the lesson the great prose-poet meant to give. If the
character of the Fir Tree is well understood, the lesson almost tells
itself, for ambition, arrogance and discontent are seen as the traits
that make for unhappiness. The Fir Tree might have been happy many times
if it had only been content. At the worst it gave happiness to others,
and therein, perhaps, filled its place in the world. Human beings must
often find their pleasure in giving happiness to others and must be
content to know that they are of service to others. Some of the lessons
of _The Fir Tree_ are rather hard for little folks to understand, and
there is something in the charming story for those older readers that
have hearts young enough to see the meaning.

Study the purpose in the following:

Volume I, page 414. _The Ugly Duckling._
Volume II, page 124. _The Snow Queen._

F. THE METHOD AND STYLE OF THE AUTHOR

Small children are not interested in considering the way in which an
author tells his story, nor the methods he employs to secure attention
and excite interest. Yet there comes a time when such a study is highly
pleasing to inquiring youth. It is desirable always that children should
early begin to appreciate the difference in the way plots are handled,
to discriminate between a tale that is well told and one that is poorly
told. At an early age boys delight in stories that are full of the
excitement of adventure, conflict and mystery. Their craving is natural
enough and must be satisfied. At such time they will read little or
nothing else unless they are driven to it, and to compel them to read
what they do not want is to make them hate reading for the time being
and perhaps permanently. In time they will outgrow the taste--it is
nothing to be feared if properly guided. The danger lies in the fact
that they may find the excitement they wish in stories that are really
immoral, or that are so poorly written that they destroy all taste for
fine literature. The right course is to supply plenty of reading in
which excitement abounds, where Indians stalk the woods, pirates rove
the seas, and knights fight for their lady-loves, but always in stories
that are so well told that the taste for good reading is cultivated
unconsciously as the boy reads. _Treasure Island_ is bloody enough for
the most exacting boy, and it bears many a reading, for it is so
charmingly told that long after the cry, "Pieces of eight, pieces of
eight," has ceased