(Have the Tree removed.  Apparently from a cart outside the door, a larger Christmas Tree may be brought in and planted in a sand-box by two servants, students from grammar grades.  The same child now grown older, represents the Tree.)

     Act II, Scene i.  The Fir Tree brought into the room. 
          The decorating of the Tree by the Children and Teacher. 
          Talk of the Children about the Tree when decorating it. 
               Singing of Christmas carols; dancing of
               folk-dances; or recitation of Christmas
               poems, after the decoration of the Tree.

          The distribution of gifts by the Children.  An
          audience to whom the Children wanted to give
          presents, could be invited.

          The Story-telling under the Tree.

The presence of visiting children would create an audience for the story-telling.  The selection of the story-teller and the story or stories might be the result of a previous story contest.  The contest and the story-telling under the Tree would be ideal drill situations.  The entire play would serve as a fine unification of the child’s work in nature, in construction, in physical education, in music, in composition, and in literature.  Everything he does in the play will be full of vital interest to him; and his daily tasks will seem of more worth to him when he sees how he can use them with so much pleasure to himself and to others.  This play is an example of the organizing of ideas which a good tale may exercise in the mind of the child and the part the tale as an organized experience may play in his development.

The creative return desired by the teacher, as well as the choice of tales for particular purposes, will depend largely on the controlling ideas in the program.  It must be remembered that the child of to-day is not bookish nor especially literary; and he has increasing life interests.  In the ordinary school year, work naturally divides itself into the main season festivals.  While story work is here presented in its separate elements, any teacher realizes the possibility of making the story work lead up to and culminate in the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or May Festival.  Because the good story bears a close relation to nature and to human life, any good course of stories will offer to the teacher ample freedom of choice for any natural school purpose.  The good tale always gains by being placed in a situation where it assists in carrying out a larger idea.  When the tale is one unit of a festival program it appeals to the child as a unit in his everyday life, it becomes socially organized for him.

REFERENCES: 

English: 

     Baker, F.T.; Carpenter, G.; and Scott, F.N.:  The Teaching of
       English.  Longmans.

     Chubb, Percival:  The Teaching of English.  Macmillan.