itie, who with his briskly
curling tail goes eagerly down the road to secure, from the
man who carried a load of straw, a bit with which to build
his easily destructible house; Red Riding Hood taking a pot
of jam to her sick grandmother; Henny Penny starting out on
a walk, to meet with the surprise of a nut falling on her
head--the biggest charm of all this is that it is life.

_The familiar_. The child, limited in experience, loves to
come in touch with the things he knows about. It soothes his
tenderness, allays his fears, makes him feel at home in the
world,--and he hates to feel strange,--it calms his
timidity, and satisfies his heart. The home and the people
who live in it; the food, the clothing, and shelter of
everyday life; the garden, the plant in it, or the live ant
or toad; the friendly dog and cat, the road or street near
by, the brook, the hill, the sky--these are a part of his
world, and he feels them his own even in a story. The
presents which the Rabbit went to town to buy for the little
Rabbits, in _How Brother Rabbit Frightens his Neighbors_;
the distinct names, Miss Janey and Billy Malone, given to
the animals of _In Some Lady's Garden_, just as a child
would name her dolls; and the new shoes of the Dog which the
Rabbit managed to get in _Why Mr. Dog Runs after Brother
Rabbit_--these all bring up in the child's experience
delightful familiar associations. The tale which takes a
familiar experience, gives it more meaning, and organizes
it, such as _The Little Red Hen_, broadens, deepens, and
enriches the child's present life.

_The surprise_. While he loves the familiar, nothing more
quickly brings a smile than the surprise. Perhaps the most
essential of the fairy traits is the combination of the
familiar and the unfamiliar. The desire for the unknown,
that curiosity which brings upon itself surprise, is the
charm of childhood as well as the divine fire of the
scientist. The naughty little Elephant who asked "a new,
fine question he had never asked before," and who went to
answer his own question of "what the crocodile has for
dinner," met with many surprises which were spankings; and
as a result, he returned home with a trunk and experience.
He is a very good example of how delightful to the child
th