TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES

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III (176). Writing a Fable from Dictation Without further study dictate the fable, The Wise Boar. The purpose of this dictation is to fix the model form of a fable in preparation for the telling and writing of original fables which are called for in following lessons.

In correcting their papers with the pupils which should immediately follow the dictation pay especial attention to the mechanical arrangement of their work.

Keep pupils' papers until after Section V, then put the papers of the two lessons together.

IV (176). Telling Original Fables

See that the children understand what is expected of them. Do not approve or even allow to pass a fable that does not teach the same lesson that the model fable teaches; the offering of such a fable indicates that its author does not fully understand the model fable and what is expected of him.

Encourage the children to model their fables as closely as they can on the type fable. Make the exercise alive; see that every one is wide awake and thinking earnestly and quickly. As pupils are ready, have them tell their fables in rapid succession; a dozen may be told in a few minutes. Let each child, when he tells his fable, come to the front of the room, face the class, and speak distinctly and loud enough to be heard by all.

Keep the children's fables brief; allow the use of no more words than are needed to tell the story. Stop at once all such verbose utterances as this: "Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was sharpening his skates. It was a rainy day and he could not go skating." If the pupil reciting does not at once see the mistake he is making, refer him to the opening sentences of The Wise Boar and The Fisherman and His Nets. Let him study these carefully until he is able to put his three wordy sentences into one, about like this: "One rainy day a boy was sharpening his skates."

V (179). Writing an Original Fable

See that the pupils do exactly as directed in their book.

There are many characteristics of a lesson like this which make it admirably adapted to fourthgrade pupils. The requirements are definite and easily understood. They have a model to lean upon and to imitate; at the same time there is demand for a little originality, a little invention, and opportunity for considerable. Thus, while the exercise is within the capacity of the slowest, most commonplace mind, it invites the fullest use of the quickest and the most original thought. Finally, the exercise is brief, must be brief to be good, and so can be completed and corrected in a short time.

SUPPLEMENTARY WORK

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The correcting should be most conscientiously done; it is in the correcting that the pupil learns what he did not know before. See that each pupil does as directed before offering his fable to you for your judgment and assistance, that is, that he study it carefully by himself and make such improvements in it as he can. In your correcting of the fables with the children, direct attention not merely to the words and forms, but especially to the thought and the more general method of its expression. Is the thought clear and logical, and so expressed? Does the fable teach the desired lesson clearly and pointedly? Is every thought expressed wholly relevant? Is it expressed in the most concise, effective paragraphs, sentences, and words that the author can use?

In trying to get pupils to correct such defects as these questions suggest, it will do no good to talk to them in the abstract terms in which these questions are expressed; they cannot understand such language. Simply refer them to the type fables; direct their attention to the characteristics of the type fables which their fables lack; then they can understand, for you bring the matter to them in the

concrete.

Supplementary Work

1. Pupils may write one or more additional fables teaching the same lesson as those already studied and written. Each one may take for his title one of the subjects given (p. 178), or an original subject.

Probably many pupils in the class, with a little encouragement, will voluntarily write a considerable number of fables outside of school.

2. With fable No. 10, Chapter Twelve, as a model, children may write original fables teaching the same lesson as that taught by The Wolf and the Goat. (See Manual, p. 267.)

3. Let pupils write as many titles as they can on which they think fables might be written, teaching the same lesson as The Wise Boar teaches.

VI (180). The Wise Judge: A Story to be Read and Studied

In

Read the story through with the children. the suggested conversation and discussion that is to follow, encourage the children to speculate freely, but intelligently, regarding the judge's acts and motives — a splendid opportunity for the exercise of intelligent imagination. Perhaps the judge was familiar with the goldsmith's shop, knew that the ceiling was low and covered with dust and cobwebs, and hence surmised that the thief would probably brush off some on his fez. Perhaps the judge had visited the shop during the day, had seen a place where the dust and cobwebs had been recently brushed away and guessed that it was done by the thief. Perhaps he suspected who the thief was and took this means of making sure. Possibly he even knew the thief all the time and acted and talked as

DRAMATIZING "THE WISE JUDGE"

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he did merely to impress the people with his wisdom. Perhaps he knew nothing about the thief, or dust and cobwebs; perhaps no one had cobwebs on his fez; perhaps the guilty one instinctively tried as the shrewd judge hoped he would do to remove from his fez the suggested evidence of his guilt. Perhaps but the children, with encouragement and skillful suggestion, will offer an indefinite number of possible explanations.

See that the pupils understand what is meant by the word fez, then see that they use it freely in conversation and in dramatizing.

Let children study alone the questions and suggestions in preparation for the dramatizing. But if you can give a few minutes to it just before the actual dramatizing, let different children tell what might be the words used by the thief, the judge, and the people in those places where these must be supplied by the pupil.

VII (185). Dramatizing "The Wise Judge"

Preliminary to the actual, free dramatizing of the story, read it through with the children, you or one of the pupils reading the narrative parts while pupils, as directed, read the conversational parts. As these pupils read, let them dramatize with books in their hands, moving from place to place as the action requires, making appropriate gestures and reading from their books.