Page 25 - 1916 February - To Dragma

104 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

story plays. But it is not correct to say that these were "taught"
or that I was a "teacher" I am sure the children would refute either.
Only read and perhaps you will agree.

Since I was granted the privilege of my own ideas, I made every-
thing into stories. Nature study is nothing but stories so wonderful
and real, and for research work, that was of inestimable value to all
of us, we hunted out the nature poems and folk and fairy tales in con-
junction with our particular subject for study. Then we always
played the nature work too, which of itself made a vivid impression
on all our minds. As for active games, and quiet ones too, only look
through a book of children's games. Many are just what you are
looking for and others lend to adaptation, and then again there is
many a nature game that comes out of the air—perhaps to lend itself
to your own idea.

Our dances were stories in themselves; the setting of the country
or the times, of peasants' joys and friendly intercourse. The child-
ren realized that movements in the dance were like notes or phrases
in music, words or sentences in stories—the presentation of the whole
being a story or a "moving picture." And how they danced! A t a
demonstration (these I thoroughly dislike, but it was for the cause)
the mothers and friends crowded up to say they never before had
seen in children such unconsciousness, joyousness, rhythm, and such
living into a dance.

The stories of literature were never properly ended until trans-
ferred into a Story Play. The fifth grades were studying Paul
Revere so we had the story of Polly in Lads and Lassies of Other
Days and not a moment was lost in saying, "Now let's play i t . " The
children always chose the characters, as they have a keen way of
sizing up the proper ones. As the story went the father was to con-
duct family worship, and the Twenty-third Psalm was to be repeated.
While the children were pondering over this fact, one of the boys
quickly rose saying, " I ' l l learn that Psalm i f you let me be the
father." He did learn it, and was a very worthy father.

They are quick in emergencies for one day as we played, the Story
Play came to a halt. We had made no provision for the rooster who
was to crow on the door-step, when a boy from the midst of the
spectators jumped to his feet, came to the front, hopped upon an
imaginary door-step and crowed, and then took his seat. Not a
laugh was heard, merely a look of gratification was given him, of
which he was not conscious.

The Principal at the close of the term remarked that he had dif-
ferent children in his school. They were happy, radiant, and joyful.