Journeys Through Bookland Volume X Part 49

_d._ Essay: (1) _Trees and Ants That Help Each Other_, VII, 306.

_e._ See, also, references to _Tom, the Water Baby_, in the earlier part of this section.

VI. Denizens of the water: _a._ Fish: (1) _Salmon Fis.h.i.+ng_, Volume VII, page 285.

(2) "Pickerel," in _The Pond in Winter_, VII, 280.

(3) See, also, "Salmon," in _Tom, the Water Baby_, II, 272, 279-283.

_b._ See numerous references to _Tom, the Water Baby_, in the earlier part of this section.

VII. Natural Phenomena: _a._ Nursery rhymes: (1) _Rainbow in the Morning_, Volume I, page 48.

(2) _If All the World Were Water_, I, 48.

_b._ Poems: (1) _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_, Volume I, page 44.

(2) _The Sun's Travels_, I, 68.

(3) _Rain_, I, 110.

(4) _Autumn Fires_, I, 394.

(5) _The Wind_, I, 440.

(6) _The First Snowfall_, II 403.

(7) _In Time's Swing_, II, 481.

(8) _Echo_, III, 286.

(9) _The Rainbow_, VI, 91.

(10) _Sweet and Low_, VI, 122.

(11) _The Cloud_, VII, 257.

_c._ Fable: (1) _The Wind and the Sun_, Volume I, page 95.

VIII. Geographical in Nature: (1) _At the Seaside_, Volume I, page 129.

(2) _From a Railway Carriage_, I, 198.

(3) _Stop, Stop, Pretty Water_, I, 317.

(4) _Song of the Brook_, IV, 60.

(5) _A Descent into the Maelstrom_, VIII, 95.

(6) _Ascent of the Jungfrau_, IX, 1.

II

Aid in answering the second problem may be found in the following paragraph:

A series of interesting studies may be founded on the use which authors make of nature by way of direct and indirect allusion in their works.

Such lessons are the opposite of those we have been considering. Now, the literary selection is taken first, read carefully and the allusions noted and cla.s.sified. It will be noticed that it is not necessary that selections used for this purpose should be new to the pupils. In fact, genuine literature has the merit of being always new, always interesting. No better service can be rendered to a child than to create in him a love for the fine things in literature. Continued, monotonous study of a masterpiece may breed dislike of it, especially if the exercises are dull and formal. But to approach an old favorite from a new direction, to look at it from a new point of view, is to lend it added charms.

A. To ill.u.s.trate our method, we will use _The King of the Golden River_ (Volume II, page 405).

1. _a.s.signment._ The leader a.s.signs the work as follows: "I wish you to read the first section of _The King of the Golden River_ and write in the order of their occurrence, every mention of a living thing or natural object and every allusion to them. Use the words of the story when possible, but be brief. After each put a number, to show the page of the story. Let us see who can find the greatest number and who can make the best paper."

2. _Preparation._ If the children work well their lists will be something like this:

a. The valley in the mountains. Page 405.

(1) Snow-covered peaks; cataracts; a crag; river; circular hollows.

(2) Heavy crops; high hay; red apples; blue grapes; rich wine; sweet honey.

(3) Blackbirds; hedgehogs; crickets; cicadas.

(4) Corn.

b. The wet summer. Page 407.

(1) Hay; vines; corn.

c. A nice piece of mutton. Page 408.

d. Must be the wind. Page 408.

e. A black feather some three feet long. Page 409.

f. Like a beaten puppy's tail. Page 410.

g. Like a mill stream. Page 410.

h. Licking its chops. Page 410.

i. A gust of wind that made the old chimneys totter. Page 411.

j. Quicksilver-like streams. Page 411.

k. Like a straw in the high wind. Page 413.

l. A wreath of ragged cloud, that whirled and rolled away down the valley. Page 415.

m. A gush of rain. Page 415.

n. Howling wind and rus.h.i.+ng rain without intermission. Page 415.

o. The room was full of water. Page 416.

p. A misty moonbeam. Page 416.

r. Like a cork. Page 416.

s. The inundation. Pages 416-417.

(1) Trees; crops; cattle swept away.

(2) Red sand and gray mud left in their stead.

(3) Corn swept away.

(4) _Breezy_ letters.

(5) Southwest Wind, Esquire.

3. _Recitation._ The leader's part in the recitation is to help the children to cla.s.sify the things mentioned, to bring out the meaning of the figures of speech, and to see that the allusions are understood.

In writing this fine chapter, Ruskin has mentioned or alluded to the following:

a. Land and water forms: Mountains; valley; snow; peaks; cataracts; river; circular hollow; mill stream; cloud; rain; globe of foam.