This book originated in a series of little reading lessons preparedfor the first grade pupils in the Santa Rosa public schools. Theobject of the lessons was three-fold: to provide reading matter forthe little ones who had only a small vocabulary of sight-words; toacquaint them early with the heroes who have come down to us in songand story; and to create a desire for literature.
It has been my endeavor to follow Dr. G. Stanley Hall's suggestions inhis monograph, "How to Teach Reading," where he asks for "truechild-editions, made by testing many children with the work piece-mealand cutting and adapting the material till it really and closelyfitted the minds and hearts of the children."
Various stories were given to the pupils; discussions followed. Aftera time the story was produced orally by the children. Notes were madeon expressions used and points of interest dwelt upon. Later the storywas either written on the blackboard or mimeographed and put into thepupils' hands to read.
It gave great delight to the children to recognize an old friend in anew dress, and as interest was aroused, but little difficulty wasencountered in recognizing words that were indeed "new" in their sightvocabulary, but old servants in their oral vocabulary.
The spirit of the book may be illustrated by referring to the roastturkey in the story of The Little Match Girl. The story was told asdear old Hans Christian Andersen gave it to the little German childrenof fifty years ago. But American children have a different idea of thefowl which graces the table at Christmas time. The story as it camefrom the lips of the children referred to the "turkey," and "goose"was used in only one instance. As the story was to appeal to ourchildren, the word was changed to suit their ideas.
Again, in the story of Red Riding-Hood we preferred to use the Germanending, as it leaves a far happier impression on the minds of thechildren than the accepted English version. The incongruity of thewolf's swallowing whole the grandmother and child does not destroy thechild's enjoyment of the story, while the happy release of bothgrandmother and little girl forms a suitable close.
Also, as this old story handed down in so many languages is aninterpretation of one of the Sun myths, it seems better to cling tothe original, especially when it meets so entirely with the child'sapproval.
Before presenting the Norse myths for reading, they had been thesubject of many conversations, queries and illustrations. Some wereeven dramatized--in a childlike way, of course. Detailed descriptionsof Mt. Ida, Asgard, and some of the principal heroes, were given. But,though the little audience seemed interested in the introductoryremarks, these never came back when the children were called upon toreproduce the story. The narrator at once plunged into the story part.It is for this reason descriptions of heroes and places have beenomitted in these stories. It is thus left for each teacher who usesthis book to employ her own method of introducing the gods of thehardy Norseman to her pupils.
The following works will be found useful and quite available to mostteachers: Andersen's Norse Mythology, Mabie's Norse Stories, MaraPratt's Stories from Norseland, Fiske's Myths and Myth Makers,Taylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. I.; and Longfellow's Poems.
Hoping these stories will interest other children as they haveinterested those who helped build them, I send them forth.
E. LOUISE SMYTHE.
Santa Rosa, California.