Story Telling in Boston

BY MARY W. CRONAN

Official Story Teller for the Boston Public Libraries

I really felt most delighted at the thought of the new magazine and want to send an article, but can’t seem to find time to write it. Perhaps it will answer if I just tell you what is being done in Boston Libraries and Settlements by Mr. Cronan and myself, and let you choose such items as seem of interest.

The Library classes are held in the afternoon. On Saturday from three to four Mr. Cronan and I tell stories in the Central Library. On Monday I go to Brighton; Tuesday to Jamaica Plain; Wednesday to South Boston; Thursday the West End; Friday Shawmut Ave. Branch. All these are Branches of the Central Library. The ages of the children are from ten to fourteen. The attendance from one to two hundred.

The first part of the hour is devoted to telling the story of some book which the children have not read and which would be a valuable book for them to know. As the boys greatly outnumber the girls, the book is chosen which is likely to appeal to them. I have told in “continued story” form each book lasting from four to six periods of story telling the following:

The last twenty minutes of the hour is usually devoted to some story of fun or fancy—a fairy tale—or Brer’ Rabbit’s pranks. In the evening similar work is done in Social Settlements with groups of boys from twelve to fourteen years of age. At Denison House we have ninety-six boys of Syrian and Irish nationality. There are groups in the Ruggles Street Neighborhood House—the “South End Industrial School,” Jamaica Plain Neighborhood House, South End House and Lincoln House.

In the summer story telling groups are held on the roof gardens of the Settlement House or in the yard where we sit on the grass and tell stories in the twilight—often to groups of one hundred and fifty children.

The accompanying newspaper clippings about my work may be of interest:

Introduces the Child to the Best Literature

“I do not tell stories to amuse children, but to instruct them. The purpose is to introduce the child to the best literature and not to entertain him, although he is at the same time entertained.

“Story telling bridges the gap between the child and the library and brings him into literature. It develops the child in every way and teaches him what is really worth his while to read.

“It develops the imagination, trains his mind and he gets many moral lessons, although I never tell stories as a means of preaching to children.

Develops the Child’s Mind

“Story telling means far more to children than many people realize. The love for stories is born in every child and it takes but a remarkably short time before almost every child becomes a really wonderful listener.

“It is interesting to observe how the mind of the child is developed. At first, many can keep their attention on a story only a short time, but they soon learn the power of application and can listen breathlessly for an hour and then ask for another story, even though they know the time is up. After their attention has once been gained, children will listen to stories as long as the story teller will continue.

Librarians Enthusiastic

“After a year or more of story telling in the public libraries, I believe in the power of the story more than ever. Between the settlements and the libraries, over 1,200 children come to listen to me each week, and besides I have been conducting a normal class to teach young librarians how to tell stories themselves.

“All the librarians appear to be enthusiastic over the story hour, and although it adds to their cares and confusion, they welcome me each week with a friendliness that is truly genuine.

“But the real inspiration comes from the children themselves. They never seem to tire, and sometimes keep me for an hour and a quarter with ‘A little more, please, just a few minutes. We want to know what became of Oliver,’ or ‘Didn’t Siegfried come to life again?’