ormed became his bride--because
of its length, is better used in the first grade at the same
time with _Puss-in-Boots_. The same holds true of _Peter,
Paul, and Espen_, or its parallel, Laboulaye's _Poucinet_.
This is a fine tale telling how the youngest of three sons
succeeded in winning the king's favor and finally the
princess and half the kingdom. First, Espen had to cut down
the giant oak that shadowed the palace and dig a well in the
courtyard of the castle deep enough to furnish water the
entire year. But after winning in these tests, he is
required to conquer a great Ogre who dwells in the forest,
and later to prove himself cleverer in intellect than the
princess by telling the greater falsehood. It is evident
that not only the subject-matter but the working out of the
long plot are much beyond kindergarten children.

_The complicated or the insincere tale_. This would
eliminate a tale of complicated structure, such as Grimm's
_Golden Bird_; and many of the modern fairy tales, which
will be dealt with later on.

The fairy tales mentioned above are all important tales which the
child should receive at a later time when he is ready for them. They
are mentioned because they all have been suggested for kindergarten
use. The whole field of children's literature is largely unclassified
and ungraded as yet, and such arrangements as we possess show slight
respect for standards. There is abundant material for the youngest,
and much will be gained by omitting to give the very young what they
will enjoy a little later, much better and with freshness. It is true
that a few classics are well-suited to the child at any age, such as
_Alice in Wonderland_, _The Jungle Books_, and _Uncle Remus Tales_. In
regard to this grading of the classics, Lamb in _Mackery End_,
speaking of his sister's education, said, "She was tumbled early, by
accident or design, into a spacious closet of good old English
reading, without much selection or prohibition, and browsed at will
upon that fair and wholesome pasturage. Had I twenty girls they should
be brought up exactly in this fashion." Lamb would have argued: Set
the child free in the library and let him choose for himself, and feed
on great literature, those stories which give general types of
situation and character, which give the simplest pictures of a people
at different epochs. But with all due r