warriorsSmoking in the pleasant shadow.In uninterrupted silenceLooked they at the gamesome laborOf the young men and the women;Listened to their noisy talking,To their laughter and their singing,Heard them chattering like the magpies,Heard them laughing like the blue jays,Heard them singing like the robins.And whene'er some lucky maidenFound a red ear in the husking,Found a maize-ear red as blood is,"Nushka!" cried they all together,"Nushka! you shall have a sweetheart,You shall have a handsome husband!""Ugh!" the old men all respondedFrom their seats beneath the pine-trees.And the Jossakeeds, the Prophets,The Wabenos, the Magicians,And the Medicine-men, the Medas,Painted upon bark and deer-skinFigures for the songs they chanted,For each song a separate symbol,Figures mystical and awful,Figures strange and brightly colored;And each figure had its meaning,Each some magic song suggested.

And the Jossakeeds, the Prophets,The Wabenos, the Magicians,And the Medicine-men, the Medas,Painted upon bark and deer-skinFigures for the songs they chanted,For each song a separate symbol,Figures mystical and awful,Figures strange and brightly colored;And each figure had its meaning,Each some magic song suggested.

One of the most striking features of this story is its setting in nature. More than any other piece ofliterature now used in the school, it is redolent of fields and forest.

Should you ask me, whence these stories,Whence these legends and traditions,With the odors of the forest,With the dew and damp of meadows,With the curling smoke of wigwams,With the rushing of great rivers,With their frequent repetitions,And their wild reverberations,As of thunder in the mountains?I should answer, I should tell you,"From the forests and the prairies,From the great lakes of the Northland,From the land of the Ojibways,From the land of the Dacotahs,From the mountains, moors, and fenlands,Where the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,Feeds among the reeds and rushes."Should you ask where NawadahaFound these songs, so wild and wayward,Found these legends and traditions,I should answer, I should tell you,"In the birds'-nests of the forest,In the lodges of the beaver,In the hoof-prints of the bison,In the eyry of the eagle!All the wild-fowl sang them to him,In the moorlands and the fenlands,In the melancholy marshes;Chetowaik, the plover, sang them,Mahng, the loon, the wild-goose, Wawa,The blue heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,And the grouse, the Mushkodasa!"

Should you ask where NawadahaFound these songs, so wild and wayward,Found these legends and traditions,I should answer, I should tell you,"In the birds'-nests of the forest,In the lodges of the beaver,In the hoof-prints of the bison,In the eyry of the eagle!All the wild-fowl sang them to him,In the moorlands and the fenlands,In the melancholy marshes;Chetowaik, the plover, sang them,Mahng, the loon, the wild-goose, Wawa,The blue heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,And the grouse, the Mushkodasa!"

This description of primitive man is as complete an absorption into his natural surroundings as is possible. His food and clothing, his tents and boats, his weapons and war gear, are drawn directly from nature's first supplies, and man, in this case, seems almost a part of nature, so completely are his thoughts and activities determined and colored by his environment. Like the animals, in their protective coloring, he becomes an undistinguishable part of his surroundings. His nature myths and superstitions are but phases and expressions of the contact of his crude mind with forces and objects in nature. In this respect there are many interesting suggestions of similar interpretations among the Norse and Greek mythologies.

The close and friendly contact of Hiawatha with trees and animals, his companionship with the squirrel, the woodpecker, and the beaver, his talking acquaintance with trees of the forest, with the fishes in the Big-Sea-Water, and with the masters of the winds, the storm, and the thunder, make him an interesting guide for the children among the realms of nature.

Ye who love the haunts of nature,Love the sunshine of the meadow,Love the shadow of the forest,Love the wind among the branches,And the rain-shower and the snow-storm,And the rushing of great riversThrough their palisades of pine-trees,And the thunder in the mountains,Whose innumerable echoesFlap like eagles in their eyries;—Listen to these wild traditions,To this Song of Hiawatha!

A happy, sympathetic love for the sights and sounds in nature is a fortunate beginning of nature lore. The imaginative interpretations are common to all the early races and in full harmony with the temper of childhood. Even from the standpoint of nature study, this early poetic joy in nature descriptions is profitable. The matter-of-fact, analytic study of natural science in succeeding years need not begrudge the children this happiness, this interpretative play of the imagination, this music of field and forest. In early childhood, nature and poetry are one, and as Lowell says, "Let us not go about to make life duller than it is."

The simplicity and beauty of the language and figure of speech make many parts of this poem especially appropriate for children.

Young and beautiful was Wabun;He it was who brought the morning,He it was whose silver arrowsChased the dark o'er hill and valley;He it was whose cheeks were paintedWith the brightest streaks of crimson,And whose voice awoke the village,Called the deer, and called the hunter.He meanwhile sat weary waitingFor the coming of Mondamin,Till the shadows, pointing eastward,Lengthened over field and forest,Till the sun dropped from the heaven,Floating on the waters westward,As a red leaf in the AutumnFalls and floats upon the water,Falls and sinks into its bosom.And the pleasant water-courses,You could trace them through the valley,By the rushing in the Spring-time,By the alders in the Summer.By the white fog in the Autumn,By the black line in the Winter.

He meanwhile sat weary waitingFor the coming of Mondamin,Till the shadows, pointing eastward,Lengthened over field and forest,Till the sun dropped from the heaven,Floating on the waters westward,As a red leaf in the AutumnFalls and floats upon the water,Falls and sinks into its bosom.

And the pleasant water-courses,You could trace them through the valley,By the rushing in the Spring-time,By the alders in the Summer.By the white fog in the Autumn,By the black line in the Winter.

The simple music and rhythm of the poetic form is so delightful to children that they absorb whole passages into their memory without conscious effort. The mere re-reading of parts of the poem to little children under six years will often produce this happy result. A little girl of three years picked up, among others, this passage:—

Dark behind it rose the forest,Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,Rose the firs with cones upon them;Bright before it beat the water,Beat the clear and sunny water,Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.

The repetitions of the same or similar passages, so common throughout the poem, is a successful appeal to children's favor. It gives the story a sort of Mother Goose flavor which is delightful.

While the story centres in Hiawatha, it has a variety of interesting personalities, giving expression to the striking features of this primitive society. Hiawatha's loved ones, Minnehaha and old Nokomis, stand first, and his chosen friends are next.

Two good friends had Hiawatha,Singled out from all the others,Bound to him in closest union,And to whom he gave the right handOf his heart in joy and sorrow;Chibiabos, the musician,And the very strong man, Kwasind.And these two, as I have told you,Were the friends of Hiawatha,Chibiabos, the musician,And the very strong man, Kwasind.Long they lived in peace together,Spake with naked hearts together,Pondering much and much contrivingHow the tribes of men might prosper.

And these two, as I have told you,Were the friends of Hiawatha,Chibiabos, the musician,And the very strong man, Kwasind.Long they lived in peace together,Spake with naked hearts together,Pondering much and much contrivingHow the tribes of men might prosper.

In connection with these persons is a most pleasing series of adventures, bringing to notice those heroic qualities which children love to witness. The very strong man, Kwasind, is a fitting companion in their thoughts to Samson and Hercules; and Chibiabos,

He the best of all musicians,He the sweetest of all singers,

has had many a prototype since the days of Orpheus.

Pau-Puk-Keewis, with his dancing and tricks, will also prove a curious character, something like Proteus of old.

You shall hear how Pau-Puk-KeewisHe, the handsome Yenadizze,Whom the people called the Storm Fool,Vexed the village with disturbance;You shall hear of all his mischief,And his flight from Hiawatha,And his wondrous transmigrations,And the end of his adventures.

The character of Hiawatha, as of the benefactor, of one devoted, with high purpose, to the welfare of his people, may be regarded as the deeper motive of the author. It is the thought of ideal good in Hiawatha which gives tone and meaning to the whole poem.

You shall hear how HiawathaPrayed and fasted in the forest,Not for greater skill in hunting,Not for greater craft in fishing,Not for triumphs in the battle,And renown among the warriors,But for profit of the people,For advantage of the nations.

The views of geography and history at the beginning and close of the poem not only give a broad scope to the story, but have an interesting bearing upon the study of geography and history in those years of school which immediately follow. The narrative reachesfrom the Vale of Tawasentha in New York, across the great lakes and shining Big-Sea-Water to Minnehaha and the Upper Mississippi, and even to the prairies and the distant Rocky Mountains beyond. In the summoning of the tribes at the Great Pipe Stone Quarry there is a broad survey of the Indian tribes of the United States.

From the vale of Tawasentha,From the Valley of Wyoming,From the groves of Tuscaloosa,From the far-off Rocky Mountains,From the Northern lakes and riversAll the tribes beheld the signal,Saw the distant smoke ascending,The Pukwana of the Peace-Pipe.Down the rivers, o'er the prairies,Came the warriors of the nations.

Down the rivers, o'er the prairies,Came the warriors of the nations.

A map of North America is necessary for showing the meaning of this description to the children.

In the last part the coming of the white man and the prophecy of his spreading over the land, and the dwindling of the native tribes to the westward, are given.

Iagoo's description of the white men, their ships and appearance, to his people on the return from his travels, will greatly please the children.

He had seen, he said, a waterBigger than the Big-Sea-Water,Broader than the Gitche Gumee,Bitter so that none could drink it!At each other looked the warriors,Looked the women at each other,Smiled, and said, "It cannot be so!Kaw!" they said, "It cannot be so;""O'er it," said he, "o'er this waterCame a great canoe with pinions,A canoe with wings came flying,Bigger than a grove of pine-trees,Taller than the tallest tree-tops!"And the old men and the womenLooked and tittered at each other;"Kaw!" they said, "we don't believe it!"

"O'er it," said he, "o'er this waterCame a great canoe with pinions,A canoe with wings came flying,Bigger than a grove of pine-trees,Taller than the tallest tree-tops!"And the old men and the womenLooked and tittered at each other;"Kaw!" they said, "we don't believe it!"

The story of Hiawatha has been used sufficiently in primary grades to show how many are its suggestions for drawing and constructive work. Little children take delight in drawing the Indian tents, bows and arrows, pine forests, Indian warriors and dress, the canoe, the tomahawk, the birds and animals. The cutting of these forms in paper they have fully enjoyed.

Pictures of Indian life, collections of arrow-heads, the peace-pipes, articles of dress, cooking utensils, wampum, stone hatchets, red pipe-stone ornaments, or a visit to any collection of Indian relics are desirable as a part of this instruction. The museums in cities and expositions are rich in these materials, and in many private collections are just the desired objects of study.

It is well known that children love to construct tents, dress in Indian style, and imitate the mode oflife, the hunting, dancing, and sports of Indians. Teachers have taken advantage of this instinct to allow them to construct an Indian village on a small scale, and assume the dress and action of Hiawatha and his friends, and even to dramatize parts of the story.

It is only certain selected parts of the "Hiawatha" that lend themselves best to the oral treatment with children, and that, at first, not in the poetic form. In fact, the oral treatment of a story in beautiful poetic form demands a peculiar method.

For example, in treating the childhood of Hiawatha as he dwelt with old Nokomis in the tent beside the sea, the main facts of this episode, or a part of it, may be talked over by means of description, partly also by development, question, and answer, and when these things are clear, let this passage of the poem be read to the children. The preliminary treatment and discussion will put the children in possession of the ideas and pictures by which they can better appreciate and assimilate the poem. This mode of introducing children to a poem or literary masterpiece is not uncommon with children in later years, at least in the middle grades.

It has been customary to use nearly the whole poem in fourth or fifth school year for regular reading, and it is well suited to this purpose. Its use in primary grades for such oral treatment as we have described will not interfere with its employment asreading matter later on, but rather increase its value for that purpose.

The method of handling such a poem as reading has been discussed in the Special Method in the Reading of Complete English Classics.

A number of books have been written by practical teachers on the use of "Hiawatha" in primary grades:—

"The Hiawatha Primer." Houghton, Mifflin, & Co."Hints on the Study of Hiawatha" (Alice M. Krackowizer). A. Flanagan, publisher.

The best edition of the "Hiawatha" is "Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha," which is well illustrated. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Other editions are "The Song of Hiawatha." The Educational Publishing Co.

"Longfellow's Hiawatha." The Macmillan Co."Song of Hiawatha." University Publishing Co.

In the third grade we wish to bring a number of the mythical stories vividly before the children. The classical myths which belong to the literature of Europe are the fund from which to select the best. Not all, but only a few of the simple and appropriate stories can be chosen. Only two recitation periods a week are usually set apart for the oral treatment of these old myths. But later in the progress of the reading lessons other similar stories should be treated. The few recitation periods used for oral work are rather designed to introduce children to the spirit of this literature, to get them into the appreciative mind.

This body of ancient myths comes down to us, sifted out of the early literature of the active-minded Greeks. They have found their way as a simple and charming poetry into the national literature of all the European countries. Is this the material suited to nine- and ten-year-old children? It will not be questioned that these myths belong to the best literary products of Europe, but are they suited to children?

It is evident that some of our best literary judges have deemed them appropriate. Hawthorne has putthem into a form designed especially for the young folk. Charles Kingsley wrote of the Greek myths for his children: "Now I love these old Hellens heartily, and they seem to me like brothers, though they have all been dead and gone many a hundred years. They are come to tell you some of their old fairy tales, which they loved when they were young like you. For nations begin at first by being children like you, though they are made up of grown men. They are children at first like you—men and women with children's hearts; frank, and affectionate, and full of trust, and teachable, loving to see and learn all the wonders around them; and greedy also, too often, and passionate and silly, as children are."

Not a few other authors of less note have tried to turn the classical myths of the old Greek poets into simple English for the entertainment and instruction of children. Scarcely any of these stories that have not appeared in various children's books in recent years. Taken as a whole, they are a storehouse of children's literature. The philosopher, Herbart, looked upon poems of Homer as giving ideal expression to the boyhood of the race, and the story of Ulysses was regarded by him as the boy's book,—the Greek Robinson Crusoe. For the child of nine years he thought it the most suitable story.

Kingsley says in his Introduction: "Now you must not think of the Greeks in this book as learned men, living in great cities, such as they were afterwards,when they wrought all their beautiful works, but as country people, living on farms and in walled villages, in a simple, hard-working way; so that the greatest kings and heroes cooked their own meals and thought it no shame, and made their own ships and weapons, and fed and harnessed their own horses. So that a man was honored among them, not because he happened to be rich, but according to his skill and his strength and courage and the number of things he could do. For they were but grown-up children, though they were right noble children too, and it was with them as it is now at school, the strongest and cleverest boy, though he be poor, leads all the rest."

In the introduction to the "Wonder Book" we find the following: "Hawthorne took a vital interest in child life. He was accustomed to observe his own children very closely. There are private manuscripts extant which present exact records of what his young son and elder daughter said or did from hour to hour, the father seating himself in their playroom and patiently noting all that passed. To this habit of watchful and sympathetic scrutiny we may attribute in part the remarkable felicity, the fortunate ease of adaptation to the immature understanding, and the skilful appeal to the fresh imaginations which characterize his stories for the young." Hawthorne himself says: "The author has long been of the opinion that many of the classical myths were capable of being rendered into very capital reading for children.... No epoch of time can claim a copyright on these immortal fables. They seem never to have been made, and so long as man exists they can never perish; but by their indestructibility itself they are legitimate subjects, for every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and to imbue with its own morality.... The author has not always thought it necessary to write downward in order to meet the comprehension of children. He has generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency. Children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high in imagination or feeling so long as it is simple likewise. It is only the artificial and the complex that bewilder them."

A brief analysis of the qualities which render these myths so attractive will help us to see their value in the education of children.

The astonishing brightness of fanciful episode and of pure and clear-cut imagery has an indestructible charm for children. They can soar into and above the clouds on the shining wings of Pegasus. With Eolus they shut up the contrary winds in an ox-hide, and later let them out to plague the much-suffering Ulysses. They watch with astonishment as Jason yokes the fire-breathing oxen and strews the field with uprooted stumps and stones as he prepares the soil for the seed of dragon's teeth. Each child becomes a poet as he recreates the sparkling brightness of these simple pictures. And when a childhas once suffered his fancy to soar to these mountain heights and ocean depths, it will no longer be possible to make his life entirely dull and prosaic. He has caught glimpses of a bright world that will linger unfading in the uplands of his memory. And while they are so deep and lofty they are still, as Hawthorne says, very simple. Some of the most classic of the old stories are indeed too long for third grade children; too many persons and too much complexity, as in the "Tales of Troy." But on the other hand, many of the most beautiful of the old myths are as plain and simple to a child as a floating summer cloud. High in the sky they may be or deep in the reflection of some lake or spring, but clear and plain to the thought of a little child. These stories in their naive simplicity reflect the wonder and surprise with which a person first beholds grand and touching scenery, whether it be the oppressive grandeur of some beetling mountain crag, or the placid quiet of a moonlit stream. The stories selected for this grade should be the simplest and best: "The Golden Touch," "Perseus," "The Chimæra," of Hawthorne, the episodes of the "Golden Fleece," with others similar.

In one form or another they introduce us to the company of heroes, or, at least, of great and simple characters. Deeds of enterprise and manliness or of unselfishness and generosity are the climax of the story. To meet danger and hardship or ridicule for the sake of a high purpose is their underlyingthought. Perseus and Jason and Ulysses are all ambitious to prove their title to superior shrewdness and courage and self-control. When we get fairly into the mythical age, we find ourselves among the heroes, among those striving for mastery and leadership in great undertakings. Physical prowess and manly spirit are its chief virtues. And can there be any question that there is a time in the lives of children when these ideas fill the horizon of their thought? Samson and David and Hercules, Bellerophon and Jason, are a child's natural thoughts or, at least, they fit the frame of his mind so exactly that one may say the picture and the frame were made for each other. The history of most countries contains such an age of heroes. Tell in Switzerland, Siegfried in Germany, Bruce in Scotland, Romulus and Horatius at Rome, Alfred in England, are all national heroes of the mythical age, whose deeds are heroic and of public good. The Greek stories are only a more classic edition of this historical epoch, and should lead up to a study of these later products of European literature.

Several forms of moral excellence are objectively realized or personified in these stories.

As the wise Centaur, after teaching Jason to be skilful and brave, sent him out into the world, he said: "Well, go, my son; the throne belongs to thy father and the gods love justice. But remember, wherever thou dost wander, to observe these three things:

"Relieve the distressed."Respect the aged."Be true to thy word."[6]

And many events in Jason's life illustrate the wisdom of these words. The miraculous pitcher is one whose fountain of refreshing milk bubbled always because of a gentle deed of hospitality to strangers. King Midas, on the other hand, experiences in most graphic form the punishment which ought to follow miserly greed, while his humble penitence brought back his daughter and the homely comforts of life. Bellerophon is filled with a desire to perform a noble deed that will relieve the distress of a whole people. After the exercise of much patience and self-control he succeeds in his generous enterprise. Many a lesson of worldly wisdom and homely virtue is brought out in the story of Ulysses' varied and adventuresome career.

These myths bring children into lively contact with European history and geography, as well as with its modes of life and thought. The early history of Europe is in all cases shrouded in mist and legend. But even from this historically impenetrable past has sprung a literature that has exercised a profound influence upon the life and growth of the people. Not that children are conscious of the significance of these ideas, but being placed in anatmosphere which is full of them, their deeper meaning gradually unfolds itself. The early myths afford an interesting approach for children to the history and geography of important countries. Those countries they must, sooner or later, make the acquaintance of both geographically and historically, and could anything be designed to take stronger hold upon their imagination and memory than these charming myths, which were the poetry and religion of the people once living there?

It is a very simple and primitive state of culture, whose ships, arms, agriculture, and domestic life are given us in clear and pleasing pictures. Our own country is largely lacking in a mythical age. Our culture sprang, more than half-grown, from the midst of Europe's choicest nations, and out of institutions that had been centuries in forming. The myths of Europe are therefore as truly ours as they are the treasure of Englishmen, of Germans, or of Greeks. Again, our own literature, as well as that of European states, is full of the spirit and suggestion of the mythical age. Our poets and writers have drawn much of their imagery from this old storehouse of thought, and a child will better understand the works of the present through this contact with mythical ages.

In method of treatment with school classes, these stories will admit of a variation from the plan used with "Robinson Crusoe." One unaccustomed to the readingof such stories would be at a loss for a method of treatment with children. There is a charm and literary art in the presentation that may make the teacher feel unqualified to present them. The children are not yet sufficiently masters of the printed symbols of speech to read for themselves. Shall the teacher simply read the stories to children? We would suggest first of all, that the teacher, who would expect to make use of these materials, steep himself fully in literature of this class, and bring his mind into familiar acquaintance and sympathy with its characters. In interpreting classical authors to pupils, we are justified in requiring of the teacher intimate knowledge and appreciative sympathy with his author. Certainly no one will teach these stories well whose fancy was never touched into airy flights—who cannot become a child again and partake of his pleasures. No condescension is needed, but ascension to a free and ready flight of fancy. By learning to drink at these ancient fountains of song and poetry, the teacher might learn to tell a fairy story for himself. But doubtless it will be well to mingle oral narrative and description on the part of the teacher with the fit reading of choice parts so as to better preserve the classic beauty and suggestion of the author. Children are quite old enough now to appreciate beauty of language and expressive, happy turns of speech. In the midst of question, suggestion, and discussion between pupil and teacher, the story should be carriedforward, never forgetting to stop at suitable intervals and get such a reproduction of the story as the little children are capable of. And indeed they are capable of much in this direction, for their thoughts are more nimble, and their power of expression more apt, oftentimes, than the teacher's own.

We would not favor a simple reading of these stories for the entertainment of pupils. It should take more the form of a school exercise, requiring not only interest and attention, but vigorous effort to grasp and reproduce the thought. The result should be a much livelier and deeper insight into the story than would be secured by a simple reading for amusement or variety. They should prepare also for an appreciative reading of other myths in the following grades.

After all, in two or three recitation periods a week, extending through a year, it cannot be expected that children will make the acquaintance of all the literature that could be properly called the myth of the heroic age in different countries. All that we may expect is to enter this paradise of children, to pluck a few of its choicest flowers, and get such a breath of their fragrance that there will be a child's desire to return again and again. The school also should provide in the succeeding year for an abundance of reading of myths. The same old stories which they first learned to enjoy in oral recitations should be read in books, and still others should be utilized in the regular reading classes of the fourth and fifth grades. In this way the myths of other countries may be brought in, the story of Tell, of Siegfried, of Alfred, and of others.

In summarizing the advantages of a systematic attempt to get this simple classic lore into our schools, we recall the interest and mental activity which it arouses, its power to please and satisfy the creative fancy in children, its fundamental feeling and instincts, the virtues of bravery, manliness, and unselfishness, and all this in a form that still further increases its culture effect upon teacher and pupil. It should never be forgotten that teacher and pupil alike are here imbibing lessons and inspirations that draw them into closer sympathy because the subject is worthy of both old and young.

In addition to the earlier Greek myths we may mention the following subjects as suitable for oral treatment:

The story of Ulysses has been much used in schools with oral presentation, and is one of the best tales for this purpose in all literature. A somewhat full discussion of the value of this story for schools is found in the Special Method in Reading of Complete English Classics.

The Norse mythology has also received much attention from teachers who have used the oral mode of treatment. Several of the best books of Norse mythology are mentioned in the appended list. Also the great story of Siegfried.

Some of the old traditional stories in the early history of Rome, of France, Germany, and England, have been used for oral narration and reading to children.

The "Seven Little Sisters" and its companion book "Each and All," and the "Ten Boys on the Road from Long Ago to Now," by Jane Andrews, published by Ginn & Co., have been employed extensively for oral and reading work in the third and fourth years of school. The "Seven Little Sisters" is valuable in connection with the beginnings of geography.

The Wonder Book of Nathaniel Hawthorne.The following stories are especially recommended: The Gorgon's Head, The Golden Touch, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimæra.One should preserve as much as possible of the spirit and language of the author. Perhaps in classes with children the other stories will be found equally attractive: The Paradise of Children and the Three Golden Apples. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston.Kingsley's Greek Heroes.The stories of Perseus, the Argonauts, and Theseus, especially adapted to children. It may be advisable for the teacher to abbreviate the stories, leaving out unimportant parts, but giving the best portions in the fullest detail. Published by Ginn & Co.; The Macmillan Co.Story of the Iliad and Story of the Odyssey (Church).Simple and interesting narrative of the Homeric stories. The Macmillan Co.Jason's Quest (Lowell).The story of the Argonauts with many other Greek myths woven into the narrative. This book is a store of excellent material. The teacher should select from it those partsspecially suited to the grade. Published by Sibley & Ducker, Chicago.Adventures of Ulysses (Lamb).A small book from which the chief episodes of Ulysses' career can be obtained. Published by Ginn & Co., Boston.The Story of Siegfried (Baldwin). Published by Scribner's Sons.Peabody's Old Greek Folk Stories.Simple and well written. A supplement to the Wonder Book. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.Tales of Troy (De Garmo).The story of the siege of Troy and of the great events of Homer's Iliad. This story, on account of its complexity, we deem better adapted to the fourth grade. Published by the Public School Publishing Co., Bloomington, Ill.Stories of the Old World (Church).Stories of the Argo, of Thebes, of Troy, of Ulysses, and of Æneas. Stories are simply and well told. It is a book of 350 pages, and would serve well as a supplementary reader in fourth grade. Published by Ginn & Co.Gods and Heroes (Francillon).A successful effort to cover the whole field of Greek mythology in the story form. Ginn & Co.The Tanglewood Tales (Nathaniel Hawthorne).A continuation of the Wonder Book.Heroes of Asgard.Stories of Norse mythology; simple and attractive. Macmillan & Co.The Story of Ulysses (Agnes S. Cook).An account of the adventures of Ulysses, told in connected narrative, in language easily comprehended by children in the third and fourth grades. Public School Publishing Co., Bloomington, Ill.Old Norse Stories (Bradish).Stories for reference and sight reading. American Book Co.Norse Stories (Mabie).An excellent rendering of the old stories. Dodd, Mead, & Co.Myths of Northern Lands (Guerber). American Book Co.The Age of Fable (Bulfinch). Lee and Shepard.Readings in Folk Lore (Skinner). American Book Co.National Epics (Rabb). A. C. McClurg & Co.Classic Myths (Gayley). Ginn & Co.Bryant's Odyssey. Complete poetic translation. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.Bryant's Iliad. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.Butcher and Lang's prose translation of the Odyssey. The Macmillan Co.The Odyssey of Homer (Palmer). Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.A prose translation.Myths and Myth Makers (Fiske).Moral Instruction of Children (Felix Adler). Chapter X. D. Appleton & Co.

The Wonder Book of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The following stories are especially recommended: The Gorgon's Head, The Golden Touch, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimæra.One should preserve as much as possible of the spirit and language of the author. Perhaps in classes with children the other stories will be found equally attractive: The Paradise of Children and the Three Golden Apples. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston.

The following stories are especially recommended: The Gorgon's Head, The Golden Touch, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimæra.

One should preserve as much as possible of the spirit and language of the author. Perhaps in classes with children the other stories will be found equally attractive: The Paradise of Children and the Three Golden Apples. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston.

Kingsley's Greek Heroes.

The stories of Perseus, the Argonauts, and Theseus, especially adapted to children. It may be advisable for the teacher to abbreviate the stories, leaving out unimportant parts, but giving the best portions in the fullest detail. Published by Ginn & Co.; The Macmillan Co.

Story of the Iliad and Story of the Odyssey (Church).

Simple and interesting narrative of the Homeric stories. The Macmillan Co.

Jason's Quest (Lowell).

The story of the Argonauts with many other Greek myths woven into the narrative. This book is a store of excellent material. The teacher should select from it those partsspecially suited to the grade. Published by Sibley & Ducker, Chicago.

Adventures of Ulysses (Lamb).

A small book from which the chief episodes of Ulysses' career can be obtained. Published by Ginn & Co., Boston.

The Story of Siegfried (Baldwin). Published by Scribner's Sons.

Peabody's Old Greek Folk Stories.

Simple and well written. A supplement to the Wonder Book. Published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Tales of Troy (De Garmo).

The story of the siege of Troy and of the great events of Homer's Iliad. This story, on account of its complexity, we deem better adapted to the fourth grade. Published by the Public School Publishing Co., Bloomington, Ill.

Stories of the Old World (Church).

Stories of the Argo, of Thebes, of Troy, of Ulysses, and of Æneas. Stories are simply and well told. It is a book of 350 pages, and would serve well as a supplementary reader in fourth grade. Published by Ginn & Co.

Gods and Heroes (Francillon).

A successful effort to cover the whole field of Greek mythology in the story form. Ginn & Co.

The Tanglewood Tales (Nathaniel Hawthorne).

A continuation of the Wonder Book.

Heroes of Asgard.

Stories of Norse mythology; simple and attractive. Macmillan & Co.

The Story of Ulysses (Agnes S. Cook).

An account of the adventures of Ulysses, told in connected narrative, in language easily comprehended by children in the third and fourth grades. Public School Publishing Co., Bloomington, Ill.

Old Norse Stories (Bradish).

Stories for reference and sight reading. American Book Co.

Norse Stories (Mabie).

An excellent rendering of the old stories. Dodd, Mead, & Co.

Myths of Northern Lands (Guerber). American Book Co.

The Age of Fable (Bulfinch). Lee and Shepard.

Readings in Folk Lore (Skinner). American Book Co.

National Epics (Rabb). A. C. McClurg & Co.

Classic Myths (Gayley). Ginn & Co.

Bryant's Odyssey. Complete poetic translation. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Bryant's Iliad. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Butcher and Lang's prose translation of the Odyssey. The Macmillan Co.

The Odyssey of Homer (Palmer). Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

A prose translation.

Myths and Myth Makers (Fiske).

Moral Instruction of Children (Felix Adler). Chapter X. D. Appleton & Co.

The stories of early Bible history have been much used in all European lands, and in America, for the instruction of children. Among Jews and Christians everywhere, and even among Mohammedans, these stories have been extensively used. They include the simple accounts of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brethren, Moses, Joshua, Samson, Samuel, and David. It may be seen at a glance that no more famous stories than these could be selected from the history of any country in the world. They stand preëminent as graphic descriptions of the modes of life which prevailed in the early period of civilized races. The old patriarchs lived in what is usually called the pastoral age, when men dwelt in tents and moved about from place to placewith their flocks in search of pasture. The patriarch at the head of the family, and even of a whole tribe, is the father, ruler, priest, and judge for the little community over which he presides. In his person there is a simple union of all the important powers of the later Hebrew state. The dignity and authority which centre in the person of Abraham, together with a marked gravity and strength of character, lend a distinct grandeur to his personality, so that he has been recognized in all ages as one of the great figures in the history of the world; the foremost of the old patriarchs,—the father of the faithful. A similar respect and dignity attaches to all these old Bible characters, and in the case of Moses, rises to a supreme height, while in David the warrior, statesman, and poet are united in one of the most pronounced and pleasing characters in the world's history. These old stories are also unparalleled in the simplicity and transparent clearness with which the life of the pastoral age is depicted. Human nature comes out in a series of pictures most striking and individual, and yet unmistakably true to life and reality. And yet while this life was so small in its compass, it is almost wholly free from narrowness and provincialism. The universal qualities of human nature, common to men in all ages and countries, stand out with a clearness which even little children can grasp. The story of Joseph and his brethren is probably the finest story that was ever written forchildren from eight to ten years of age. The characters involved in this family history are striking and impressive, and the strength of the family virtues and affections has never been set forth with greater simplicity and power.

The heroic qualities which appear in the old Bible stories, especially in Moses, Samson, and David, would bear a favorable comparison with the men of the heroic age in all countries. Strength of character combined with faith in high ideals, pursued with unwavering resolution, is a peculiar merit of these narratives. The heroes of the Hebrew race should be compared, later on, with the most renowned heroes of England, Scotland, Germany, and Greece, and even of America, for they have common qualities which have like merit as educative materials for the young.

This early literature of the Bible stories will be found to contain a large part of the universal thought of the world, that is, of the masterly ideas which, because of their superior truth and excellence, have gradually worked their way as controlling principles into the life of all modern nations. It need hardly be said that these stories have a peculiar charm and attractiveness for children. The simplicity of a patriarchal age, the strong interest in persons of heroic quality, the descriptions of early childhood, the heroic deeds of bold and high-spirited youth,—these things command the unfaltering interest ofchildren, and at the same time give their lives a touch of moral strength and idealism which is of the highest promise.

The oral treatment of these stories in the third or fourth year of school is the only mode of bringing them before the children in their full power, and they are well adapted to easy oral narrative and discussion. The language is the genuine, simple, powerful old English, and the teacher should become thoroughly saturated with these simple words and modes of thought. The dramatic element is also not lacking in many parts, and can be well executed in the classroom. Many opportunities will be furnished to the children for drawing pictures illustrating the stories. Many of the most famous masterpieces of painting and sculpture represent the persons and scenes of these tales. The great heroes of Christian art have exhausted their skill in these representations, which are now being furnished to the schools by the large publishing houses. Even the costumes and modes of life are thus brought home to the children in the most realistic yet artistic way.

An acquaintance with such early stories of Hebrew history is an introduction to some of the finest literature of the English language. First, that dealing with the Hebrew scriptures themselves, as the books of Moses, the psalms of David, and second, a number of the great poems of English masters, as the "Burial of Moses" and Milton's "Samson Agonistes." Inshort, we may say that these stories are the key to a large part of our best English thought.

Adler, in his "Moral Instruction of Children," says: "The narrative of the Bible is fairly saturated with the moral spirit; the moral issues are everywhere in the forefront. Duty, guilt, and its punishment, the conflict of conscience with inclination, are the leading themes. The Hebrew people seem to have been endowed with what may be called 'a moral genius,' and especially did they emphasize the filial and fraternal duties to an extent hardly equalled elsewhere. Now it is precisely these duties that must be impressed upon young children, and hence the biblical stories present us with the very material we require. They cannot, in this respect, be replaced; there is no other literature in the world that offers what is equal to them in value for the particular object we now have in view."

If we could only contemplate the patriarchal stories as a part of the great literature of the world, on account of its typical yet realistic portraiture of men and women, we might use this material as we use the very best derived from other sources. Mr. Adler remarks that "this typical quality in Homer's portraiture has been one secret of its universal impressiveness. The Homeric outlines are in each case brilliantly distinct, while they leave to the reader a certain liberty of private conception, and he can fill them in to satisfy his own ideal. We may add thatthis is just as true of the Bible as of Homer. The biblical narrative, too, depicts a few essential traits of human nature, and refrains from multiplying minor traits which might interfere with the main effect. The Bible, too, draws its figures in outline, and leaves every age free to fill them in so as to satisfy its own ideal."

Moreover, their use is not a matter of experiment. For hundreds of years they have held the first place in the best homes and schools of Germany, England, and America, and their educative influence has been profoundly felt in all Christian nations.

We have several editions of the stories adapted from the Bible for school use. In the Bible itself they are not found in the simple, connected form that makes them available for school use. One of the best editions for school is that published by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., called, "Old Testament Stories in Scriptural Language." A free and somewhat original rendering of the stories is given by Baldwin in his "Old Stories of the East," published by the American Book Co. Both of these books have been extensively used in the schools of this country. The oral treatment of the Bible stories in the schools has not been common in this country, but it has all the merits described by us in the chapter on oral instruction. In fourth and fifth grades these books may serve well for exercises in reading.

In a great many schools of this country they canbe used and are used without giving offence to anybody, and where this is true, they well deserve recognition in our school course because of their superior presentation of some of the great universal ideas of our civilization.

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