BANNING NURSERY TALES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

BANNING NURSERY TALES

THE MIND OF A CHILD WHY REPRESS IMAGINATION? The psychologists, in their persevering attempts to understand the minds of children, have now come to the conclusion that, nursery talcs have a bad effect on the thoughts and actions of youth. But' I should imagine that the result is directly opposite, says a writer in " The Queen." Most nursery stories teach a moral without the child being aware of the fact, as they are told in so charming a fashion that tho lesson is almost submerged, like a nasty "powder in golden syrup. The tales of Grimm and Hans Andersen, in particular, are said to he too exciting and thrilling for youthful ininTls. This may be true in tho case of highly-strung children, who are sometimes haunted by nightmares, but the ordinary normal child will merely ho stimulated by the " Jack the Giant Killer " type of story, and with round, starry eyes and flushed cheeks, will sigh for moro when bedtime comes. Naturally, abnormal children should be treated differently, and the stories carefully chosen to suit their nervous temperament. These delightful tales are read by all nations: the small French or German child knows Red Riding Hood's escapade as well as his English cousins: they are tales which have been handed down from generation to generation. It seems to me that it is rather late in the day to ban them. Anyway, what will take their place? Will stories of machinery and wireless be substituted for magic carpets and fairies, and tho eternal triangle of films for the fascinating "Puss in Boots"? Perhaps there will not be any nursery stories in years to come (they are supposed to encourage lying), and the imaginative child will have no outlet for his dreams. Who can understand the mind of a child? It is a thing as delicate as thistledown and as unfathomable as the sea. But certainly it will not be improved by banishing the joy bf fairy tales from the nursery, and checking the vivid imagination that peoples an intriguing little world of its own with gnomes, fairies, princesses and powerful giants.