But Gratian, who was standing close to him, noticed that while he played his jolliest airs, a tear would often roll down his cheeks. And Gratian asked him why he wept.
“Because,” said the old man, “I am hungry. I have not any one in the world to feed me, or my faithful dog.”
Then Gratian felt like crying, too, and he ran to fetch the cake which he had saved to eat himself. He brought it out with joy, and as he ran along he said:
“Here, good man, here is some cake for you.”
Then Gratian put the cake into the old man’s hands and he, laying down his fiddle, wiped his eyes and began to eat. At every piece he put into his mouth he gave a bit to his faithful little dog, who ate from his hand; and Gratian, standing by, had as much pleasure as if he had eaten the cake himself.
_From the French of Monsieur Berquin’s L’Ami des Enfants--1784_
STORIES SELECTED BECAUSE OF THEIR SENSE APPEAL TO THE CHILD’S MIND
THE GINGERBREAD BOY _Sara Cone Bryant, in How to Tell Stories to Children_ JOHNNY CAKE _In Firelight Stories_ THE TWO LITTLE COOKS _Laura E. Richards, in Five Minute Stories_ WHAT WAS HER NAME? _Laura E. Richards, in Five Minute Stories_ THE COOKY _Laura E. Richards, in The Golden Windows_ THE MOUSE PIE _Folk Tale_ THE MOUSE AND THE SAUSAGE _Frances Hodgson Burnett, in St. Nicholas_ TINY HARE AND THE ECHO _Anne Schutze, in Little Animal Stories_ WHY THE SEA IS SALT _Sara Cone Bryant, in How to Tell Stories to Children_ THE PROUD LITTLE GRAIN OF WHEAT _Frances Hodgson Burnett, in Saint Nicholas_ THE STORY THE MILK TOLD _Gertrude Hayes Noyce, in In the Child’s World_ THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN _Sara Cone Bryant, in How to Tell Stories to Children_ OLD PIPES AND THE DRYAD _Frank Stockton, in Fanciful Tales_ THE BIG RED APPLE _Kate Whiting Patch, in For the Children’s Hour_ THE CHRISTMAS CAKE _Maud Lindsay, in More Mother Stories_
A tired-out, unenthusiastic school teacher in one of our large public schools was recently endeavoring to secure the attention of her class for a story. This story hour was, for her, just one lap in the march of the day’s routine, a period to be finished as soon as possible, and she began it in a stereotyped way.
“I am going to tell you a story, children,” she said, “and I want every child in the room to sit up straight, put his feet _flat_ on the floor and fold his hands. When everybody is ready, I will begin.”