CONCERNING FAIRY TALES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
have suffered—doubtless you too; indeed who has not, either as a child or a "grown-up" P—from the form of entertainment known as a "children's party." Delightful entirely in theory, it is seldom wholly successful in practice, and the modern parent and nurse begin to look with a severe distrust upon "fun" which produces heavy eyes, white faces, peevish tempers, and biases youngsters ! And no wonder; we are a "nervy" generation, and cinematography, dances, Christmas trees, conjurers, and dancing do not tend to soothe small people already excited by "party clothes" and a large and varied tea. At any rate, that is how it struck me when present not long ago at a large Christmas party. There
was a pause in the proceedings, and hot, flushed, bright-eyed little faces were looking eagerly for the next excitement. "Why not tell them a fairy story ?" was suggested. Rather dubiously the idea was accepted, and, being put to the children, met with unanimous and delighted assent, and in a few moments a large circle of " most mousey-quiet " small people ranging from four to fourteen listened for full twenty minutes to the tale of "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs." The experiment was certainly an entire success, and it has led me to wonder whether it might not be possible to apply it more widely. Peter Pan stole Wendy away to tell stories to him and his playmates in the Never Land, and " Tell us a story" is still the cry of every child. Not everyone can do it ; it is a heaven-sent gift, perhaps as rare as it is delightful, but where it exists why should it not be applied professionally, not only at children's parties, but to form classes such as I am told exist in many American towns, where the " tale-teller " has her regular days at one or other of the public libraries and the children come to listen. I fully believe such a scheme would not only give immense pleasure, but would have a dis- tinct educational value. Fairy tales in print are delightful— who questions it ?—but fairy tales told gain a quality of vitality, of colour, of enchantment which the printed page can never give. I enclose my address and shall be glad to hear from any of your readers who may care to write to me on the
6 Nottingham Place, W.
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