The Educational Value of Fairy-Stories and Myths

Author(s): Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen

Source: The Elementary School Teacher, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Nov., 1903), pp. 161-167
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/993304
Accessed: 01-05-2020 21:16 UTC

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 THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF FAIRY-STORIES
AND MYTHS.

STORY-TELLING is an art almost forgotten at the p

and the story-teller is becoming more and more a f
past. What has become of the chimney corner with
fire, the eager, happy children, and the good old
knew stories without end? The story hour, the chi
seems to have disappeared with the spinning-whee
loom, and the fireplace. But the longing eyes, th
mouths, and hearts are with us still and demand
The nature of the child does not seem to have chan
are forced to ask ourselves, first, What is the cause of the de-
mand? and, secondly, How may it be satisfied?
In this wonderful world nothing is too wonderful to the
child. He knows his own power to do.; so to his mind all things
that do will to do also; the wind, the trees, the sun, even sticks
and stones, seem like himself powers that exert their will. He
knows but little of the laws of nature without, and of nature
within self; but in his soul there is an instinct of wanting to
know; there are longings, hopes, a groping for the truth. The
demand for stories is an expression of the child's desire to learn
more of the wonders of the world around, to get at the heart of
things, to come into personal, intimate contact with the universe.
The fairy-story expresses the unconscious longings, hopes,
and struggles of the child. It speaks to him in a language he
understands; it gives expression to that which he feels but
dimly and sees but darkly; through it he catches glimpses of
laws governing human life; it interprets his own thoughts to
himself; it gives him a perspective of this world and uncon-
sciously influences his actions. But if this is the educational
value of the fairy-story, the question naturally arises: Where are
the stories to be found which may be such forces in the education
of our children? Is there a test that will show the genuine value
of the story to the child ?
I6I

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162 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER

The story must bring joy- and this is, if w

rightly what joy means, a good test for a sto
healthy child will never come to love literature w
entertaining, merely instructive, or merely m
sire is for more than this. The child wishes to
to feel, to grow, and develop in all directions
mental law of his nature.

We are often in danger of being so aesthetically aristocra

that we throw away something which is dear to child-natur
because we do not think it has great enough literary value
great deal has been said and written about the myth and t
fairy-story: that they give to the child wrong conceptions
human life and of nature, and that they in their fanciful dr
have no place in the education of our children. But if we su
press the myth and the fairy-story, what are we to put in thei
place ? Surely not our modern made-up fairy-story with a mor
or scientific truth tacked on to it.
Once, in the childhood of the race, man was in many respects
like this restless, hungering, groping child of ours. His environ-
ment asked him How? Why? and demanded a reply. The
reply is the literature of that day - myth and folklore. The
experience and wisdom accumulated by the race in the past found
a lasting expression in the myth and fairy-story. Here man's
innermost thoughts and feelings are revealed. The religion and
art of the time, all that primitive man felt deepest, loved or hated
most, is expressed in song or story, or was carved with loving
hand upon his crude utensils.
When man was young on earth he had the happy character-
istics of childhood: spontaneity, joy, light-heartedness, and a
superabundance of energy. All these characteristics we find in
the stories he told, and that is why folklore, the primitive myth
and fairy-story, are an unfailing source of enjoyment and inspira-
tion to the children of today.
It is not easy for us to become like a child again. Our modern
made-up fairy-tales have many weaknesses. There is the ten-
dency to preach, the overaccentuated moral teaching, the con-
scious analysis and philosophy of the adult, merely disguised as a
fairy-story.

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 EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF FAIRY-STORIES 163

It is worth our while to look at the characteristics of the

genuine fairy-tale. It is most natural that man first fixed h
mind on the external phenomena which had so much to do wi
his well-being - the sun, the rain, the storm, mountains, and sea
and that at first most myths and stories were explanations o
these natural phenomena. The natural world around him wa
believed to be ruled by the same forces and motives as thos
which determined his own actions. In order, therefore, to under
stand the universe, he must understand human life, as the know
edge of one was the knowledge of the other. The more h
understood human life, the better he understood nature aroun
him, and vice versa. His explanation of nature, therefore, b
came a portrayal of human life; and it is as such, as the begin
ning of literature, that myths and folklore have an education
value.
With the enlightenment on scientific questions the nature-
meaning of the myth was soon lost sight of, but the human ele-
ment contained in it was indestructible, and has been the germ of
great literary productions in all ages. Educationally speaking,
therefore, the nature-meaning of myths and folklore is of abso-
lutely no value. The form in which they are handed down to us
dates from a time when man was conscious of no such meaning.
The efforts that have been made to convey to the child scientific
truths through the medium of ancient myths show very little
understanding of the true value of myths.
We are often surprised at the keenness of early man in detect-
ing the essentials in human character. How much it is like that
of today! And as the story-teller of old in his fanciful way
gives us pictures of human life, we recognize that truth applies
to all ages; and so each age has interpreted the story according to
the scope of its understanding. The story has been the novel and
the drama of the past. Some are great classics, true mines of
inspiration.
Here are some of the ideals which we constantly meet in the
fairy-tales: First, there is the boy who goes out into the world
to seek his luck. Vaguely he seems to feel that the world has
something in store for him, if he seeks it. Going a step farther,

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164 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER

we meet the youth who is more conscious of his a

He goes forth to meet serious obstacles, which he must
if he is to win the princess and half the kingdom. At l
the hero whose whole life is spent in overcoming trolls
yes, who is ready to lay down his life to save his p
in the story-telling period seems to have come to so
conclusions: that human nature is good and kindly
will in the end overcome evil; that strength and stat
always wise; and that wit and wisdom never fail to
day against mere brute force.
We find different stories expressing different phas
the serious, the humorous, the sublime, the ridiculous;
there are stories fitted to all steps of development and
sions. You may find this material in the literature
people in far-off lands and of far-off times, but their
not strange or foreign to our children. The univer
thought is expressed in universal child-language
therefore, a wide field to select from, if we only have t
to choose.

It is a great fallacy to believe that the story may be applied

like a plaster or medicine for moral weaknesses. Often mothers
and teachers ask: "What stories shall I tell to my boy who is
not always truthful, or who is selfish, etc. ?" It is not for litera-
ture to assume the power to teach moral laws. It were useless
work for it to hew at the ethical nature of the child with unceas-
ing hammer strokes. Still this conception of the use of the story
is most prevalent, if one is to judge from the books published
and the stories which are told in kindergartens, in Sunday
schools, at home, and in the regular school.
The story must find the quiet way that leads to the heart. It
must make the child aglow with a warmth which unfolds the
desire for the good and beautiful as inperceptibly as the buds are
unfolded in the spring. It must come quietly, discreetly, so that
something is set vibrating in the child's soul, which will lead to
action. Literature may inspire and awaken noble impulses when
it is artistically presented, but will become worse than useless
unless the child finds all around him chances to act upon these

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 EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF FAIRY-STORIES 165

impulses. Nothing but work which calls for truthfuln

conditions which give opportunities for unselfishness, can
child lacking in moral quality.
There must be no gap between story-land and the
world in which the child lives. When the emotions are aroused
- such as courage, kindliness, pity, self-sacrifice - the child mus
find something to act upon, something to do that requires these
qualities. Many well-meaning writers of modern fairy-tale
seem to go about their task in some such manner: They look
the virtues which ought to be sought and the vices which must
shunned. One or more of these are selected for the theme of a
tale, and it may be a cleverly written tale. But if you and every
body else who read it feel and know that this story was told
order to teach this or that moral, you may be sure that somethin
is wrong. Great novels and dramas are not made that wa
neither is the child-novel and the child-drama. Healthy, norm
children will have none of it. The writer may even cleverly dis-
guise his motive, but in spite of him it lurks in corners an
springs out when he is not aware. This kind of a story is, un
fortunately too common.
Perhaps you have noticed how the " moral" story acts upon a
child. A little girl said one day, when the talk was of Georg
Washington: "I don't think much of George Washington sin
I heard the story about the hatchet. He must have been a ve
untruthful child, since they made so much fuss about his no
telling a lie." Another girl said, when I asked her if she lik
to read stories: "Yes, very much, but I always skip long de-
scriptions and the preaching."
Classic literature, whether for the adult or for little children
merely seeks to place life in its many aspects before you- fo
you to observe, for you to interpret, for you to take that which
you need.
An apparent enmity exists between the study of science and
story-telling. The child's relation to nature around him is an
intmate personal one. Hills, forests, streams, flowers, are friends,
who inspire him with love and confidence. As the child grows
older and his scientific knowledge of the world increases, this

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166 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER

feeling of friendship toward nature becomes s

somewhat different kind. From a perfectly su
view the child by the help of science is able ob
nature without and nature within self. There is no break be-
tween the story stage and the science stage, only development o
ideas; and the true story spirit toward nature is never lost, b
runs into a wider channel, giving color and emotion to scientifi
realities.

It is to be hoped that side by side with science-teaching the

myth will maintain its place, not as an antagonist, but by its
spirit a faithful companion, supplementing and making the other
more complete.
It is a fallacy to believe that science needs to borrow the
fanciful dress of the myth; it can well stand alone and hold its
own. This sugar-coating of scientific facts, so common in our
day, shows our inability to understand child-nature. Three-
fourths of the so-called science-reading for primary pupils con-
sists of such material as the following:
Some tired little raindrops lay in the grass. " Come with me and have
a dance," said the bright, sweet sunbeam; " but you must put on your white
dresses first." And she kissed each one on the cheek. Then suddenly they
felt themselves so light and danced high up into the air. But what should
happen? Mr. North Wind was out for a frolic too, and when he met the
little vapors, which we now must call them, they grew so cold that they had to
put on warm winter clothes.

Such reading matter - literature is not its name - the healthy

child naturally resents, and, however well intended, it appears
just as affected and artificial to him as it should to us.
The fairy-tale or myth may have its origin in some ob-
servations of nature, but note the difference. Primitive man
gave expression to all he knew, to his interpretation of the facts
about him, to his honest feelings which were aroused. This
made-up science fairy-story is written by a man, I think, who
possesses the modern scientific knowledge, and is in form only,
not in spirit, a story-writer.
Of late efforts have been made to select appropriate myths
to correlate with science. In this attempt the mother and teacher

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 EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF FAIRY-STORIES r67

have often yielded to the temptation of reading into the myth

scientific truths that are hardly suggested by the original.
It must always be kept in mind that the myth is a very
partial scientific truth, and can therefore not give expression to
the modern knowledge of science.
GUDRUN THORNE-THOMSEN.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
School of Education.

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