ting the folk-tale have been given by
writers. One might refer to the standards given by Wilman in his
_Pedagogische Vortraege_ and those mentioned by William Rein in _Das
Erste Schuljahr_. We have seen here that the fairy tale must contain
the child's interests and it must be able to stand the test of a true
classic. It must stand the test of literature in its appeal to emotion
and to imagination, in its appeal to the intellect through its basis
of truth, and to the language-sense through its perfection of form; it
must stand the test of the short-story and of good narration and of
description. Let us now examine a few of the old tales to see how they
stand the complete test:--
_How the Sun, Moon, and West Wind went out to Dinner_
_This story of How the Sun, Moon, and West Wind Went out to
Dinner_ appeals to the children's interest in a family
dinner--they went to dine with their Uncle and Aunt, Thunder
and Lightning. The characters are interesting to the child,
for they are the inhabitants of his sky that cause him much
wonder: the star, the sun, the moon, the thunder, and the
lightning. To the little child, who as she watched a
grown-up drying her hands, remarked, "I wouldn't like to be
a towel, would you?" the idea of the moon, sun, and wind
possessing personality and going to a dinner-party will
amuse and please. The theme of the story finds a place in
the experience of children who go to a party; and secretly
they will enjoy making comparisons. When they go to a party
they too like to bring something home; but they wouldn't
think of hiding goodies in their hands. They are fortunate
enough to have their hostess give them a toy animal or a box
of sweetmeats, a tiny dolly or a gay balloon, as a souvenir.
The greediness and selfishness of the Sun and Wind impress
little children, for these are perhaps the two sins possible
to childhood; and all children will fully appreciate why the
Sun and the Wind received so swiftly the punishment they
deserved. The thoughtfulness of the loving gentle Moon to
remember her Mother the Star, appeals to them. The rapid
punishment, well-deserved, and the simplicity of the story
with its one point, make it a very good tale for little
children. The whole effect is pleasing. What children recall
is the motherly Star; and the beautiful Moon, who was coo
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