(f) Many of the fairy tales might arouse in the child a desire to originate a game, especially if be were accustomed to originate games in the regular game work.  A modification of the game of tag might grow from Red Riding Hood and a pleasant ring game easily might develop from Sleeping Beauty.  In fact there is a traditional English game called “Sleeping Beauty.”  An informal ring game which would be somewhat of a joke, and would have the virtue of developing attention, might grow from The Tin Soldier.  The Tin Soldier stands in the center while the circle is formed of Jack-in-the-boxes, with lids closed.  The Tin Soldier turns round and round slowly, and when he stops looks steadily at a certain Jack-in-the-box, whereupon the Jack must bob up and retort, “Keep your eyes to yourself, Tin Soldier!” The Jack and Soldier then change places.  Any Jack failing to open when looked at forfeits his place in the ring.  Some games derived from folk-tales were given in the Delineator, November, 1914.  These could not be used by the youngest without adaptation; they suggest a form of fun that so far as I know has been undeveloped.

(g) The artistic creative return of the child may sometimes take the form of objectification or representation. The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a model of the literary fairy tale which gives a stimulus to the child to represent his fairy tale objectively.  As straightforward narrative it ranks high.  Its very first clause is the child’s point of view:  “There were five and twenty tin soldiers”; for the child counts his soldiers.  Certainly the theme is unique and the images clear-cut.

It makes one total impression and it has one emotional tone to which everything is made to contribute.  Its message of courage and its philosophy of life, which have been mentioned previously, are not so insignificant even if the story does savor of the sentimental.  Its structure is one single line of sequence, from the time this marvelous soldier was stood up on the table, until he, like many another toy, was thrown into the fire.  The vivid language used gives vitality to the story, the words suit the ideas, and often the words recall a picture or suggestion; as, “The Soldier fell headlong," “trod,” “came down in torrents,” “boat bobbed,” “spun round,” “clasped his gun,” “boat shot along,” “blinked his eyes,” etc.  The method of suggestion by which an object is described through its effect on some one else, produces a very pleasing result here.  You see the steadfast look of the Tin Soldier’s eyes when the Jack-in-the-box says, “Keep your eyes to yourself, Tin Soldier!” The position of the Soldier in the street is given through the exclamation of the little boys who see him—­“Look! there lies a Tin Soldier, let us give him a sail in the gutter!”