he characters are two poor people who
need food and clothing and seek to secure both; and the
animals of the forest. The peasants need the Bear for a
coat, the Wolf for a fur cap, the Fox for a fur collar, and
the Hare for mittens. This human need produces an emotional
appeal so that we wish to see the animals caught. But when
the plot unties itself, the plight of the animals appeals to
us equally and we want just as much to see them win their
freedom. Each animal works out his own salvation by offering
the old people a worthy substitute. Each animal is true to
his nature in the substitute he offers, he promises what is
only natural for him to procure, and what he himself likes
best. The conclusion is satisfying because in the end
everybody is happy: the old people who have all they need;
and the animals who have life and freedom. The distinct
pictures offered to the imagination are the capture of the
four animals and their return with their life-substitutes.
The form of the tale is a good example of folk-story style,
with its vivid words, direct language, and repetition. This
is one of the tales which is finer than at first appears
because it has a strong sense of life. It touches the
present-day problem: "How can the inhuman slaughter of
animals for man's use be avoided?" Its underlying message
is: Self-help is a good way out of a difficulty.--_The Straw
Ox_ also answers the complete test of the tale with much
satisfaction.

REFERENCES:

The Child:

Barnes, Earl: _Study of Children's Stories_. ("Children's
Interests.")

Dewey, John: _Interest and Effort in Education_. Houghton.

King, Irving: _Psychology of Child Development_. University of
Chicago Press.

Lawrence, Isabel: "Children's Interests in Literature." _N.E.A.
Report_, 1899, p. 1044.

McCracken, Elizabeth: "What Children Like to Read." _Outlook_,
Dec, 1904, vol. 78.

Tyler, John M.: _Growth in Education_. Houghton.

Vostrovsky, Clara: "A Study of Children's Own Stories." _Studies
in Education_, vol. i, pp. 15-17.

Literature:

Baldwin, Charles S.: _Specimens of Prose Description_. Holt.

Brewster, William T.: _English Composition and Style_. Century.

_Ibid.: Specimens of Prose Narration_. Holt.

Gardiner, John H.: _For