The Art of the Story-Teller

by Marie L. Shedlock

What better object lesson could be given in humorous form of taking somebody else's point of view than that given to Alice by the Mock Turtle in speaking of the Whiting—

"You know what they're like?"

"I believe so," said Alice. "They have their tails in their mouths —and they're all over crumbs."

"You're wrong about the crumbs,: said the Mock Turtle. "Crumbs would all wash off in the sea."

Or when Alice is speaking to the Mouse of her cat, and says:

"She is such a dear quiet thing—and a capital one for catching mice——" and then suddenly realizes the point of view of the Mouse, who was "trembling down to the end of its tail."

Then, as an instance of how a lack of humor leads to illogical conclusions (a condition common to most children), we have the conversation between Alice and the Pigeon:

ALICE: "But little girls eat quite as much as serpents, you know."

PIGEON: "I don't believe it. But if they do, why then they're a kind of serpent, that's all I can say."

Then, as an instance of how a sense of humor would prevent too much self- importance: