This surprising conclusion points to a stage when it is difficult for a child to hold the thread of a narrative, and at this stage, along with simple stories of little ones like themselves, repetition or “accumulation” stories seem to give most pleasure.  “Henny Penny” and “Billy Bobtail”—­told by Jacobs as “How Jack went to seek his Fortune”—­are prime favourites.  Repetition of rhythmic phrases has a great attraction, as in “Three Little Pigs,” with its delightful repetition of “Little pig, little pig, let me come in,” “No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin,” “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in.”

Very soon, however, the children are ready for the time-honoured fairy-tale or folk-tale.

The orthodox beginning, “Once upon a time, in a certain country there lived ...,” fits the stage when neither time nor place is of any consequence.  Animals speak, well why not, we can!  The fairies accomplish wonders, again why not?  Wonderful things do happen and they must have a wonderful cause, and, as one child said, if there never had been any fairies, how could people have written stories about them?  Goodness is rewarded and wickedness is punished, as is only right in the child’s eyes, and goodness usually means kindness, the virtue best understood of children.  Obedience is no doubt the nursery virtue in the eyes of authority, but kindness is much more human and attractive.

“Both child and man,” says Froebel, “desire to know the significance of what happens around them; this is the foundation of Greek choruses, especially in tragedy, and of many productions in the realm of legends and fairy-tales.  It is the result of the deep-rooted consciousness, the slumbering premonition of being surrounded by that which is higher and more conscious than ourselves.”  The fairy tale is the child’s mystery land, his recognition that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy or in our science.  Dr. Montessori protests against the idea that fairy-tales have anything to do with the religious sense, saying that “faith and fable are as the poles apart.”  She does not understand that it is for their truth that we value fairy-tales.  The truths they teach are such as that courage and intelligence can conquer brute strength, that love can brave and can overcome all dangers and always finds the lost, that kindness begets kindness and always wins in the end.  The good and the faithful marries the princess—­or the prince—­and lives happy ever after.  And assuredly if he does not marry his princess, he will not live happy, and if she does not marry the prince, she will live in no beautiful palace.  And there is more.  Take for instance, the story of “Toads and Diamonds.”  The courteous maiden who goes down the well, who gives help where it is needed, and who works faithfully for Mother Holle,[21] comes home again dropping gold and diamonds when she speaks.  Her silence may be silver, but her speech is golden, and her words give light in dark places.  The selfish and lazy girl, who refuses help and whose work is unfaithful and only done for reward, has her reward.  Henceforth, when she speaks, down fall toads and snakes her words are cold as she is, they may glitter but they sting.