Such is the tribute to fairy tales rendered by two great nations who have recognized fairy tales as the joyous right of children.  Any education which claims to relate itself to present child life can hardly afford to omit what is acknowledged as part of the child’s everyday life; nor can it afford to omit to hand on to the child those fairy tales which are a portion of his literary heritage.

II.  THE VALUE OF FAIRY TALES IN EDUCATION

In considering fairy tales for the little child, the first question which presents itself is, “Why are fairy stories suited to the little child, and what is their value for him?”

Fairy tales bring joy into child life.  The mission of joy has not been fully preached, but we know that joy works toward physical health, mental brightness, and moral virtue.  In the education of the future, happiness together with freedom will be recognized as the largest beneficent powers that will permit the individual of four, from his pristine, inexperienced self-activity, to become that final, matured, self-expressed, self-sufficient, social development—­the educated man.  Joy is the mission of art and fairy tales are art products.  As such Pater would say, “For Art comes to you, proposing to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass, and simply for those moments’ sake.  Not the fruit of experience, but experience, is the end.”  Such quality came from the art of the fairy tale into the walk of a little girl, for whom even the much-tabooed topic of the weather took on a new, fresh charm.  In answer to a remark concerning the day she replied, “Yes, it’s not too hot, and not too cold, but just right.”  All art, being a product of the creative imagination, has the power to stimulate the creative faculties.  “For Art, like Genius,” says Professor Woodberry, “is common to all men, it is the stamp of the soul in them.”  All are creatures of imitation and combination; and the little child, in handling an art product, puts his thought through the artist’s mould and gains a touch of the artist’s joy.

Fairy tales satisfy the play spirit of childhood.  Folk-tales are the product of a people in a primitive stage when all the world is a wonder-sphere.  Most of our popular tales date from days when the primitive Aryan took his evening meal of yava and fermented mead, and the dusky Sudra roamed the Punjab.  “All these fancies are pervaded with that purity by which children seem to us so wonderful,” said William Grimm.  “They have the same blue-white, immaculate bright eyes.”  Little children are in this same wonder-stage.  They believe that the world about throbs with life and is peopled with all manner of beautiful, powerful folk.  All children are poets, and fairy tales are the poetic recording of the facts of life.  In this day of commercial enterprise, if we would fit children for life we must see to it that we do not blight the poets in them.