Part 1
# Story Lessons on Character-Building (Morals) and Manners ### By Bates, Loïs
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STORY LESSONS
ON
CHARACTER-BUILDING (MORALS)
AND
MANNERS.
STORY LESSONS ON CHARACTER-BUILDING (MORALS) AND MANNERS
BY LOIS BATES
AUTHOR OF "KINDERGARTEN GUIDE," "NEW RECITATIONS FOR INFANTS," "GAMES WITHOUT MUSIC," ETC.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 1900
PREFACE.
ALTHOUGH it is admitted by all teachers, in theory at least, that morals and manners are essential subjects in the curriculum of life, how very few give them an appointed place in the school routine. Every other subject has its special time allotted, but these--the most important subjects--are left to chance, or taken up, haphazard, at any time; surely this is wrong.
Incidents often occur in the school or home life which afford fitting opportunity for the inculcation of some special moral truth, but maybe the teacher or mother has no suitable illustration just at hand, and the occasion is passed over with a reproof. It is hoped that where such want is felt this little book may supply the need.
The stories may be either told or read to the children, and are as suitable for the home as the school. "The Fairy Temple" should be read as an introduction to the Story Lessons, for the _teaching_ of the latter is based on this introductory fairy tale. If used at home the blackboard sketch may be written on a slate or slip of paper. The children will not weary if the stories are repeated again and again (this at least was the writer's experience), and they will be eager to pronounce what is the teaching of the tale. In this way the lessons are reiterated and enforced. The method is one which the writer found exceedingly effective during long years of experience. Picture-teaching is an ideal way of conveying truths to children, and these little stories are intended to be pictures in which the children may see and contrast the good with the bad, and learn to love the good. The faults of young children are almost invariably due either to thoughtlessness or want of knowledge, and the little ones are delighted to learn and put into practice the lessons taught in these stories, which teaching should be applied in the class or home as occasion arises. _E.g._, a child is passing in front of another without any apology, the teacher says, immediately: "Remember Minnie, you do not wish to be rude, like she was" (Story Lesson 111). Or if a child omits to say "Thank you," he may be reminded by asking: "Have you forgotten 'Alec and the Fairies'?" (Story Lesson 95). The story lessons should be read to the children until they become perfectly familiar with them, so that each may be applied in the manner indicated.
CONTENTS.
1.--MORALS.
CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTORY STORY-- 1. The Fairy Temple 1
II. OBEDIENCE-- 2. The Two Voices 4 3. (Why we Should Obey.) The Pilot 6 4. (Why we Should Obey.) The Dog that did not like to be Washed 7 5. (Ready Obedience.) Robert and the Marbles 9 6. (Unready, Sulky Obedience.) Jimmy and the Overcoat 9
III. LOYALTY-- 7. Rowland and the Apple Tart 10
IV. TRUTHFULNESS-- 8. (Direct Untruth.) Lucy and the Jug of Milk 12 9. (Untruth, by not Speaking.) Mabel and Fritz 13 10. (Untruth, by not Telling _All_.) A Game of Cricket 14 11. (Untruth, by "Stretching"--Exaggeration.) The Three Feathers 16
V. HONESTY-- 12. Lulu and the Pretty Coloured Wool 17 13. (Taking Little Things.) Carl and the Lump of Sugar 19 14. (Taking Little Things.) Lilie and the Scent 19 15. Copying 20 16. On Finding Things 22
VI. KINDNESS-- 17. Squeaking Wheels 23 18. Birds and Trees 24 19. Flowers and Bees 25 20. Lulu and the Bundle 26 VII. THOUGHTFULNESS-- 21. Baby Elsie and the Stool 27 22. The Thoughtful Soldier 28
VIII. HELP ONE ANOTHER-- 23. The Cat and the Parrot 29 24. The Two Monkeys 30 25. The Wounded Bird 31
IX. ON BEING BRAVE-- 26. (Brave in Danger.) How Leonard Saved his Little Brother 32 27. (Brave in Little Things.) The Twins 33 28. (Brave in Suffering.) The Broken Arm 34 29. (Brave in Suffering.) The Brave Monkey 35
X. TRY, TRY AGAIN-- 30. The Sparrow that would not be Beaten 35 31. The Railway Train 36 32. The Man who Found America 37
XI. PATIENCE-- 33. Walter and the Spoilt Page 38 34. The Drawings Eaten by the Rats 39
XII. ON GIVING IN-- 35. Playing at Shop 40 36. The Two Goats 41
XIII. ON BEING GENEROUS-- 37. Lilie and the Beggar Girl 41 38. Bertie and the Porridge 42
XIV. FORGIVENESS-- 39. The Two Dogs 43
XV. GOOD FOR EVIL-- 40. The Blotted Copy-book 43
XVI. GENTLENESS-- 41. The Horse and the Child 45 42. The Overturned Fruit Stall 46
XVII. ON BEING GRATEFUL-- 43. Rose and her Birthday Present 47 44. The Boy who _was_ Grateful 47
XVIII. SELF-HELP-- 45. The Crow and the Pitcher 48
XIX. CONTENT-- 46. Harold and the Blind Man 49
XX. TIDINESS-- 47. The Slovenly Boy 50 48. Pussy and the Knitting 51 49. The Packing of the Trunks 53
XXI. MODESTY-- 50. The Violet 54 51. Modesty in Dress 55
XXII. ON GIVING PLEASURE TO OTHERS-- 52. "Selfless" and "Thoughtful". A Fairy Tale 56 53. The Bunch of Roses 56 54. Edwin and the Birthday Party 57 55. Davie's Christmas Present 59
XXIII. CLEANLINESS-- 56. Why we Should be Clean 61 57. Little Creatures who like to be Clean 62 58. The Boy who did not like to be Washed 63 59. The Nails and the Teeth 64
XXIV. PURE LANGUAGE-- 60. Toads and Diamonds. A Fairy Tale 66
XXV. PUNCTUALITY-- 61. Lewis and the School Picnic 67
XXVI. ALL WORK HONOURABLE-- 62. The Chimney-sweep 69
XXVII. BAD COMPANIONS-- 63. Playing with Pitch 70 64. Stealing Strawberries 71
XXVIII. ON FORGETTING-- 65. Maggie's Birthday Present 73 66. The Promised Drive 74 67. The Boy who Remembered 75
XXIX. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS-- 68. Lulu and the Sparrow 76 69. Why we Should be Kind to Animals 77 70. The Butterfly 78 71. The Kind-hearted Dog 78
XXX. BAD TEMPER-- 72. How Paul was Cured 79 73. The Young Horse 80
XXXI. SELFISHNESS-- 74. The Child on the Coach 82 75. Edna and the Cherries 82 76. The Boy who liked always to Win 83 77. The two Boxes of Chocolate 84 78. Eva 85
XXXII. CARELESSNESS-- 79. The Misfortunes of Elinor 86
XXXIII. ON BEING OBSTINATE-- 80. How Daisy's Holiday was Spoilt 87
XXXIV. GREEDINESS-- 81. Stephen and the Buns 89
XXXV. BOASTING-- 82. The Stag and his Horns 90
XXXVI. WASTEFULNESS-- 83. The Little Girl who was Lost 91
XXXVII. LAZINESS-- 84. The Sluggard 91
XXXVIII. ON BEING ASHAMED-- 85. The Elephant that Stole the Cakes 92
XXXIX. EARS AND NO EARS-- 86. Heedless Albert 94 87. Olive and Gertie 95
XL. EYES AND NO EYES-- 88. The Two Brothers 97 89. Ruby and the Wall 98
XLI. LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL-- 90. The Daisy 99
XLII. ON DESTROYING THINGS-- 91. Beauty and Goodness 100
XLIII. ON TURNING BACK WHEN WRONG-- 92. The Lost Path 101
XLIV. ONE BAD "STONE" MAY SPOIL THE "TEMPLE"-- 93. Intemperance 103
2.--MANNERS.
XLV. PRELIMINARY STORY LESSON-- 94. The Watch and its Springs 104
XLVI. ON SAYING "PLEASE" AND "THANK YOU"-- 95. Fairy Tale of Alec and his Toys 105
XLVII. ON BEING RESPECTFUL-- 96. Story Lesson 108
XLVIII. PUTTING FEET UP-- 97. Alice and the Pink Frock 109
XLIX. BANGING DOORS-- 98. How Maurice came Home from School 110 99. Lulu and the Glass Door 111
L. PUSHING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE-- 100. The Big Boy and the Little Lady 112
LI. KEEPING TO THE RIGHT-- 101. Story Lesson 113
LII. CLUMSY PEOPLE-- 102. Story Lesson 114
LIII. TURNING ROUND WHEN WALKING-- 103. The Girl and her Eggs 115
LIV. ON STARING-- 104. Ruth and the Window 116
LV. WALKING SOFTLY-- 105. Florence Nightingale 117
LVI. ANSWERING WHEN SPOKEN TO-- 106. The Civil Boy 118
LVII. ON SPEAKING LOUDLY-- 107. The Woman who Shouted 119
LVIII. ON SPEAKING WHEN OTHERS ARE SPEAKING-- 108. Margery and the Picnic 120
LIX. LOOK AT PEOPLE WHEN SPEAKING TO THEM-- 109. Fred and his Master 122
LX. ON TALKING TOO MUCH-- 110. Story Lesson 122
LXI. GOING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE-- 111. Minnie and the Book 124 112. The Man and his Luggage 124
LXII. WHEN TO SAY "I BEG YOUR PARDON"-- 113. Story Lesson 125 114. The Lady and the Poor Boy 126
LXIII. RAISING CAP-- 115. Story Lesson 126
LXIV. ON OFFERING SEAT TO LADY-- 116. Story Lesson 127
LXV. ON SHAKING HANDS-- 117. Reggie and the Visitors 129
LXVI. KNOCKING BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM-- 118. The Boy who Forgot 130
LXVII. HANGING HATS UP, ETC.-- 119. Careless Percy 130
LXVIII. HOW TO OFFER SWEETS, ETC.-- 120. How Baby did it 132
LXIX. YAWNING, COUGHING AND SNEEZING-- 121. Story Lesson 132
LXX. HOW A SLATE SHOULD NOT BE CLEANED-- 122. Story Lesson 133
LXXI. THE POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF-- 123. Story Lesson 135
LXXII. HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE-- 124. (On Sitting Still at Table.) Phil's Disaster 136 125. (On Sitting Still at Table.) Fidgety Katie 136 126. (Thinking of Others at Table.) The Helpful Little Girl 137 127. (Upsetting Things at Table.) Leslie and the Christmas Dinner 138 128. Cherry Stones 138
LXXIII. ON EATING AND DRINKING-- 129. Rhymes 140 130. Rhymes 141
LXXIV. FINALE-- 131. How another Queen Builded 142
LIST OF SUBJECTS ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED.
1.--MORAL SUBJECTS.
PAGE All Work Honourable 69 Ashamed, On being 92 Bad Companions 70 Boasting 90 Brave, On being 32 Carelessness 86 Cleanliness 61 Content 49 Copying 20 Destroying Things, On 100 Ears and no Ears 94 Exaggeration 16 Eyes and no Eyes 97 Fairy Temple 1 Finding Things 22 Forgetting 73 Forgiveness 43 Generous, On being 41 Gentleness 45 Giving In, On 40 Giving Pleasure to Others, On 56 Good for Evil 43 Grateful, On being 47 Greediness 89 Help one Another 29 Honesty 17 How another Queen Builded 142 Intemperance 103 Introductory Story 1 Kindness 23 Kindness to Animals 76 Laziness 91 Love of the Beautiful 99 Loyalty 10 Modesty 54 Nails, The 64 Obedience 4 Obstinate, On being 87 Patience 38 Punctuality 67 Pure Language 66 Self-Help 48 Selfishness 82 Teeth, The 65 Thoughtfulness 27 Tidiness 50 Truthfulness 12 Try, Try Again 35 Turning Back when Wrong 101 Wastefulness 91
2.--MANNERS.
Answering when Spoken To 118 Banging Doors 110 Cherry Stones (see "How to Behave at Table") 138 Clumsy People 114 Coughing 132 Eating and Drinking, On 140 Excuse Me, Please (see "Going in Front of People") 124 Going in Front of People 124 Hanging Hats Up, etc. 130 How to Behave at Table 136 "I Beg Your Pardon," When to say 125 Keeping to the Right 113 Knocking Before Entering a Room 130 Look at People when Speaking to Them 122 Manners 104 Offering Seat to Lady 127 Offer Sweets, How to 132 "Please," On Saying 105 Pocket-handkerchief, The 135 Preliminary Story Lesson 104 Pushing in Front of People 112 Putting Feet Up 109 Raising Cap 126 Respectful, On being 108 Shaking Hands, On 129 Sitting Still at Table, On 136 Sneezing 132 Speaking Loudly, On 119 Speaking when Others are Speaking, On 120 Spitting (see "How a Slate Should Not be Cleaned") 133 Staring, On 116 Talking Too Much, On 122 "Thank You," On Saying 105 Thinking of Others at Table 137 Turning Round when Walking 115 Upsetting Things at Table (see "Leslie and the Christmas Dinner") 138 Walking Softly 117 Yawning 132
1.--MORAL SUBJECTS.
I. INTRODUCTORY STORY.
1. The Fairy Temple.
(The following story should be read to the children =first=, as it forms a kind of groundwork for the Story Lessons which follow.)
It was night--a glorious, moonlight night, and in the shade of the leafy woods the Queen of the fairies was calling her little people together by the sweet tones of a tinkling, silver bell. When they were all gathered round, she said: "My dear children, I am going to do a great work, and I want you all to help me". At this the fairies spread their wings and bowed, for they were always ready to do the bidding of their Queen. They were all dressed in lovely colours, of a gauzy substance, finer than any silk that ever was seen, and their names were called after the colours they wore. The Queen's robe was of purple and gold, and glittered grandly in the moonlight.
"I have determined," said the Queen, "to build a Temple of precious stones, and =your= work will be to bring me the material." "Rosy-wings," she continued, turning to a little fairy clad in delicate pink, and fair as a rose, "you shall bring rubies." "Grass-green," to a fairy dressed in green, "your work is to find emeralds; and Shiny-wings, you will go to the mermaids and ask them to give you pearls."
Now there stood near the Queen six tiny, fairy sisters, whose robes were whiter and purer than any. The sisters were all called by the same name--"Crystal-clear," and they waited to hear what their work was to be.
"Sisters Crystal-clear," said the Queen, "you shall all of you bring diamonds; we shall need so many diamonds."
There was another fairy standing there, whose robe seemed to change into many colours as it shimmered in the moonlight, just as you have seen the sky change colour at sunset, and to her the Queen said, "Rainbow-robe, go and find the opal".
Then there were three other fairy sisters called "Gold-wings," who were always trying to help the other fairies, and to do good to everybody, and the Queen told them to bring fine gold to fasten the precious stones together.
These are not =all= the fairies who were there; some others wore blue, some yellow, and the Queen gave them all their work. Then she rang a tiny, silver bell, and they all spread their wings and bowed before they flew away to do her bidding.
After many days the fairies came together to bring their precious treasures to the Queen. How they carried them I scarcely know, but there was a little girl, many years ago, who often paused at the window of a jeweller's shop to gaze at a tiny, silver boy, with silver wings, wheeling a silver wheel-barrow full of rings, and the little girl thought that perhaps the fairies carried things in the same way. Anyhow, they all came to the Queen bringing their burdens, and she soon set to work on the Temple.
"The foundations must be laid with diamonds," said the Queen. "Where are the six sisters? Ah! here they come with the lovely, shining diamonds, which are like themselves, 'clear as crystal'. Now little Gold-wings, bring =your= treasure," and the three little sisters brought the finest of gold. So the work went merrily on, and the fairies danced in glee as they saw the glittering Temple growing under the clever hands of the Queen. She made the doors of pearls and the windows of rubies, and the roof she said should be of opal, because it would show many colours when the light played upon it.
At last the lovely building was finished, and after the fairies had danced joyfully round it in a ring again and again, until they could dance no longer, they gathered in a group round the dear Queen, and thanked her for having made so beautiful a Temple.
"It is quite the loveliest thing in the world, I am sure," said Rosy-wings.
"Not quite," replied the Queen, "mortals have it in their power to make a lovelier Temple than ours."
"Who are 'mortals'?" asked Shiny-wings.
"Boys and girls are mortals," said the Queen, "and grown-up people also."
"I have never seen mortals build anything half so pretty as our Temple," said Grass-green; "their houses are made of stone and brick."
"Ah! Grass-green," answered the Queen, smiling, "you have never seen the Temple I am speaking of, but it =is= better than ours, for it lasts--lasts for ever. Wind and rain, frost and snow, will spoil our Temple in time; but the Temple of the mortals lives on, and is never destroyed."
"Do tell us about it, dear Queen," said all the fairies; "we will try to understand."
"It is called by rather a long word," said the Queen, "its name is 'character'; =that= is what the mortals build, and the stones they use are more precious than our stones. I will tell you the names of some of them. First there is =Truth=, clear and bright like the diamonds; that must be the foundation; no good character can be made without Truth."
Then the sisters Crystal-clear smiled at each other and said, "We brought diamonds for truth".
"There are =Honesty=, =Obedience=, and many others," continued the Queen, "and =Kindness=, which is like the pure gold that was brought by Gold-wings, and makes a lovely setting for all the other stones."
The little fairies were glad to hear all this about the Temple which the mortals build, and Gold-wings said that she would like above everything to be able to help boys and girls to make their Temple beautiful, and the other fairies said the same; so the Queen said they all might try to help them, for each boy and girl =must= build a Temple, and the name of that Temple is Character.
II. OBEDIENCE.
2. The Two Voices.
There was once a little boy who said that whenever he was going to do anything wrong he heard two voices speaking to him. Do you know what he meant? Perhaps this story will help you.
The boy's name was Cecil. Cecil's father had a very beautiful and rare canary, which had been brought far over the sea as a present to him.
Cecil often helped to feed the canary and give it fresh water, and sometimes his father would allow him to open the door of the cage, and the bird would come out and perch on his hand, which delighted Cecil very much, but he was not allowed to open the door of the cage unless his father was with him.
One day, however, Cecil came to the cage alone, and while he watched the canary, a little voice said, "Open the door and take him out; father will never know". That was a =wrong= voice, and Cecil tried not to listen. It would have been better if he had gone away from the cage, but he did not; and the voice came again, "Open the door and let him out". And another little voice said, "No, don't; your father said you must not". But Cecil listened to the =wrong= voice; he opened the door gently, and out flew the pretty bird. First it perched on his finger, then it flew about the room, and then--Cecil had not noticed that the window was open--then, before he knew, out of the window flew the canary, and poor Cecil burst into tears. "Oh! if I had listened to the =good= voice, the =right= voice, and not opened the door! Father will be so angry." Then the =bad= voice came again and said, "Don't tell your father; say you know nothing about it ". But Cecil did not listen this time; he was too brave a boy to tell his father a lie, and he determined to tell the truth and be punished, if necessary.
Of course his father was very sorry to lose his beautiful canary, and more sorry still that his little son had been disobedient, but he was glad that Cecil told him the truth.
Now do you know the two things that the =wrong= voice told Cecil to do? It told him (1) Not to obey; (2) Not to tell the truth. I think we have all heard those two voices, not with our ears, but =within= us. Let us always listen to the =good= voice--the =right= voice.
(Blackboard Sketch.)
Two voices:-- 1st. Good, says, "Obey," "Speak the truth". 2nd. Bad, says, "Disobey," "Tell untruth".
(WHY WE SHOULD OBEY.)
3. The Pilot.
You know that the country in which you live is an island? That means there is water all round it, and that water is the sea.
England and Scotland are joined together in one large island; and if you want to go to any other country, you must sail in a ship. A great many ships come to England, bringing us tea, coffee, sugar, oranges and many other things, and the towns they come to are called =ports=. London is a port, so is Liverpool; and in the North of England is another port called Hull. To get to Hull from the sea we have to sail up a wide river called the Humber for more than twenty miles. This river has a great many sandbanks in it, and there are men called =pilots= who know just where these sandbanks lie, and they are the ones who can guide the ships safely into port.
One day there was a captain who brought his ship into the river, and said to himself, "I do not want the pilot on board, I can guide the ship myself". So he did not hoist the "union jack" on the foremast head, which means "Pilot come on board"; and the pilot did not come.
For a little time the good ship sailed along all right, but presently they found that she was not moving at all. What had happened? The ship was stuck fast on a sandbank, and the foolish captain wished now that he had taken the pilot on board. First he had to go out in the little boat and fetch a "tug-boat" to pull the ship off the sandbank, and then he was glad enough to have the pilot on board, and to let him guide the ship just as he liked. Why could not the captain guide the ship? Because he did not know the way.
Have you ever known children who did not like to do as they were told? who thought that =they= knew best--better than father or mother? They are like the foolish captain, who tried to guide his ship when he did not know the way. Fathers and mothers are like the pilot, who knew which was the best way to take; and wise children are willing to be guided, for =they= do not know the way any more than the captain did.
(Blackboard.)
=Why= do we obey? Because we do not Know the Way.
The story and its teaching may be further impressed on the minds of the children by a sand lesson:--
Place a blackboard or large piece of oil-cloth on the floor, and make an "island" in sand, and in the "island" form a large "estuary," with little heaps of sand dotted about in it, to represent sandbanks. The sailors cannot =see= the sandbanks, for they are all covered with water in the =real= river, so we will take a duster and spread it over these sandbanks. Now, take a tiny boat and ask one of the children to sail it up the river, keeping clear of the sandbanks. The children will soon see that it cannot be done, and the "blackboard" lesson may be again enforced.
(WHY WE SHOULD OBEY.)
4. The Dog that did not like to be Washed.[1]